The Legendary Motorcycle Brand Announces Plans To Build MX and Enduro Race Bikes

For much of motorcycling’s history, when it came to racing, riders would “run what you brung.” There were no Street, Track, ADV, etc. categories, just bike and rider. A racer in the early days, such as “Iron Man” Ed Kretz among others, would ride their motorcycle to the races, strip and prep it for competition, then put it all back together and ride home. As motorcycling grew and expanded, so did the classifications and specialization of bikes, with brands building machines specific to dirt, street, track or dual-sport. Triumph stuck with street mainly, though they’ve had success with ADV machines since the Tiger and Explorer models.

Famous racer and stunt rider Bud Ekins lofting the front and kicking up some sand on his Triumph.

Now it appears the legendary brand is preparing to dip their toes back in the dedicated dirt arena. Triumph Motorcycles recently announced that development is well underway on a comprehensive range of all-new competition Motocross and Enduro motorcycles. Joining their globally renowned range of street, track and ADV motorcycles, this all-new competition MX and Enduro (Dual Sport) family will bring all of Triumph’s engineering expertise to dirt riders and racers worldwide.

This will be accompanied by a landmark moment for Triumph and the MX and Enduro racing world with an all-new Triumph factory race program and a commitment to top-tier championship racing in both Motocross and Enduro series.

Coming hand-in-hand with this commitment to race and win at the highest level in the sport, Triumph also announced that global Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and 5-time Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes have joined the Triumph family as active partners in both bike testing and preparation for racing.

An announcement of the timetable for the launch and reveal of the motorcycles, as well as the racing program and the full story on the products the new Triumph MX and Enduro line will offer, are apparently coming this fall. We look forward to seeing what the brand brings to the dirt table.

Motocross and Supercross king Ricky Carmichael. Photo by Triumph.

Nick Bloor, CEO of Triumph Motorcycles Ltd., put it this way- “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph is incredibly excited to be part of. We are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders.”

Ricky Carmichael stated, “This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I am honored and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their off-road motorcycles. Building something from the ground up is something that really is intriguing to me at this stage of my career… If you are familiar with the Triumph brand, you already know the quality of craftsmanship is top shelf, and the off-road models will follow suit to their past! Not only are these exciting times for me, but it’s an exciting time for the off-road industry to be adding another brand to the mix and the opportunities that lie ahead for all off-road consumers. I can’t wait to see the reactions when these models hit the dealer’s showroom floors.”

Motocross and Enduro champ Iván Cervantes. Photo by Triumph.

Iván Cervantes commented, “I have loved Triumph motorcycles right from being a small kid, seeing them in films and on television. So to be working with Triumph from the beginning of this project is an amazing opportunity for me, not just because it is working with one of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands but also for being part of building something from zero. It is a dream come true for any racer! Like me, everyone I am working with at Triumph is focused to make the bikes the best they can be. I cannot wait to see the bikes competing at a world level, but I also look forward to when I can stand in a Triumph dealer and know I was part of this very special project.”

These guys are legends in their particular disciplines. Carmichael accrued an unsurpassed 150 career wins between motocross and supercross competition, with 15 motocross and 5 supercross championships, including 2 perfect seasons. Cervantes left an indelible mark on the European motocross and enduro worlds, with multiple wins in the EnduroGP and FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup championship titles, as well as the 83rd International Six-Day Enduro. Triumph could not have connected with a better pair of dirt racing experts.

This is an interesting move on the part of Triumph Motorcycles. We think it’s a good move at that. As we receive more info on bikes, debuts, etc., we’ll report on it. Looking forward to seeing the legendary brand step back in the dirt arena with their new machines.

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