"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 3

Willie Mac: Let’s talk about taking a bike from concept to showroom.

Warburton: Starting backwards there is not much you can do in less than two years. Normally, it would be three to four years. A new bike from scratch four years. Update to an existing bike may be two, two and a half years. You might get it down under two years, but not by much, because even if you have a relatively small project when you start messing around, you may have to develop a new tool, for instance. That takes up time which cannot be collapsed.

Willie Mac: Talk to me about starting a project.

Warburton: There are a few different ways to start a project. You can recognize you have a bike that needs an update. You need to figure out what needs to be done to the bike and me putting a list together of things we could improve. That’s based on feedback from customers that have actually had a chance to ride it. Feedback from the press. Feedback from our own engineers.

A bit more difficult is when you have an empty hole to fill with no bike. It takes a bit more head scratching. It comes down to a piece of paper. A list of attributes.

Willie Mac: How do you know you have a hole if nothing is there?

Warburton: I guess that comes from the world around you. There’s lots of this kind of bike and we don’t have anything to compete. More rarely you might think “there’s a good kind of bike that we could do.” Just from your experience in motorcycles. Once you start pushing them into boxes you can categorize them and figure out where you don’t have one.

Willie Mac: How is the decision reached to actually move ahead with the idea?

Warburton: There is a few months work on feasibility, the likely impact on the business. See how many engineers we’re going to need and for how long. How much money it’s going to cost to get it together. How many we can expect to sell. How much we’ll make on each one. An economic case for the bike. How it fits with Triumph. How it fits alongside other bikes in the range. This is what it would be like. This is how hard it would be to do. Present all that data to what we call the stakeholders, which is the boss, of course, Mr. Bloor.

Everything goes past him first. Then to our CEO and various of the sectional managers in the company. To be honest, once John (Bloor) says we’re doing it, and then it is more of a case of letting everyone else know what we’re doing. We have a lot of projects going on simultaneously, so the whole thing has to be doable with the people we’ve got.

Willie Mac: How about marketing research?

Warburton: We don’t do as much marketing research as those outside the industry assume. We certainly do when we are approaching a project we haven’t done before. We need to understand it properly. And, we do some research when updating bikes as well. Not in every country we operate in. Frankly, the US is one of the more difficult countries in which to do research because you are so big and spread out. It is difficult to find people to talk to. But, when you do find them, especially with motorcycles, they are most happy to talk to you.

Feedback is very difficult to quantify. We get negative feedback from or dealers every month. The US has a very organized system in that the area managers – about nine of them – get to all the dealerships in their area and get comments back from the dealers in their area including about our bikes. Suggestions for improvements on the new bikes, comments on the existing ones. That all comes back to me. I often find, that if we are doing our job properly we have already picked up on the stuff. We understand our own motorcycles well enough to know what we need to do on them. Sometimes you get a “well, that’s a good idea.”

Willie Mac: How many motorcycles does Triumph have under development at any one time?

Warburton: If you will hold on for just one moment I will count them up and tell you (computer keyboard clicking in background). One, two, three…fourteen…twenty-seven, twenty-eight under development. Some of them we’re just getting kicked off on. Some of these are relatively minor updates.

Willie Mac: You folks are busy.

Warburton: We’re very busy. We get a lot of requests from people saying why don’t you do this? Why don’t you do that? The answer is often yes, that would make a nice bike, but we can’t do all the bikes we would like to do. We have to prioritize.

Willie Mac: Is there anything I should know that I haven’t asked you?

Warburton (laughing): What our model plans are for the next five years (laughing). I guess I should tell you we are doing very well. Doing better than most. Production sales last year sold more models than ever, in the history of Triumph. Officially, we are more successful than Triumph has ever been for the last 107 years.

Willie Mac: Last question, how do you want to be remembered?

Warburton: Fondly (chuckling). As a motorcyclist, I suppose. Regarding the products that have been coming out for the last year, or so, I hope my judgments have been vindicated.

"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 2

Well, here we are back at it with Simon Warburton. I keep forgetting to talk to him about the Ural…

Willie Mac: Ever think you would be where you are now?

Warburton: Not actually. When I was growing up the British motorcycle industry was pretty much dead. When I was up at the university I knew that John Bloor was working up the Triumph, but I didn’t have a clue. It was launched on a relatively small scale, just before I left for Spain. So, I sort of missed out on the first few years of Triumph. To be honest, after my years of travel and teaching, I thought I had lost my chance at getting back into engineering. So, I was very grateful to Triumph for letting me back in.

When I came back to the UK after living in Spain I actually studied to be a secondary school teacher, with the plan of moving abroad again. While I was in the UK working as a teacher, a friend of mine, from when I was taking engineering, started working for Triumph. He said I should try applying here. They weren’t too worried about you past experience.

Willie Mac: Do you personally own a bike, or just ride factory?

Warburton: I don’t really own a bike. I own a dirt bike. I had a Daytona for a couple years, but only put on about 750 miles a year. I have to ride factory bikes. I have a couple small children so don’t get to ride much. I ride during the week, to and from work, testing the bikes out.

Willie Mac: What is your favorite bike?

Warburton: That is a tricky question. I used to be a sports touring rider. I had a succession of Sprints and put a lot of miles in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK. I used to cover between fifteen and twenty thousand miles a year. More recently, because I have the kids at home and I don’t go off covering distance anymore, it’s been track days on the Daytona. If I am riding around the streets, I quite like my Speed Triples. My wife started me reducing the number of bikes in my garage which was up to eight, at one time.

I’m a big fan of the Sprint ST, having owned two and covered a lot of miles in France and Spain on them. What I like best about the ST is that it’s comfortable and “long-legged”, meaning you can cover some serious distance easily, but it’s also agile and sporty enough to have some fun on the way.

Willie Mac: Other than motorcycles what occupies you life?

Warburton: I did mention two boys, aged three and five. They are great fun and take a lot of time. I’m quite fond of reading, read all sorts of stuff. Again, I don’t have enough time to do that. I’m a bit of a languages buff. I do like traveling and learning languages. To be honest, with this job, it’s all time consuming.

Willie Mac: What motivates you?

Warburton: That’s what life is all about. You’ve got to enjoy it. I have to enjoy what I’m doing. I guess it’s childish in a way, just riding motorbikes. I went through a phase fifteen, or twenty, years ago, “I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I should be getting around doing serious stuff.” If that’s what you enjoy doing, don’t be ashamed of it. Just go for it. It has been such a positive experience going anywhere on a motorbike compared to any other form of transport. You feel much more connected with the world around you. You experience it more, more natural experience.

Next time Simon will take us from motorcycle concept to the showroom.

"I Hope My Judgements Have Been Vindicated..." Part 1

My letter to Hinckley was carefully addressed to: The Someone That Cares Department. My intention was to jot off a quick note to Triumph Motorcycles, about their new to be released Thunderbird. Keeping it brief, I scribbled a rambling discourse of three single spaced pages in which the T-bird, Bonneville, Sprint ST, Speed Triple, Rocket III, Honda, Ducati, and Harley were all mentioned. I dropped it in the post. Then, I chewed my lip for awhile thinking they really should be warned about getting blindsided by Ural. Ah, what the heck. No one reads those letters anyway.

One day about a week and a half later, I received an email from a Simon Warburton. I know that name. Where do I know it from? Now, Simon is probably the most quoted person at Triumph. Simon is the Product Manager for Triumph Motorcyles, in Hinckley, UK. Read anything about Triumph in the media and most likely Simon will be mentioned at some point. I suddenly realized, that in Hinckley, someone does indeed read those letters! I should have mentioned Ural. Thus started a running conversation over the next few months in which I bored him silly, and he enlightened me as to the way of Triumph. I thought you might enjoy eavesdropping on a little of our on-going conversation.

Willie Mac: You have been involved with motorcycles all your life.

Warburton: Yes, but not professionally until I came to Triumph. It kicked off for me at age eleven, when my father bought myself and my brother a little 50cc. Too small at the time, but we didn’t know that and progressed to a Honda 125SL back in the 70s. I started racing motocross when I was about sixteen, for a few years. I went off to university and I couldn’t afford motocross anymore. I studied engineering. After university I traveled around for awhile. I rode around South America for a few months: Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Equator. About four months. I planned on six but ran out of money.

Willie Mac: A regular Che.

Warburton: Yeah, I didn’t know much about him at the time, but the route did cover some of his same route. But, to be honest with you, when you are traveling around South America there isn’t much of a choice.

Willie Mac: How about your first job?

Warburton: Teaching, in fact. Several small jobs while I was at university then went traveling around. I decided I wanted to live in Spain. The easiest way to do that was to teach. I was in Spain for three and a half years. I loved Spain. I loved living there. I had great fun.

Willie Mac: Have you spent much time on this side of the pond?

Warburton: Not much at all, some dealer seminars and Daytona a couple of times. Many years ago I spent three weeks riding bikes around. Hot weather testing and high altitude testing, because we are a bit short of both here in the UK. I’ve been over on holiday with the kids a few times. I would absolutely love to spend some time there. The scenery and variety you have over there, during that three week period of test I told you about, mostly in Colorado and Arizona, just riding the bikes around was a wonderful experience.

Willie Mac: Do you have any good adventures about that?

Warburton: Mostly you get an adventure when something goes wrong. Nothing went wrong. It was a fascinating experience.

I Made Her a Quiet Promise: Part 2

WM: You are still involved with Ride for Kids. You have been the state director for the Honda Sports Tourning Association (now the Motorcycle Sports Touring Association) in Georgia and founder of the Helen, Georgia regional rally. What else is keep you busy these days?

Traynor: The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is keeping us busy. We have been fortunate enough to get really involved with the medical community. Diane is probably the most respected non-medical person in America today when it comes to brain tumor research both for adults and pediatric. We are very active in the motorcycle community. We have close relations with all of the magazine editors, and a whole lot of the regional runs as well. We participate in the Life for Kids programs. Our plates are very full.

WM: Is there anything you haven’t accomplished in your life, or maybe something you would have done differently?

Traynor: There is no school to teach you to lead the Ride for Kids program. It is the school of life. Every little thing we have done in our lives has prepared us to all come together as a member of the http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/ team. I think it’s exciting. I wish I could have gone to school. I think we would have been a little farther along now, had I understood better how a non-profit works. There are a few that said we were nuts because we don’t stop. If you had ever been a pall bearer for a little girl who was a brain tumor patient, or if you had ever delivered a eulogy at a funeral for boy that died with a brain tumor, or if you had embraced a parent whose child was grievously ill in a hospital, you would be crazy too.

WM: Who has had a positive influence on your life?

Traynor: Her name is Meredith Bottin. I met her in maybe 1987. A beautiful 10 year old girl, God she was just the prettiest little thing. She had pretty red hair and she acted like this gracious grown up woman. She was so elegant. It just didn’t really make sense, unless you have been around these kids with brain tumors. We had a Ride for Kids event coming up. So I met her mom, who was a really outgoing delightful lady. I met her dad and her brother Joe. Diane and I became really good friends with the family. Meredith became kind of like the icon for the event. Meredith began to have recurrences of her brain tumor. She had three different surgeries at three different hospitals. She went through a bone marrow

transplant. She spent her 11^th birthday in an isolation tent. She had surgery in Oregon. A lady wrote a book and said that people could heal their bodies with their mind. Meredith’s mother took her down to have her meet with the doctor to get Meredith to think herself well. They did everything that a parent could do. I’m sure they put themselves in grievous financial condition doing all of those things. They desperately were fighting to save their little girl. In the mean time Diane and I were watching this little girl dissipate before us.

Diane and I got a phone call early in the morning. Julia saying that Meredith passed in the night. She had gone to be with the angels. We were very sad, but at the same time she was suffering so badly. We said that we were grateful that she had gone on to be with God. I was a pall bearer for her, and while I was carrying her casket I made her a quiet promise, that I would leave my job and work full time to cure the disease. It was the most emotional thing that I have ever gone through in my entire life.

Traynor comments: I think it is an incredible testimony to the motorcyclist community that ninety-eight to ninety-nine percent of those who participated in the Ride for Kids program over the last twenty-five years do not have a child with a brain tumor. Doctors would say why are they doing this? We are good people. When motorcyclists contributed doctors could not understand. We tapped into our fellow motorcyclists. It made sense to us that if our community was willing to help, that we would find more. The Ride for Kids program has raised in excess of forty-five million dollars in the last twenty-five years. In most cases, that money did not come from the pockets of the motorcyclist. It came from the sweat equity of the motorcyclists that knocked on doors; that talked to people at work and at church. The positive public relations that emerged are incalculable.

Book Review: Flat Out by Rocky Robinson

Way back, when I was in high school, and they actually used chalk on the boards, I read an autobiography of Wilber Shaw. Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 three times back in the 1930s. What amazed me, at the time, was how the racing team would prepare the car for a race and then take it all apart to make sure they had assembled it correctly the first time.

I haven’t thought about that book in a good many years. Not until I read Rocky Robinson’s book Flat Out. Robinson currently holds the motorcycle land speed record - a sizzling 360.913 mph. Flat Out is about the quest for that record.

There is no argument that the streamliners in competition at Bonneville are sophisticated high-tech machines. Far superior to anything Shaw raced at Indy. It is the approach to the competition that I found interesting. Robinson starts the book with his employment at Bub Enterprises, where he becomes the driver in Denis Manning’s quest for the record. Manning’s machines were specially built from the ground up, with custom designed engines and computer driven functions. The pursuit of the record was done in by increasing speed in small increments.

Toward the end of Flat Out Robinson has an abrupt change of employment. He goes to work for Mike Akatiff, as driver for the Ack Attack streamliner. The Ack Attack is powered by two highly modified Hyabusa engines. Where Manning’s approach to the salt was in small measured speed steps, Akatiff’s approach was more, “Here it is. See how fast it will go.” More of the style of Shaw.

The conflict in Flat Out is competition between Manning’s Big Red (Robinson’s previous ride) and the Ack Attack (Robinson’s current ride). A record is set when two back-to-back runs are averaged through a timed mile of the twelve mile course. Down and back. One might think that as only one vehicle is on the course at the time there would be little feeling of competition. Not so. It is more like a gymnast competition where only one athlete is on the mat at a time. The course is only open for official competition during certain time frames each year. The attempt has to be good – and fast – during that frame, or come back next year. Then there may be water on the salt. Or, wind. Always, the wind. At 300+ mph wind is a major factor.

My one reservation about Flat Out is that it could use a little more depth in some areas. This is a perception probably only I would notice. Perception is uniquely individual. I just tend to enjoy books with more detail. For instance, at one point in the book, the Bub Enterprises team takes their streamliner Tenacious II to Lake Gairdner, Australia, for testing. Having spent quite a bit of time down under I was looking forward to a romp through the land of OZ. Unfortunately, while fun indeed, the romp was only one chapter. Then again, this is a racing book, not one of notorious pub crawls.

Robinson has done a great job in describing the behind the scenes world of the record seekers. His introduction is what hooked me into the book. In that, he vividly describes what it is like piloting a 300+ mph motorcycle. How the slightest weave can put the vehicle all over the course and possibly take the life of the driver. Bang! The transmission explodes. The smell of hot oil and methanol fill the cramped compartment. Will the deployed parachutes tangle?

Read Flat Out. Have an adventure in a world not many know about. I read the book. I enjoyed it. I hope you do as well. I think Wilber Shaw would have.

The Speed Excites Me: Part 2

Before we jump into the conclusion of Rocky’s interview, I would like to thank the folks at Motorbooks for helping me set up this interview. The photos were taken by Horst Rosler. Next time we will review Rocky’s book, Flat Out.

Stress Reduction

“The bike is so complicated the crew is working on it all the time,” said Rocky, after being asked how the Akatiff team handles stress. “As for me, the stress part of it, I am just out there to drive the thing. I am concerned with hitting my mark. As fast as I can. If I was afraid to do it, I would be the wrong guy to be in it. The speed excites me. I feel comfortable doing what I’m doing. A thrilling thing that only a handful of people have the opportunity to do.”

Rocky continued, “I’ll tell you something else I do each season to get ready for Bonneville. I do rock climbing. It doesn’t have anything to do with speed. It has to do with getting comfortable with being on the edge. It is a focus thing. I’m not real good with heights. There is something about the challenge I like.”

Different Directions

Rocky is also an aspiring novelist and working hard at a writing career. “I do a lot of writing now for the magazines, motorcycle stuff. I have a couple fiction books that I’ve written. To be honest with you the problem is the economy. All the publishing industry wants right now is a sure thing. They are looking for authors with proven success. In the fiction area I am an unknown. I am looking for someone to take a chance with me. To date I haven’t found that. I am trying to get my foot in the door.”

His books don’t deal with the motorcycle community, as one would expect. Rocky is trying to spread his options around a bit. “Motorcycling is a nitch market, whereas the fiction market is huge. It’s like racing. I am determined. I will keep pounding on doors until I do get into that market.” With that kind of fortitude I am sure he will.

Along the Writing Vein

What about a sequel to Flat Out? A 400mph final chapter? It is alluded to both on his website and in the book. “While I was still on the salt there was a couple out there that was intrigued by what was going on. We had just set the record. They weren’t involved in racing. He asked me: What do you do now? Do you just keep going faster until you kill yourself? He wasn’t being rude or anything. Curious. It kind of hit home. Mike and I believe our machine will go 400mph. We just don’t want to push it. If this record stands for many years there won’t be an attempt at it. If it were to get broken this year I am sure Mike would want to take another look. We aren’t going to make that decision until the record is broken.”

As we talked about the book, Flat Out, Rocky said, “I wish I could add a final chapter to it.”

The Speed Excites Me: Part 1

“Slow Down!” That’s usually what I hear from my wife when I am bouncing off walls like a high school wallflower that’s just been asked to the senior prom. Usually it’s because I am anticipating something exciting that is going to happen in my life. Granted, I don’t hear it very often. I doubt that Rocky Robinson hears it much either. Rocky is the fastest motorcyclist in the world and you don’t get that title by slowing down. I was anticipating talking to him one Friday morning a few weeks ago.

Beep. Beep. Beep, etc. Talk button. Ring (once). “Hello.” I had him on the line. Thus started one of the most pleasant thirty-five minutes I have had in awhile. Rocky is the real thing: nice, accommodating and a good sense of humor. He comes across so low key it is hard to believe that he pilots streamliners across the salt at over 360mph. One would imagine a tougher more aggressive stance. Nope! Just nice and easy. Kind of like his last two speed passes on the salt. Record breaking passes.

Not wanting to be too aggressive myself, I started by asking him if he rode much on the street, or was it too dangerous. Tact is my middle name. Come to find out, he doesn’t. “I don’t do a lot of riding on the street, and I do feel more comfortable on the race track or a closed course. I have access to a bunch of Harley Davidsons that I take out before I go to Bonneville. Something I can manhandle.” So much for tact.

Salt Strategy

I was curious as to the two approaches to Bonneville I picked up from his book, Flat Out. One was Denis Manning’s methodical easy steps approach. Rocky started out riding for Manning. Manning’s team would approach the land speed record in small measured steps. “Take it slow and get lots of data,” Rocky said. When Rocky moved on to the Mike Akatiff team the approach changed. On piloting the Ack Attack streamliner, “If it feels right go for it. If it doesn’t feel right (at 300+mph!) shut it down and pull off.” Kind of makes it sound like turning into a fast food place.

This is where it got interesting. There was another speed approach I didn’t pick up. Sam Wheeler’s E-Z Hook team – always a competitive threat on the salt – goes with being lightweight and aerodynamic with only 300hp. Rocky enlightened me, “The year they (Manning’s Bub team) got the record Sam was faster. Fastest guy on two wheels several times. He’s just never got the record outright.” No back to back record setting runs. “We (the Bub team and the Ack Attack team) do it with horsepower. We are putting out almost four times the horsepower than what Sam is. His bike only weighs about 1100 pounds, where ours weighs about 2000 pounds. The whole approach is different.”

Now, I can’t imagine piloting anything with 300hp, much less one with nearly 1200hp. To get an idea of what we are talking about visit http://www.rocky-robinson.com/. There are two video clips – and lots links – that are must watch. The first is Rocky’s record breaking run. The second is where the Ack Attack goes down the previous year. It frightened me and I was just watching a two year old video. That fallen streamliner just keeps sliding down the salt. For perspective, watch how long it takes the ambulance to reach the bike. A thrilling part of his book is the description of that ride.

Getting Started

First off, I am not a computer techie. I struggle with computers because they have become a way of life, not a pleasant alternative. So, please bear with me while I learn the ins-and-outs of working my blog.

Secondly, I am not a mechanic. I can follow a technical discussion, but you will not hear me contribute to it. I have mastered the task of changing the oil in my bike, but not much more.

This is a blog about people; people in the motorcycling community. I happen to be a non-denominational motorcyclist. No particular brand or lifestyle attracts me more than any other. That makes everyone in the motorcycle community game. I like talking to those active in the community, and even some not so currently active.

This blog will address those individuals. I will be doing Little Interviews with Big People. I will be posting the interviews and profiles of a multitude of personalities: the world’s land speed record holder for motorcycles, and review his book; the product manager for a motorcycle manufacturing company, who explains what it takes to put a motorcycle on the road, from concept to dealership; the outlaw turned preacher; a man that went AWOL from the British Army to be in Brighton for the 1963 Bank Holiday confrontation between the Mods and Rockers; the man that started a charity run that turned into a medical foundation because of his promise to a little girl; and, another that set a record at Bonneville at 73 years young, with one eye and nine fingers.

I will review books and talk to their authors. A book becomes more personal when the reader has had the opportunity to talk to the author.

On occasion I may throw in a product review, or make comments regarding something seen, or said.

Mostly, I want to have fun and share some of the interesting folks I have had the opportunity to talk with. And, those I am going to talk with.

I welcome comments, feedback and suggestions. I may not be able to respond to everyone, but your contribution will be read and noted. I thank you in advance.

I suppose I should mention the rules. I will not tolerate racist or bigoted speech, sexually explicit content, discussions or descriptions of violent or criminal acts, unlicensed copyrighted material, or threats, harassment, or personal privacy violations.

Now, let me go and figure out what I need to do next.