Triumph Speedmaster (September 2007)

Triumph Speedmaster

Triumph's twin cylinder Bonneville range has established a pretty solid following over the years and the latest 865cc incarnation adds some welcome icing to the proverbial cake.

The Speedmaster variant runs the 270-degree version of the powerplant, which is aimed at the cruiser end of the range and is shared by the Scrambler. They run a 54 horsepower spec, compared to 67 for the more lively 360 engines shared by machines such as the basic Bonnie and the T100.

 Funny thing is that you don't necessarily miss the extra urge. This version of the powerplant has a nice fat delivery through the midrange, which means you can plonk it in top (there are only five speeds) at about 70km/h and leave it alone from there. It's very undemanding to ride and in the spirit of cruiserdom. The extra capacity in the upgrade from 790 to 865 capacity is welcome - adding just enough to make the Speedmaster a less fussy thing to swing through the bends.

The clutch is reasonably light with a broad take-up point, while the gearshift action is positive and predictable.

Handling is generally good -- the wheelbase is relatively long at 1655mm compared to 1500 for the base Bonneville, and it shows in the slower steering. You need a little more lean to punt it through corners and a little more planning ahead. It still runs rings around a lot of the heavier and more extreme cruisers out there in the handling stakes, but you'll find the more conventional twins out of what Triumph calls the modern classics range to be much better in this area.

 The only glitch in the steering is the typical tendency for raked out front ends to want to 'fold in' to low speed corners, a little quicker than you might have intended. It's no problem once you get used to the bike, and a little throttle with an early corner exit soon makes it disappear.

Braking is good for this class. The sensible tyre sizes help a lot here, and there's an effective (if relatively low-spec) set of two-piston calipers working both ends.

Comfort is quite good, so long as you enjoy the feet forward stance.

The seat is well padded and helps in getting a grip on the substantial 229 kilo dry weight.

 Finish on the bike is a highlight - it gives the distinct impression being well made and is easy to clean.

Ten points to Triumph for sensible location of the speedo, which is a lovely, large, white-faced thing mounted up on the handlebars - instead of down on the tank. That's where the tacho resides. The latter is nice to have even if you can get away without it.

Fuel consumption is around the high teens, which gives a reasonable range from the 16.6 litre tank.

All up the bike stacks up well in its class. If you're after a cruiser but want something that isn't the typical V-twin Captain America clone, it's worth putting on the shopping list.

Price is $14,990 plus ORC.