Cycle News

INTERVIEW BRANDON ROBINSON P92 nal piece of the puzzle that helps put Triumph back atop an AMA Grand National podium. Like Robinson, who has raced just about every brand of motorcycle in the series, Armbruster brings extensive experience working on Harley XRs as well as Ducati and Kawasaki flat track machines. Robinson's runner-up result at Sacramento was the first GNC podium for Triumph since Gary Scott's third at the Peoria TT in 1981. We caught up with Robinson before the rainout at Hager- stown, Maryland and asked him about the development of the team so far. How are things progressing with you and the Latus/Cas- trol Triumph team, is it about where you expected, better? Probably better than I expect- ed to be honest. I didn't really know where we were going to be going into it, but obviously getting a podium in our second race together is awesome. So it kind of gives us high expecta- tions for the season, but at the same time I know going into every race it's a learning curve. Hopefully at each race we can figure things out pretty quick and be competitive. You are one of the few riders who have raced the Harley, Kawasaki and Triumph flat track bikes. How does the Triumph feel on the track compared to the others? The Triumph is more like riding a Harley than the Kawasaki. It has a similar power curve to the Harley. The weight of the bike is a little heavier, so it makes it a little tricky to get it turned. Other- wise it's been surprisingly easy to ride. It helps having a good bike, a good tuner and a good team around you. That's made the transition a little easier. Describe the power charac- teristics of the Triumph. It's a lot like a Harley, real smooth with a lot of torque. It makes it real controllable and you can use the power pretty easily. Just getting used to riding a bike with that type of power band has taken some getting used to for me since I've been riding a Kawasaki for the last four years. On the Kawasaki the throttle response is real quick and it's a real aggressive motor. Getting used to the smoother power has probably been the biggest struggle for me. What's it been like to work with a renowned tuner like Brent Armbruster? Brent's awesome. We have a Robinson is feeling quite at home with his new team and has hit the ground running even though it was originally considered to be a development year. "I STILL DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM THIS YEAR, BUT OUR NEW GOAL IS TO WIN A RACE. SO WE WENT FROM TRYING TO GET A TOP FIVE AND MAYBE A PODIUM, TO ALREADY ACCOMPLISHING THAT AND TRYING TO GO FOR A WIN NOW."

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