New Triumph Models in Seattle, FINALLY!

Triumph didn't attend 2010's Seattle motorcycle show (nor did BMW or KTM) and I was unable to go to the Vancouver show in January, due to a work crunch. So I was pleasantly surprised to receive hints that Cycle Barn wold be unveiling new Triumph motorcycles today.

And the Triumphs revealed were EXACTLY the bikes I was most interested in seeing: the new Tiger 800 and the new Speed Triple.

First, here's the new Tiger, in all its glory. It's an 800 cc, 3 cylinder bike that takes dead aim at the BMW F800 GS:


This is the 2011 Special Edition Speed Triple:


The white Speed Triple below sports the new 2011 styling, heavy on chassis changes to take advantage of its might motor. The black bike alongside it is identical to my 2009 model. When I sat on this new 2011, it felt lower and more compact than my 2009...its handling is supposed to be fantastic.

After the long wait, it was exciting to finally see these new models first hand. I eagerly look forward to taking them for test rides!

Austin Vince speaking at Touratech USA in just under 2 weeks!

Most adventure/touring motorcyclists have heard of Austin Vince in the context of Mondo Enduro or Terra Circa. Anyway, Austin is visiting the US and will be speaking at Touratech USA in Seattle on Wednesday, March 23:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Adventure/Events/cGaDRi/Touratech-USA-Presents-Austin-Vince

If you don’t know any of these names, I encourage a look at this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondo_Enduro

Basically, in 1995-1996, these Brits rode DR350s (earlier/smaller versions of the DRZ400) around the world: think Long Way Round and Long Way Down tacked together on small dual-sports. They were unable to make it across the Zilov Gap in Siberia and so went back later and did cross the Gap in the Terra Circa trip.