MCN readers shafted over new Triumph

Motor Cycle News (MCN) published an 'exclusive', with a 'spy shot',  about the forthcoming Triumph Trophy 1200 today, 29 June 2011.

Predictably they got all excited about styling, but missed the big news - the bike is genuinely all-new and has a shaft drive, something its predecessor lacked.  There's only one Triumph with a shaft at the moment, the minority interest Rocket Three 2.3 litre triple.

I couldn't resist pointing this slack reporting out in a readers' letter, see below. Let's see if they publish it!!



Sir,

Oh how could you miss it?  Your spy shot of Triumph’s new Trophy 1200 (29 June) clearly shows shaft drive ... but your reporter missed it!  Instead we had to read ‘sensational’ guff about silver-painted frame and the fact that the ‘twin round’ headlights are ‘unlikely to be the finished article’.

The shaft drive is the big news for Triumph – an omission up to now that has been a major drawback for a bike with touring pretensions.

I suspect that your ‘insider’ is talking out of his or her hat about the lengthy development time being due to the inclusion of sat nav, media system and ‘a lot of luxuries’.  Screwing a sat nav to a bike is not rocket science – it’s an aftermarket accessory, after all.  Developing a new engine with new shaft drive is a much longer process!

Come on MCN – there is no excuse for these cockups, after all the story and pix of this new bike were first published on the Motor Cyclist website in November last year!!!  See here - http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/newsandupdates/motorcycle_news/122_1011_2012_triumph_trophy/index.html

By the way, the first rule of caption-writing is not to tell the reader what he or she can clearly see - the headlights couldn't be more obvious!!

Chris Myers

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