In what has been a slow drip of information about their upcoming motocross bike, Triumph is yet again releasing another teaser ahead of the launch later this year. The first episode in the video series called ‘Vision to Reality’ saw the development team revealing features of the aluminum chassis and now the team is back for a behind-the-scenes look at the engine.

Unfortunately, the video doesn’t deliver any real specs or hard numbers but Triumph reps claim the new single cylinder powerplant is lightweight and compact. Based on the development team’s conversation, it appears the goal was to create an engine with a wide powerband focused primarily on bottom-end responsiveness and low-end torque, yet with the ability to maintain power during over-rev. 

As former Supercross racer and Triumph test rider Ivan Tedesco states, “I think it’s good for all levels of riding, if you’re a beginner, racing supercross, outdoors…” Ricky Carmichael elaborates by stating they “want it to be great for racing but at the same time it needs to be good for the customer.” Another feature discussed is the ability of the engine to get power to the ground, which indicates this motor will have tractable power that is easier to manage.

“This engine has its own identity and I think one of the best things about it is the way that it’s designed and developed, which enables riders with a very wide range of abilities to be able to ride the bike. It’s light and compact and the power delivery is great for all forms of riders.” – Ricky Carmichael

All of this sounds pretty ambitious, especially considering the fact that Triumph has designed this engine from the ground up to compete against the Japanese and Austrian brands that have a many decades head start. However, Triumph’s engineering background runs deep and they appear to have assembled a capable team for this project. Taking a fresh look at what’s been done in the past and bringing a new perspective often brings revolutionary change.

Will they deliver on their claims in the video? We can only wish them luck in this daring endeavor. Carmichael ends the video hinting that what they’ve learned from this engine development project may also trickle down into other models in Triumph’s street bike range. So even those of us who aren’t looking to send it over supercross doubles may end up benefiting from Triumph’s dirt bike experiment.