Triumph!

Triumph!

Roll Britannia: A pair of new adventure bikes and upgraded “sports cruisers” keep Triumph above the waves. Is a new Speed Triple on the way?

JOHN BURNS

RUMORS, “SPY SHOTS” AND controlled leaks continue to surround Triumph’s pair of middisplacement adventure bikes in the Tiger/BMW GS/Multistrada idiom. We conjectured Triumph’s 675cc Triple could be bored and stroked to as much as 825cc or so, the better to compete with things like BMW’s F800ST/F800GS—large and not-solarge Adventure machines being all the showroom rage lately. Expect the new middleweight adventure machine to make its debut at the EICMA Show in Milan, Italy, November 2. Check www. cycleworld.com for the latest news from the show.

Also very interesting are rumors of a new Speed Triple for 2011. One of the original thug bikes, the Speed Trip 1050 was last heavily redone in 2005, with a few minor updates since. Sources in England say that for 2011, the headlights are redesigned and should look something like what is portrayed in the computer illustration shown here. More juicy is that the frame has been redesigned and was inspired by the elegant aluminum unit used in the Street Triple 675. And finally, even though the liquid-cooled, dohc three-cylinder 130-hp engine is one of the coolest and most enjoyable powerplants on the market, a boost in output of as much as 30 hp is rumored. Arrange your bail money now...

In addition to the revised 2011 Sprint GT and adventure bikes to be named soon, Triumph has spruced up its Speedmaster and America “sports cruisers” for the new model year.

Speedmaster

The refreshed-for-2011 Speedmaster gets a new, 19-inch cast front wheel in place of last year’s 18-incher, with a single disc brake and narrowish tire for that classic chopper look, now rolling underneath a new headlight.

Improved ergonomics for 2011 take the form of a seat lowered from 28.3 to 27.2 inches, along with a wider handlebar. Triumph says the new bike “will appeal to a wide variety of riders.”

Otherwise, the Speedmaster retains its streetwise motif, with blackedout cases, a 15-inch fatty out back, slash-cut pipes and rakish front end. Triumph’s excellent 270-degree, 865cc parallel-Twin remains the powerplant of choice, rated at 61 hp by Triumph (and pumping out an actual 57.1 at the rear wheel according to the Bonneville we dynoed last year).

Yours in metallic Phantom Black or all-new Cranberry Red. in seat height to just 27.2 inches—the better to complement its deep-valanced fenders, pullback handlebar and feetforward controls. The America in Phantom Black represents Triumph’s entry-level cruiser, with an Eclipse Blue/Crystal White version available for a few dollars more; both get “liberal lashings of high quality chrome.”

America

Restyled in a more classically U.S. of A. way for 2011, the America gets a new, fat 16-inch front tire to go with its 15-inch rear, as well as a reduction

Triumph says that the low seat and a wet weight of just 551 pounds, along with friendly ergos and an easily accessible sidestand, make the America a cool-looking yet fun and easy-to-ride motorcycle. U