The roller low
If you thought cruisers are all about flashy chrome and maximum everything, take a look at the Speedmaster and think again. It made us think otherwise and here’s how classy British cruisers felt back in the day
Freedom. The word should symbolise a motorcycle. It’s interpretation? A physical experience of riding one, feeling the inexplicable sensations that possess the power to change perspectives. The world just seems like a better place on a motorcycle and so it did on this Independence Day when I was astride the Bobb... ahem, the Bonneville Speedmaster. Since the cat’s out of the bag, allow me to elaborate. The Bonneville Bobber is a drop-dead, gorgeous looking piece of engineering that tips its hat to an era gone by and nods in acknowledgment at the current crowd of hipsters. I love the way it looks. Not so much, in the way it functions. Stretched ergonomics, uncomfortable ride and well, it’s just uncomfortable enough for me to overlook its positives. The Speedmaster comes in and takes care of my gripes. Almost magically so. You see, the Speedmaster is really a Bobber underneath but it’s the more pragmatic twin which dons a comfier double seat, beach style handlebar and twin disc brakes. Very necessarily in that order for me because the seats and bar address the discomfort of the Bobber’s ergonomics while the twin discs, unlike the
SPEEDMASTER IS MORE PRAGMATIC WITH A COMFIER DOUBLE SEAT, BEACH STYLE HANDLEBAR AND TWIN DISC BRAKES
single on the Bobber, offer the stopping power that a modern 1,200cc motor deserves. Do I sense a snigger at the mention of modern? It is though. This engine is from a new series that we first sampled in the Thruxton and came back with the most pleasant of surprises after discovering its performance and versatility despite being a big bore twin. In the Speedmaster, it loses 20bhp and 6Nm but never failed to put a mile wide grin on my face every time I whacked that throttle open. The versatility remains from the Thruxton and was promptly displayed when I hit Independence Day traffic, made up by the hoards of riders and drivers who had hit the road that morning. The Speedmaster had no qualms about holding higher gears at low speed and there was enough torque to cleanly pull away from those speeds without warranting a downshift. Clutch action is super smooth and light thanks to
the torque-assist clutch. The simplicity of operation also extends to the electronics. Road and Rain modes state their obvious usage, additionally a cruise control button comes in handy on expressways. While the enjoyable versatility of the engine helps the Speedmaster potter about in traffic and cruise on the highway with commendable ease, it’s the suspension that left me in two minds. As with the Bobber, the Speedmaster’s suspension offers 92mm of travel from the forks and 72mm (lesser than the Bobber by 5mm) from the rear monoshock. Of course, these components play a major role in amplifying the aesthetics, especially with the clever hard-tail look at the rear but the downside is the sacrificed usability and resultant comfort. Surprisingly, the seats and handlebar that contributed to the improved ergonomics also compensate for the suspension, albeit minutely. Ground clearance is still minimal but the suspen- sion themselves do a fabulous job of damping whatever our roads throw at them, within their limited travel. That said, the Speedmaster is still a straight-line king. The cornering clearance is limited and grinding the pegs doesn’t take much lean angle while the fat front tyre makes the turn-in slower. It is however, rock solid stable even when banked over without a hint of wallowing or unwanted chassis movement.
VERDICT
While I mentioned the Bobber caters to hipsters, the Speedmaster isn’t any bit lesser hip. It too harks back at the past and offers a bodywork that’s beautifully styled. Underneath all the glitter lies a refined engine that’s powerful but is never overwhelming, working in tandem with the rider’s demands. Most of all, Triumph got the pricing spot on making the Speedmaster an excellent value for money offering.