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I have heard that motorcycles with carburetors can be very annoying to start and run before they warm up.

Maybe in the old days, but not a problem at all anymore. Just pull the choke, and it'll fire right up.

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Also, how much maintenance is there with a chain drive? My Suzuki had a sealed drive shaft. What advantage is the chain, and why does Triumph use them on their motorcycles?

Hardly any maintenance at all, just spray some lube on every few hundred miles. Takes about two minutes.
I wish I could completely explain it, the way it was explained to me, but the bottom line is that with with a chain you have better energy transfer than with a shaft. So you do not lose as much power between the motor and rear wheel because it is a more direct drive. With a shaft you have several direction changes, so you lose some energy with each direction change.

Anyway, the America and the Speedmaster are terrific bikes. because of the paralell twin motor and where it places your center of gravity, they ride, handle and perform much better than the Boulevard.

Soren

•Triumph Connection