Triumphspeedmaster
TRIUMPH SPEEDMASTER
RIDES 2K3
Everybody say, "Aaayyy..."
MARK CERNICKY
ARTHUR FONZARELLI, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS "THE Fonz," can rest assured the new, no-nonsense 2003 Triumph Speedmaster is every bit as cool as his "Happy Days" ride.
In 1964, "Speedmaster" was the unofficial pet-name given the T12OR, so what better moniker with which to christen this new, sportier version of the neo-Bonneville Twin?
Balancing tradition with modern performance, the Speedmaster is a solid piece of brutish British iron. Its air/oil-cooled, 790cc, eight-valve, dohc parallel-Twin uses a 270-degree crankshaft instead of the standard Bonneville's 360-degree unit to raise redline by 500 rpm. At 53 rear-wheel bhp, horsepower is about the same as before, but slightly lower gearing enhances acceleration. Power delivery is exceptionally broad and linear due in part to the 36mm carburetors' throttle-position sensors and electrically heated float bowls, which aid fuel atomization. The engine and exhaust together emanate a quiet, rhythmic sound, and very few tingles reach the rider's hands thanks to twin balancing shafts.
Tall-but-stout bar-risers extending from the top tripleclamp bring the flat handlebar up to the rider's outstretch~t1 paws, and provide ample leverage. The chassis has been stiffened to help handling, though the feet-forward riding position is not exactly our idea of sporty. After a 100-mile ride on bumpy backroads, chiropractic help will be sought by those too short to rise on the pegs while crossing spine-jarring, square-edged pave ment transitions.
Because trouble may someday cross your path, the Speedmaster comes equipped with twin-piston calipers that put the bite on
310mm dual discs up front, a big improvement over the single-disc setup on the regular Bonnie. The brakes do a fine job of stopping the 543-pound British brawler with predictable feel.
With its unmistakable tank badges, rubber kneepads, blacked-out motor and cast-aluminum wheels, plus a heap of available customizing accessories, the $8499 Triumph Speedmaster offers buyers a real alternative in today's V-Twin-dominated cruiser market. Perfect for a run down to Arnold's for a burger-just leave the shark-tank shenanigans toFonzie...
