As cruisers go, a Triumph may not be the obvious choice, so how does the latest Speedmaster cruiser measure up?
If looks are up there on your list of desirable attributes then this Triumph certainly ticks that box and if the engine note is another pre-requisite, then the 865cc parallel-twin won’t disappoint here either. The Triumph Speedmaster costs just £7,399 on the road which isn’t a huge amount of money and it sits neatly between the more composed and well thought out Kawasaki W800 at a mere £7,034 and the Honda’s CBF1000F at £9,499. The Speedmaster is available in Jet Black or Matt Graphite.
One feature that is paramount when it comes to cruisers is the riding position. It needs to be comfortable and present the rider in the most favourable and coolest light.
It is in this department that the Triumph Speedmaster really nails it. Long, low, blacked out and mean, the Speedmaster echoes the hot-rod cruiser theme but adds a very British spin with some classic Triumph parallel twin power.
Triumph has built the Speedmaster to be an engaging entry level bike that is also ideal for riders moving to their first big bike. It also has the power and handling to keep experienced riders happy too. Everything about it is laid back and easy. The low rider look is a classic one reflecting the style of homebuilt hot-rods on both sides of the Atlantic. But the soul of any bike is its engine. And that’s where the Speedmaster stands out even more, with an air-cooled 865cc parallel twin that is steeped in Triumph’s long and colourful heritage. The Speedmaster comes with high-quality KYB forks and shocks with a generous 120mm travel at the front and 96 mm travel at the rear, enough to cope with poor conditioned back-roads as well as maintained highways.
The shocks are preload adjustable too, so you can find the balance and stance that suits you whether you’re travelling light or fully loaded with a passenger and luggage. The forks are raked out at 33.8 degrees in true hot-rod style and Triumph has kept the trail figure long at 170.4mm. This results in a wheelbase of a lengthy 1,606mm yet because Triumph’s engineers kept the centre of gravity low and very carefully matched the geometry; the Speedmaster still steers with an easy, engaging feel that makes even tight, low speed corners easy to negotiate. The brakes consist of a single 310mm disc at the front backed up by the 285mm rear disc that helps to maintain the bike’s lean look, but together they still provide plenty of power with good feedback to make sure the Speedmaster stops as well as it goes.
VERDICT
The Triumph Speedmaster is an impressive bike. It has a presence and sounds fantastic, even at tick-over. It’s up against some serious competition from Kawasaki and Honda though but it looks like the engineers and designers at Triumph have yet again created a bike that will sell like hot cakes.
Facts & figures
Bike: Triumph Speedmaster
Price: £7,399 on the road
Engine: 865cc dohc parallel-twin
Torque: 72nm @ 3,300 rpm
Power: 61bhp @ 6,800rpm
Seat Height: 690mm
Tank Size: 19.5 litres
Wet Weight: 250kg