Celebrating Triumph's 500,000th bike
A couple of classic bike enthusiasts from Glasgow, Ian Spinney and Mark Brunjes, are taking their Hinckley Triumph ‘Classics’ this summer on a trip from Glasgow to Palermo in Sicily to fulfil a long-standing ambition to travel to the toe of Italy and Sicily, and back again on two wheels.

Ian_and_MarkThey will combine the trip with an appreciation of the slow food movement pioneered in Italy, and will post a regular blog about local cultures, food, politics and lifestyle. 

Their chosen bikes are a Triumph Bonneville and Scrambler, both will be fitted with the Scottoiler vSystem. The duo are also using the ride as an excuse to celebrate the success of Triumph which this year will mark its 21st year in business with the manufacture of its 500,000th bike, turnover of more than £300m and recognition as the best-selling motorcycle brand in the UK.

Triumph's history stretches back more than 125 years and Marlon Brando famously rode a Triumph Thunderbird in the film 'The Wild Ones' and Steve McQueen a Triumph Scrambler in the film 'The Great Escape'.   Triumph was synonymous with independence, rebellion, escapism and style, and today the company strapline is ‘Go your own way’, in keeping with the heritage of the brand.

Marks_2009_Triumph_ScramblerThis is Mark's 2009 Triumph Scrambler with the Arrow 2 into 1 exhaust system that sounds amazing.

"Given that it is better to travel than to arrive we decided that classic style bikes would be more suitable for the ride" said Ian Spinney, who runs Spinney & Partners, a specialist business PR consultancy, and who is also currently restoring a 1961 Velocette Venom Clubman, a café racer, and has owned a succession of classic bikes.

Mark Brunjes, who runs CM Design Consultants and is also a classic bike fan, added: “Sicily is a relatively undiscovered part of Italy, and our bikes will go down well with the Italians, who love a bit of panache and style.”

The ride and blog can be followed at www.glasgowtopalermo.com