Captain America
Captain America
TRIUMPH 2002
Triumph chops the Bonneville
RETRO JUST SEEMS SO... YESTERDAY, DON’T YOU THINK? But, of course, that’s the point. The Bonneville America is Triumph’s new twist on the oldbike theme, and, strictly speaking, it’s the British company’s first purpose-built cruiser.
For while you may (or may not) remember the Adventurer-a kicked-back Americanized Triple-based cruiserlike substance offered from ’96 to ’01-that model was a cosmetic re-rendering of an existing bike, whereas the new Bonnie America gets its own heavily reworked principle parts.
Take the 790cc air/oil-cooled engine. The silhouette (and displacement) is the same as the regular Bonneville, but the crankshaft has been re-phased to 270 degrees to “lopify” the idle and low-rpm engine note, one Triumph thought more suitable for an American-style cruiser. It does offer a bit of a syncopated rumble, versus the more even pop of the 360-degree version. To suit the new crank, the twin balance shafts were redone, and of course the two camshafts were relumped to match the new crank tim-
ing, and to augment low-end torque. Peak power is said to be unchanged, so the 55.9 horsepower and 41.3 foot-pounds of torque recorded by our Bonneville testbike last June should be about what the America makes, with perhaps more torque at low revs.
On the outside, the four-valve-per-cylinder powerplant got new sidecovers for a “heavier” look, which is also why the twin exhaust pipes are doublewalled most of the way back (’cept for this unattractive gap right about where the headers bend around the forward footpegs-complements the fuel-tank seam nicely...). Another benefit of the new double-walled setup is less bluing than on the standard Bonnie’s headers. Sadly, though, these pipes are as hush-hush quiet as the Bonneville’s, so plan on purchasing right away the “racing” pipes offered in the ample accessories catalog. Otherwise, it’s hard to know if the engine is running or not, except for the whirring sounds emanating from the cases.
MARK HOYER
As for the chassis, well, as we all know, a cruiser isn’t a cruiser unless your butt cheeks are about to scrape the ground. To that, ahem, end, the steel frame’s backbone has a steeper, post-steering-head groundward turn than the Bonneville standard, and so, at 28.3 inches, the seat is some 2 inches closer to earth. Also, the rake is
kicked out from 29 to 33.3 degrees, and trail gets a boost to a full 6 inches, about 1.5 inches longer than the already relaxed Bonnie. Wheelbase, too, is stretched, from 58.8 inches to 65.2, and a smaller 15-inch rear wheel (was 17inch), with fat 170mm Bridgestone, adds to the hunkereddown stance. Interestingly, this wide rear tire necessitated moving the whole powerplant to the right so the chain would clear the sidewall.
While all this long-and-low biz lands the America in the cruiser-norm zone with regard to riding position and its lazy-steering feel, cornering clearance is actually good, and damping from the reworked fork and twin shocks keeps things feeling quite planted. More than capable, in other words, if somewhat tippy at low speed.
Wish we could say the same about the front brake. After about 10 brisk stops while doing photo passes, the lever sponged back to the bar. The twin-piston, sliding-pin setup and 310mm single disc is said to be unchanged save for a longer hose, and the original Bonneville’s worked quite well. So what gives? Perhaps it was simply bad setup, as several other bikes were similarly afflicted, and the mechanics were hard at work bleeding brakes the night after our ride for the next wave of journalists. We hope it worked better for them. In light of the front brake difficulty, a 30mm bump in rear disc diameter to 285mm was welcome.
While the overall vibe of the bike and its all-new fuel tank and bodywork is understandably retro-Americana, some of the visual details were culled from Triumphs of the past. Take the passenger footpeg hangers, for instance. These are modeled on the old toolbox panniers (but are only brackets now), while the tanktop chrome “console” (it holds the indicator lights and nonlocking fuel cap, as well as having a spot for an optional analog clock and alarm system) is meant to evoke the Triumphs of the ’30s and ’40s. The faux toolbox/brackets seem a bit over the top, a play to establish a link to the company’s history and so instill that elusive quality of “authenticity.” It may be lost on most buyers.
The middleweight cruiser segment Triumph felt obligated to join is rife with competition. From Kawasaki Vulcan 800s to Yamaha V-Stars to Honda Shadows to any number of Suzukis, the America faces a lot of competent motorcycles, most of which cost less that its $7999 asking price. Still, the new Bonneville strikes a different pose than the average middleweighter. Add a little gold metalflake and a coffin tank, extend the forks, fit a sissybar and Triumph really might have something here.
