Thirty years ago the British motorcycle industry was in the sort of state that the aircraft engine industry is in now, it was the same story, lack of investment and no interest in new product development.
Fortunatly a guy with a lot of money got hold of the Triumph brand and turned it around, it has taken twenty years of personal investment to get the bikes to the state were they sell on merit.............. not the name.
I have no doubt that if anyone tried to sorce investment for a long term project like Triumph from the banks you would not get in the door, all they want is short term profit.
The reason that the UK and USA can't make it in the major industrial sector is not that we don't have the will, ability, or work ethic it is because the shiny arses in the banks are only intersted in next weeks bonus, not a pay back that might be twenty years off.