This past Saturday (6/11/11), I was afforded the opportunity to be a control rider at one of the Motoworks Chicago Triumph Demo Days. Being a BMW enthusiast for many years I was a bit skeptical but agreed to volunteer. WOW, am I glad that I got over my brand loyalty! After riding almost all of the 2011 Triumph models available during the demo rides, I have suddenly become a fan.

Early in the morning we geared up in just a fraction of the cool rider apparel available in the bad-ass “Retro” 20,000 Sq.Ft facility located at 1901 South Western Avenue. We then fueled up the bikes, helped stage all of them, and attended the control riders meeting.  The location of the Chicago Triumph dealer created an interesting inner city dynamic for the test-ride route which included Western, Ogden, Roosevelt, I90/94, I55, Damen, and 19th street was a well thought example of the many conditions an urban motorcyclist truly faces, not like the “Country Road” demo’s I have attended in the past. Real life considerations such as pot holes, start and stop traffic, overzealous 4 wheeled friends, on ramp acceleration, expressway speed, and neighborhood side streets really gave the participants a good feel for the “day to day” ride they could expect from the various Triumph machines.

The Triumph demo team was rolling in an awesome and well organized rig with every model in the Triumph arsenal available for testing, most models having multiples to total 24 bikes. At first, being a little soft on Triumph knowledge myself, seeing the range of styles from a gnarly adventure bike to a MONSTER cruiser and everything in between all lined up and ready to go was incredible. The control riders were allowed to pick any bike they wanted for the morning test run; I thought about the Sprint Sport Tourer but just had to get on the Thruxton because it just looked too cool. The bikes tested in order from morning to evening are listed below.

The retro Café racer was a blast to ride and a head turner out on the street, some people even pointed. Plenty of power, a smooth transmission, and an awesome sound! At first the rider position put a little strain on my wrists, but once I slid my butt all the way back on the seat I felt I could ride it for hours! The “Bar End” mirrors not only looked cool but offered the best rear vision of the day.

This bike by far had the furthest forward foot position of the group. The seat is as comfortable as a couch with its step holding you in place during acceleration. Great bike for the suburban cruisers as it lacks a little in the “Get Up and Go” category and as with any other cruiser, not the best foot position for pot holes. The Speedmaster is a “Black Leather and Jeans” kind of ride that I wouldn’t mind being seen on anywhere.

Fast, nimble, and aggressive all packed into an upright “Street Fighter” configuration! I liked the sound so much that I couldn’t stop blipping the throttle for the entire ride. I would love to ride it at one of the track day’s instead of my SV! This bike was so much fun I would probably get arrested if it were my day to day bike.

I thought I was impressed with the “Street” Triple, but when I twisted the throttle back on this street fighter in the same fashion as my previous ride, I had to use twice the hand strength to hold on! The baritone growl and aggressive position made me be sure to pay close attention to my throttle control to ensure I kept both wheels on the street. With the exception of a little added weight, the handling was similar to the “Street” model both seemed quite capable of putting a knee down. The Speed Triple left a deviant smile on my face and longing for its power on the straight away at Gingerman Speedway the very next day.

Similar to the Speedmaster, with the exception of two key factors, greatly increased power and a foot position not as far forward. The low end torque really pushed your lower back into the stepped seat when getting on the expressway at a relatively low RPM. The “Blacked Out” Storm version turned a lot of heads with its cool look and throaty sound.

Riding through the city streets of Chicago is probably a different kind of adventure than what the Triumph engineers intended for this model, but it was by far the preferred motorcycle to attack the pot holes and various construction obstacles a long our route. When I say ATTACK I mean extend the forks with the throttle and go after the bumps. This bike had plenty of power and suspension travel to accompany the “Moto” style rider position to handle the worst that the Chicago’s streets have to throw at you! By far the biggest surprise I had all day! Jolly well done my British friends, jolly well done.

A very specific and technical feel about this racing machine, but still comfortable enough for an hour at a time. All though it is not the best suited motorcycle for rough city streets, it was still a blast to ride later in the day when I knew where all of the potholes where. I decided to ride in the rear of the group on the Daytona which I thought might pay off if I gave the group a head start at the on-ramps to the expressway. Wise decision but I was slightly disappointed that with its power-band between 11000- 13000rpm, I never got out of second gear before I closed the 1/2 mile gap! “Holy Cr@p does that THING FLY!” was all I could say for 20 minutes after getting off of that race machine.

Harley better look out because the British have arrived with this beautiful and massive machine! The well thought design marrying the chasse and engine blends this behemoth into a cruiser that doesn’t look or feel like a bike with a larger displacement than many of the cars in the world today. Riding this 800+ pound machine right after the 400 pound Daytona was a bit of a culture shock, but I was totally amazed at how good all of that weight handled so well. The model I rode had footpads and a rocker shifter located in the perfect position for this style of cruiser. The power of this torque generating engine was incredible on the highway and there is absolutely no need for the missing 6th gear, the available 5 are plenty. My only regret was not trying it with a passenger as it seemed to be the ultimate machine for 2-ups!

This machine has a totally cool off-road look with an old school dirt riding position perfect for getting around through anything from the inner city streets to a dusty desert road. The biggest improvements over the oldies are brakes, suspension, and power which make this bike a blast to ride! The cool sound from the “retro” looking exhaust system has a character of its own. In many magazines I have also noticed that there are aftermarket accessory options galore to personalize the Scrambler to your look!

The sound and style of these machines are addicting! Making the same brake, suspension, and power improvements as they did on their other “Throw-Backs”! I loved the old school street ride and revving the throttle under the bridges!

Much to my dismay there were three bikes I didn’t get a chance to ride because they were booked all day by pre-registered participants. I plan to talk to Johnny at Motoworks to arrange a test ride of the following:

Clockwise: Tiger 1050, America and Sprint
 

The motorcycle I decided to ride three times was the Tiger XC because it was just so much fun through the pot holes along Western Avenue.

That evening I left Motoworks and directly headed for Michigan for a Track Day on Sunday, the one British phrase that kept on repeating in my head over and over was “YEAH BABY…..YEAH!”

Respectfully,
Steve Magsamen