Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge AMERICA OR SPEEDMASTER

Ok, firstly i would like to thank all those who gave advice on my last newbie question (Help and Advice, Tuesday). I have given this some serious thought and this evening i have had my head stuck into the Triumph Motorcycle book looking at the difference between the Speedmaster and the America. The problem is, there are parts of both bikes that i love (pipes, seat, wheels and brakes on the Speedmaster and Chrome, paint and the bars of the America). So the question is, You can spend a lot on extras to change both styles of bike but do they perform differently? Do the slash exhausts make a difference on performance on the Speedmaster over the America or is it just sound and looks? Is it worth paying the extra for one over the other? My extras list has already reached £1000. Are there any extras i should avoid? Sorry if these seem lame questions to you experts but it's proving harder than i thought it would.

ride them both the buy what you like! the rest is semantics and appearance

Riding position can be easily changed with different bars.
Brakes aren't easy to change.The Speedy stops harder.
Everything else is styling, depends what you like.

Can I disagree.. the brake upgrade was a lot easier than I was expecting...it's just not cheap.

But yeah, it's mainly just how they look these days.

Oh and a quick question for you... where are you going for it?? I'm suspecting Swindon or Cheltenham.

Gina, your correct in that i have been to both dealers and they were both really helpful and willing to spend time answering bone questions from yours truly. I guess my loyalty is now slightly split. Can you advise?

head-shot on either model !

It might just be me, but there used to be a larger difference between the two bikes as far as style went. I always saw the America as a no frills "classic" cruiser where the speedmaster was a more custom newer version. For me it was all about the clean lines, wire spoke wheels, and contrasting two tone green and silver. That is what I wanted in a bike. I am so thankful I finally found my dream bike. Good luck to you as you try to find yours!

Only advice on extra's.....don't waste your hard earned money on the crappy Triumph textile saddlebags!

Less chrome to polish on the SM thus more riding.

I love my speedy, easy to clean,not much chrome to wipe, sits nice, great brakes I THINK I'LL GO OUT AND HUG IT.

everyone know the answer to this...Speedmaster!! accept no substitutes.

Flash Harry's buy the America every time. Me I bought a Speedy.

just go with whichever feels better when you sit on it, and ride both if possible. the differences are so small that whichever fits you best is the important thing

Frank

Speed................................MASTER

Find out how much it would cost you to change the things you don't like about both bikes. I'm thinking it would be more expensive to Speedyize the America than it would be to Americanize the Speedy. But I don't know for sure.

Me personally, I chose the America because it's clearly the better machine.

I've never ridden a speedy, so I can't say which is best. All I can say is that the difference between the demonstator bike with normal exhausts on and mine with the long TOR's is competely different - not just in sound either. The bike feels loser, and less choked.

I think the look is right too, you obviously get the slash's as standard on the speedy, which is good, but there was no way I was having the America without them.

I think the best advice really is, try both and decide - there is no right answer to your question.

Personally I prefer the America, but we're all different and thats what makes the world go around/to war etc...;)

Cheers,

JC

How are you going to ride it?

Fast? Furious? or laid-back cruising?

The Speedmaster does as advertised, though performance would be equal, the riding position, additional brake, etc. makes the Speedmaster better suited for the business.