Triumph Trophy first impressions

[mecki]

Went down to the local Triumph dealer to have a look at the new Trophy today.
When I entered the showroom there she was - and my first thought was, 'now that is a very big bike'.
It made my GTR look small, really. Size-wise similar to the 'Krautwing' but IMHO nicer lines.
The seat looks very comfy, flat and wide, and when I sat down on it, I was impressed. My topsellerie is nice, but I wouldn't mind having a seat like that on my beast - now that's what I call comfortable! The riding position seemed just right too.
The mirrors are definitely too small and even though the screen is very wide, it looked a bit low to me, and I am a shortarse at just 1.76m.
Having a radio with speakers built in seems an absolute waste of money too and so is a heated seat.
But I was really impressed with the standard luggage. The panniers look more roomy and the topbox is just no comparison to the flimsy scooter grade piece of  that Kawasaki sells as an extra. Bigger, rock solid and it even has a backrest. So top marks from me.
I am not so impressed with the price, though - £14,299.- is a bit on the high side I reckon.
Well, weather permitting I may take her for a spin next Friday and will report what my second impressions are.

[BigAlan]

I also like the style of the trophy and sat on it at the bike show, why they put speakers on it and then make you pay extra for heated grips I don't know.

It's not cheap and at 6'3" tall it was fine for me but anyone under 6' I reckon might struggle to deal with it but I may be wrong.

I shall have a go on one when it gets warm but right now it's not a patch on the GTR.

Alan

[MarkyMark]

MAG did a piece on it in their recent issue. I liked it very much, but it is pricey.

The 10,000 mile service interval was appealing though, I commute by bike.

[tommytool]

I'm not keen to be honest. However what is clear is how polarised we are as a group of "same" bike owners.

I like my sports bikes and like others here the GTR is as "tourer" as I want to go.
On the flip side there are those who go more "tourer" than me with Pans, K16's and  the Trophy.

It's all about balance ain't it, I can't envisage a trophy but I'd love a ZZR14!

And I still love me Tiger for a bit of weekend fun!

I'm massive loyal to my GTR and can see me having it quite a while. I'm just a bit miffed it hasn't got the credit for being a damn fine bike that it deserves.

[Bryn]

I'm massive loyal to my GTR and can see me having it quite a while. I'm just a bit miffed it hasn't got the credit for being a damn fine bike that it deserves.

Bike mag quote on the GTR:

'Fast, well equipped, endless trinkets and toys, but gizmo's can't mask steering, ride quality and screen that aren't good enough. Tut tut'

They then award it 2 out of 5 stars and state the Versys 1000 is a better two up tourer. 

Someone had a bad day when they took it out 

[beegee]

the movie : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gu9yMwwOJU   
& little review

... yes very very big indeed... a real 'tourbull'
how happy I am with my 'tourtiger' the gtr

[skill]

I too like you Mecki visited the Triumph shop but havent riden it yet, i quite like the look of it. I also agree with a lot of the comments
but the salesman did say you dont have to have all the toys thus reducing the price.
  And if you added sum toys to the kwaka its price goes up and theres only a grandish init anyway, one ofthe main reasons i bought
my GTR was the power/acceleration as i have a blackbird too and like the 0-00000000000. Top speed isnt an issue now, wey much.
    It would have to be a good ride and a better offer to make me change, Espanol here i come this yr      

[O.C.]

Kawasaki bikes have always been ballistic missiles, "it was ever thus" and I suspect that when the new model GTR is launched it will also feature even more gizmoes, maybe even more than the current crop of bikes that are the GTRs competition.

Phillip McAllen motorcycles in N.I is a big multi-franchised dealership which I have visited a couple of times, I even tried to do a deal with them on a GTR. A pal of mine who lives in N.I tried on three seperate occasions to road test the GTR at McAllens and on each occasion the bike wasn't available despite the fact that my friend had booked a demo.. good service eh........I'd have told em to F.O after the first missed appointment.

Kawasaki bikes have, on numerous occasions, been 'overlooked' by journalists, its been the norm for more years than I care to remember, and I suspect that until Kawasaki spend more money advertising their product that the brand will continue to be overlooked

Anyway, if a journo thinks the Versys is a better two up tourer than the GTR, then he is obviously unaware of what a touring bike actually is, and maybe, just maybe, his judgement has  been jumbled up just like his balls from riding too many 'crotch rockets' during the week. 

[Rusty]

The T does look nice but I had a look at one whilst at The NEC and it just seemed a bit too "plasticky" for me ... especially at £14000 ... even with longer service intervals that is a lot of money for a Triumph .. IMHO 

[Boomer]

Kawasaki don't buy enough advertising for BIKE magazine to give them good writeups.
Additionally Kawasaki don't do themselves any favours fitting shite tyres like the BT021 to their bikes.
BIKE are right about the OEM screen though. It is crap. How many on here still have the OEM screen after owning the bike for 1 year?

The Trophy doesn't appeal to me but then like Tommytool I wanted a ZZR1400 but just can't get comfy on one, so the GTR is closest for me.
I have my GTR1000 still if I want an upright tourer.

With decent tyres the GTR is a SPORTS-tourer. With a tall screen it is a sports-TOURER.
Mine is a SPORTS-TOURER,... SPORTS with the +6" screen down and TOURER with the screen up. 

[tommytool]

Mr K did react to the  screen height on the early model. Its a lot better than it was. If the original had that screen and heated grips it would have gotten better reviews. Even better if it had a front end as planted as the ZX7R - my R1 even couldnt match that!

[Boomer]

It's a bit unfair comparing the handling of a ZX7R (a road legal race bike) to the GTR (a sports-tourer). 
Take the ZX7R for a 2 hour ride on a German Autobahn and you'll soon get tired of the buffeting and the twitchy steering.

No manufacturer will ever make the perfect bike for you.
So, what they do is make a bike that's close enough that you can make the final changes yourself via accessories and the aftermarket.
For many the GTR is a fast tourer, for me it's a sportsbike that I can ride without crippling myself. (I'm 6'4", 25 stone, size 15 feet)
As a bonus, I can also ride it as a tourer of sorts.

The GTR is a good "all-rounder". You can slab it for hours but once you arrive, it can handle the twisties better than most of us can.
Yes there are a few out there who will find it limiting, but they will probably arrive on a ZZR1400 or a full on sportsbike.
They will also be in agony.