‘Of all the bikes I’ve come into contact with none’ve recreated that first thrill’
fourth or fifth for maximum entertainment on normal roads, and it doesn’t really enjoy being in top below 30. The gearchange is super crisp, and you can enjoy clutchless upshifts even without the optional shift assist.
We haven’t dyno or speed tested the GT, but we have subjected the R to scrutiny (see torque curve, left), so we know the numbers: 138.5mph top speed; 11.1 second standing quarters; 3.17 seconds 0-60 and 5.57 seconds 40-80. It’s only the latter that’s really impressive on paper. There’s a restrictor that limits performance in fifth and sixth gears, which accounts for the modest outright speed.
On the road the reality of the performance is more impressive than the numbers. It feels fast, but is far closer to a sportsbike in everyday conditions than on a test track with a pro-rider. You don’t have to worry about which gear you’re in, where you are changing up or what the wind direction is to achieve a good get away. Stick it in any gear and just roll the throttle according to how much you want to laugh. It works on twisty roads too. Steering is impressively neutral, gentle bar pressure tips you into corners, it stays on line as your heels brush the tarmac and as you open up again on exit. The four piston brakes are strong and the engine braking is predictable, so you can boogie along very smoothly. It’s a hefty thing to manoeuvre at walking pace, requiring some reassuring footwork, but the weight’s really low, so it’s not intimidating.
There have been performance cruisers before (starting with the Yamaha V-max in 1985, now available for under £3000) and there are traditionally a couple of issues with this kind of bike, apart from the way that you lose the soles of your boots in corners. Fortunately Triumph have reduced the spine jarring associated with a feet forward riding position by fitting decent quality suspension, and the combination of a low seat height and the little screen means that wind blast isn’t an issue up to 90mph. And it is only at speeds over 100 that it feels like your head’s being pulled off.
For me, that first time on a motorcycle, hoisted up and perched on top of a shiny dream machine, is a long, long time ago. I’ve owned, ridden and lusted after countless bikes since my four-year-old knees first gripped a fuel tank, but of all the bikes I’ve come into contact with since then, none have recreated that first thrill like this thing. It’s easy to argue this is all a monstrous excess, that no-one needs a 2500cc motorcycle that weighs 320 kilos and costs £20,000. But you can also argue this is the purest form of motorcycle. One that’s made for entertainment only. I’d urge you to badger your Triumph dealer for a test ride as soon as the Coronavirus nightmare is over.
‘The purest form of motorcycle… made for entertainment only’