Triumph Motorcycles has teased its all-new 2018 Bonneville Speedmaster, which should follow in the footsteps of the latest Bonneville T120 and Bobber.The new Speedmaster will be unveiled at at 2:30 p.m. ET, likely from the British manufacturer’s Hinckley facility.
Details are scarce, but from the official Triumph YouTube images, the new Speedmaster looks like it builds upon the Bobber’s single-rider bold attitude. The new Speedmaster is enhanced for more relaxed two-up comfort with the addition of a passenger seat and grab rail.2018 Triumph Bonneville SpeedmasterThe Speedmaster, launched in 2002 as a “factory cruiser” that complimented the Bonneville America, began life with a 790cc parallel twin. It grew to 865cc in 2005, and was updated with fuel injection in 2008.But since the bike has remained stagnant. This is about to change for the 2018 model, which should arrive with Triumph’s well-received water-cooled 1197cc Bonneville 1200HT engine.The 270-degree crank, liquid-cooled, six-speed, vertical twin, 1197cc engine produces 78 ft/lbs of torque at 4000 rpm. The Bobber also arrives full package of electronic aids: owners get ABS, adjustable traction control, and two riding modes (Road & Rain).We loved this bike, and so did Triumph customers; Triumph Motorcycles America reported in April that the 2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber was most successful new model launch in Triumph’s history. More customers took delivery of the Bobber in the first 30 days than any previous new Triumph motorcycle.Triumph, which also set a new yearly sales record in 2016, released five new models to the Bonneville family for 2017: the T100, T100 Black, Street Scrambler, Street Cup and Bobber, as well as the new Street Triple.The new Speedmaster just adds to the modern era of Triumph Motorcycles. We can’t wait to learn more, and, more importantly, ride it. But for now here’s a teaser video.
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
