VOL. 54 ISSUE 2 JANUARY 17, 2017 P69
has a traditional bobber-style
hardtail rear end that's devoid of
any suspension, until you discov-
er the KYB monoshock nestling
snugly beneath the seat in what
appears to be a direct-action
cantilever rear end, thanks to the
cutely crafted so-called "swing
cage" operating the rear suspen-
sion.
But the Bobber's cleverly
packaged laydown monoshock
is actually worked via a linear-
rate link hidden away low down
which gives good control over
rear wheel damping, plus Wood
& Co. also went looking for a
company to make them a special
set of tires for the Bobber, which
would provide enhanced sus-
pension via added flex in their
specially designed sidewalls.
They found one close at hand
in US-owned but UK-based
Avon, which produces the
specially-developed 19-inch front
crossply and 16-inch radial rear
Cobra AV71/AV72 duo, equip-
ping the Bobber's great-looking
black-rimmed wire-spoked
wheels with a skinny 2.50-inch
front and 3.50-inch rear. While
this combo delivers relaxed,
confident steering as well as
excellent grip within the restric-
tions placed on the Bobber's
turn speed (by the fact you'll
ground out the flip-up footrests
at relatively minimal lean angles),
what was most noticeable was
the way I could feel the rear
150/80R16 tire flexing gently
beneath me as we rode over the
plentiful speed-calming concrete
or plastic "sleeping policemen"
in the streets of Madrid and
surrounding towns and villages.
Form indeed meets function—the
Bobber looks cool, but it's also
good to ride. Plus, build quality
is very high, as is now usual for
bikes built in Triumph's trio of
Thai factories.
LOW AND LAZY
The KYB fork is kicked out suf-
ficiently to deliver visual street
Minimalist dash looks great, but an
ambient temp would be nice.
Check out the
stance from
the 19-inch
front wheel
versus the 16-
inch rear.
