Nel gennaio del 2000, a dieci anni dalla rinascita Triumph, e' prodotta la moto con il telaio nr. 100.000: si tratta di un esemplare della nuova Sprint RS Lucifer Orange destinata alla concessionaria Numero Tre di Milano da utilizzare come "promotional role" e che e' stata consegnata a Carlo Talamo come segno di riconoscimento per il suo impegno nella crescita delle vendite.

Con il 2000 inizia la produzione della TT600 e della nuova Sprint RS presentata in Spagna nel dicembre del 1999 (maggiori informazioni nella pagina dedicata alla Sprint RS).

Triumph Sprint RS (MY2000)

Al salone Intermot di Monaco viene presentata alla stampa mondiale la nuova Bonneville dopo ben 13 anni dall'uscita di produzione della storia Bonneville prodotta su licenza da Lee Harris.

La Daytona 955i e' leggermente modificata: l'interasse si accorcia di 15mm, ci sono nuove grafiche, il colore gridio prende il posto del nero ed il silenziatore e' arrotondato.

Il primo stabilimento in Thailandia e' pronto ed inizia la produzione dei telaietti posteriori, collettori di scarico ed parti secondarie. Ad Hinckley si raggiungono le 125 motociclette prodotte al giorno e parte delle linee produttive vengono spostate da Factory1 a Factory2.

In Italia si rinnova il sito internet dell'importatrice Triumph e con l'occasione viene inaugurato il mitico "Forum Numerotre" con le sue amate pagine blu.

Numeri Interni Triumph e relativi responsabili di funzione (2000)

100 anni di storia festeggia il marchio inglese nel 2002. Purtroppo il 2002 non inizia bene per Triumph infatti il 15 marzo 2002 attorno alle ore 20:40 un disastroso incendio, che si propaga dalla sala prove situata alla fine della catena di montaggio, distrugge gran parte dello stabilimento T1 il primo storico stabilimento di Hinckley. Il fuoco distrugge la linea di assemblaggio, gli uffici, la reception e la recente linea di stampaggio ad iniezione. Altre parti dello stabilimento sono danneggiate dal fumo e dalla cenere che si deposita ovunque: si riscontrano danni anche al reparto di verniciatura ed assemblaggio motori. Per spegnere l'incendio saranno necessari 130 vigili del fuoco, 25 autopompe e 5 ore di lavoro. La causa dell'incendio e' tutt'ora ignota. E' stato il piu' grande incendio nella zona del Leicester dalla seconda guerra mondiale.

Nonostante i danni enormi, John Bloor e l'allora direttore dello stabilimento si mettono subito in opera organizzando le operazioni di pulizia e ricostruzione. Ricorda Guy Campton, uno dei dipendenti di vecchia data: "La prima tappa importante nel 1991 fu la messa in opera della linea produttiva e vederne uscire le prime moto. Ma ricordo anche l’incendio che ha raso al suolo la fabbrica originaria nel 2002. Restai a casa dal lavoro per un giorno, ma entro tre giorni la ricostruzione era gia' avviata.” 

March 2002 - Engine powder coat	March 2002 - Moulding plant
March 2002 - Chassis assembly	March 2002 - Chassis assembly
March 2002 – General aftermath	March 2002 - Rolling road
Permesso ricostruzione
Mid-April 2002 - Site clearance well underway   Early-May 2002 - Site clearance complete   Late-May 2002 - Reconstruction underway Mid-June 2002 - Superstructure nears completion Mid June 2002 - Clean up /refurbishment of former machine shop completed Late-June 2002 - Internal reconstruction underway Mid-July 2002 - Relocation and refurbishment of new engine line completed Mid-July 2002 - Reconstruction of offices nears completion (T1) Mid-July 2002 - Construction of new chassis line underway Early-August 2002 - Installation of new rolling road

Durante i 185 giorni di mancata produzione non uno dei 625 dipendenti e' rimasto a casa! Il personale degli uffici commerciali ed amministrativi si sposta a lavorare temporaneamente in un edificio prefabbriccato appositamente costruito. Fortunatamente lo stabilimento T2, che si trova a circa 200mt di distanza, ha spazio a disposizione e parte delle motociclette in giacenza vengono trasportate dai concessionari piu' vicini per liberare preziosi metri quadri. Le attrezzature risparmiate dall'incendio vengono spostante in T2 tanto che la linea di assemblaggio motori viene ricostruita quasi subito. Gia' nel mese di giugno vengono prodotti i motori preserie nella nuova linea di montaggio. Nel luglio del 2002 e' prodotto il primo lotto di moto preserie nella nuova linea di montaggio. Prima del 17 settembre, data della ripresa ufficiale della produzione, vennero assemblate 250 motociclette con lo scopo di testare le nuove linee di montaggio. Questi esemplari sono stati utilizzati per fiere ed esposizione varie senza essere messe nel mercato.

Nel settembre del 2002, a sei mesi dall'incendio, con Factory 1 quasi ricostruita e con i nuovi macchinari piu' importanti, la produzione riprende al ritmo di circa 120 motociclette al giorno. La prima motocicletta a scendere dalla linee di produzione e' una Tangerine Speed Four il 17 settembre 2002 con il numero di telaio VIN 161318. Il corpo centrale della Factory 1 ricostruita e' riservato agli uffici, mentre nella parte rimanente ci sono le linee di montaggio di tutta la gamma di motociclette Triumph.

Nella Factory 2 vengono quindi prodotti tutti i motori: 3 cilindri 885cc a carburatori, 3 cilindri 955 a iniezione, 2 cilindri 790cc a carburatori, 4 cilindri 599cc ad iniezione e 4 cilindri 1180cc a carburatori. Sempre nella Factory 2 vengono prodotti i particolari esterni del motore come i copri carter. La parte di stabilimento attualmente in fase di ultimazione, verra' adibita a magazzino. Iniziano i lavori per la costruzione della Factory 3 che sara' adibita esclusivamente alla produzione di parti speciali e abbigliamento.

Una mancata produzione di circa 20.000 motociclette e gli impianti distrutti causano danni per circa 100 milioni di euro. Fortunatamente John Bloor e' uno degli uomini piu' ricchi d'Inghilterra, per cui la ricostruzione inizia quasi subito. Nei sei mesi necessari alla ricostruzione dell'azienda nessuna motocicletta fu assemblata e prodotta.

Crankcase line	Crankcase line
Engine assembly	Engine assembly
Engine assembly	Chassis assembly
Chassis assembly	Chassis assembly
Chassis assembly	Packing line
Paint Shop	Stores

Settembre 2002: back to production!

Nell'ottobre del 2002 Triumph emette un interessante comunicato stampa (qui sotto riportato) nel quale viene spiegato com'era dislocata la produzione prima dell'incendio e come e' stata organizzata la produzione nella fase di costruzione:

COMUNICATO STAMPA TRIUMPH OTTOBRE 2002 Introduction The fire at Triumph's factory in March was one of the largest industrial fires ever to occur in Britain. It completely destroyed large sections of the main factory, halted motorcycle production for over five months, created shortages of various models for Triumph’s customers, dealers and distributors and lost the production of over 20,000 bikes. In the period that the main factory* was out of action, Triumph was able to keep dealers supplied with spare parts and where possible, moved stocks of motorcycles between markets to meet demand.  Research and development of new models was unaffected. Through close cooperation with the insurers, Triumph has rebuilt the factory in an amazingly short period of time.  Many replacement production tools have been installed and some processes originally housed at the damaged Jacknell Road site have been relocated to our second factory (Factory 2).  This enabled re-commissioning to commence at the same time as rebuilding, helping to facilitate a speedy return to production.  Within six months of the devastating blaze the production line was fully operational again.  Triumph's factory is therefore still arguably one of the most up-to-date motorcycle facilities in the world. *Triumph’s operation is spread over several Hinckley sites.  Two house the main production facilities whilst the spares, clothing, accessories and R & D functions operate from separate buildings.  Engine Manufacture Triumph prides itself on the fact that all processes connected with the manufacture of engines – with the exception of the initial casting or forging – are carried out in-house.   Pre-fire, the machining processes were split between Factories 1 and 2.  The machinery in use at the original factory was extensively damaged by heat, smoke, water and corrosive soot. To facilitate the clean up operation whilst the reconstruction of Factory 1 commenced, these machine lines were relocated to Factory 2.  Engine manufacturing operations are now all under one roof. Triumph staff, together with machine specialists, set to work cleaning, refurbishing and re-commissioning the plant to ensure it was fully operational concurrently with the rebuilding of Factory 1.    Crankcases / Cylinder Heads Machining Lines The cylinder head and crankcase machining lines for Triumph’s fuel-injected triple engine and twin-cylinder engine were already in the newer Factory 2, so were unaffected by the fire.  However the machining lines for the non-fuel-injected triple engines, together with the 599cc and 1180cc four-cylinder units, were housed in Factory 1 and formed part of the relocation exercise following the fire.  Cylinder heads begin as raw castings. First these are machined to produce the camshaft deck, then datum holes are drilled.  These are used to locate the head when it is turned over for further machining. The valve seats and guides are then inserted.  Once all machining processes are complete the cylinder heads are washed and dried by a computer-controlled machine before they are despatched to the assembly area. Crankcases are also finish-machined from raw castings. The crankcase line is purpose built and comprises a sequence of computer-controlled machines, including a wash, a pressure testing unit and numerous fine-boring centres. Crankshafts / Camshafts The crankshaft line incorporates machines that conduct the stress relieving of crankshafts, meaning that cranks can be completely built in house apart from the initial forging. The process begins with a milling machine that shapes the crankpins and main bearings.  Next holes are drilled in the crankshaft for the oil galleries. Computer-controlled work stations then drill and machine the crankshaft to accept bolts and keys for balancer shafts and other parts. Gears are cut by further machines on the line, including a highly accurate, specialist device.   The crankshaft is then built up before being balanced, which in most cases is done automatically. A computer-controlled machine spins the crankshaft and senses where it is out of balance, before drilling holes in the webs. Tolerances for crankshaft balancing are very tight. Crankshafts are then toughened by being treated in plasma nitriding furnaces. This nitriding process uses relatively low-temperatures of about 500 degrees centigrade. After 24 hours in the furnace the crankshafts come out with a very fine surface layer that has to be polished. The camshafts are produced in a similar but less complex process. One lathe carries out the basic machining, and drills holes for sprocket mounting bolts. A journal grinder machines the parts that run in the cylinder head, and a lobe grinder shapes the camshaft lobes, of which there is a great variety because Triumph produce different cams not only for different models but also for different market variations. Daytona camshafts for UK, French and Swiss markets, for example, will have different lobes. Triumph also produce connecting rods in-house.  The two forged parts of the conrod, the rod and cap sections, are bolted together and then finish machined. Engines should contain conrods matched as closely as possible. Bearing shells are graded and matched throughout the engine, using very accurate automatic gauges.  Other engine parts produced in-house include balancer shafts, in two distinct varieties. Models such as the Thunderbird use a one-piece forging, while more modern engines have an assembled shaft that is machined and ground. Engine Powder Coat / Chrome Plating Some engines, for example the Tiger 955i power plant, are powder coated for an extremely tough and durable finish.  Our engine powder coat facility was originally housed in Factory 1 and was completely destroyed in the blaze.  Replacement equipment has since been installed in Factory 2.  Factory 2 also houses our chrome plating plant.   Chrome plating provides a decorative and anti-corrosive coating on mild and stainless steel components. Components are loaded onto jigs and placed onto flight bars which are then carried by transporters into the process tanks. A typical sequence for a plated part consists of: Soak clean, electro-clean and then acid etch to remove soils, oils and loose debris. This is all carried out on one side of the plant. An automatic cross transfer takes parts to side two, the plating side, where the process involves plating layers of semi-bright nickel, bright nickel and microporous nickel and then finally bright or black chrome.   Engine Assembly Pre-fire the engine assembly line was situated in Factory 1.  Although undamaged by the blaze itself, the line was severely affected by smoke, water and corrosive soot.  Since the wall separating this area from the worst of the fire damage was deemed structurally unsafe, the engine line was also relocated and reinstalled at Factory 2 so that clean up and refurbishment could commence without delay.   Completed engines are transported on special trolleys to Factory 1 for fitment to a chassis. At the start of the assembly line the upper crankcase is stamped with the engine number. Then the engine components including crankcases, crankshafts, selector drums and conrods are then selected by model type.  Crankcases and crankshafts are supplied to the line with their exact measurements barcoded.  Before they are assembled the barcodes from both are scanned into a computer, which then calculates the exact size shell bearings to fit. These are then supplied along with the crankcases to the main assembly line. The upper and lower parts of the engine then take separate routes for the next few stations.  The top crankcase is fitted with the piston and conrod assemblies, then inverted so that the crankshaft, shell bearings, balancers and transmission components can be fitted. At the same time the lower crankcase is fitted with the gear selector mechanism before sealant is applied to the mating surface.  The lower crankcase shell bearings are fitted and then the two halves are bolted together, using multi-spindle, computerised torque setting tools. At the cylinder head station the heads and camshafts are washed. The heads are then sub-assembled and shims fitted and valve clearances set. The cylinder head is then fitted onto the engine, the camshafts are fitted and the head bolts are torqued down. The engine progresses along the line where items such as engine covers, oil coolers and alternators are fitted, with many processes using specialist DC tooling. All engines are then put through an expanded test area, which includes an Air Decay pressure test for the oil and coolant systems.  Engines are also subjected to a Cold Test, which involves turning over the motor to test the gearbox, ignition pickup, neutral switch and oil pressure. Engines continue along the assembly track and are fitted with carburettors or fuel-injectors as appropriate and then finally inspected and signed off before being loaded for transport to Factory 1. Chassis Assembly Line Along with the stores, the chassis line was one of the worst hit areas.  The fire began in this area and destroyed everything in the vicinity. Triumph lost not only the assembly line area itself, but also the rolling-road testing facility and packing track. To enable the installation of a new chassis line concurrently with rebuilding the damaged building, this function has been relocated from one end of Factory 1 to the other.  Triumph's line holds many different types of bike at any one time. Currently fourteen different models are in production, plus numerous subtle variations of many of them for different markets. Although this method is more demanding than assembling a line of identical bikes, it is also more interesting and aids concentration. Assembly line technicians are given a build card with each bike, stating which model it is and which market it is for. All the components are sequence fed, so the workers have the right parts in the correct order. In addition they read off the specification codes from sheets to ensure the correct parts are used. Each operator checks the previous technician's work. Engines arrive from Factory 2 on custom-built trolleys holding nine units, already fully assembled and ready to have the chassis fitted around them. The first steps are to fit the frame and add the VIN identification number.   The next stage is to fit the steering head bearings and also the swing-arm, which is assembled off-line. Then there are stations where the engine and frame bolts are done up using computerised torque tooling. This process is slightly slower than torquing the bolts manually, but considerably more accurate. After having the wiring harness, ECU (where applicable) and rear mudguards fitted the bikes are transferred to hangers so they can be suspended on overhead conveyors, where they stay for more than half of the assembly process. This facilitates fitment of the front fork assembly, then other parts including exhaust downpipes and radiators.  Part way along the line drops slightly.  This is to allow the handlebar assembly to be fitted by the technician at a comfortable height.  This area also includes a semi-automated wheel and tyre fitting section that facilitates accurate wheel balancing and the setting of pressures.  Front and rear wheels are assembled and fed through to the main assembly track in pairs. The bike then continues along the line where routing and connection of cables and hoses takes place, along with the fitting of items such as footrests, subframes and instrument assemblies. Once the main chassis is complete the motorcycle is removed from the overhead track and placed onto a conveyor, with specialist wheel clamps to secure the machine.  At this point the brake fluid and coolant is added. The motorcycle then continues along the bodyline.  Firstly the headlights and cockpits are fitted – headlights are sub-assembled to the rear of the station – followed by the lower panels and, depending on the model, the rear mudguard.  The last items to be fitted are the fuel tank and the rear panels.  At the end of the assembly track a first inspection takes place and if the model is a fuel-injected one then the tune programme is downloaded from the master computer.   This vital component controls all of the motorcycle’s sensors and electrics.  All motorcycles are then inspected to ensure its specifications meet the requirements for the market for which it is intended.  They are also inspected to ensure all fixings carry torque mark checks and for any cosmetic defects. The motorcycle is then moved into a fuel-filling station, in preparation for testing.  The booth has magnetically operated front and rear doors. If the sensors inside the booth detect any leaks when fuel is added, the doors shut automatically, ventilation is activated, and the booth is sealed until the leak has been cured. The operator leaves immediately via an escape door at the side. Once fuelled and oiled the motorcycle is moved under the extraction canopy and connected to a slave battery and started up.  The bike is warmed up until the cooling fan cuts in.  All electrics are then checked before the bike is ridden into the rolling road booth.  After successfully completing the rolling road tests the bike is drained of fuel and oil, moved to the final inspection area and upon final sign-off, transferred to the packing track. The packing line consists of two overhead tracks where the finished motorcycle is hoisted onto an overhead hanger.  Depending on the model and destination market, the front wheel may be removed at this stage.  The bike is then put through a spray booth that coats it in an anti-corrosive film before being crated for despatch.   Items such as mirrors (for classic models), seats, batteries and owner’s handbook, which are not fitted during the assembly process, are packed with motorcycle ready for dealer fitment.  Articulated lorries take each day's production to a storage unit, where the bikes are held before being shipped to distributors worldwide. Quality Control Department Triumph's component inspection facility was previously based in the original Factory 1 site and was destroyed in the fire. Everything from large measuring machines to small instruments such as micrometers was lost. During the rebuilding, a new inspection facility was installed at the centre of Factory 2. Here Triumph checks all the parts made in-house, plus those bought-in from third party suppliers. The equipment used includes various co-ordinate measuring machines, which measure parts for straightness, roundness and ovality, to an acceptable accuracy.   Injection Moulding and Paint Shop Triumph’s injection mould facility was seriously affected by the fire, as the machines were damaged irreparably. The mould tools however were recovered and refurbished. The injection moulding machines are used currently to manufacture the bodywork (excluding fuel tank) for the Daytona and Speed Triple plus some items for the Bonneville range.  The proportion of parts produced in house will increase as new and updated models are introduced. The moulding process involves moveable steel mould tools that fit into the machines. These then have molten plastic squirted into them before being opened up to allow the finished component to be removed. Each part takes roughly one and a half minutes. A worker stands at the end of the conveyor belt to check the finished part and snap it off the runner system. One unusual aspect of our mould shop is that production runs are very small by industry standards. In many factories, changing the mould can result in a substantial number of parts being wasted before the quality settles down, so most firms produce several thousand at a time to reduce wastage. However, before use, Triumph stand a tool off and pipe hot water through it to bring it to temperature. This means that the second or, at worst, the third part taken from a tool is useable. The paint shop was untouched by the fire itself however the plant was contaminated by soot, which resulted in a clean-up operation lasting several weeks.   Triumph's paint shop is similar to many others in the industry.  The raw parts are prepared and then loaded onto special jigs, which are purpose-made for individual components. Each component passes through a series of booths, where it receives a coat of primer, then the main base coat, then a lacquer and is then stoved. Materials Handling The storage area was close to the source of the fire and along with the chassis line was one of the most severely affected.  Soon after the fire, Triumph took out a short-term lease on a warehouse nearby, so deliveries could continue to be accepted from suppliers.  This was essential to ensure that component stock was in place prior to production resuming. Once the rebuilding of Factory 1 was completed and the new racking installed, component supply reverted back to the factory.  On a typical day the Materials Handling team deals with approximately 2000 boxes of components.  There are two stores areas – one in Factory 1 and the other, holding components for engine manufacture and assembly, in Factory 2. In addition, Materials Handling are responsible for the movement of components within and between factories and for the movements of stock to our spare parts warehouse.

Il risollevamento della Triumph dopo il disastroso incendio segnera' l'inizio di una sorta di piccola rivoluzione, con molti nuovi modelli, primo tra tutti la Baby Speed (Speed Four fuori dall'Italia), presentata in Spagna proprio nelle ore dell'incendio. Nonostante gli ordini alla presentazione, furono consegnate solo 15 motociclette, le uniche che si salvarono dall'incendio. La forza di uno dei piu' importanti imprenditori edili del Regno Unito non finisce qui: per dirla come usano gli inglesi, John Bloor vuole tirare fuori limonata dai limoni, per cui gli edifici distrutti verranno sostituiti da altri di dimensioni maggiori.

IL 29 'ottobre del 2002 scompare, in un incidente stradale in sella alla RS nr.100.000, Carlo Talamo colui che inizio' l'importazione delle Triumph in Italia nel 1991 attraverso la Numero Tre.

Speed Triple (MY2002)

Viene presentata nel 2002 la nuova versione della Speed Triple. La linea della motocicletta rimane simile a quella precedente anche se quasi tutti i componenti vengono modificati partendo dal motore, passando per il telaio ed arrivando alle sovrastrutture. 

Il nuovo tre cilindri risulta meno rumoroso dal punto di vistia meccanico anche grazie al riposizionamento dell'alternatore (lato sinistro dell'albero motore) e del motorino di avviamento (lato destro dell'albero motore) che ha permesso l'eliminazione di alcuni ingranaggi di comando ausiliari. Anche il cambio viene rivisto per migliorarne l'utilizzo e ridurne la rumorosita'. Il sistema di scarico e' completamente nuovo e, per alcuni mercati come la California e la Germania, e' presente un sistema di iniezione di aria secondaria per ridurre le emissioni nocive. Rivisti completamente anche i circuiti di lubrificazione e raffreddamento, i particolare il radiatore utilizza alette di spessore ridotto per aumentarne l'efficienza a parita' di dimensioni e peso. Queste ed altre modifiche interne (vedi dettagli nella pagina dedicata alla storia della Speed Triple) portano il nuovo tre cilindri ad erogare 120CV (dichiarati)