VOL. 51 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 25, 2014 P65
improbably good-handling pack-
age by custom cruiser standards.
And that holds true at low speeds
- where thanks also to the light-
action clutch it's very easy to ma-
neuver - and at higher velocities.
Steering is very precise and
light, improbably positive for a
custom cruiser with such raked-
out forks – though steering ge-
ometry is tighter than on the
previous more chopper-esque
Storm.
However, it's sometimes pos-
sible to have too much of a good
thing, so care is needed. That
means no getting carried away
with too much enthusiasm with
the flow through a series of turns
climbing a mountain on the LT.
Do so and - thanks to the Avon
radials' good grip - you'll run out
of ground clearance even after
the flip-up footboards' replace-
able rubbing strip has started
making friends with the pave-
ment.
Then the hanger the foot-
board is mounted on starts to
hit and that's sturdy enough
to lift the back wheel off the
ground. Whoops – saved it. But
be warned – don't go overboard
in exploiting the famed Triumph
handling on its cruiser models.
But the Commander didn't
seem to suffer from this lack of
ground clearance when ridden
the next day on the same roads.
Presumably, its 17-inch wheels
and revised geometry deliver a
taller ride height and thus more
ground clearance than the low-
er-slung LT. Still, with how easy
they both steer you'll have a hard
time believing these bikes are as
heavy and long as they are.
A key element in the Triumph's
excellent handling is doubtless
the more centralized mass pre-
sented by its parallel-twin engine
versus a V-twin. And the engine is
also a mechanical gem, with just
sufficient pleasurable vibes left
in by the twin counter-balancers
to deliver enjoyment rather than
complaint.
The Commander
is targeted at
Harley's Fatboy
and Street Glide
as well as the
Victory Judge.
