VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P129
comes to life. The revamped
version of the Trident sang a dif-
ferent song than its predecessor
and the staff was a bit disap-
pointed with "an entirely different
sound … we preferred the older
sound but do admit that the new
system is quieter and thus will
be easier to live with on long
runs."
Triumph claimed the Trident
weighed in at just a pint under
36 stone, which is about five
hundred pounds to us indepen-
dence-minded Yanks. Pushing
the bike into the garage required
some muscle, but CN claimed
that the bike felt lighter at speed.
"Handling," we wrote, "has one
quickly thinking 'small bike.' Flip
it, flop it, it handles—period."
The "semi-ape" handlebars
weren't too popular with the
crew, but became acceptable
over the duration of the test. The
shocks didn't necessarily provide
a plush ride, but they excelled
when the Triumph was taken out
into the twisties. Corners and
switchbacks are part of its DNA
and like other Triumphs before it,
the Trident took to the meander-
ing roads like a fish surrounded
by chips (French fries, to those
same ungrateful colonial rebels).
The seat, while pretty, was
uncomfortable, but the electrics
were good. Finish was first-rate.
But what irked Cycle News about
the Trident was its price tag of
$2895, more than a thousand
bucks higher than a Honda
CB750, though comparable to
the Harley-Davidson Sportster.
Cycle News opined, "At $2495,
it is a machine that one would
have to weigh the plus and
minus features against those of
other machines before purchas-
ing. But at the current price, it is
a machine that would be passed
up in most cases—by most con-
sumers."
Additionally, the Triumph
company of the 1970s is not the
same successful brand we know
today. Rather, the entity of Nor-
ton Villiers Triumph had become
a troubled firm, and the company
was just coming out of a dark
period, which saw one of their
plants suffer through a workers'
strike that lasted 18 months. In
America, longtime Yamaha exec
Terry Tiernan had been brought
on board to right the ship and
Cycle News sat down for an in
-
terview with him for their July 29
issue of that same year.
"I'm very optimistic about
the future of Norton-Triumph,"
Tiernan said. "I believe we've
got some outstanding products
and a first-rate engineering staff.
They know what's happening."
However, what was happen
-
ing was a change in attitude,
and most motorcyclists were
now feeling differently about
their commitments to their
two-wheeled companions. The
Triumphs were beautiful, thor-
oughbred machines but also
pricey, and the dealer network
was beginning to break down. It
did indeed look like a motorcycle
should. "It is amazing," wrote Leo
Tolstoy, "how complete is the
delusion that beauty is good
-
ness."
CN
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We thought it performed well, too.
