Triumph test rides: The Cruisers

Triumph Speedmaster

I had only ridden 4 motorcycles in my life at the time that I bought my first bike, and then quite a few more years passed before I rode many others. Lately I'm making up for lost time. Since September of last year I've been on at least 25 different bikes. It's very interesting to see the differences and similarities and get a feel for what those differences translate into on a ride.

Most recently I spent an afternoon riding a variety of Triumphs. I started with the Bonneville, then rode the America, the Thunderbird, the Speedmaster, and then a Bonneville T100. Time ran short before I could get on one of the sport bikes, so that will be a priority next time.

   Triumph America

Triumph categorizes their bikes under the headings of Urban Sports, Modern Classics, and Cruisers. The America, Thunderbird, and Speedmaster are all considered Cruisers and those are the ones I'll discuss today. I didn't have time to ride the Rocket III, which rounds out this group. I'll follow up with the Bonnevilles, which fall into the Modern Classics group.

America

The America sports an 865cc engine that is the same as used by the Bonneville, and it comes with pegs out front, a cushy seat, and standard bags and windshield. The seat height is 28.3 inches, the tank holds 5.1 gallons, and wet weight is 550 pounds. Base MSRP is given at $7,999.

This bike is presumably positioned as a budget tourer or simply an around-town scoot. Frankly, it seemed to lack in agility and that cruiser tuning meant that it tended to lug unless downshifted frequently. Additionally, the overall power seemed to be inadequate for the machine.

The small windshield did serve its purpose quite well. The pegs were a bit of a forward reach for my short legs but acceptable. However, reaching forward for the pegs and the grips is not a riding position I favor and I felt it in my back after a short while.

Thunderbird

The Thunderbird appears to be the touring bike the America aspires to be. With nearly double the engine size (1597cc), this bike is less prone to lugging and in no way underpowered. It's also harder to turn sharply. That said, clipping along through curves, I had the feeling that it would not be difficult at all to scrape hard parts. Seat height on the Thunderbird is 27.5 inches, the tank holds 5.8 gallons, and wet weight is 746 pounds.

   Triumph Thunderbird

As you would expect for a $12,499 motorcycle ($13,299 with ABS) the seat is very comfortable and it is easy to imagine riding comfortably all day on it. The foot controls are also not as much of a reach as on the America.

Speedmaster

The Speedmaster is a variation on the America, but what a variation. Unlike the other Triumphs, the Speedmaster has a throaty growl that many riders will love. Handling is great and it's loaded with power. Of the three, this was the fun one to ride.

The Speedmaster again has the 865cc engine, seat height of 28.3 inches, tank capacity of 5.1 gallons, and wet weight of 550 pounds. Base MSRP is $7,999. It's amazing how different two apparently similar bikes can be.

The reach to the pegs was OK, the seat was broad and acceptably comfortable, and gearing was such that lugging was not an issue.

What surprised me most of all was how little wind blast I felt despite the lack of a windshield. It wasn't until 70 mph that the blast started becoming an issue, and even then it was nowhere near what I felt on the Victory Kingpin and Hammer I rode in Laughlin, NV, recently. For the first time I could actually imagine myself owning a bike without a windshield or fairing. That is impressive. It just has to be the aerodynamics of the design. Good job, guys.

So that's my take on these three. I'll cover the Bonnevilles next.