Triumph Motorcycles is the latest winner of the prestigious Torrens Trophy. The Torrens Trophy has been awarded to Britain’s highest achievers in motorcycling and motorcycle racing – riders, engineers, manufacturers, and important personalities within these worlds – since the 1970s.
Former racer Barrie Baxter, Chairman of the Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee said: “It gives us enormous pleasure to award the 2023 Torrens Trophy to Triumph for its amazing work in the Moto2TM World Championship, motorcycling’s number two grand prix series. The company has provided engines for the entire Moto2 grid for the past five seasons, proving to the world that its engineering and technology can thrive in arguably the toughest bike racing series of them all”.
It doesn’t really need to be said that these riders demand everything and more from their engines, which must therefore be capable of surviving serious abuse. During Triumph Racing’s five years in Moto2 its three-cylinder 765 engines have covered more than one million kms, achieving 95 race and outright lap records, enabling 21 different riders to win a Moto2 race.
Triumph Racing has thus done a great service to the MotoGP paddock and to the Triumph name, proving that a renowned brand has risen again to prove itself at the very forefront of high-performance motorcycling.
Nick Bloor, Triumph Motorcycles CEO added: “This award is a real honour, and a tribute to the hard work and passion of our Triumph Racing team. Our world-class engineers are always looking at new ways to enhance the engine performance, from speed, power and torque, to revs, cylinder pressure and compression ratio. This has enabled us to deliver improvements on track each season, from shorter race times to faster top speeds, which has contributed to closer, even more exciting, racing.
“Moto2 is also an excellent platform to showcase the durability, reliability and class-leading performance of our 765 triple engines on the road. Over the last five years we’ve used the race engine programme to drive enhancements and gain insights that we’ve used to further develop and evolve our new Street Triple 765 range, which has successfully driven demand and sales across the world. It’s a partnership that we are excited to be continuing until 2029.”
Triumph’s five Moto2 champions since 2019 are Alex Marquez, Enea Bastianini, Remy Gardner, Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta. Four of these riders will be in MotoGP this year and almost half the current MotoGP grid has scored grands prix victories on Triumph-powered Moto2 bikes – another massive testament to the power of Triumph.
This year Triumph Racing will also enter the motocross world championships for the first time, while also attacking the hugely popular American Supercross and Pro Motocross championships.
Five Previous Torrens Trophy winners
- 2022 Mike Trimby, for his tireless work to improve circuit safety and represent the riders, teams and commercial side of MotoGP.
- 2021 The Crescent Yamaha team for winning the riders’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in the FIM World Superbike Championship.
- 2020 Emma Bristow for claiming her seventh consecutive FIM Women’s Trial World Championship.
- 2019 Peter Hickman for his three Isle of Man TT victories and for setting the world’s fastest road race lap record of 136.415mph at the Ulster GP.
- 2018 Tai Woffinden for being the most successful British speedway rider in history.
- 2017 Jonathan Rea MBE for being the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike Championships.
The Torrens Trophy
The Royal Automobile Club has always had a close association with the motorcycling world. The Club formed the Auto Cycle Club in 1903, which went on to become the Auto Cycle Union in 1947. The first motorcycle race was held on the Isle of Man in 1905 for cars – two years before the first Tourist Trophy for motorcycles.
The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skilful motorcycling in the United Kingdom, or to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motorcycling in the UK, or to have shown outstanding skill in international motorcycling sporting events in the United Kingdom.
The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motorcycling journalist who wrote a column under the name ‘Torrens’. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. It is awarded only when the Club feels that the achievement justifies it.
