Suzuki GSX S1000 v Christmas turkey
New Triumph Bobber on Spain’s brilliant Ronda Road
YOU CAN REALLY barrel into a corner on the Black. Keep the throttle open late, brake late, turn late. Much later than was possible on the existing version of the Bobber. But why? Well, for a start just two fingers are required for Abs-inducing braking power. There’s just time before the turn to glimpse a braided brake line over the angleadjustable clock face. It leads from the master cylinder to not one, but two twin-pot calipers biting onto 310mm discs. That’s the braking power doubled, then… Slip down a gear, eyes on the vanishing point, and turn in on a new 16-inch front wheel. Down from 19 inches, the front tips and clings to sun-warmed Spanish tarmac with a fatter 130-width Avon. I’m feeling an extra sharpness to the steering I didn’t get from previous Bobber experiences, but it’s wrapped up in a familiar sure-footedness. Between spoked wheel hub and headstock are a pair of fat 47mm Showa stanchions, 6mm bigger than the outgoing KYBS. Despite the same 90mm front suspension travel the Showa set-up deals with mid-corner imperfections in a much more accomplished way. Recent rain has washed clumps of pine needles onto the infamous A-397 between Ronda and the Costa del Sol. Dodging them at speed is a good test for the Black’s front end and even here the set-up excels. Mid-corner trajectory changes are easier than on the regular Bobber. For what looks and feels like a cruiser, the Black is positively nimble. All this is achieved with the same geometry figures as the base Bobber, so how have Triumph managed it? ‘We want all our bikes to be precise, agile and neutral,’ says Stuart Wood, Triumph’s Chief Engineer speaking on a landline linking Spain with Hinckley. ‘We’ll do anything we can to make our bikes handle like this, including a vast amount of geometry alterations. On paper, the 25.8° rake and 87.9mm trail figures of Bobber and Black are close enough to look the same, but that’s just coincidence. The numbers are achieved in a different way: the difference in wheel diameter means we’re using slightly less fork offset and a slightly longer fork.’ A riffle through the specification reveals that these front-end alterations have led to a worrying 9.5kg increase in dry weight.
‘The Black’s best selling points are best appreciated when cracking on. But that doesn’t mean effortless cruising has been forgotten about’
Mr Wood explains: ‘The extra disc and caliper are a big part of the weight increase, and the bulkier fork adds mass as well.’ Nine kilos is a significant figure in the world of sportsbikes, but the Black’s extra lumpiness is carried so low to the ground it becomes almost unnoticeable on the move. And in the cruiser market, the Black’s 237.5kg is still nearly 80kg less than Harley’s rival Fat Bob. At £11,650 it’s much cheaper than the fifteen grand Fat Bob too. However, the new brakes do hint at budget constraints. Dual discs they may be, but even the Brembo branding can’t disguise the simplicity of the twin-pots’ action. Sharp and firm, and that’s it. No such problems with the fit and finish, or even the bright new LED headlight. It’s home to a half-moon running light, but the runner requires switching on by a rider who can’t see it; I’d be surprised if owners remember to swap between low beam and the runner in daylight. So the Black’s best selling points are best appreciated when cracking on. But that doesn’t mean that effortless cruising – a large part of the Bobber’s appeal – has been forgotten about. Cruise control is standard fitment and encourages carefree 70mph motorway wafting. Turn down the tempo to revel in low-rev grumbling from the twin slash-cut silencers and feed on the near-instant torque of the 1200cc Bonneville twin. In the centre of Marbella every red light is an opportunity to let off sharp reports from a blipped throttle. I can’t believe that Triumph have managed to give the Black such an intense soundtrack within the confines of Euro4. The original Bobber claimed bronze in Bike’s 2017 Bike of the Year competition. It was – and is – that good, but the result could have been better if potent brakes and suspension had been included. Still a cruiser at heart, the Black unlocks the performance potential the Bobber’s fantastic motor always promised.