I got a chance to do a demo ride (Triumph Demo Days) yesterday. The America was booked, so I settled on the Speedmaster. Just like I thought, I did not care for the drag bars, which were too narrow and too far forward for my taste. However, the Speedmaster was a fun ride and had a very nice rumble to it. In fact the SM and BA were both loud bikes when compared to the other models on the demo run. Don't get me wrong - they were no obnoxiously loud - they had a pleasing rumble, and the sound picked up when you gave it the throttle. So for you guys that said the SM & BA sound like sewing machines, maybe Triumph listened and for '09 put louder pipes on. A bike that was almost whisper quiet was the Rocket III touring, and I was surprised by this until I thought about it's intended use (long hauls). And what a nice looking bike the RIII was up close. Also had a chance to look at the new Thunderbird. No rides allowed on the bike, but it did look nice.
Btw, the mirrors on the SM sucked. Would definitely replace those if I bought that bike.
They still have the "demo days" going on today, but I'm so busy that I'm not sure if there will be any time to go back over and test out another bike. If I do, I'd like to try that RIII!
