Wayne Moulton
Encyclopedia
Wayne LaVar Moulton was a motorcycle designer called "the father of the Japanese cruiser." after introducing specific designs for importers to the lucrative US motorcycle market. The custom/cruiser market continually occupies one of the biggest slices of the important large displacement US motorcycle market.
His industry positions included President, Triumph Motorcycles America Company, vice president of Kawasaki Motorcycle Company and president of Vetter Fairing Company
.
The basis of his designs was his marketing philosophy that, "a popular motorcycle can have four different variations- a standard, a limited, a cafe racer and a touring bike."
standard street-bike/roadster model. The LTD style was typified by shortened mudguards (fenders), stepped seat, high handlebars, a 'tear-drop' petrol tank, large rear tyre and short megaphone exhausts. Moulton was quick to emphasise that his design was not influenced by the American manufacturer, Harley-Davidson
but rather privately customised British motorcycles like the Triumph and Birmingham Small Arms (BSA).
The first Moulton-designed model, the KZ900LTD was introduced in 1975 and was immediately successful with demand outstripping supply. Moulton's LTD styling spawned similar designs from Kawasaki's competitors, with Yamaha
's 'Special' series being extremely successful.
On the back of his success with Kawasaki, Moulton was invited by the British Triumph factory's Brenda Price to head up Triumph Motorcycle America (TMA), then struggling to market the high-priced but old-fashioned standard 750 cc Triumph Bonneville T140
roadster model. Moulton accepted the post, his change of heart being due to the struggling Triumph, then run by a workers' co-operative at Meriden
, now being very flexible in their approach to design suggestions for the US market.
First, Moulton convinced Triumph to market in the US their European-styled T140EX Bonneville Executive touring model. With its Brearley-Smith bikini fairing and lean styling, the Executive echoed of Moulton's Z1-R series sport-touring design signatures.
To stimulate Triumph business, Moulton also introduced the British Bike Roadride event in 1981 and coined their 1982 advertising slogan: It's A Feeling You Never Forget. Moulton's British Bike Roadride was well-attended even when TMA was in its final days.
Harking back to his LTD series, he designed the similarly styled Triumph T140 TSX
advertising it, without irony, with the slogan A Yamakawahonsuki It Ain't! The multi-coloured decals on the TSX tank and side panels, a first for a Bonneville, echoed Moulton's LTD models at Kawasaki and contemporary Yamaha tank designs. The TSX was designed by Moulton to have Triumph's new 8-valve engine but this was late in development so the 4-valve T140ES engine was used instead. The 8-valve engine was later marketed as the Triumph T140W TSS
. Moulton insisted the production version of the TSX replicate his design exactly and this Triumph did. Being Meriden's biggest market, America had always been a strong influence upon the Triumph's design office but this was the sole instance of an original American design actually being produced by the factory.
Moulton considered the Triumph T140 TSX
to be his favorite design later stating, "If I was to build a bike in my garage to play with, that's the way I'd build it."
Just before Triumph Motorcycle America's British parent company closed on 23 August 1983, Moulton moved to the Vetter Fairing Company
, later serving as commissioner in charge of motorcycle racing for the American Motorcycle Association.
His industry positions included President, Triumph Motorcycles America Company, vice president of Kawasaki Motorcycle Company and president of Vetter Fairing Company
Vetter Fairing Company
The Vetter Fairing Company was a manufacturer of motorcycle accessories including the Windjammer series of fairings. The business was founded by Craig Vetter in 1966, sold in 1978, and bankrupt in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired the assets, and produced fairings for a few years.-External links:* *...
.
The basis of his designs was his marketing philosophy that, "a popular motorcycle can have four different variations- a standard, a limited, a cafe racer and a touring bike."
Kawasaki LTD series
Whilst at Kawasaki, as director of technical operations, Moulton introduced the LTD motorcycle series. These brought custom-styling touches to the in-line four cylinder Kawasaki Z1Kawasaki Z1
The Z1 Kawasaki was a motorcycle introduced in 1972 by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It has sometimes been described as the world's first superbike. The Z1, along with Honda's CB750 from 1969, introduced the four-cylinder, across the frame, disc-braked layout to a wider public...
standard street-bike/roadster model. The LTD style was typified by shortened mudguards (fenders), stepped seat, high handlebars, a 'tear-drop' petrol tank, large rear tyre and short megaphone exhausts. Moulton was quick to emphasise that his design was not influenced by the American manufacturer, Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
but rather privately customised British motorcycles like the Triumph and Birmingham Small Arms (BSA).
The first Moulton-designed model, the KZ900LTD was introduced in 1975 and was immediately successful with demand outstripping supply. Moulton's LTD styling spawned similar designs from Kawasaki's competitors, with Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
's 'Special' series being extremely successful.
Kawasaki Z-1R
Flowing on from the success of the LTD series, Moulton designed a sport-touring model, the Z-1R, for Kawasaki. Here, Moulton introduced the cafe-racer / sport-touring look to the same in-line 4 cylinder engine. The design involved having the front wheel of smaller diameter than standard and a 'cockpit' fairing around the handlebars and instruments. The lack of added engine performance over the standard model meant this design was not as successful as the LTD but Moulton founded a company to re-market unsold Z-1Rs with a turbo-charger as the Z-1RTC.Triumph T140 TSX
In the 1960s, Moulton was part owner with Tom Melehes of Triumph West Motorcycle Shop for 13 years before joining the US motorcycle operation of Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki, blaming his move upon the then-intransigent nature of the British operation as to motorcycle design.On the back of his success with Kawasaki, Moulton was invited by the British Triumph factory's Brenda Price to head up Triumph Motorcycle America (TMA), then struggling to market the high-priced but old-fashioned standard 750 cc Triumph Bonneville T140
Triumph Bonneville T140
The Triumph Bonneville T140 is a British motorcycle with a capacity engine that was designed and built by Triumph Engineering at Meriden near Coventry....
roadster model. Moulton accepted the post, his change of heart being due to the struggling Triumph, then run by a workers' co-operative at Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
, now being very flexible in their approach to design suggestions for the US market.
First, Moulton convinced Triumph to market in the US their European-styled T140EX Bonneville Executive touring model. With its Brearley-Smith bikini fairing and lean styling, the Executive echoed of Moulton's Z1-R series sport-touring design signatures.
To stimulate Triumph business, Moulton also introduced the British Bike Roadride event in 1981 and coined their 1982 advertising slogan: It's A Feeling You Never Forget. Moulton's British Bike Roadride was well-attended even when TMA was in its final days.
Triumph T140 TSX
The Triumph TSX was a British motorcycle credited by the factory as being designed in 1981–1982 by Triumph Motorcycles America , the factory's American arm...
advertising it, without irony, with the slogan A Yamakawahonsuki It Ain't! The multi-coloured decals on the TSX tank and side panels, a first for a Bonneville, echoed Moulton's LTD models at Kawasaki and contemporary Yamaha tank designs. The TSX was designed by Moulton to have Triumph's new 8-valve engine but this was late in development so the 4-valve T140ES engine was used instead. The 8-valve engine was later marketed as the Triumph T140W TSS
Triumph T140W TSS
The T140W TSS was the last motorcycle model made by Triumph Engineering at their Meriden factory.- Development history :Designed to appeal to the US market, the TSS had an eight valve Weslake Engineering cylinder head developed by American racer Jack Wilson from a design originally commissioned by...
. Moulton insisted the production version of the TSX replicate his design exactly and this Triumph did. Being Meriden's biggest market, America had always been a strong influence upon the Triumph's design office but this was the sole instance of an original American design actually being produced by the factory.
Moulton considered the Triumph T140 TSX
Triumph T140 TSX
The Triumph TSX was a British motorcycle credited by the factory as being designed in 1981–1982 by Triumph Motorcycles America , the factory's American arm...
to be his favorite design later stating, "If I was to build a bike in my garage to play with, that's the way I'd build it."
Just before Triumph Motorcycle America's British parent company closed on 23 August 1983, Moulton moved to the Vetter Fairing Company
Vetter Fairing Company
The Vetter Fairing Company was a manufacturer of motorcycle accessories including the Windjammer series of fairings. The business was founded by Craig Vetter in 1966, sold in 1978, and bankrupt in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired the assets, and produced fairings for a few years.-External links:* *...
, later serving as commissioner in charge of motorcycle racing for the American Motorcycle Association.