P104
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
C
ommentators no doubt
wiser than I have waxed
sentimental about the
return of Triumph to GP racing,
when the historic British marque
becomes Moto2 engine supplier
in 2019.
I am here to play dog in the
manger, and to tell anyone shar-
ing that sentimentality not to be
so silly.
Triumph is just a name, and
its heritage has nothing to do
either with modern Triumphs nor
even with World Championship
GP racing—although Percy Tait
did achieve a best of second
at Spa in 1969, one of very few
occasions when Triumph scored
points. And, ironically enough,
that was with a production-based
bike.
The switch to Triumph will
have as little to do with adding
depth or changing the nature of
Moto2. The class will remain not
only a fancy-dress party for road
engines, but for all too many
good riders, a graveyard of their
talent.
I can explain.
A couple of days ago I came
across a modern Triumph
Bonneville in a car park. There
it stood, looking almost exactly
like those paragons of power of
TRIUMPH COMES TO THE
FANCY-DRESS PARTY
