On the road
B-ROADS
The feet-forward pegs, combined with the low seat and pulled-back bars, dictate that the riding position is relaxed, so much so that it feels like you are actually reclined. The deeply scalloped seat cups your backside as the engine’s lazy power delivery smoothly drives the bike’s 245kg bulk with ease, meaning there’s little point in revving it out. The Speedmaster tips into bends calmly and easily, despite its unconventional tyre sizes, and remains stable and composed throughout the corner. But be warned — the hero blobs hit the road surface with alarmingly little lean angle. This ground clearance is probably the poorest of any bike we have ever tested.
So the lack of ground clearance and speed-limiting riding position mean that there’s little point getting aggressive with the engine. Opening the throttle sharply and to the stop yields little reward in terms of brutal acceleration; this is a bike designed to be surfed on waves of low-range torque, meaning that you might have to recalibrate your brain before your take it for a ride down your favourite back roads.
MOTORWAYS
Making longer trips on the Triumph is easy – you just need to get yourself in the right frame of mind. The riding position prohibits motorway speeds in excess of 75-80mph; the high and wide swept-back boardracer-style bars combined with the footrest position turn your torso into a parachute. The sweet spot for sustained riding is 70mph, which translates to a lazy 3000rpm in top gear. Dropping to 50mph, the eight-valve engine is still impressively smooth but needs to be kicked back a gear into peak torque for overtaking.
Despite its name, the Speedmaster’s maximum velocity potential isn’t worth getting excited about. Opening the throttle to the stop through the gears will have the engine hitting its limiter at 6900rpm, though in top gear this is curtailed by the speed limiter that cuts in at an indicated 110mph at 5350rpm (data recorded at a genuine 105mph).
At all speeds, stability is excellent: in fact the only time there seems to be any issue with comfort is when the road is particularly bumpy. If you go too fast over an uneven road, the riding position transmits the jolts directly up your spine.
In terms of instrumentation, the analogue speedo is great — a black background with white numbers and the speed is displayed in 10mph increments. Within this retro speedo is a small LCD display, the functions of which are controlled by a button on the left-hand switchgear. Pushing this toggles the odometer, pair of trip meters, economy, average mpg, tank range, time, rpm and traction-control level. Pressing and holding the same button turns the traction control off. The LCD panel flashes its low-fuel warning light after 118 miles of riding at an average speed.
Another hi-tech string to the Speedmaster’s bow is cruise control, which is toggled via a dedicated button on the switchgear. All you need do is
“The riding position feels like you are actually reclined...”
reach the desired speed then press the button to maintain it. It’s simple to use but it would be nice if there was a way to trim the speed up or down.
Despite its classic looks, the Triumph has switchable riding modes; Road or Rain are selected via the ‘M’ button on the right-hand switchgear. Both offer the full 76bhp but Rain mode gives a softer throttle response. However, the engine response in Road is so linear and predictable, that there’s really no need to change modes at all.
IN TOWN
The feet-forward riding style makes using the back brake around town feel more natural and seems to put you in greater control of hauling up the Speedmaster’s quarter of a tonne. Though the front brake is a Brembo twin-disc set-up, it lacks feel and initial power and, as a result, doesn’t inspire confidence. Another downside of the riding position is that you need to keep a look-out for speed bumps or raised manhole covers, as the Speedmaster doesn’t handle bumps smoothly at all. Hitting a rough patch of road will physically force the expletives from your larynx as the harsh rear shock pummels the wind out of your lungs.
Aesthetically though, the Triumph works brilliantly; the chunky Avon AV71 16in front tyre with its old-school 90-section side wall really gives this bike authenticity without compromising the riding experience and it offers decent grip too. The meaty alloy hubs are laced by spokes to the rim, both of which have been plated with chrome. The chrome theme is repeated in all the right places, from the complete exhaust and silencer system to various other parts, like handlebars and passenger grabrail assembly.
Some of the more thoughtful details — such as those throttle bodies disguised as carburettors and the bulbous Amal-style handlebar grips — are what really make the Speedmaster stand out from the rest of the competition.
In a lot of ways, the Speedmaster makes the most sense in an urban environment — the moderate speed of traffic is where the tempo of the 1200cc Bonneville engine is best suited, just thumping away smooth and laid back. Meanwhile the wide bars and low centre of gravity make easy work of pottering around city junctions and roundabouts, and of course there’s all those highly reflective shop windows to ride past and catch a glimpse of yourself in.