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First Rides of the Triumph Trophy
The initial first rides of the new Triumph Trophy, which is the replacement for the Sprint ST, are starting to come in. Both Cycle World and Ultimate Motorcycling have published their first ride reviews this weekend. In both cases the reviewers liked the bike, and both felt very happy with the handling.
As always with a big bike, and Triumph’s claimed 662 lbs make it a big bike, one always worries about handling capability, especially when the road gets twisty. But, Triumph takes a certain amount of pride in making bikes that handle well, and they seem to have lavished the Trophy with some attention in that area.
Ultimate Motorcycling declares:
Get into tighter turns and the Trophy SE defies its size. Much more agile than you’d expect from a 662 pound bike (claimed wet, but no panniers), it handles direction changes controllably and predictably, even when the road surprises the rider.
Similarly, Cycle World’s tester says:
But by the time you’ve ridden the bike a few blocks and snapped it around a couple of simple corners, that perception starts to change. You quickly forget about the shape of the plastic in front of you and marvel at how light and agile the big Triumph feels when it’s moving…The overall effect is that you feel as though you are riding a bike that is at least a hundred pounds lighter than what its manufacturer claims.
Will it give you the rocket-like acceleration of, the Concors14 or K1600GT? Probably not. But it seems pretty good, and at 135HP with 89 torques, it’s probably not boring:
The bike isn’t exceptionally fast by today’s performance standards, but that strong, linear torque output allows it to accelerate crisply and steadily in any gear, at any rpm and at any speed. Just give the throttle a twist and the Trophy moves forward, never pinning your eyeballs to the back of your skull but always rushing the bike down the road with enough authority to be satisfying.
It should be hitting the shores of North America by the end of the year. But, I wouldn’t expect getting a test ride will be easy.
2013 Triumph Trophy pricing announced…in Canada
CMG is reporting that the pricing for the 2013 Triumph Trophy has been announced for the Canadian market at CDN$19,999.
That’s worse news than I thought, considering the Canadian dollar is about on par with the US dollar now. Still, we’re only getting the full-on SE version in North America, so that’s still more than a grand less than a comparably equipped R1200RT. But it’s still a pricey bike.
2013 Triumph Explorer XC
As the new model year gets closer, we’re being treated to the first look at some interesting new bikes for the 2013 model year.
One of these is the off-road biased version of the Triumph Explorer, dubbed the XC. It’s available only in the OD Green, military-looking color shown here—Triumph calls it "Khaki Green"—but it will come stock with the fog lamps, crash bars, hang guards and bash plate. Triumph also has a whole mess of accessories and add-ons, available, of course, at a hefty fee.
The wheels are spoked, cast aluminum, with a tubeless design for easier in-the-middle-of-nowhere repairs. The back wheel is still a standard 17", but the front wheel is a more off-road capable 19" design. and, of course, it’s powered by the big-boy 1215cc triple that, so far, everyone is raving about. At 135 HP, it certainly offers a noticeable plus over the 110HP of the venerable 1200cc boxer in the current R1200GS, but we don’t actually know what the new GS power plant will be for the 2013 model. We’ll learn that next month, at the unveiling at INTERMOT. Maybe the difference then won’t be as noticeable. We’ll see.
Anyway, pricing hasn’t been announced, but it’ll probably come in at least $1,000 to $1,500 under the GS.
This Looks Interesting…
The long-lived staple for Triumph’s touring motorcycle was the Sprint ST. It’s dead now. In it’s place is the new Triumph Trophy, and it looks like a motorcycle aimed squarely at the BMW R1200RT.
The new Trophy has…well…everything, because here in North America, we’ll only be getting the top-of-the-line SE model, which comes fully loaded.
This all-new Triumph rides on an aluminum frame fitted with a single-sided swingarm and shaft final drive, and it is powered by a retuned version of the same 1215cc, dohc, 12-valve three-cylinder engine found in the Tiger Explorer adventure bike. It offers amenities comparable to or even exceeding those of some other big-rig tourers: linked ABS braking; traction control; cruise control; a ride-by-wire throttle system; a large (6.9-gallon) gas tank; a windshield electrically adjustable over a 6½-inch range; 31-liter detachable saddlebags with an optional 55-liter top trunk that includes a 12-volt power port; heated seats and grips; an adjustable-height rider seat; provisions for mounting an optional GPS receiver; a centerstand; and electronically adjustable headlights.
Needless to say, that makes for a bit of a complicated cockpit, but certainly no more so than the RT has. It even looks quite a bit like the RT, though the its triple powerplant puts out 135HP and 89 torques. That’s 25HP more than the R1200RT, but, it also weighs about 70 pounds more.
No one has gotten one for testing yet, and I have to admit, I’d love to be able to test it, because I’m very curious to see how it stacks up to the RT in comfort and handling. Whatever else you may say about the RT, the handling is unmatched. It’s practically telepathic. It’s the best touring bike I’ve ever ridden in terms of how ridiculously easily it corners. I’d love to see how close Triumph came to nailing that.
I’m also interested in the price, which we won’t know for another month. The thing about the RT has always been that, at around $20,000, that sharp handling and comfort comes at a steep price. And the thing about Triumph has been their ability to price their bikes at a price significantly below the competition.
If they can nail the handling, and still come a couple of K under the price of the RT, they may have a winner with this one.
I’d love a chance to spend the day on one, to see how well dialed-in Triumph’s first stab at an RT-killer is.
Dear Triumph: Build this!
This comes to me via the Kneeslider. It’s a Triumph Speed Triple, modified by a German outfit called Six Monkeys. Yes, that’s a Daytona 675 fairing. It’s also got some other tricked out bits.
It’s also a very cool Speed Triple conversion, and I’d bet it’s fun as hell to ride.
The question I have is, why isn’t Triumph building one of these. I mean, the Daytona is a nice Supersport, but a fully faired…let’s call it a Daytona 1050…would be a sharp motorcycle.
And, after all, some of prefer our bikes to have a fairing and a bit of wind protection.
BMW F800GS vs. Triumph Tiger 800XC
Comparo dyno charts
Motorcycle.Com has a head-to-head comparo between the two hottest mid-sized adventure bikes in the world right now. It looks like it was tough choice between these two, too. Just take a look at the dyno graphs.
It’s a fascinating comparo, because the two bikes are just so close together in features. Triumph even replicated the layout of controls and accessory power ports on the BMW. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I guess.
At the end of the day, it seems the only difference between these two machines is their relative street/trail performance. Which one is best really depends on how you’re going to use it, but, as a practical matter, both are great.
There’s still something about that Triumph triple powerplant, though…
Triump Street Triple vs. Yamaha FZ8
Motorcycle Daily has done a head-to-head comparo between the Street Triple and the new FZ8. Both are naked bikes, but that’s about the only thing they have in common, according to the MD testers. Both of them felt the FZ8 was boring, unless the poor suspension was frightening the bejeezus out of you. But that really isn’t the excitement you’re looking for in a motorcycle, is it?
Most of the FZ8′s reviews have been generally positive, so this overall thumbs down for it is a bit of a surprise.
Sad, really, because there does need to be something between the 600cc and 1000cc displacement sportbikes, with an extra dash of rider comfort. Like a GSXR-750 that doesn’t have tortuous ergos. Or a lighter VFR800 Interceptor.
The new Ninja 1000 is close, but it’d be nice to get something down in the sub-500lb range.
I’d like some tikka masala…and a Daytona 675, please
Triumph Motorcycles announced that they will be entering the Indian market in 2012. Marketwatch reports that the british brand plans to import bikes directly to India, rather than building them there. As India has a 100% tariff on imports, that’s going to make the Trumpets a bit less of bargain than they usually are.
Triumph is, however, studying the feasibility of opening a plant in-country–which seems like it would be necessary for any sort of long-term growth, considering India’s unreasonable import rates.
“India is a very important motorcycle market and Triumph has assessed it carefully before deciding to step in,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph’s chief executive. “We see it as the next step in our global business model.”
Triumph has appointed Ashish Joshi, the former head of European operations for Indian motorcycle maker Royal Enfield as its managing director for India.
Triumph currently has two manufacturing facilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and three in Chonburi, Thailand. It produces about 50,000 motorcycles each year, selling them in about 35 countries.
Taylor said Triumph has been getting several inquiries from prospective customers in India and plans to initially sell its motorcycles in six to eight cities in the country.
Triumph now joins the Big 4 and Harley-Davidson in India.
2012 Triumph Street Triple
The gentlemen in Hinckley have unveiled pics of the all-new, updated styling for the early release of the 2012 Triumph Street Triple. For some reason, most of the pics are in blue and white.
I’m not sure what, other than some styling changes, the new bike has to offer. In terms of styling, however, the Street Triple gets new headlights like the Speed Triple, aluminum handlebars from the Street Triple R, as well as a spiffy new engine cover. Oh, and a new Triumph logo.
I’m not sure I’m on board with the purple model color.
2011 Triumph Sprint GT: Four Views. All “meh”.
Motorcycle Daily got four different riders/writers to asses the 2011 Triumph Sprint GT, the longer, fatter, heavier American version of the Sprint ST–which is still available in Europe–and write down their impressions.
Essentially, the four different motojournalists seemed to say, “Nice, but too heavy with too long a wheelbase.” Which is pretty much what I thought when the initial specs came out.
I guess we’re just in the middle of a trend to larger and heavier motorcycles right now. Unless you buy a crotch rocket, and can live with the scrunched up riding position. Cruisers are sporting 1800cc mills now, the sport tourers are up to 13oocc+, all with heavier engines, frames, etc.
It’s beginning to look every bike will soon be a Gold Wing.
The naked bikes are back
The American love affair with motorcycles, such as it is, has not extended to the naked bikes in recent years. They sell like hotcakes to our cousins across the pond, but in the US…not so much. We like our cruisers and repli-racers and sport-tourers.
For the 2010 and 2011 model years, that has changed drastically, with a whole slew of naked standards, big and small, coming back to the US in a big way, and from nearly every manufacturer. Kawi completely redesigned the big Z1000 for 2010, Triumph has been pushing the Street Triple, and now Yamaha weighs in with the new FZ8, while BMW is trying to recapture the magic of the F800ST with the new F800R.
Motorcycle USA has stacked up some of these bikes against each other in a new comparo. What makes this one interesting is that the three bikes chosen, other than being middleweight standards, are powered by completely different powerplants. The F800R is a twin, the Street Triple is–as the name implies–a triple, and the FZ8 is an I-4.
So who wins? Is it the thumpy Twin of the BMW, the silky smoothness of the Yamaha I-4, or does the Street Triple offer a sporty compromise between the two that makes is a superior bike to ride?
Apparently, there are a lot of things about the Street Triple that catches the testers’ hearts.
2011 Triumph Tiger 800 & 800 XC Official Pics
While there’s still no word from Triumph on the specs of the new Tiger 800, there are new pictures. Both the Tiger 800 and 800 CX are shown below. Click on the thumbs for full-sized pics.
2011 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Triumph has released the first official picture of the new adventure bike they’ve been touting, the Triumph Tiger 800 XC.
2011 Triumph Tiger 800 XC
Still no specs or details, other than that this is the off-road version that has a 21″ front wheel with knobbies. The more street-oriented version will have a 17″ front wheel and street tires. other than that, we’re still waiting on all the tech specs for these two models of the new Tiger.
Like all modern enduros, it has a beak, too, a la the BMW R1200GS. I still don’t know what BMW did to get that passed into law.
2011 Triumph Thunderbird Storm
Triumph unveiled a new addition to its cruiser line at the INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany today, with the introduction of the 2011 Triumph Thunderbird Storm.
2011 Triumph Thunderbird Storm
Once again, Triumph follows the “Dark Custom” styling movement with the Storm’s blacked out engine case and radiator cover. The dual headlights are another stylistic difference from the base Thunderbird. the chassis and components are essentially the same, however. The big difference is that the standard 1600cc Thunderbird’s parallel-twin has been bored out to 1700cc for the Storm, resulting in an engine output of 100HP, and 115 ft-lbs of torque. Previously, this engine was available as an $899 option on the standard Thunderbird, but now it’s in a model of its own.
2011 Triumph Speed Triple
2011 Triumph Speed Triple
Via Hell For Leather, the details of the new 2011 Triumph Speed Triple have leaked the night before its official unveiling.
The look of the Speed Triple is all new, most notably with the headlights changing from the traditional round headlamps to an excitingly chunky and angular shape. In addition, an entirely new aluminum frame holds it all together. the riding position has also been shifted slightly forward. There’s also the new 43mm USD forks, which are now fully adjustable. Triumph claims the improvements to the frame and ergonomics improve the bike’s handling.
Many of the improvements, however, are under the hood, not out in plain sight. Among them is a weight loss of 5 lbs, bringing the weight weight down to 417lbs. At the same time, the engine’s output has been increased from 128HP to 134HP at 9,400RPM, while torque has been boosted from 76 ft-lbs to 82 ft-lbs at 7,750RPM.
Finally, for the first time, ABS brakes are available on the Speed Triple as an option–although if you choose them, that kind of throws out the 5 lb weight reduction.
No word yet on pricing, but given Triumph’s commitment to value, something close to the current year’s price range of $8,899-$9,599 seems likely.