With fly-by-wire technology you get traction control and cruise control – also found on the Explorer – and you also get ABS, linked brakes, tyre pressure monitors, electronically adjustable screen, and electronically adjustable suspension.
Triumph would have made a huge mistake if the bike had been released without the suspension as it sits. In the high end market now most people want, even expect, to be able to adjust the suspension without leaving the rider’s seat.
Triumph Motorcycles Australia will only import the SE model because it believes most Australian buyers would go for that level of specification.
I think that line of thinking is spot on.
This model as tested has heated handgrips, a great stereo system that automatically increases its volume as your speed gets higher, heated rider and pillion seats, 31 litre panniers, cruise control, electric screen, adjustable rider seat, ABS, tyre pressure monitors, electrically adjustable headlights, accessory touring screen, and of course the suspension which has three settings each for damping and preload.
This is the most technologically advanced production motorcycle Triumph has ever built.
On the road
Although the Trophy is a big bike it’s easy enough to manoeuvre out of the garage or in traffic. It helps that the seat height isn’t too high (you can get a low seat option) and like many bikes of this genre the feeling of weight (301 kilos ready to ride) dissipates as you role along.
As you would expect, the big three cylinder motor is very flexible, and while with 130 horsepower it doesn’t have the outright power of the four cylinder tourers from other manufacturers it doesn’t feel ‘behind’ because of it.
Top speed is around 220km/h or thereabouts, and the bike feels equally happy whether you are relying on its torque or letting it rev away with gay abandon.
Most times we just left it in a higher gear and rolled away the miles that way.
If you are two up and loaded, quick overtakes will require a change down to get the bike ready to crack. This is in part due to the ‘overdrive’ top gear.
There’s minimal lift from the shaft drive either. Overall the gearbox and shaft drive is very hard to criticise, they are that good.
Changing the suspension is all done via the switch on the left handlebar, and once you know how it’s quite easy, and the damping can be done on the fly.
Damping is changed internally via a needle valve and seat which changes the amount of oil being pumped through the system. Preload will require you to be stopped.
You could criticise the system for being more complex to dial through than most from other manufacturers but this is hardly likely to deter you from buying one.
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