Is the triumph american a good bike???

[cardude720]

the rocket III is a sweet looking bike, the only thing that bothers me is 2 pipes on one side and 1 on the other. kinda makes it look off balance. (and i know its a 3-cylinder no one needs to tell me )

[lucky mule]

I've been riding for over 40 years and owned over 50 bikes. I currently have four in my garage and my favorite is my 2006 Triumph Speedmaster. I saw it at a motorcycle shop this summer and it was love at first sight! I had owned a Triumph Trophy (over 50,000 trouble free miles) so I was comfortable with the brand and decided to buy it on the spot. I know everyone is different but this bike is a looker! I've put over 3,000 miles on it in just a few months and have experienced no problems- only lots of enjoyment.
The one thing that I would warn you about... every single time I stop mine (to get gas, take a break, etc) it always takes longer than expected because someone ALWAYS approaches me to ask about the bike and to tell me their Triumph story (everyone either had one or knows someone who had one). I've ridden it on a few organized fund-raiser rides this fall and out of several hundred bikes, I've noticed that it generates the most interest of all bikes- much to the dismay of the riders who spend thousands of dollars to customize their Harleys. (ok Harley people- don't send me any complaints- I have one of those too!)
In a world of cookie-cutter cruisers, Triumph stands out. It has the dependability, comfort and style that will keep you happy for many miles.

[NorthCarolina]

The Triumph America is an awesome bike, ride two up most of the time and i love mine.. and she's pretty.

[vtbme]

Aren't America and Speedmaster both chain drive? I'm researching to move into the 800-900 class from my 250. These were on my initial list but I'm done with chains and I even though the upcoming Tbird will be belt, it will probably be too big for me and out of my $.

[Danthedawgfan]

Originally Posted by vtbme

Aren't America and Speedmaster both chain drive? I'm researching to move into the 800-900 class from my 250. These were on my initial list but I'm done with chains and I even though the upcoming Tbird will be belt, it will probably be too big for me and out of my $.

Affirmative. They are both chain driven. The Speedmaster was at the top of my list when I was first looking to buy a cruiser, but alas I sat on the M50 and it sold itself.

[vtbme]

Originally Posted by Danthedawgfan

alas I sat on the M50 and it sold itself.

The M50 is a top contender for me now after riding the Vulcan 900 Custom and Vstar 950. Both of those were physically a little big for me. The 950 was probably the most doable - switch the wide bars for vstar 1100 bars, and swap the boards for pegs...or at least move the boards back along with the shifter...and have to lose the heel shifter part. It was just too far forward for me. I just don't want to sink $ into something without a guarantee that I can make it work...there doesn't seem to be consensus on whether those boards can be pulled back.

I was really bummed that Suzuki had zero demos at the Intl Show in Greenville - I really wanted to try the M50. I'm pretty sure I'll need to move those bars back about 2 inches though.