As Time Goes By

Taking The Triumph Speedmaster Down The Sleepy Lanes Of Udvada, Rediscovering The Heritage And Culture Of A Time Gone By

- Aatish Mishra

The Triumph Speedmaster builds on a huge legacy for Triumph. While the factory officially used the name only in 2002 when they launched a Bonnie-based crusier for the American market, its roots lie in the ’60s. It was Triumph importers in America that coined the ‘Speedmaster’ name for the Bonneville T120Rs that were specifically being made for their market. Triumph Motorcycles has been through so much since then, from going bust to being revived and becoming the brand we know it today. It is drastically different, and yet, stays true to its roots.

There is a reason why I chose to bring the Triumph Speedmaster to the town in Gujarat you see on these pages. A reason that will be clear by the time you are through with this story. Before we get on with things though, I need to make something else clear — this is not a review of the Speedmaster. Neither is it a story of some godforsaken road that I fell in love with. Instead, this is a story of identities, a story of history and of legacies. It is a story about the preservation of culture and withstanding the ravages of time.