 Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
Got my issue of Cycle Worls in the mail today. They have their ten best bikes in the world listed. Believe it or not they list two Triumphs. The 675 got the best middleweight streetbike and the Speed Triple got the best standard bike. Unfortunately the Yamaha Star Roadliner got the award for the best cruiser. We all know what the best Cruiser really is though. I am sure they just didn't want to list three Triumphs.
Soren
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
Just for the heck of it I emailed Cycle World the following... Quote:
The selections for the best bikes of 2006 are quite impressive. I can definitely see why the Yamaha Star Roadliner was named the Best Cruiser. Since Triumph already dominated your list with the Daytona 675 being the Best Middleweight Streetbike and the Speed Triple chosen as Best Standard (both obvious choices), you could not possibly add another Triumph to the list. It may have been a tragedy to show that Triumph really does make the best motorcycles on the planet. After all, not only does the Speedmaster stand out in the crowd with it's classic looks and it's non-trendy parallel twin motor, it also is a bike that can hold it's own against the bigger v-twin bikes while remaining comfortable enough to ride all day. Not only is it versatile for running around town or for long cross country rides, it also has the precise and easy handling of a sport bike in the twisties. I definitely understand that there is a need to spread the glory around to the other manufacturers, so not selecting the Triumph Speedmaster as the Best Cruiser (as much as it is the obvious choice) is definitely understandable.
Soren
Beaverton, Oregon
Believe it or not, they actually replied...
Quote:
Soren, for the record, we don’t "spread the glory"; if Triumph made the best bike in each of our 10 categories, it would go home with 10 awards (one year Honda took six). Still, pretty damn impressive that Triumph won two, but no way does the Speedmaster handle like a sportbike or hold its own against bigger Twins. Sorry.
Best,
David Edwards
Editor-in-Chief
Heck... it was worth a shot 
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 207
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 207 |
did anyone tell you that your crazy??
'02 America
CR-II Carbs
AI-Removal
K&N Air Filters - Airbox Removal
Straight Pipe
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 734
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 734 |
Quote:
... Still, pretty damn impressive that Triumph won two, but no way does the Speedmaster handle like a sportbike or hold its own against bigger Twins. Sorry.
Best,
David Edwards
Editor-in-Chief
Heck... it was worth a shot
Nice.
Personally never ridden a Sport Bike but I "really" liked how my America handled the "Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, NC" and I didn't even begin to push it.
At least it didn't do this
 (bike at actual Tail of the Dragon road)
Also never rode a "big??" vtwin but my America can ride highway all day long...maybe Cycle World ought to try it. But...again...I may be wrong since I've never experienced a BIG bike.
Soren, thanks for writing Cycle World..impressed they responded.
---------------------
- 2007 Triumph Tiger
- 1982 Yamaha xj650 Magnum
- Previous 2004 Triumph America
- Previous 1973 Triumph Bonneville T140V 750cc
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
did anyone tell you that your crazy??
Well... As a matter of fact... yes.
Soren
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 403
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 403 |
Quote:
Soren, for the record, we don’t "spread the glory"; if Triumph made the best bike in each of our 10 categories, it would go home with 10 awards (one year Honda took six). Still, pretty damn impressive that Triumph won two, but no way does the Speedmaster handle like a sportbike or hold its own against bigger Twins. Sorry.
Best,
David Edwards
Editor-in-Chief
This may be true but...do those big V-Twins hold their own against..lets say...a Triumph Rocket III? Sounds like they didn't test 'all' the cruisers or maybe Triumph would have won 3 awards!!! 
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
I have a feeling that part of it is that it isn't as much "the best bike" but "best new bike" too. I still say that our bikes kick tail pretty darn good against any other cruiser out there. Nobody wants to admit it, so much so, they dont even bring up our bikes one way or the other  Soren
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,968 Likes: 1
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,968 Likes: 1 |
I prefer that the America and Speedmaster remain an enigma and stay out of the limelight. It's cool not seeing them very often. That's one of the things that makes them special.
Last edited by Fishercat; 06/01/2006 11:15 AM.
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
I suppose that it is an embarrassment to the rest of the industry that our non-conforming parallel twin, 790/856 cc bikes are better.
Soren
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,877
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,877 |
I agree Ron. Another thing about those awards, they aren't based on passion for a brand to begin with, or what people grew up with, etc. They are based on seat of the pants first impressions and test numbers. Not many of us bought our bikes solely based on scientific data.
Benny
Black & Silver '02
Too many mods to list
Not enough miles ridden
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
All things considered, they should have run that one head to head against the R3. But then, it would have looked like Triumph had paid them off wouldn't it?
There is no question that the Triumph twins will run the wheels off any Yama Davidson that is no more than twice the displacement.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,425
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,425 |
what kills me is that all bikes tested are "out of the box" a out of the box TA or SM does need massageing. Otherwise we wouldnt all be getting pipes and jetting and filters ect.. to make it have a little more kick.
Mal: "Y'all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun?{ref, Jayne} Man's lookin' to kill some folk. So really, it's his will y'all should worry about thwarting."
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Soren,
Well, just goes to show ya that "experts" can be wrong.
I remember when they did a camparison test a few years back between a BAs, a Sportsters, and a few of the Japanese wannabes(V-twin) mid-size cruisers.
The concensus among the professional riders employed by Cycle World for that test(who of course mostly distain riding anything that isn't or can't be described as a "sportbike"), was that the Triumph BY FAR was the best handling bike of the bunch.
They did take note of it's slightly underpowered motor with the little jibe of..."The TBA in what's looks like something straight out of the movie "The Wild One", is mostly the "Mild One" in straight line performance"(which BTW was very comparable to the others, if NOT superior in most cases to equal displacement machines)...of which I can agree somewhat, AND maybe you DID slightly overstate your case regarding them "handling like a sportbike"....so while what Mr. Edwards said is factually true, he unfortunately still doesn't seem to understand the value of these UNIQUE, great looking, and ALL-AROUND COMPETENT "Cruisers".
Cheers,
Dwight
(well...he's ONLY human, ya know)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,240
Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,240 |
One would have to have the seat time in to truly appreciate these bikes as we do. We might feel differently about some of the "big v-twins" had we the seat time in them, (though I doubt it). I'm sure a lot of VTX owners and M50 owners feel similarly about their machines - but if they ran with us, they'd want a Triumph. WE get all the attention, and WE can run circles around them. But only WE know that.
Keith
Houston
Ridin'Texas
'04 Speedmaster
AI removed, Pingle, UNI Filter, 1 shim, straight-through slash-cut TORs, Stage 1 DynaJet, 140 mains, 3 turns, 16/42 final drive, 115K
2020 T120 Black
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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OP
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
WE get all the attention, and WE can run circles around them. But only WE know that.
Maybe, just maybe, they all do know, but can't get themselves to admit it. Has anyone around here know of anyone that has regretted getting their Speedmaster or America?
Soren
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Re: Cycle World Awards
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 9,223
Big Bore
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Big Bore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 9,223 |
I'm guessing there are a few or there wouldn't be any used ones for sale!
"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity" - Robert Heinlein
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