2024 Triumph TF250X test: Riding the British bike | Lowdown from Ricky Carmichael & Jeff Stanton

It’s Triumph’s first ever production motocross bike and MotoHead’s Dave Willet was one of the first to ride the stock machine in Florida.
With an all-Triumph engine and hand-welded aluminium frame, KYB spring suspension, Brembo brakes and hydraulic clutch, Bellville washer spring clutch, smartphone mapping, forged aluminium triple clamps and more, it’s a cutting-edge machine for £9795. Claimed to weigh just 104kg and put out 47.4bhp at 13,5000 rpm, it’s ready to take on the best of the rival race bikes.
Dave talks at length with two men who helped develop the bike, Ricky Carmichael and Jeff Stanton. And he gets the update on Triumph’s plans for the future in terms of a 450 motocross bike, enduro models, a youth range and potential plans for a British championship assault.

We’re here at gatorback to test out the new Triumph TF 250X we’ve all heard the rumors of the bike for a long time especially in the UK we know that the team have been developing the bike for quite a while um and they’re finally happy with the package that they’ve got

Uh to send out and uh these bikes will be on sale I think they come on sale in April we had a presentation last night the the details of the bike is second to on um I’ve got to say that looks like they’ve taken all the best parts from

The other manufacturers and put them all together to make this awesome package that you’re looking at right now the the question is is that does this bike compare to other bikes that are already out on the market or does it have its own identity that’s my big question and

My big test for today I really would do want to know if this is kind of got it its own character you know does it merge you know I want I want to know if if there’s a merge between the Japanese and the Austrian bikes or or whether it

Does just have a a complete unique feel um CU these are exciting times another bike manufacturer entering the off-road Market is is exactly exactly what we need I embrace it I welcome it more competition the better as far as I’m concerned so yeah thumbs up let’s see what today [Applause] Brings [Applause] Hey [Applause] Yeah So I’m here with Ricky carar and Jeff Stanton and um I’ve just finished the day yeah yeah finished the day of riding 2024 TF 250X and um well my opinion is it’s a refreshing opinion that I ride the bike today and I do feel that it’s it has its own identity good

Which was which was the biggest thing for me at the start of the day I mentioned that that’s what I wanted to I wanted to know I didn’t want it to be a merger of machines um I know that it kind of it has all the best components

From other machines but it still has its own identity and feels um it doesn’t it’s strange because it doesn’t feel different you feel at home it feel it well well that’s the thing I think that we are so conditioned preconditioned to to judge a motorcycle

On well it it kind of is like this bike or it’s kind of like that bike so you know and and you’re always looking for the best from both worlds and I think that’s what we tried to do um developing this chassis is is have something that does everything really well um rather

Than be great in one area and not hitting the mark whatsoever in in in the in the other area so to your point like when when we hear people and we’ve heard several people from the US side from the UK side say that that it has its own

Identity and for us it’s a huge sigh of relief because that that was the goal um we had benchmarks you know there’s you know there’s a lot of great competitors out there manufacturing competitors but um you know we we wanted to take the best of of of everything and try to put

All of that in one so um you know I know that there’ll be some tough critics but uh I think overall it is a fantastic motorcycle and it does a lot of things well do you feel that you’ve kind of left a mark um yourself on on the on the model

On the machine oh 100% so so does that give you a sense of achievement never mind like what everybody else is saying even if they even if I know you want them to like the bike and we all do lot the bike and it has it has had good

Reviews right from not that people know as of yet but just being involved from the from the get-go yeah so there’s a lot of influence uh I wouldn’t say for for how I particularly want the motorcycle and how you know cuz I I’m going to do special things to it you

Know with suspension settings and and personalizing it with with things of that nature but like as a production model absolutely there are things in there that um that I thought would be good for the consumer and be good for racing as well um it can’t just be made

For racing it’s got to be made for someone like you that you know maybe don’t ride as hard as as a professional racer but still can can carry a good load and and and you need it to perform in certain situations and yes that so there is you know quite a bit of

Influence on uh uh in implemented into this chassis uh from from myself and certainly uh Tesco’s uh knowledge and what we’ve learned in the past that uh doesn’t work whether it be from racing or from or from a production standpoint and what we hear you know from the

General consumers and that’s that that’s the key is that that Target Mark and and not having everybody think that it’s a bike that Tedesco built and Ricky built and they’re not going to be able to handle it and and and fine-tune it to their ability it’s it’s perfectly in the

Middle everybody that rides it it’s you you have to have that for for the sale and to be able to make money and keep this thing rolling you got to have a small Target area to hit to the beginner to novice Rider to the expert Rider can

F tune it and they’ve done a great job with it you’ve got a wide range yeah absolutely and and that’s the key yeah yeah yeah and that definitely is the case when you ride it out on track hence like you know if you’re if you you need

That extra power it’s there there’s an extra kick at the end if you want to Lug it in third you can yeah from the engine side from the engine side so it’s a real ridable usable power and the delivery is I hate to use this you know because

Known to be saying about a a a delivery of power but that is a good delivery yeah and and to talk about the achievement that the group the family has put together in a 5year program start from scratch and built this from the ground up you you you ask if there

If there’s satisfaction there there’s really satisfaction there just on the results from the last three or four weeks and you know for me sitting in in the stands with some of the some of the the big bosses at at Detroit and uh their excitement when uh jile you know

Finished in sixth place and super excitement a lot of work and effort time was a good achievement it was unbel aable achievement when you really think about 5 years versus everybody else has been doing this for 50 to 60 years yeah and they they’ put the program together

In 5 years is I and Triumph of being really brilliant to work with right yeah so you’re you’re exactly right so they’re an iconic brand and you know that they’ve been in the business for such a long time and their commitment level is what I was really shocked by

Because I’ve never worked with them until taking on this project and their commitment to Excellence is what I really liked and and the people in house so you take a take someone like Stanton or myself like we’ve been very fortunate in our lives to where we don’t have to

Do this for a buck we do it because it’s passionate and most importantly we do it because we like the people within the company and their commitment level and and dealing with them on the dayto day um we respect them and and we like that

And those are the type of people that we want to do business with and yes the you know it’s a family run business which was nice um you know we missed some targets but that’s what’s nice about a privately held held company is we don’t always

Have to hit those targets so the the production and the results weren’t compromised uh I I believe that everyone knew that we had only one chance at a first impression so it needed to be right and I think for myself personally it was great that uh the race team in

America did well at the opening debut with with jelik and and we got some great reviews and everyone thought that the bike was looked really well and rode really well but for me I think where I I’m going to get the most gratification and I’m going to feel like I’ve done my

Job or my part is when when the customers are buying them that that’s what I 100% that’s what I want to see you want the investment from the from the public right that’s what I want you want the you want the return from the sales and see the bikes going through

The dealerships and the dealers are happy it’s it’s not the the first the first balls been rolling now we get them to the dealers and they start selling and they’re out then that’s that’s the end process I know the race I know the race team can make the bike work yeah

And there seems to be a good sense of loyalty to their existing dealers the M across side as well which is something something else but so just to T I mean you touched on that there which what I was going to come which I was going to

Ask you as well was you know great individuals to work with but also as well was that refreshing because then you felt cuz you must feel that sometimes that you can bang on and go look I think we need this from a m bik but then realistically they’ll go yeah

Okay Ricky you we’re going to do that and then all of a sudden it goes another way yeah right is that the same with a little bit with you but with this one because of the um let’s say the people involved and the way that they operated

And and with it being a short-term program as you said 5 years um you know it was that something as well that motivated you to go yeah I’m actually enjoying this process I’m I’m in because you said you didn’t need to be in you don’t need to be in for the money and

Jeff like I don’t know how much definely he he’s got more money than me and your I know I know about his moies that’s right that’s right that’s right you know for me I I I pinch myself every day that I’m a part of this family uh whether

It’s on the adventure side or the Moto side um I was blessed to get the phone call from Rod you know our boss and it’s just and it’s just it’s steamrolled from there and I’m honored to be a part of all of this this whole program um and it

It like I said it’s a family and what the family can do to make changes and put this whole program together and not have a whole committee and a big Corporation and everything that goes with it that’s why it went so successful in a 5-year program through Co and

Through everything that we’ve gone through the Last 5 Years yeah and let’s be honest regarding you know what you what you want and the outcome that what needs to be achieved I believe once these the bikes start rolling out at the tracks uh words spread it’s going to

Spread like wildfire and I think people are definitely going to invest um so so it will be nice for them to see a return on their investment which I think yeah would happen even in these hard times we are in hard times right yeah yeah no

Absolutely I mean so I’m I’m excited for it and really pleased with how it’s turned out and just you know from the time that we’ve been here for the uh Global press release and ride day for for all of you guys in the global press around the world to to hear what your

Reaction is because we only know what we have felt yeah and what we think of it and I know you guys are excited to hear what we think but I mean I I don’t want to speak out of turn and speak for Jeff but I we want to know what you guys feel

Yeah I mean for me personally right okay so I asked you at the beginning didn’t I from to get go like I like the balance of the bike I like the maneuverability of the bike so first of all I know that I can go into a section of track we I

Want to go wide outside and it will hold if I want to cut in tight it will do that I don’t have to set up I don’t have to set up too much um on the leadup to do that right because it because very Nimble yeah so so that in itself is good

Next obviously the the suspension you know that’s that’s preference but happy with a suspension power you know again we’ve talked about how it how the delivery hits how it drives out of turns and also as well the bike does have that second stage hit like revs in and it hits in doesn’t it

And you can use that to your advantage around the track jumps so forth whatever that might be bumps you know and you can pick up the front wheel you can find that that that spot which sometimes I feel that bikes lose because they go for

A kind of let’s say that you have that WID spread of power you know like if you us to look it on a d Dino chair and they go oh you know there there it is and and that’s fine but you still you still need to have uh a connection point

Yeah um and that that was what I liked about the bike good what about you give me two things or two two things Ricky that you for me I for me I like I like how it’s balanced yeah um I don’t feel like the pitch goes from forward to rear

Is bad I like how it you don’t have to run um a whole lot of sag I know I like how you can run it very balanced and like a neutral position I like the Aesthetics of the bike I think it’s a sexy looking motorcycle I really it

Looks Factory doesn’t it yeah it does it’s got that it does um I love the KYB suspension I think the window to get the settings right is much bigger and and and the suspension is more forgiving it has a wider range um a very comfortable

Feel and um I love the over rev on the engine I think that’s great I think that’s important for the 250 stuff yeah absolutely in today’s world everybody revs it out more so for me the sleekness it’s not super wide you can you can gather the bike tight with your legs

Which which you know all of us do that and and just everything’s really smooth and and the uh the measurability of it you can adjust it to to tune you and to tune me with just a few little tweaks um unlike other bikes you have to make big

Changes link changes spring changes uh We’ve made changes the last couple of days just by 5 mil here 5 mil there and made guys comfortable and and to me that’s huge when they start writing these articles about this bike hey I raised at 5 mil and it changed the bike

Dramatically and so just uh the adjustability is is super important and you touched on something there which is which is good which is the connection point from body to bike right it does feel good and and allowing you to move absolutely Y and then um so obviously

We’ve spoke quite a lot about the bike I think we’ve covered that we have we have you know but the guys you know at Triumph they’ve invested massively and they’re investing in into the team into the setup into let’s say the the Next Generation yeah and the facility that

They that they purchased was it a year and a half ago they invested into yeah they have a fullblown facility uh just south of the um Triumph US headquarters uh in Georgia and you know you’re starting to see these facilities pop up um you know star bought my facility and

Um you saw yeah yeah I guess I did I wouldn’t say that I start that but yeah so you’re starting to see these facilities um pop up and Triumph I mean that wasn’t you know that wasn’t just a chip in the bucket I mean that that that shows another thing of their commitment

They’re here for the Long Haul they want to they want to get more people invested in the sport which is important uh but they also would love for everyone to consider the Triant brand so they’re putting in a lot of um they’re putting in a lot of effort and resources and I

Like I like that they’ve built a facility um it’s first class and really I think that you need it these days I think that you need a facility these days because it takes it basically forces the rider to have to perform and if the rider doesn’t perform it’s not

Going to be because they didn’t have the tangibles or they didn’t have the resources and in this day and age you know you you have to cover you have to cover your backside and you know you don’t want you you don’t need any excuses and you’re like hey we have the

Facility we have the equipment and yeah like this this is this is your domain right here and no excuses you have the track the facility the Personnel it’s it’s really a no-brainer so and that’s just another step that is another step and and and that I hope that everyone

Recognizes and sees the commitment level from from Triumph well thank you for your time thank you my friend yeah thank you very much appreciate it absolutely thanks for taking it easy on us out there today yeah it was a good day wasn’t it it was you was a bit surprised

Yeah I’ve got it on GoPro he G me the because he was like you know dude I think you could you feel the Triumph coming out you think maybe go work a deal come back vet vet Nationals Champion yeah for that’s right Ricky said that’s right that’s

Right well yeah I mean at the end of the day they haven’t got a British rid that’s what I’m that’s what I’m saying saying yeah you you got to one up Max ansty you can’t let him slide in there before you yeah that’s true yeah no that

Is true he’s riding good yeah no he’s yeah he’s going good and he’s got a good work ethic as well right it’s good to see so but yeah but again thank you and Brilliant it’s been a brilliant brilliant day and you and you definitely

Um been a big part of the uh of the fun day it’s been fun to appreciate and also luckily really that you actually did manage to produce quite a good bike surprisingly there you go I love it yeah thank you that was tough my man that was that was that was [Applause] Good so we’re here with the man who treats the new Triumph TF2 50 x like his baby um and rightly so as well because you know this this this machine is definitely uh a machine that is going to be welcomed um into into the community I feel it’s I’ve I’ve already said that

It’s got it its own identity um it feels uh it doesn’t feel like a bike that’s merged of different machines um yet I feel very at home it’s almost like it’s like the bike’s been around for years yeah yeah uh which you know which is Testament to the the guys that are

Involved um yourself if you’d like to explain your job Ro um yeah so I’m me and Kim I’m head of off-road programs for Triumph um you’re right it is a bit my baby but it wouldn’t be here without the hard work of everyone who’s worked on the the project it’s a full team

Effort from everything from kind of engineering right the way through to obviously sales and marketing to get it into the product into the market in the first place um so yeah I mean it’s it’s great to be here today to see it launching and people actually riding it

Yeah I mean and again like not just that touch so not that you would know but when I when I was uh talking with Ricky and Jeff um it’s something that you should know they they really did feel that it was you know they touched on

Look we don’t need to do this for the money um actually working with Triumph working with the team it was something that you they felt the passion they felt the that you wanted to produce a bike um which is which was capable to compete from from the get-go and and they’ve

They’ve enjoyed the process and they really they really did Echo um the enjoyment of working with you and how easy it was yeah 100% I mean it’s been it’s been great working with the guys all the guys we’ve got on it Ricky Ian Ivan uh clemon you know Jeff they

They’re just um they’re such a good group of people and they they’re the same as us everyone’s pulling in the same direction you know we’re all focused on delivering the absolute best bike we could it wasn’t going to leave the doors until it was right yeah you

Know and and now marks the the kind of Pinnacle of of that point and um it’s uh it’s been a great opportunity for us to all work together um we have fun you know but everyone takes it very seriously in terms of delivering a bike that’s going to deliver the goods for everyone

And you know on that note try you some investment yeah some commitment yeah 100% I mean you know the um the investment that the company’s put into it to deliver a class leading bike hopefully um you know not just in terms of the OE program and the tooling that

Goes into it but the race program that we’re putting out as well the facility that we’re investing in in North America to to home be the home of Triumph racing in North America um everything is uh massive investment and it’s all focused on us being all in at the end of the day

When um talking about the facility you know that that’s obviously to to nurture Talent um but also as well in the presentation I’d heard that it’s it’s to help with development yeah 100% I mean we’re selling production race bikes you know that’s why people are buying them

What wins on Sunday sales on Monday you know so the link between OE and racing they have to go hand inand you know what we learn from what we learn on the racetracks we have to build back into our products and we have to do that to

Be more competitive on the racetrack so it’s a it’s a constant circle of building in you know integrating the feedback and making sure that we’ve done that and we’ve done that even now whilst we’ve been developing the race bikes prior to going racing in the season and

Then we’ll carry on developing in the season and and build it through from there and the the guys as well I mean you know they really did um it come across very genuine that they really do want you to see a good return on your investment yeah 100 and these bikes S I

Mean talking about being all in he even cleans the bikes yeah I mean if we’re if we’re being honest the only reason why Rick’s here is is because he’s left trenches he’s and he’s left his sunglasses yeah um and and obviously he was that comfortable on the chair from

From the amount of riding that he’s done he wanted to come back over didn’t you Ricky I do it all he carry on with your interview look they’re all going to have a go yeah yeah what’s that what’s happening they all signing my plate or what yeah yeah a thank you yeah that’s

Good yeah yeah that’s good right where did we get to before we were rudely interrupted yeah so we were just just saying that obviously um you know the more bike sales that that you that you can achieve or that you’ll can reinvest was kind of where I was going with it because the

Guys were you know I’ve heard of numbers that that are going into certain countries um you’re a little bit late maybe um a little bit late with the model in terms of we know that Offroad scene is is probably driven it’s it’s driven by by the race

Series yeah exactly The Race season and you’re late right yeah yeah I mean we’ve had a few things you know through through the development of it co was a big thing for us it delayed the program as we went out um and it’s it’s um it’s a lot of work developing something into

A new market segment you’re learning a lot as you’re developing the bike but we’ve made sure the bike’s developed it’s durable and it’s going to meet the customer requirements when it hits the market um the we’ve got to hit certain numbers to meet racing am olation in the

US yeah um but though we’re not just importing the minimum numbers we’re confident in the bike that we’re going to sell you so we’re importing over the minimum numbers we’ll get that return back into the company investing back into new products uh investing back into the race teams and delivering hopefully

More great products for everyone well I mean we have mentioned this or I have mentioned it to you which was the frame yeah you know it does look like it’s going to be um it looks like it’s it’s already home in uh a 450 lump yeah I mean we it’s no

Secret we’ve got a 450 in development it’s going to come later in the year um so we need to to be competitive in both classes we’ve started with the 250 because it fits with our racing program and how we wanted to develop the strategy for the racing program in

Building Talent with the bike uh and and making the program grow yeah you know we got a great uh great program on both um series uh some great talent in the riders that we’ve got and we’re hoping that they’ll develop as we develop the program of the bike and and then on that

Note you know um uro as well I mean you you must have your eye on that because the the way that the bike handles is going to be it’d be an easy transition I feel absolutely and you know we wouldn’t have the likes of Evan santis on board if we weren’t going to

Go into the Induro Market um it’s a massively popular Market especially in um Europe obviously and and then in America Offroad and dual sport is a a big scene as well um GNCC races Etc so um if it’s an obvious market for us to expand into in the future and on that

Note you know obviously Triumph British brand yeah um you know in in the future do you see you kind of you know what’s the what’s the plan what’s the plan in in England regarding with Triumph and maybe the racing scene you know is there one are

You going to because at the moment we we are seeing one we we’re obviously we seeing a team in Europe we’re seeing a team in in in the US um yeah I mean primary focus at the moment is our mxgp and our SMX teams absolutely we need to grow that and make

Sure that we’ve got the uh groundwork in place for building a successful racing program yeah off the back of that we will yeah for sure we need to running country championships as well you know in the in the big countries um like your Italy France Spain Germany and Britain

As well you know obviously being a British manufacturer we’d love to run in a British Championship um we’d love to have British Riders running for us as well um and I think it could be uh it could be a great thing to see a British bike British Rider on top of the British

Box that sounds like a dream that does doesn’t it that sounds like a yeah I think yeah obviously that’s something that I’d personally like to see myself um and hopefully now that we’ve got you know it’s exciting times with a new manufacturer and entering the off-road market and with the product that I’ve

Ridden today uh you’re definitely competitive so great to hear so you know so hopefully you know this we will that fair what’s what’s the word that I’m looking for we’re going to have that fairy tale ending yeah yeah that would be great wouldn’t it yeah it be it yeah

It would definitely 100% just yeah would be good and on you know obviously from there like 250f that’s a certain age group that for me that’s what uh you know like 14 MH 14 up yeah um anything that you can kind of maybe let me in on you know on lower

Down yeah well I mean getting kids into the sport is crucial isn’t it you know not just for motorcross but motorcycling in general yeah we need to get kids infused in motorcycles again I think um and it’s no secret we bought oset um a little while back that’s where I was

Going I’m glad you mentioned that yeah so we bought oset oset obviously a trials manufacturer mainly but they do have bikes like the mx10 in their range um and then r on one yeah yeah yeah the new txp 24 great bike you know um txp stands for trials explore and play so

It’s not just a tri bike you can you can have a a good time as a play bike you know kind of flow Trails or anything like that you know it’s it’s just it’s good fun and when we bought oet we weren’t shy about saying that there will

Be some collaborative products in the future we’re not going to it’s not going to be a brand slap as a Triumph onto an oset product um but we’ll we’ll you know as we move forwards we’ll we’ll look for projects to to capitalize on them exciting times yeah yeah it’s going to

Be great it’s going to be good it’s going to be good to watch this yeah um roll out but yeah thank you for your time thank you for the day and um yeah exciting times ahead wor glad you had fun y thank You