TribalMoto's Triumphant Transition - from Street Triple 660 LAMS to Speedmaster 1200

When other half (OH) suggested we get a cruiser to share I was nervous to say the least. I'm 5"2 and constantly learning on my Street Triple 660. Always searching for the best place to plant my tippy toes.

We did our research and a standout bike that would suit us both was the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster. Low. Manoeuvrable. Sexy. There was one available with mid range controls, so OH picked it up in Melbourne and I arrived the following day. Our aim, ride the bikes back to Queensland!

I love my Street Triple 660 and have done over 20K on him in a couple of years. But I was nervous. This new bike was 60kgs heavier than mine, with a motor twice as big!

So....I did my homework. Being a control freak, I was super keen to stay that way.... In control! I watched some Moto Jitsu YouTube clips on handling a larger bike to make sure I knew what changes I needed to make in my riding style, so I stayed shiny side up. And this bike is shiny!!!

Here's my initial experience and thoughts....

Sitting on this bike, I felt immediately super comfy. Upright, comfortable arms and leg position. Coming from a more forward position, this felt a bit too comfy!

I started off wearing winter gloves, but with little feeling of the controls I had a small panic attack, so changed to summer ones. I'd rather feel the cold than fumble around like a Gumby.

Height - low, low, low, low, low, low, low... (no boots with fur) haha. The minute I sat on I could flat foot it. This gave me THE MOST AMAZING amount of confidence. The Street seat height is 825mm (lowered to 800mm). This  Speedmaster.. 705mm!

Weight - the bike is 60kilos heavier than the Street. This scared me, but as soon as I started riding and practicing my stops I realised the weight really IS all low down, and as long as I take it easy and take the time to feel the bike, I'd be fine.
Feet position - this was hilarious. I kept trying to put my feet where the Street pegs are.... So fumbled around most of day one trying to get my brain to remember to go forward. But it never felt like I'd compromised myself. I just had to look down every now and again haha

The seat - the seat was super comfy for the usual 1.5 hours or so. whereby I started to fidget a little. I have an Air Hawk, so will give that a whirl in a couple of days once I feel super comfy.. 

Controls - the clutch engaged a fair way out, but I didn't stall or even look like stalling. This was great since I'd stall the Street fairly fairly often as the clutch had a short release.

Cruis'n with cruise control - wow, this was novel and really, really handy! But, it felt really strange to have my right hand able to move about and not planted on the throttle.

Wind - coming from a naked to a cruiser, I expected not much difference to be honest. We bought a small windscreen, which definitely makes a difference at high speeds. But I'd need a full windscreen to feel really comfortable on the highway. Day 2 saw us riding in some crazy winds. Check out that blog for more.
My final comment on this new purchase..... I AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS BIKE and can see some amazing adventures on it in my future!

Wrap Up

For me personally, upgrading was the most amazing, inspiring, motivating experience. I was careful, did my homework and practiced my stops and turns. Learnt the clutch and made sure I knew as much as I could about how the bike handled before heading down the great ocean road...... This bike handles so well and to be honest, not once did I feel out of control during the first day/400kms or so of riding. 

YOU GOT THIS - GO RIDE LIKE A GIRL!!!!

Thanks for reading. Follow us on FaceBook or Insta and flick me a message if you want to know more :)

Annya

Next up... TribalMoto Travels Day 1 - Tackling the twisties already?!?! Taking the Speedmaster along the the Great Ocean Road, Victoria.