Featured A Trip To Triumph World! Hanging Out At The Dealership Again

My second rideout since January was to our Triumph dealership yesterday morning. Mr. Sandi and I fondly refer to it as "Triumph World". It was awesome to be back at the dealership seeing friends there, some of whom I've known for nearly ten years. While away from riding I've really missed hanging around dealerships ogling bikes, sitting on a few, and generally just talking bikes with staff and fellow customers. Recently I got a recall notice on my Speed Triple. I decided I'd have the work done when I could ride to Triumph World myself. I always find waiting for my bike to be a good excuse to hang out around motorcycles and motorcycle people. Our local dealership also sells KTM's and Kawasaki's but the nicest space in the store is the Triumph area.


When Mr. Sandi and I pulled up to AZ-KKT we were quite surprised to see only two used bikes outside the building. Generally there are as many as ten parked outside. There were fewer used bikes indoors, too. Bruce, the primary salesman, said that they are as busy as can be and can't keep a decent inventory of used bikes as demand is through the roof.

Here's Bruce on the phone. The Triumph corner is behind him and to his left. The building itself is huge and when the original business (Performance Cycles) was sold back in 2016 the new owners did a major overhaul--definitely for the better. I bought my 2016 Thruxton R and my 2019 Speed Triple from Bruce. My 2012 Thruxton was purchased in this building, too, but under the previous business and from a different salesman although Bruce worked for that owner, too.


When we arrived I rode my Speed Triple right into the service area. The guys are great and typically let me go into that area to talk with my mechanic or look at a new bike being assembled or just to ride my bike in to the service bay. Corey is my go-to mechanic and he's excellent at his job and is just super nice young man. This time around in addition to the recall service I had done what they call a "Pit Stop" service-- essentially a once-over on things like fasteners, fluids, tire pressures, etc.. It also includes chain maintenance which I needed. I usually do that at home using my Pit Bull stand but right now I'm not too eager to be doing that until my arm and hand strength is back to normal.


Mr. Sandi rode my Street Glide Special today to get it out and moving. Our plan was to hit AZ-KKT first for my Triumph service then continue on over to Tucson Harley-Davidson which is only a couple of miles to the north. My Harley needed a couple of minor adjustments related to my recent customization. But it was hot and getting hotter by the minute, so Mr. Sandi decided to go to THD then ride back and pick me up.


I was surprised--and pleasantly so--and the sheer number of Triumphs on the floor at AZ-KKT. Plus I was very eager to see some of the bikes that have been out for a bit but that I'd not yet seen like the Thruxton and Bobber TFC's and the new snazzy carbon Daytona. They had one Rocket TFC at one point but sold it.

I am and probably always will be a sucker for Thruxtons. This one certainly didn't escape my lust!


I am totally smitten with the looks and details and fit & finish on the Bobber TFC. But I sat on it and the ergonomics are just not up my alley. Too "clam shell" for my taste unfortunately. Or maybe fortunately! There is a motorcycle-sized space in the garage now since I traded two Harleys for one last May.


I also sat on a Daytona Moto2 765 of which they have two. What a cool bike. Again, however, the ergonomics weren't really for me. But, hey, as a third bike I'm sure I could learn to love it. Here I am in my Covid Martini Mask. Appropriate for a motorcycle dealership but unfortunately not so much for work.


The last time I was at "Triumph World" was awhile back when AZ-KKT was just getting in their Rocket shipments and when everyone was hot for that model. I still love the Rocket (yes, Dilli, I know you do, too) and currently they have a whole tempting row of them.


When Mr. Sandi arrived back from THD he also threw a leg over a few models. He was most drawn to the Tigers and he particularly liked 1200 Desert Edition that he's sitting on at the far end of the row of Bonnies. That was his favorite bike at the dealership. For today anyway!


As I mentioned, I'm a sucker for Thruxtons. When asked if there's one bike I've owned that I could have back in the garage, I always respond that it would be my 2016 Silver Ice Thruxton R. That bike is long gone but (unsurprisingly) I found this Competition gem to be quite tempting. And a good deal! And then there's that empty motorcycle space in our garage.........

 

Thanks, Don! It’s so interesting and cool that you remember Performance Cycles. Such a small world we live in. Yes, this new business is much improved although I really did like some of the fellows that I got to know when it was Performance Cycles, My mechanic in particular. But the current business is much more viable and professional. And the change they made with the “ Triumph Corner“ is really pretty spectacular.

 

Thanks, Steve. Yes, it's a great dealership and I really enjoy the place and the people. Very good service, too. Not only is my dealership a good one, it's only five miles from my house. I'm sorry to read that your local dealership is such a disappointment. I've never understood how a dealership can afford to be disinterested or to treat customers poorly. That said, Fowlers certainly looks like an amazing place! Sort of like "Motorcycle Central". It must be like being a little kid in a toy store to be there.

 

That's a shame to hear, SuperHans. I try not to take our dealerships here in Tucson for granted. I learned what it was like to not have a local Triumph dealer back in 2016 when Performance Cycles went out of business. For about six months there wasn't a Triumph dealer in town. And, of course, during that time I had a safety recall on my brand new Thruxton R and wound up riding it up to Phoenix to a dealership there. I didn't feel very comfortable riding a bike with a recall on it 100 miles up the road but researched the problem and decided to go for it. The other bummer was that the day we rode up there the temperature was 30ºF. So being on a small fairingless bike made for a chilly ride!

 

Thanks for your positive feedback, Hobnail.

While I live is an actual desert, it sounds like you live in a "Triumph desert". That is truly too bad. Having a local dealership where you can hang out and develop relationships with folks is such a nice part of being a motorcyclist and it sounds like that's definitely not something that's part of your Triumph ownership experience. Plus it turns having work done on your bike into somewhat of an ordeal. over your description of the lead mechanic at Dubuque--"a taciturn block of broken glass". I've met a few of those guys in my motorcycling days. Fortunately they've been few and far between. Well, at least he's good at his work.

 

Nice you got out for a ride yesterday, Octoberon, and that at least Rachel got some jeans and boots out of the deal. Also nice to know there are other women out there who, as you put it so well, "enjoy mooching around the showrooms, trying a few bikes on for size". I love that description! That's exactly what I like to do. Friends used to ask me--as did the salespeople I know--if I was looking to buy when I'd ask to sit on bikes. I'd say, "Well, you just never know". Now most of them know that I just like to sit on lots of different bike and "try them on for size". Same with test rides. Although on more than one occasion a test ride has led to a trade and a new bike in the garage.

 

Oooh, don't encourage me, Wessa. It doesn't take much. I've told Mr. Sandi that he should fill that empty space with a second bike of his own but he's not interested. Guess that leaves it up to me. Nature abhors a vacuum.