Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech 2010 America

Hello folks!
New to the forum, though I have been lurking for a while.
I am considering purchasing a new America, and have a couple of questions. First, what is the valve adjustment interval on the 865 engine. Second, is there anything to be wary of with these bikes? I really like the feel and the parallel twin smoothness. (And I don't mind a chain drive, as that is all I have ever owned!)

Thanks!

Hello Ben,

Welcome to the forums. Glad you are looking at a new America. Valve adjustment for the 790 from the service manual is 8000 and 16000 miles but most fellows go longer than that. Should be the same for the 865. The valves usually get noisy around adjustment time (loosen up).

There are some issues with the bikes that crop up every once in a while. Tank breather lines sometimes get pinched if the tank is removed causing fuel starvation but I'm not sure this happens with the EFI models. The odd electrical problem causing engine cut out due to water in some connections. Most fellows just unplug everything and plaster dyeletric grease in the connections - very effective. Exhaust note is very quiet. Most guys get something noisier which will require a remap of the CDI unit. Dealer does this in 10 minutes.

Maybe some of the other fellows with later model bikes can comment?

Hey ya Ben

Don't worry... you won't be disappointed with an America. These bikes are a blast to own and ride!! Whatever few shortcomings they may have, the good points far outweigh the bad. I can say with confidence you will be VERY happy with the TA or Speedmaster.

Welcome,

I have just over 6000 miles on my America, an '09 EFI, with zero problems and just a few mods, with a basically stock engine, TORs, modified ECU map, and some comfort extras. I ride two up a lot and am well pleased with it's reliability even in the rain and cold. Plus, this site and others provide a ton of support and expertise for you to draw on.

You can run it stock or any flavor you choose, and they are bound to make you smile. C'mon in.

30K on the clock and the only problem is an igniter went out once........ they are built to last , family heirlooms !

Thanks for the info, folks! I have narrowed the choice down to the TA or a V-star 950. Any comments or comparisons are truly welcome.

Thanks!

Have you ridden the 950 ? The one I test drove the floorboards literally vibrated my feet to sleep in minutes.

When they came out with it it went to the top of my list for upgrades - I was riding a VStar 250 as I got back into riding after 20 years. Then I sat on one. The air cleaner pushes you calf out farther than was comfortable for me, given the positioning of the seat & floorboard.

Later I had a test ride of a 2007 Speedmaster, a new V Star 250 & a C50 in back to back days. I liked the Yamaha the least. In addition to the above mentioned issues I found that it while it is a little over 100 lbs heavy than the America/Speedmaster it felt even heavier than that. It seemed freakin' hugh to me (I had riddent the Speedmaster the day before, so it wasn't just the up-sizing from the 250). I won't say that it handled poorly - just that I was uncomfortable with its handling where the C50 was very competent and the Speedmaster fun.

The 950 has an interesting exhaust note, kind of a deep purr with an underlying bass thump to it.

Of course, all of that is just me. And since you found me here, you know which direction I chose! Triumph , Yamaha .

I like the look of the 950, but there were too many negatives and the Triumph won my heart.

I found a 2008 America about two weeks ago.

Thanks, Jayhawk.
I haven't ridden either bike yet. I know the parallel twin will be smooth. My last bike was a Suzi GS450L (I know, showing my 52 years!) It's been about 25 years since I rode, and can't hardly wait to get back into it. It will probably be a few months before the money is available, but I like to be prepared!

I agree about the feel of the bikes, too. The America was much slimmer, and more "toss-able" in feel, just sitting on it.

Get your license if you do not have it.Go down for a test ride.I got a friend with a V-star 650.It's a good bike he stays up with me on my 865 Speedmaster for the most part.I can leave him of course if I want.We have switched bikes several times.I personally do not like his V-star.He likes it,it's payed for.I seen him go down in front of me recently in a turn.He had a lady friend on the back and the front end appeared to wash out.I could not believe he went down.The bike doesn't have a lot of ground clearance.I personally think he had it overloaded.We were NOT dragging our knees either.Even after him going down he plans on fixing it,so he still likes it.Give me the Triumphs,more power and more clearance in the turns.Also he has had a few ignition problems also.

We have a Speedmaster and a V-Star 950. Both are awesome machines, but built with a different purpose.

The 950 is very well balanced, has gobs of torque, and is an awesome cruiser. It has one major flaw, however, and that is that it can't really lean over that far. It has a progressive rear spring, and multi-link rear suspension which is awesome, but due to how low the bike is, the width of the floorboards, and how far forward the floorboards are, it can't lean. I scrape my floorboards regularly, and I expect to wear out the sacrificial heels in short order. In fact, I've even hit the floorboard brackets a few times. So, if you like spirited riding in the curves, the 950 definitely isn't for you. Riding 2-up, the machine comes into its own. Lots of room for the passenger. The angle of the passenger's knee is about 90 degrees, where on many bikes the knee angle is about 100 degrees. Makes a huge difference to passenger comfort. Fit and finish is top rate, and its very economical.. even air cooled. A good plus is that its also belt drive. It's also nearly 700 lbs when its fitted as a Tourer with some extra accessories. For a V-Twin, it's actually very smooth, and it doesn't vibrate my feet off. I have 3000 km on the 950 with no issues. The seats are pathetic, especially for the passenger, so we bought Mustang seats which solved that problem. One year warranty. Maintenance is very low, with 25,000 Km valve adjustment intervals (screw-type adjusters).

Our Speedmaster is about 200 lbs less. It has lots of room to lean, and is very smooth. While my experience with the Speedmaster is limited to about 32 km (including a 20 km demo ride), it is very nimble. Fit and finish is excellent. It does have a chain, so a little extra TLC is required. Brakes are excellent. I'm not sure about 2-up riding, as our Speedmaster was bought for solo riding. Two year warranty. Options are expensive, and parts/accessoires take forever to receive from the UK (I'm in Canada). Comes with Metzeler tires. The Speedmaster is definitely a bike for those that enjoy riding. It's a spirited machine. I imagine the experience is much the same with the America. We traded in a V-Star 650 for the Speedmaster. The 950 is too heavy for my wife to handle, and she fits the Speedmaster like a glove. The adjustable clutch/brake levers are a great addition to these machines.

From what I've read here, the Triumph is a little persnickity with some things.

HTH,
H.

just got a TA after 9 years on a honda hornet, i love the triumph build quality is good and its a head turner ,was supposed to be buying my freinds 650 dragstar for 1400 pounds 10 years old 3000 on the clock from new, but visited local triumph dealer and fell in love with the TA straight away, bit more expensive than 1400!!

They changed the valve service interval to 12,000 then 24,000 etc... Love my SM , no problems at all at almost the 24,000 mark now. Wendy has an 04 BA and same thing, trouble free at about 13,000.

Thanks to all!
One more question...does anyone make a belt drive conversion for the America/Speedmaster similar to the one available for the Kawi Vulcan 500?

Hey Ringo. Get your licence and ride em all. Then decide.

Thanks for the link Shutterbug. I bookmarked that for future reference. Wow! $850 for 2 pulleys and a belt! I might just have to keep lubing a chain. :~) (That's all I've ever had anyway.)

SpeedyKiwi ... You got that right! ;~)

they do tend to be over priced. Don't know why you would want a belt over a chain, don't have to take half the bike apart to change a chain and small rocks won't damage the chain and sprockets but will a pulley and belt set up.

The belt drive also gives you a comparable final drive ration close to the older America's of 2.45 to 1 (17 drive sprocket to 42 driven). Most of the newer bikes run at 2.33 (18/42).

FriarJohn had some interesting experiences with his that he might share.

The link says it all... http://www.friarsride.com/belt-drive-debacle/

Good points D33 and Gregger!

Thanks for the writeup in the belt drive FriarJohn! I think I would stick with the chain and live with the slight inconvenience.

I've always had chain drive, so it wouldn't be any adjustment :~) for me to stay with it!

BTW, I did go back to the chain and added a Scottoiler. http://www.friarsride.com/final-drive-decision/

I'm probably not going to send the pulley to Supermax for reconditioning. I'm hoping to find someone to sell it all to that they might recreate it (sell or get a new one once they figure it out) for less and/or better quality.

Wow. what a tale. the actual pulley itself wore out. I always weighed the cost of the QCD to the cost of chain kits. Say $200 for a kit and $850 for the QPD. QPD gets ya 100K. Chain kits get 20K. Five times 200 equals $1,000 = better deal to get the QPD. The reason I never got the QPD was due to the cost of a replacement belt. One of those and the above math points to chain kits. Simple math now. Every other rear tire get a new chain kit. Ouch.

Wonder how the Turd bird pulleys are holding up? Someone has to have 10K on em by now…

Getting back to the original question, "is there anything to be wary of with these bikes?"


Yep. the butttass ugly tank.

Yeah, it "made sense" when I bought it and I only assumed 60k per belt and 80-100k on the pulleys (I've seen 100k Harley pulleys that look better than mine). Well, made sense in the not-ever-having-to-lube-or-adjust-the-thing sense. But if it ain't gonna out last a chain and sprocket set, it's definitely not even close to worth it.