I agree that the new tanks are not ugly but, I personaly like the old tanks. If I bought a new '08 I'm sure I would be as proud as heck of it tank and all.
Anyway here's my 2 cents worth and I'm just supposing..
I think maybe the marketing people at Triumph are trying to slowly start in a new direction concerning the America and Speedmaster models. I think FATTER is the concept that they are after (with these two models) and that includes the tank, and what ever else they can streach out in a horitontal direction, ie. rear tire etc. This fat "look" can't be acheived with our wasp waisted tanks.
This is the direction that the jap cruisers have been going for some time with a lot of success. I also think that Triumph wants to keep just the standard Bonnie, Bonnie T100, and Scambler as their classic heritage bikes, hence the old school tanks. They still refer to them in their ads as "timeless sixties icons" with "classic designs."
Just look at these copies of parts of some 2008 brochures below and how they emphasize the word "FAT" when refering to the America and the Speedmaster.
Bob
