Triumph brings back Speedmaster
Triumph’s new Bonneville family will soon get a new member, with the Speedmaster set to join the T100, T120, Thruxton, Street Twin, Street Cup, Street Scrambler and newly-released Bobber.
Due for Australian release in March, 2018, the new Speedmaster follows the pattern set by the previous generation (which was available from 2003 to 2016), in taking the Bonneville platform and making it more of a laidback cruiser.
Cruisin’ with Grunt
whereas the old Speedmaster used the 865cc air-cooled Triumph twin, this new version will run the ‘high torque’ version of the latest 1200cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that’s used in the new T120 Bonneville, Bobber and Thruxton.
Claimed output is 57kW at 6100rpm and 106Nm at 4000rpm: 25 per cent more power and 42 per cent more torque than the previous 865cc Speedmaster. The new Speedmaster also runs a unique exhaust system, which features a hidden cat box and twin filter design for what Triumph says is a deeper, richer exhaust note.
Current Bonneville styling elements carry over to the Speedmaster, including the machined engine fins, carb look-alike throttle bodies, sculpted tank, fork gaiters, battery box and ‘drum brake’ rear hub, with less obvious touches including the headlight nacelle trim and ribbed mudguards.
Cruisin’ for Two
While the Speedmaster shares many of its specs with the Bobber, there are differences, primarily in the addition of a rear subframe to mount the pillion pad. This allows for luggage, too, with pannier mounts built in to the design.
Said panniers will be offered as part of an optional ‘Highway’ kit that also includes an adjustable touring screen, ‘comfort’ rider seat, wider pillion seat, engine crash bars and more chrome.
Those wishing to go the other way can choose the ‘Maverick’ kit, which strips the pillion seat and grab rail, while adding flat bars and blackout styling touches; essentially creating a slightly dressier Bobber.
A Vance & Hines exhaust system is also on the options list, which Triumph says will cover more than 130 items.
High Standards
While the Speedmaster’s options list is long, the standard features list is just as impressive, with cruiser-friendly items including a larger (12-litre) fuel tank, one-touch cruise control, a ride-by-wire throttle, ABS, switchable traction control and a torque-assist clutch.
Also standard are two selectable riding modes – ‘rain’ and ‘road’ – which both deliver the full 57.4kW, but adjust the nature of that delivery.
Lighting is LED all-round, including the retro-look 5-inch multi-function headlight, while the single gauge with analogue speedo packs a lot in, thanks to a scroll wheel that enables riders to switch between displays on the inset LCD screen.
The Speedmaster also gets forward controls, a more cruiser-centric swept-back handlebar (Triumph calls them ‘beach bars’), conventional mirrors, more chrome and deeply-padded seats for rider and pillion.
Suspension consists of a KYB 41mm front fork with 90mm of travel, while the underseat monoshock rear, also a KYB unit, offers 73mm of travel and features a stepped preload adjuster.
The Fusion White and Phantom Black colour scheme is one of three that will be offered when the Speedmaster arrives, the other two being Jet Black and Cherry Red.
What the Speedmaster also gets is a chunky 16-inch wire spoke front wheel (to match the back) with twin 310mm discs and Brembo calipers. While the standard Bobber runs a 19-inch front rim with a single disc, the fatter 16-incher and twin-discs will be part of on an upcoming ‘Bobber Black’ edition, which isn’t confirmed for Australia yet, but if it does come, it’ll likely follow the Speedmaster into local dealerships.
Coming in 2018
While confirmed for Australian release in March, there’s no word from Triumph on pricing yet, but expect something either on a par with or slightly above the Bobber’s $18K starting price.
