Triumph bikes in Thailand

[liddelljohn]

For those that are interested in triumphs around pattaya. Marine and motor (Yamaha dealer) on sukhumvit rd across from Thepprasit apparently have them with the new prices. Not sure what models as I haven't been there myself.

Well not anymore, the 3 Bonneville T-100's in the shop are sold and they will not get more.

I was there 2 days ago and from what I can understand they will not be selling anymore as Britbike has the final word and I don't think they want a odd shop like that selling Triumphs since they also sell almost anything Yamaha (with motor).

The dealer in Rayong has closed too which is no good for us based on the Eastern Seaboard because now we only have BKK left which is not acceptable for me

I will try call Britbike in BKK tomorrow and ask what is going on.

I will keep you posted regarding the outcome.

i have just come back from Watchera , and yes they are a yamaha dealer and also KTM but they say they are still a Triumph main dealer , they have the franchise for Chonburi and that Britbike have no say in the matter as they deal direct with Triumph ...

They are expecting a delivery of bikes from triumph after new year .

thats what they told me this morning ,,,

[pluto_manibo]

For those that are interested in triumphs around pattaya. Marine and motor (Yamaha dealer) on sukhumvit rd across from Thepprasit apparently have them with the new prices. Not sure what models as I haven't been there myself.

Well not anymore, the 3 Bonneville T-100's in the shop are sold and they will not get more.

I was there 2 days ago and from what I can understand they will not be selling anymore as Britbike has the final word and I don't think they want a odd shop like that selling Triumphs since they also sell almost anything Yamaha (with motor).

The dealer in Rayong has closed too which is no good for us based on the Eastern Seaboard because now we only have BKK left which is not acceptable for me

I will try call Britbike in BKK tomorrow and ask what is going on.

I will keep you posted regarding the outcome.

i have just come back from Watchera , and yes they are a yamaha dealer and also KTM but they say they are still a Triumph main dealer , they have the franchise for Chonburi and that Britbike have no say in the matter as they deal direct with Triumph ...

They are expecting a delivery of bikes from triumph after new year .

thats what they told me this morning ,,,

That is strange! I was there this morning as well, around 10 am and the friendly staff at the shop told me they are not selling triumphs anymore. I asked about the few bikes they had left and he told me they are customers bikes and as of next year they are not a Triumph dealership. Very disappointed, so whats' the deal now? I am looking for a t100 black and what about service for Triumph now. Seems that as the prices have dropped some dealers have lost interest?

[guzzi850m2]

i have just come back from Watchera , and yes they are a yamaha dealer and also KTM but they say they are still a Triumph main dealer , they have the franchise for Chonburi and that Britbike have no say in the matter as they deal direct with Triumph ...

They are expecting a delivery of bikes from triumph after new year .

thats what they told me this morning ,,,

Hmm that is very strange, it's not what they told me.

I got the felling that they are waiting for some clear answers from Triumph or Britbike.

See this link: http://www.britbike.co.th/Triumph_Motorcycle_Thailand,_Britbike/News_ENGLISH.html

Oh I am not alone, just saw the post from pluto.

Confused??

I am.

They write there that they are Aut. Trumpet dealer, so it's kind of confusing.

Edited December 26, 2014 by guzzi850m2

[liddelljohn]

I am sure it will come clear in time??

Madness for triumph not to have a dealer in eastern area , BMW showroom now open in bang amphoe, ducati, in pattaya klang, honda ,kawasaki and benelli on sukumvit . and suzuki and yamaha big bikes also now in mityon , several good local HD outlets and other big bike shops selling unusual stuff or support and accessories

its a powerhouse area for big bike sales ,, triumph are missing out on a proactive dealer ....in this area ..

[ll2]

maybe they have an agreement that will end at the end of this year and possibly britbike will open its own dealer there or give the dealing rights to another party?

[guzzi850m2]

I am sure we will find out soon enough, I tried phone Britbike in BKK yesterday but nobody picked up?

Perhaps they are closed over the holidays.

Yes not having a Triumph dealer in Pattaya is a wasted opportunity, many biker interested people here with fat pockets, both Thais and expats and they know it.

Well I had a look and sit on the new Versys 650 2015 on the 22nd this month at the Kawa dealer on Sukhumvit road and I liked it very much and I will go try a 2nd hand V they have in the shop in Jan 2015 and take it from there.

[seedy]

Sure Triumph has something in the works. Can't see them missing out on one of the largest markets - if not the largest - in the country.

Prices falling, more bikes being sold. Sounds like a major rethink on sales going on, more pie but smaller pieces!

Like that XRX. Still searching for my next one. Reno's over soon.

[liddelljohn]

Ok I have dug around and now know what is going on with triumph in pattaya and watchera,, also its linked to recent changes with Ducati pattaya ,, its messy and complicated and watchera old ducati dealer have both been shafted by the distributor which is the same company that owns Ducati bangkok and Britbike ...owned by a well known Hiso thai movie star and and another very influentual Indian/Thai businessman .

Watchera have invested over 50m baht into being a triumph dealer ,they are well thought of in local industry ,as a main dealer for Yamaha marine , and other equipment they have Thai owners with singapore connections .they have lost a serious sum of money due to this problem ,they have a large number of triumphs in their warehouse which they cannot sell.

Tony the american invested over 25m baht into building up ducati pattaya,,,both are being penalised for being successful amd the Bankok distributors now want to have the retail in pattaya for themselves ,, the ducati shop has already been taken by them and it likely they want to set up a triumph shop in pattaya ,,

There is litigation currently in progress and it involves all parties Ducati, triumph , watchera , britbike , tony etc etc

I know for certain that ducati in bologna are certainly happy with thai sales but less happy about poor distribution and availability and stocks of spares ,, lots of poor customer feedback about bikes waiting in dealers for up to 2 months for service parts ,

triumph also aware that as sales rise they will suffer from same limitations of current distribution and service failings as it is effectively a badly run take it or leave it Thai monopoly..

word is triumph want to set up a Thai distibutor with British managment.. they also had to fight tooth and nail to get round the BOI agreement to lower taxes and prices and seems britbike were not helpful .

more to follow ,,,,,,

[guzzi850m2]

Whoa liddelljohn you sure as hell got some connections when you know something like this.

Thanks for sharing.

[liddelljohn]

I used to be in the motorcycle business, and also worked for a major automotive importer/distributor here a few years ago and my Brother in law is a bigwig in local industries he hears everything among his thai cronies ..

[seedy]

Thanks for the Heads-Up !!

Will put the XRX on the 'To Be Continued' list until this gets settled.

[DILLIGAD]

Thanks for the Heads-Up !!

Will put the XRX on the 'To Be Continued' list until this gets settled.

Same here.

[seedy]

Same here.

You still got your heart set on XCX - or do I detect an ever so slight lean ... ?

[seedy]

So Tony is back in Thailand ?

Good to hear, he can sort out the people he has ripped off then.

Was it Tony who had the bike dealership a few years back, south Pattaya, northbound side of Sukumvit south of Tecso Lotus ?

Heard lots of people had - ahem 'Issues' - there.

[DILLIGAD]

Same here.

You still got your heart set on XCX - or do I detect an ever so slight lean ... ?

I've only wanted an XRx (not XCx) since this new price structure and model range but have to say the Newchurch was very tempting when I sat on it at the show ( for an ex Bonnie owner).

[liddelljohn]

So Tony is back in Thailand ?

Good to hear, he can sort out the people he has ripped off then.

Was it Tony who had the bike dealership a few years back, south Pattaya, northbound side of Sukumvit south of Tecso Lotus ?

Heard lots of people had - ahem 'Issues' - there.

No that was scott Horvath a brit with hungarian connections ,, he is unlikely to turn up in thailand as he has a lot of issues here ,, he also did time in Uk a couople of year back for fraud .

[liddelljohn]

Don mega

what happened to you with ducati old dealer Tony ,,???

did you place a deposit and not get a bike or was it one of the dodgy multistradas with defective ECU and engine blow ups ??? or something else????

[Don Mega]

Don mega

what happened to you with ducati old dealer Tony ,,???

did you place a deposit and not get a bike or was it one of the dodgy multistradas with defective ECU and engine blow ups ??? or something else????

Nothing to me personally. But he should meet up with Albert and square things away.

[liddelljohn]

Yes your correct ....sad so many deals in thailand end in acrimony ,,

[liddelljohn]

Honda and Kawasaki control their big bike distribution via japanese run management ethos , it shows , but they still have to deal with thainess in the supply chain ,,,,

if yamaha and suzuki big bike importers are serious they will do same ,

Ducati and triumph want foreign managment to over sea Thai distribution , servicing and spares ,,that is now long term plan ,

if BMW are to be serious they will have to do same as their reputation here has been stained by thai practices .

some of the thai independents are very good , red baron,dirtbike shop , Chicane , tananyout , hotrod and a few others for instance all have great knowledge and backup and are often and also east coast customs run by long time expat chris .they all have good unofficial links for spares and service and are often more reliable than main dealers .

HD are lucky as main importer is run by yanks,brits and singaporeans and they are pretty good .

my recent experience with Ducati pattaya run by britbikes owners was not at all positive , i was after common service spares used by all ducati models for past 15 years and they has ZERO stock ,and 14 days delivery , thats appalling , lucky for me I have plenty contacts here and was able to pick up the parts i wanted next day not from a Ducati dealer...lots of friend who have bought new ducatis in thailand tell me of long waits for spares and service related items ,,, its basic stuff ...

[ll2]

Honda and Kawasaki control their big bike distribution via japanese run management ethos , it shows , but they still have to deal with thainess in the supply chain ,,,,

if yamaha and suzuki big bike importers are serious they will do same ,

Ducati and triumph want foreign managment to over sea Thai distribution , servicing and spares ,,that is now long term plan ,

if BMW are to be serious they will have to do same as their reputation here has been stained by thai practices .

some of the thai independents are very good , red baron,dirtbike shop , Chicane , tananyout , hotrod and a few others for instance all have great knowledge and backup and are often and also east coast customs run by long time expat chris .they all have good unofficial links for spares and service and are often more reliable than main dealers .

HD are lucky as main importer is run by yanks,brits and singaporeans and they are pretty good .

my recent experience with Ducati pattaya run by britbikes owners was not at all positive , i was after common service spares used by all ducati models for past 15 years and they has ZERO stock ,and 14 days delivery , thats appalling , lucky for me I have plenty contacts here and was able to pick up the parts i wanted next day not from a Ducati dealer...lots of friend who have bought new ducatis in thailand tell me of long waits for spares and service related items ,,, its basic stuff ...

Honda bigwing does a good job on service, parts etc. They train their staff in japan and mechs there are good. They even send their big bike training staff to japan.

Kawasaki too i believe does a good job.

So it is not related with thainess!

I think ducati and triump just want to do things by themselves maybe due to problems on franchises.

[liddelljohn]

II2

yes thats true but its due to japanese and european style managment, training and supervision and servicing planning , it the ethos behind the way things are run ,, Honda , Kawasaki , big bikes have the right way to ensure a level of quality, which is generally good , others have to put in that effort to get same levels of service,

[Scott]

Inflammatory posts have been removed. Comments outside the scope of the topic can result in a warning and a suspension. Please refrain from making remarks about other members and stay on topic.

[Strangebrew]

I believe the term term used to describe the high prices here is called protectionism. Also Thailand has a bad record at copying high end products usually have to get from China then markup 1000 percent.

[guzzi850m2]

With all those internal dealer problems with Triumph (and Ducati) I have now binned my plans of buying a Bonnie for the time being.

This can take years to sort out and if the dealers don't even have normal service items in stock it will only add to the negative aspects of ownership.

As Bonnie owner Bung points out in earlier posts; you have to do some modifications on them to get a really good bike (like Harley) it's a further no no for me, the T100 is already expensive enough as it is

Perhaps in 2-4 years time you can likely find them on the 2nd hand market here with the mods done and at good prices too.

It is better to stick with the well established brands (and local made) if you are on a budget as II2 & liddelljohn also pointed out, which means: Honda or Kawasaki.

[Hog Head]

I understand that Triumph have sold 1000 + bikes since the price "adjustment"

Wonder how they intend to support that lot?

They only have until the beginning of the waiting list to sort it out

Edited December 29, 2014 by Hog Head

[eisfeld]

Very interesting information about the relationship between the dealers, huge thanks for that liddelljohn!

I hope that Ducati and Triumph can sort these issues out, you don`t want a single dealer having a monopoly in the country. It is already bad enough with only a single dealer for a whole part of the country. There needs to be some competition but I wont be holding my breath. As sales ramp up, there should be enough for two dealers in popular regions at least.

At the motor show I was told by a German Auto staffer that BMW proper is also in the process of sorting out their dealerships because of bad feedback. Last time I drove by the Barcelona BMW dealer in Phuket they didnt have a single bike in the showroom. Maybe it already started. These companies need to make some strong statements that they wont tollerate the shenanigans in Thailand anymore.

What is missing is dealers who have passion for their jobs and not just pure greed. Honda and Kawasaki did it right so it's not impossible. But the key seems to be to set strict guidelines and pick the right people in management. Easier done with foreigners than Thais as racist as it might sound.

Edited December 29, 2014 by eisfeld

[liddelljohn]

I have modified a few Hinckley bonny's for mates in UK ,, the early carb versions can be easily made to get 70hp up from standard 58 with some simple mods airbox, emmisions , jets and exhaust , mods , and if u fit FCR carbs and have big bore kit and some valve upgrades and lightened crank 95hp with total reliability is possible at a cost about £4000 IN TOTAL , The engine is very tough and over built .

later EFI models can have similar mods and power commander and get similar results

of course then brakes and suspension need upgrades ,,, and then the cosmetics ????

as they get more older ones available they make a good basis for project bikes.

[pluto_manibo]

The problem with older models, from what I have seen on the second hand market, is that people are asking silly prices compared to what they are selling for now. Many 2-3 yr old bikes(Thruxton, Bonneville) at 650k Baht ++. Much more interesting to get a new one and do the modifications you want from a "clean slate". The Ducati Scrambler is looking very appealing as well, unfortunately the interesting model of that bike comes out in May....

[DILLIGAD]

With the recent reductions, I'd expect them to have shot a big hole in the prices now asked for in 2nd hand Triumph (except true old classics)

Sorry but with great regret, I found the Scrambler underwhelming at the recent show. To me it looks like a toy.

Edited December 29, 2014 by DILLIGAD