Triumph ready for used-bike launch by Oct-end: Head

CHENNAI: British premium motorcycle maker Triumph would launch its used bike programme – Triumph Approved – by this month end as part of consolidating its presence in the country, a top official said.

Under the programme, the company would target first time buyers, besides offering finance options, Triumph Motorcycles Business Head Shoeb Farooq said.

The launch would happen by the month end in three dealerships and gradually scaled up by December, he said. “It will be rolled out in at least 10 dealership networks by December. We are calling it as Triumph Approved. We are going to buy back used bikes from our customers, upgrade them and sell them with warranty”, he said.

On the products that would be launched under the programme, he said it will be based on the demand (from customers).

Currently, Triumph retails nearly 13 products, including the 2,500cc flagship The Rocket 3R and Rocket 3GT, across various categories in the country. “In the automobile industry there is degrowth and it is going to take some time to rebound (due to COVID-19 outbreak).

Currently, Triumph has 14 dealership networks and has planned to add two more retailers instead of planned four as part of expansion plans. “I think in the next 12 months, we will only go ahead with two more locations. One (dealership) may be in the South and the other in the East”, he said. Though there is degrowth in the industry, we are selling at similar levels to what we sold in July-September last year,” Farooq said.

Under the used bike programme, he said “we are also going to offer finance options and you can come to the dealer network just like you are going to buy a new motorcycle. What we are planning is to offer a year’s warranty to used motorcycles.”