posted August 17, 2005 07:52 PM
Rode some Triumphs today As some of you may have known I was a factory trained Triumph mechanic, but back in the 70s. The owner of the local Triumph shop is a very good friend of mine. So today he forced me to ride a variety of the new bikes today.
So first off was a Triumph Bonneville. First of all it is very weird riding anything but a sport bike. The Bonneville truly did remind me of a 70s vintage version although it is probably much more powerful, my perception of power has also changed. It vibrated like I remembered, handled better, and braked better. But riding it on a twisty road was interesting, not something you want to push hard. I did take it easy, after all it is someone else's property so care must be taken.
Next up is a Rocket III, I am told that that is supposed to be a real animal with 136 foot pounds of torque at 2500 rpm. Quite hard to ride slow, and the clutch is grabby. Once I get it going I hammer it and almost instantly it hits it's rev limiter at 6500, Ok do that again and shift at 6000. For a huge bike it does go. Pretty easy to launch, the thing isn't going to flip over that is for sure. The owner of the shop is pretty sure the thing would beat the 10 to 100. Not a chance. Not a bike to carve canyons with, but if you hammer it out of a corner it will go.
Last up a Tiger, That is a pretty cool bike, The suspension is way too soft and if you try to steer the bike the thing is all over the road. But if you use body english, the thing starts to behave and is quite fun to ride. It makes usable HP and decent torque. It probably a handful in the dirt but could be done.
OK not a big deal but something different. Being used to a 10 and then jumping on a standard, a cruiser, and a dual sport makes them all feel dead slow and unstable. Even the Rocket III felt lethargic. And rolling into a corner is a dicey proposition. Getting back on the 10 make you remember how far you are leaned forward and how good it really feels to ride it. There is no turning back for me.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
posted August 20, 2005 01:46 PM
These where demos, and one got sold that day. I will ride the next demo.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
posted August 20, 2005 07:17 PM
You missed riding probably the best one- the Speed Tripple. I rode one them at Daytona and it is a really nice bike. I love the looks of it. I always liked the look of the Speed Tripples but the new design is excellent. It has pretty good power and seemed to handle good. I would be a little concerned about no wind protection though.
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Don't show your stupidity, wear a helmet.
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posted August 17, 2005 07:52 PM
posted August 19, 2005 09:35 PM
