Triumph America (2004 - present)

Lord Larry
Reviewed: 26 April 2013

A bike with loads of character.

My bike is a 2012 model, which has great styling and a size that gives it presence without being unwieldy.
It has excellent brakes and handles well, for a cruiser style bike, lean angle on bends only limited by the rider footrests which are positioned rather too low in my opinion.
Performance is quite adequate and with Triumph aftermarket exhausts the engine emits a pleasantly deep growl and makes all sorts of immensely satisfying pops and bangs on the over-run, with the occasional loud bang sounding like a gunshot - much to the amusement of the rider and the concern of other road users, lol.

The rider footrests as standard are set too low down and ground far too easily on tighter bends causing 'hero blobs' to dissappear very quickly. I am soon to fit a Norman Hyde footrest kit which should help by raising the pegs an inch or so and bringing them back c. 3-4inches. I'm surprised that Triumph don't offer such a kit for riders who choose to ride more lustily.
Sadly Triumph appear to have, as standard, electronically restricted maximum revs in fifth gear, thereby limiting the top speed of later models like mine to just 95 mph. Tune ECU software can overcome this restriction however.

The Triumph America as standard is a perfectly adequate medium weight cruiser, albeit a little bland, but it is a blank canvass for those who like to modify and customise, with tremendous untapped potential.
For those who want a more exciting ride, raised footpegs should facilitate higher corner speeds and there are a mass of aftermarket engine components, such as big bore kits, high compression pistons, wilder cams, free flowing exhausts etc., that will enable the owner to enjoy 'custom cruiser cool' and quite lusty performance.

The Bike Guru
Reviewed: 03 July 2012

Does it live up to it's looks? Actually a rather boring bike.

Classic Style/Looks. Good Build Quality. Handles very well, brakes well, drives well. Bullet proof reliable.

It's a bit boring!
Engine Rattles.
Chain Drive.

I like the look of the bike, (Red), but this triumph is definitely needing a diet. (2008 model) Rather like American Cars, this America 'Bike' is sort of living up to its badge. It drives like a big hamburger. I hate the chain drive (why not a belt like Harley?), but the rest is OK.
And that's it. OK. Nice, OK, pleasant, but still.....OK. It just doesn't hit the 'hmm' button. It seems that everyone has jumped onto the idea of the 270' crank/firing order to give twins a bit more Grunt. It's OK, but the Triumph now feels like a Honda. (that's OK too of course). Gearbox is standard stuff, so you get through all 5 pretty quickly & the engine tends to Rev too much which makes the bike fussy at times. Blah blah blah. I sold it & bought a Harley. Now we are talking!!!!

Censuwine
Reviewed: 12 January 2011

Aesthetically, as close to perfection as you can possible get, the rest, well ...

1. Design;
2. Ride is very rider-friendly;
3. Quality.

1. The 2007 model did not even have a fuel light, let alone a gauge;
2. Single disc brake at the front makes emergency braking a hair-raising experience;
3. It never starts with the first push of the button.

It is a truly beautiful bike - I can't see why a custom bike enthusiast would want any other bike if it is looks he is after. Personally, I am one who likes to see things happen when buttons are pressed and frankly, on this bike, they don't. The absence of the fuel light/gauge was a nasty surprise for me. With constantly changing fuel prices, it's very difficult to determine that a refill is necessary.

moe dressler
Reviewed: 17 March 2008

PRE-FIRE BONNEVILLE AMERICA - OMG!

Looks, handling, looks, durability, looks, stock power.
A hoard of oem accessories and a handful of mom and pop after market vendors allow the installation of various bits and goodies, that although are not necessary allow me to tweak the look and configuration to suite my touring/semi sport-riding whims. Wolf Pen Gap Road has nothing on The tail of the Dragon. These sickles eat up twisties no matter were the twisties are.

Quite stock pipes. Weakness no. Anytime I can average 77 mph over 850 miles well them quite pipes don't hold back the power too much do they? Ear plugs for the wind noise rushing past at a sustained 5000rpm for over ten hours. Can an off the floor bone stock eight thousand dollar cruiser do that every day? The rear pads need to be changed after the first 7 thousand miles. But EBC replacements will last 20 thousand miles. The front tire, a Mag Mopus should be changed out due to the tire tracking road ruts. The rear will last forever 11 grand or so. The chain only last 20 thousand miles. Only. The carbs are lean but even lean they give the power and stamina mentioned above and 50 mpg to boot! My Vera Lynn (Black pre-fire Bonneville America) has Sceptres and has been rejetted. Don't do that unless you want to have a permanent grin.

From the beaches of the Space Coast in Florida to the roaring Rainbow Falls of Canada my Vera Lynn has taken me across country and back again. No power problems, no pesky oil leaks or costly motor rebuilds. October 2001 to now 17 March 2007 this humble bit of english iron has carried me over 67000 miles. With nary a worry in the world I have two-upped trekked in driving rains motored along in oppressive heat and never had to stop to let Vera cool down or dry out. These sickles are truly a work of art. To all of those who would disagree, I ask you this, "When was the last time you flew 1300 miles to take delivery of a used motorsickle -sight unseen- and ride it 2300 miles home during the heat of August? Well I did. Cinnamon Girl, a Cardinal Red prefire Bonneville America was that motorsickle. 15 grand on her odometer when I stole her, and in 7months I have rolled here odometer past 25000 miles.

These motorsickles will not let you down.

erizo
Reviewed: 17 March 2008

NOT BAD, BUT........

styling - if you like this kind of thing, it´s pretty good looking. not as fat arsed looking as most other customs on the market, and with a few extras and a couple of hours can be made to look mildly chop style.

handling - not that heavy and can be chucked around very easily. if you fit lower shocks, the silencers deck out VERY easily!

longevity of parts - this bike eats chains and sprockets! a scottoiler is a MUST.

discs wear fast. quite why, i dont know as the standard braking system is pathetic to harley levels, and braided hoses and different pads make bog-all difference.

the quality of the chrome is poor, and just a couple of winters will see it flaking in places.

not a bad machine, but quality/pricewise there are better on the market.

i´d only recommend one if you only wanted a triumph custom