2004 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE

by Klink

We are all too busy. With limited time we make snap judgements and then go on living our lives by those hasty, imperfect decisions. Usually we're right, but when we're wrong we don't know it because we don't get the chance to walk down the path not taken. Every now and again we're humbled. We glimpse the other path and it was the right one. A friendship not made, an opportunity not seized. And, very occasionally, we get the chance to do it over.

So it was with me and the Triumph Speed Triple. I had made a number of those snap judgements about the Triumph marque and the Speed Triple. I never really liked the re-birth of Triumph. I saw it as a cynical usage of a once-honoured brand that had passed its sell by date before Steve McQueen died. I never really liked the Bloor / Hinckley bikes. I thought someone had taken an Ugly Stick and beaten them like a deaf mule. The Speed Triple did get me semi-tumescent with its twin chrome headlights straight out of a 1980s Bloodrunners strip, but it still had an ugly frame and engine. When the 2005 model came out it looked like someone had got bored hitting it with the ugly stick and given it a big fugly kick up the arse instead.

Bugger that thing. Let's have another look at the Tuono, SuperDuke or what-have-you.

But then, come April 2008 I looked in the garage. I'd got to the end of a year with my R1200R and if I was honest with myself I was losing the love. It was a fantastic bike in every practical regard, but it was a bit too... Bouncy Castle... to float my boat any more. But, it did have a fabulous re-sale value. I put it on Bikepoint and waited for the cynical, low ball offers to come in.

They did.

In the meantime, I looked around for a bike at about the $10k mark. My shortlist was the 02-03 954RR Fireblade; a Ducati M1000 or... something. About this time, Boris was talking about selling his Speed Triple. I did a little research. I found that the UK magazine Bike had done a fairly scientific test of road bike engines in 2007, comparing the best singles, twins, fours and the unique Triumph triple. The triple nailed it, coming out as the best road motorcycle engine ever made. Blimey.

I'd better ride one then. Turned out ProCycles had a minty and unmodified 2004 Triumph Speed Triple with only 13,000km on it. No doubt owned by a little old lady who only rode it to church on Sundays. I went for a test ride. I threw a cynical leg over the Speed Triple, toed it into first and rode off in a whirr of straight-cut gears.

One of the good things about ProCycles is its proximity to Galston Gorge. The Gorge is a set of hairpin turns down to a little wooden bridge, followed by a slightly more open set of turns back up the other side. It's too tight for a serious high speed thrash, but it's an excellent place to test ride a motorbike because all those hairpins will tell you all you need to know about the fuelling of the bike. Likewise brakes, low speed handling, gear changing etc.

The Triumph Speed Triple amazed me. The engine is fabulous. Torquey, smooth and powerful, with almost impeccable fuelling. The suspension was good too. Smooth and firm with competent damping. This one was wearing my favourite tyres -- Metzeler M3s. The machine was a peach. I brought it back amazed. A short while later, I did the deal. Goodbye BMW, hello Triumph Speed Triple.

Klink owns one photograph of his motorcycle not on a bridge. This is it, although we do think there is a bridge ahead, which will be a good opportunity to stop for a photo.

That was a week ago. Since then I've had a week off work and I've put about a thousand klicks on the Triumph. It is as comfortable, faster, better handling and much, much cheaper than the BMW. It has a decent range. The clocks are simple and effective with two trips and a clock. The gearchange is quick and positive.

I am quicker everywhere on this bike. I feel part of it. The footpegs are just right for me to rise in the seat over big bumps, or move my weight from side to side without using the 'bars for leverage. My knees grip the sides of the tank like a schoolmaster's do a sixth grader.

I love the single side swingarm that makes chain adjustment and wheel removal so easy, as well as looking cool. I love seeing my reflection in the backs of the twin chrome headlights while I'm hooning along. This 2004 Triumph is a better bike than my BMW R1200R. And a damn sight cheaper. I'm so happy I got the chance to find out.