IN TRIUMPH’S Hinckley era the Trophy touring models have always been towards the sporty end of touring rather than the overweight plodding end. The all-new Trophy is no different.
Triumph has well thought out the role of its new touring machine, and as a result it will appeal to a much broader range of riders.
After spending five days on the new bike in New Zealand’s South Island, much of it two up, I can tell you not only is it very comfortable, it is one of the best handling touring machines I have ever ridden.
Blank Canvas Triumph reckons it never considered the bike as a competitor to the luxo tourers from Harley-Davidson, Honda and BMW, rather it wanted to design a bike to rival the BMW R 1200 RT, Yamaha FJR1300, Honda ST1300 and Kawasaki GTR1400.
All of these bikes are of similar size but Triumph saw the R 1200 RT as the benchmark of the group. It probably shouldn’t be a surprise then that the Trophy looks somewhat similar to the Beemer.
Looking at the bike you would think it is an entirely new motorcycle but this isn’t strictly the case because the underpinnings of the bike is the engine and shaft drive from the Explorer adventure model released in 2012.
And there are no changes from the engine spec of the three cylinder 1200cc Explorer, except for a slightly revised ECU, the exhaust system – more for the road chassis and style than performance benefits – and a taller sixth gear to suit the type of riding this bike is designed for.
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.
You can also change the dash information to suit what you need. I preferred to have the digital speedo displayed proudest.
There’s so much information on the screen you simply change the dash layout to highlight what you want to see the most.
Having only three damping and three preload choices makes it a relatively simple exercise to adjust the suspension. Comfort, Normal, Sport. Says it all really.
Once again, I couldn’t really fault the suspension. When you went through each damping setting you could feel it, likewise with the preload.
Mostly I was in Comfort or Normal when two up, although Sport was tried when Mrs Cycle Torque was ditched from the pillion perch, and the action heated up.
Once again, it was hard to fault the suspension, but you have to put that in context to where we tested the bikes. In close to 2000 kilometres of New Zealand roads I did not hit one pothole (other than the odd small section of road works). No, I am not making that up.
Our test route was like a race track, so the suspension was never really tested in the same way it would be here in Australia.
That said, going on other recent Triumphs I have ridden I expect it to handle Aussie conditions well.
And when it comes to pushing hard the Trophy handles better than a bike this size has any right to
Much of this is down to the fact Triumph engineers have given the bike more weight bias to the front, so the front end feels well planted in corners.
Some bikes of this genre tend to understeer or ‘push’ the front end in corners when ridden hard but the Trophy steers like it’s a much smaller machine.
Triumph has done a fantastic job in this area.
I liked the brakes too. If you just use the rear brake, it, along with one piston in each of the two front calipers are activated, so we were still able to drag rear brake into corners when riding quickly
If you pull on the front brake then the system reverts to a normal non-linked setup. Pressure valves in the system do all this
I found the brakes had a good amount of feel and power, although perhaps the initial bite of the front brakes could have been a little more potent, especially when two up and loaded.
Loved the riding position. There’s so much room, even with a pillion, and most riders would be happy with the ratio between seat, footpegs and handlebars.
I would have liked the handlebars to be ever so slightly higher but this is only a minor complaint. Even the distance between the rider and pillion footpegs was plentiful. I was able to put our toes on the rider’s pegs without touching the pillion’s feet.
And the screen (accessory touring screen) is one of the best I’ve sampled. Buffeting was minimal, allowing me to keep my visor up most of the time.
I preferred it to be in a position where I looked just over the top edge of it. This also let the music vibes from my iPhone pump through the speakers loud enough to be relatively clear, even at 100km/h and above.
Fuel capacity is 26 litres and this allowed us to travel consistently over 350 kilometres, regardless of the load. Racking up big days in the saddle is dead easy on this bike. It’s made for it.
Picko’s view
This is one of the best handling tourers I’ve ever ridden, and one of the most comfy too. I like Triumph’s big 1200cc triple after having now spent some 3000 kilometres plus with it, on the Explorer and now Trophy launches.
Would I like a bit more outright horsepower on the Trophy? Probably, but it wouldn’t stop me from owning one.
If you want real world grunt then the Trophy has more than enough. It’s a big bike but feels lighter than it actually is, and its level of inclusions are high for the price, which is $25,990 + orc.
I think some prospective Sprint GT buyers will now seriously look at the Trophy SE, and it will attract buyers of other brands who now have a touring option from Triumph.
Carry on Kerrie
I like to go for a ride with Chris but if the bike isn’t comfortable or can’t carry all my stuff then a weekend away isn’t really on the cards.
Let’s face it, most of us girls like to take lots of stuff away. You might get the odd hippy chick or two who likes to go minimalist, but that’s not me.
On the Triumph we tested luggage capacity is generous, and almost cavernous with the top box fitted.
Both the panniers and 50 litre accessory top box apparently use Triumph’s flexible mounting system (according to Chris that is. I guess he knows what he’s talking about) which allows some movement side to side.
The top box even has a 12 volt plug so you can charge your hair dryer maybe? Seriously though, it has a slide on plug which engages when you mount the top box. No having to undo wires.
I could feel the top box moving slightly but it wasn’t off putting, and I preferred having the top box fitted so I could lean against it.
As for the seat, it’s the best I’ve ever sat on. Long gone are the days Chris and I would ride together on his old Ducati with a single seat.
Both our backsides are a bit bigger these days, but it was 25 years ago.
It never got that cold during our ride through New Zealand but I did turn on the heated pillion seat a few times – warm as toast.
I liked the stereo too. Chris did a good job off blocking any wind, and I was able to clearly listen to his music, although his choices left a bit to be desired if you ask me.
This is certainly one of the best bikes I have been on the back of – comfortable, stable, and confidence inspiring.