Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

shotgun-style pipes that are longer than those found on the America. It also sports flat, drag-style handlebars and a smoothly rounded "gunfighter" saddle. These touches, combined with the gutty-looking blacked-out hue of the engine - same as on the triple found in the Triumph Thunderbird Sport - give the Speedmaster a tough-guy look that is as contrasted as, say, the Harley Softail Standard and the Harley-Davidson Night Train, although, admittedly, we're talking about a lot more chips when it comes to actually owning either of those two big twins. But take a spin on the Triumph, and you may not need to bother, for the Speedmaster is one competent little cruise-meister. When it's cold, you will need to utilize the choke in order to get the motor humming, but the Speedmaster needs very little in the way of warm-up time before it is ready to hit the road. Almost immediately, you'll notice that the 790cc mill provides an electrically smooth, broad powerband. The Speedmaster's lower gear· ing works in perfect concert with an additional 500 rpm made possible after Triumph engineers played with the rev limiter. The motor provides just enough torquey grit down low to satisfy your average Hulkamaniac, while the twin also boasts the ability to rev out nicely, making it quite user-friendly. The clutch and transmission of the Speedmaster are equally seamless, Triumph obviously aiming for sportbike smoothness over the traditional cruiser ka-chunk when it comes to making upshifts and downshifts. The tranny ratios also feel properly spaced for the Speedmaster when rowing the gears around town. Top gear is also fine for cruising along the highway at 60-65 mph. The tach will be showing right at 3500 rpm about then, and that seems to be the Speedmaster's happy place. The bike is more than capable of faster speeds of course, but throttling up invites secondary vibration from the counterbalancers to creep through the bars and tank. It's not offensive, but it is noticeable when droning along straight tarmac sections at a constant throttle. The ride just becomes a little less pleasant; that's all. No, best to save the higher-rpm riding for the right time, and in the case of the Speedmaster, the right time is when the highway becomes serpentine, because the Speedmaster is one of the finest handling cruisers around. Triumph officials characterize its ride as "taut." That's a fair assessment, but it may not go far enough to describe the harmony of the Speedmaster's chassis and suspension. The ride is compliant, leaning more toward the firm side than Cadillac plush, but the KYBs soak up the bumps and provide an incredible amount of control and confidence to the rider. Add to this the fact that the 65.2-inch wheelbase makes the chassis feel compact and turn precisely, and you then have the ingredients for a boatload of back-road fun. Our test included around 100 miles of twisties, and we enjoyed every foot along the way, thanks to the Speedmaster's willingness to change direction albeit not road-racer quick, but with enough precision and stability to exude confidence. Ground clearance is pretty admirable for a cruiser as well. Put simply, the Triumph Speedmaster is a very rideable motorcycle. To a much greater degree than the America, the Speedmaster's brakes are up to the task of hauling the bike's 500+ pounds down from speed in a hurry. Smooth and progressive, both front and rear yield clamping force that feels directly proportional to the amount of pressure you feed to the controls. Throughout the course of our test ride, much of which was done at an aggressive pace, the front brakes remained fade-free (ditto for the rear). That extra 310mm up front is one of the attributes that makes the Speedmaster great and the America good. Got that, Triumph? One area where the bikes are similar is in their comfort level, although the Speedmaster achieves it with a slightly different riding position. Its drag-style bars coax the average rider into arching his torso just a smidge forward 90-degrees straight up. It's not a stretch by any means. The bars work nicely into the ergonomic triangle. The forward-mounted foot con- trois feel appropriately placed to fit a wide variety of riders, and the shot· gun seat matches the America in terms of rider comfort. The Speedmaster also offers a high degree of wind protection to the rider. The overall impression is that the Speedmaster is a cruiser that you could ride all day without tiring. You should have already gotten the idea that we appreciate the Speedmaster, but, just like with any bike, it's not perfect. The bike suffers in only two areas, one aural and one visual. First, we have to sound off about the fact that the Speedmaster's pipes don't allow it to. Even with no other wind noise than that created by forward progress, the Speedmaster's pipes don't impart any kind of a tune that would let you know you're aboard such a badass little rig, and that's not good, although the aftermarket will, no doubt, take care of the problem soon enough. Second, after all the trouble that Triumph went through to jazz up the look of the Speedmaster, why on earth did the company see fit to give it such a cheesy-looking rear wheel? The cast rear hoop is the only clue that the Speedmaster isn't in the same price category as one of those scooters from Milwaukee. It would look twice as bitch in' if they had just copied the design of the six-spoker up front. But kudos to Triumph for not following the shaft-drive route taken by many of its Japanese rivals. Coming up with a replacement shouldn't be all that difficult to those who are so inclined. Nits aside, we can't imagine anyone but the most ardent anti·metric cruiser-phile being unimpressed with the Triumph Speedmaster. It's a fantastic-looking machine with smooth power, nimble handling and comfort to match. In fact, chauvinistic types might be inclined to conclude that the Speedmaster is the ultimate bike for chicks. That's being a bit narrowminded. After all, why should they have all the fun? For a price of $8699, better buy two. eN UST PRICE $8699 790cc DISPLACEMENT ....•.. _ ENGINE TYPE ................•....Air-cooled, twin cam, eight-valve, parallel-twin BORE X STROKE 86 x 68mm 9.2:1 COMPRESSION RATIO CARBURETION .........••••.•......................Twin 36mm Carburetors IGNITION Digital inductive TRANSMISSION .Five-speed STARTING SYSTEM ...............•••.•..••.•••..................Electric FUEL CAPACITY ........••••••••.••..............................4.4 gal. WHEELBASE ...........................•••.•••.•...............65.20 in. RAKE/TRAIL ......................................••....•....33 0 /1 53mm SEAT HEIGHT ............................•..•.•.••..............28.3 in. FRONT TIRE ...........................••.••••••..............110(80-18 REAR TIRE , ........•.••••••••••..............170(80-15 FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL N(A REAR·WHEEL TRAVEL N(A FRONT BRAKE ...........••.•.•.......Dua1310mm disc. with twin piston caliper REAR BRAKE Single 285mm disc, with twin piston caliper Chain FINAL DRIVE CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT .504 Ibs. eye I e n e _ S • JANUARY 29.2003 19

• Cover