Chromed spring twin shocks with adjustable
preload
Front Brakes
2 x 310mm Discs, 2 piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single 285 mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Front Tyre
110/80-18
Rear Tyre
170/80-15
Dry Weight
229 kg / 504 lbs
Fuel Capacity
16.6 Litres / 4.4 US gal / 3.65
Imp gal
Dark, brooding lines and a stripped-down hot-rod
essence make the Speedmaster a standout middleweight cruiser.
But more can sometimes be more. And while the
lean Speedmaster retains its low-slung and nimble street prowler chassis it now
has more low-down torque thanks to its new 865cc, air-cooled, twin cylinder
engine. And due to the 270 degree firing-interval each power pulse from each
piston is delivered in a seamless, languid flow that hooks the fat 170-section
rear tyre to the road. The flat 'drag' style handlebars, double front discs and
wide-set telescopic forks ensure a sporty and controlled ride. As well as
flawless function the Speedmaster has an elegant form all its own. A satin-black
engine finish and near-solid 15-inch rear wheel add to the show and whether on
the move or at a standstill the Speedmaster turns heads, hard.
The Speedmaster has the edge. It's built for city streets and twisitng roads
with an engine that inspires and a chassis that excels.
Above all else it's been built to perform.
Triumph Cruisers
Eat up the miles with Triumph's stunning range of
Cruisers.
Each a perfect balance of power and performance
and including the amazing Rocket III. The most impressive production motorcycle
in the world it's already a modern legend.
Speedmaster may seem an odd name for a bike that
isn't a race rep. But Triumph is harking back to its '60s glory days and aiming
for a big slice of the cruiser market
It isn't just people who were around back in the '60s, like AMCN's esteemed ed,
who are interested in things retro. Younger riders too are buying history.
Triumph says cruisers make up 40 percent of the world-wide market so it's no
surprise that it's trying to cut itself a piece of the action.
So we first had the Bonneville, unashamedly taking the styling of one of the
most famous bikes to wear the Triumph badge. It put aside the modern triple
engine for a parallel twin, complete with deep air-cooling fins on the
cylinders. That led to the Bonneville America - a smart move since Brit bikes
have always found a ready market in the US.
Interrupted by the fire that destroyed much of Triumph's Hinckley factory, the
designers soldiered on with typically British stiff upper lips. The Speedmaster
is the first new model to come out of the factory since the fire, so it's
important to Triumph in many ways.
HIDDEN TOUCHES
Beneath the classic looks, there's a modern heart. The air-cooled engine has an
oil cooler tucked discreetly on the frame. There's secondary air injection to
burn free radicals in the exhaust gasses and keep within emissions laws. And
it's a double overhead cam, eight-valve engine - the original company would
barely recognise it.
While twin balance shafts keep vibration down, the firing order has changed to
270 degrees, so there's a classic soundtrack with the classic vibe.
The gearbox is a feature of Triumph's unit construction design, and is
essentially lifted from other models in the range, with one cog missing to make
it a five-speed 'box (it's fifth ratio that's been dumped). Compared to the
America, overall gearing is lower, giving sportier performance off the line, but
higher cruising revs.
The raked out forks and flat, pulled-back 'bars give a more aggressive look than
the America and Triumph is pulling no punches - this is in a head-to-head sales
battle with Harley-Davidson.
GETTING IT RIGHT Swinging a leg over the seat makes one thing instantly clear - the riding
position is sorted. The saddle is low, the footpegs far enough forward that
riders used to sportsbikes can't find them. The 'bars, too, are low and wide.
The key is behind your left thigh. While the starter button is where you expect
it, above it on the righthand switchgear there's no light switch, just a filler
with the Triumph logo - lights are always on. There's no pass light switch,
either.
The exhaust note when you hit the starter is disappointing. You can hear the
valvegear and the cam chain just as much, but Triumph has an answer for that in
the aftermarket catalogue, with a choice of two "not for road use" pipes - a
fruity, slash-cut set up, and a loud full length pipe, resembling the original.
In traffic, the Speedmaster proves more nimble than the forks suggest, happily
carving a line at walking pace without the heavy steering that some cruisers
suffer. U-turns require a bit of concentration as the front wheel wants to fall
into the turn, but it's easily held on line. Moreover, it's a shock to look at
the spec sheet and see "Dry weight 229kg" 'cos it doesn't feel it.
Out of traffic and on the open road, 100km/h cruising sees the tank-mounted tacho
showing about 3900rpm in top gear. From there, you've still got pretty much
maximum torque - the torque curve is claimed to be almost flat from 2750rpm,
peaking at 3500revs with 6.12kgf-m, and carrying on to the peak power of 62ps at
7400rpm. The red line starts at 7500rpm, but it revs just past 8000rpm if you
want.
You won't want, though, as the engine responds best to a more relaxed style.
After all, it's a cruiser, so treat it as such and ride the torque.
ACCIDENTAL MONOS? Despite the aggressive looks, the large-ish capacity twin engine won't rip your
arms from their sockets if you abuse the throttle. That's probably where the
high weight makes itself felt. There's no fear of accidental monos with the
Speedmaster, but acceleration off the line is rapid enough up to 110km/h, where
you'll see just 4400rpm on the dial.
At that speed, there's a mild tingle through the bars. After a short stint
(about 50km) I was feeling a slight numbness in my thumbs, but a little shake of
the arms sorted it.
Off the highway and on to some interesting back roads, there was little need to
slow down. The Triumph handled the turns well, and with the more involved
riding, the vibes disappeared.
Around the twisties, there's a pretty decent degree of lean available, and it
gets over well. Okay, it doesn't turn in as sharply as a sportsbike, but it
suits the style. You know when it's had enough, too. In righthanders the footpeg
hero-blob scrapes noisily, while in lefts, it's the chrome sidestand, making a
more pleasant grind.
Power from the front stopper concerned me, however. Triumph has made some of the
most powerful brakes around, but the Speedmaster needed a full set of four
digits to squeeze some stopping out of it. Using only two fingers, the bar came
back to my knuckles and all I got was speed retardation.
Riding a different bike saw a massive improvement. It appears a little bleeding
may have been needed on the first bike I rode. Feel was there in abundance on
all the bikes, which is a good thing, but there's a lot of lever travel.
DIVE, DIVE, DIVE Use the brakes hard and the front forks dive like a Collins class sub. The build
quality is better, though: the movement is controlled despite the soft set up
and there was no sign of a leak! Braking on a really bumpy section of road, it
was easy to get the forks bottoming and the front wheel skipping. But back off
the brakes and it quickly comes under control.
The same goes for bumpy corners. The soft suspenders let the bike shift about on
bumps mid-corner. But once off them, the bike rapidly settled, even when I got
bounced out of the seat.
Triumph has priced the Speedmaster starting at $15,290. That's gonna take some
selling against the likes of Harley's XL883R Sportster at $13,320, or Honda's
$12,390 VT750D. There's already a host of aftermarket parts, including pipes,
tank graphics and screens, to individualise your bike. First choice is whether
you want it in red and black or yellow and black.