Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster Review
Bike Tested: Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster; Road Test No. 1006; Test Location: Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 15,00,534/- (w/ Accessory Kit)
Bikes like the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster are melodies on two wheels with their high torque engines
For the Independence day ride, I had to ride the Bonneville Speedmaster with the Triumph group. As the bike needed new brake pads, I didn’t ride on the Bonneville Bobber. Last weekend, Triumph got back and gave me a chance to ride the Speedmaster I had been waiting for. To put it down in one sentence, the Speedmaster is a matured and comfortable version of the frantic Bobber. We at MotorBeam rode for over 500 kms for that weekend and we all were pretty amazed by how torquey yet soothing the Speedmaster is.
Motor Quest: Triumph had launched its first Speedmaster in 2002. It had a parallel-twin 790cc motor, while in 2004 the powerplant was upgraded to 865cc. In 2007, the Speedmaster got electronic fuel injection and then there were not many updates over the years. Triumph entered India a few years back and launched the 2018-spec Speedmaster within the Bonneville line-up. The Speedmaster became the flagship bike of the Bonneville range. It carries most of the underpinnings, even the 1200cc motor from the Bonneville T120.
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The LED headlight unit looks brilliant with the signature Bonneville DRLs
Styling – With a first glance, anyone who has seen the Bonneville series will say it’s similar to the T120. Not just similar but a souped-up cruiser version of the T120 which is exactly right. The Speedmaster we rode had an accessory kit and this added a lot to the cruiser charm. A tall wind visor at the front, backrest for the pillion and a pair of small leather saddle bags. Chrome treatment all-over with beach-bar type handlebars and a distinctive LED headlight too. Twin slash-cut peashooter exhaust pipes coming from both the sides and thick rubber at the front as well as the rear. The Speedmaster was talking style, retro-charm and cruise ethics all over!
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The single pod instrument cluster does the job well, shows a lot of information
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – A round-shaped single-pod adjustable console does the job on the Bonneville Speedmaster. The instrument cluster is analogue-digital and it’s the same unit that we have seen on other Bonneville motorcycle. However, it is a fixed unit unlike the Bobber while a few more tell-tale lights are integrated within. The speedometer is analogue while the digital unit contains all the other information such as the gear position indicator, fuel gauge, odometer with two trip meters and current as well as total fuel consumption. The switchgear is shared among all the Bonneville models and the quality is pretty good too. As an addition, the Speedmaster gets a single switch cruise control button. This is also displayed within the digital cluster and the tell-tale lights when engaged.
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The Bonneville Speedmaster is the second bike in the Bonneville lineup to get a monoshock
Ergonomics – The Bonneville Speedmaster is a comfortable and matured version of the Bobber. By this sentence, I mean, the seat is plush and very well cushioned. The seat height is just 705 mm, making it very comfortable to get on and off. The footpegs are front-set and it gets beach-bar handlebars. All of this sums up to a very comfortable and cruiser oriented ergonomics. It also gets a small yet usable pillion seat while with the accessory package, there’s an additional backrest too. The Speedmaster gets chrome rearview mirrors too as the handlebar is wide too, they come in real handy. The windshield at the front is also tall but not very convenient if you ride in bright sunlight or late in the night.
