Hello all, first post, first bike, first anything with 2 wheels and an engine . I live in London, been here for about 4 years; long time cyclist making the jump to the motorised version . Now here's my question, I'm in love with the Speedmaster, even though I still have to test-ride it, however, I'm afraid that it's going to be too much a bike for a first timer, even more so since at 5'7'' and 150 pounds, I'm no giant. What do you guys think?, should I go for something smaller like a speed triple?. Also I think it'd be good to mention that I intend to use it for weekends away and long trips with mates. Cheers!.
Hi Cybrid and welcome to the forum. I am guessing you have only recently passed your bike test, if that's the case you will find most dealerships will not allow you a test ride. All you can do is sit on a few bikes and see what you feel comfortable on, I would say for a newish rider you want to be able to just about get both feet just about flat on the floor, if it's tip toes you will probably drop it on a slow manoover. If you are thinking the Speedmaster will be a bit much (about 60bhp) then the Speed Triple (130 bhp) will be! Your choice should be based on the type of riding you want to do, steady cruising then the Speedmaster will be perfect. If weekends away are on the cards you need to look at the luggage carrying abilities of your bike, although lots of aftermarket stuff is available and I tour on a Speed Triple. If you want a light bike that's fun quite powerful but not intimidateing then you may want to consider the Street Triple (100 ish BHP) my wife rides one, she is 5' 7" and it fits her perfect, she was like you a new rider and a year on she still loves it. Good luck with whatever you choose
Hello Richard, thanks a lot for your reply, I didn't know that dealers wouldn't let me test-ride anything. And again you're right, It not the Speed Triple I meant , it's the Street Triple. However, when I said I thought it'd be too much, I wasn't talking about BHP, I was referring to the size (i.e weight and length) of the bike. In this case the Speedmaster and the Street Triple seem quite different animals to me; the first is 550 pounds, while the latter is just over 400 and it's a bit smaller. I'm concerned with my ability to comfortably handle something as heavy as the Speedmaster. In any case, today is gear shopping day and I'm very happy!, again, thanks a lot for your help!
Yes I understand what you mean regarding weight, the Street is much lighter and you will find it easier to manoover although you notice the weight less once on the move. I've ridden many bikes over 30 years and I have found lighter bikes are more fun, easier to handle, and more often cheaper
Welcome to the forum. I agree with Richard, though you might be surprised at what you end up with. You need to look at how you will use the bike, and how you actually ride. Good luck, looking...
Hi and welcome to the forum. You really need to decide the main use for your bike, your riding style & which machine you find the most comfortable. The Speedmaster & America are both cruisers & do exactly what it says on the tin. Where as the Street/Speed are excellent all rounders. You can tour on both machines, but quicker on a Street/Speed ;-). Cruisers do tend to be heavier machines but you dont notice that at all when riding. I have never owned a Street/Speed but do have an America which is perfect for my needs, very comfortable both riding alone & for a pillion. Plus there are plenty of aftermarket goodies & chrome available should you wish to personal your bike.
Welcome to the forum, i agree with pig i have a speedmaster it is heavier that the pocket rockets,it will depend on how you feel riding,good luck with the decision you make :upyeah:
Thank you all for the advice, after some meditation I think I'm going to buy a small 125cc, practice with it for a couple of months, try to get as much confidence as I can and then go for the Speedmaster. I sat on it on Saturday when I went to buy the gear and It just felt like home, my feet reached flat on the ground, very comfortable .
Hi Cybrid, I rode a Honda shadow 125cc up until June this year when I passed my test, I absolutely loved my cruiser. Although i've now got a totally different style of bike I love this also. Take your time pal, Enjoy yourself with your 125. Good luck.:upyeah:
Sensible man, a 125 will be ideal to start with :smile: One thing I would say about the Speedmaster is that if you do go for one then you should seriously consider footboards. At 5' 7" you're going to be very stretched getting your feet on the pegs and all your weight will be on your coccyx. It might not seem like that at first but after an hour, you'll really feel it. I'm the same sort of height as you and I really thought I'd made a mistake with the America as I couldn't ride for more than an hour without suffering serious pain. I put footboards on and it has transformed the bike. In terms of weight it's not a real problem as it's so low. Unless you're shifting the bike about a lot (to park in an awkward space perhaps) you'll hardly notice it. And a bit of advice to a newbie. Be careful of the camber of the road when using a side stand. I've seen too many bikes (including a couple of mine) topple over as they were too upright. Also leave it in 1st gear when parked. I learnt this after one of my first bikes rolled off the side stand when it was on the most imperceptible of slopes In fact I've got into the habit over the last 20 or so years (since the side stand cut-out switches became pretty much universal) to pull the clutch in and put the side stand down when I'm parking. It cuts the engine and it gets left in 1st gear. Probably not standard practice but it's worked for me for a long time. Safe riding and remember to keep the shiny side up :smile:
Your doing the right thing getting a 125. Will teach you how to have fun and how to handle the bike a lot more. You should then get yourself a 25 year old Kawasaki held together with bungees, duck tape and cable ties (make sure to get one that leaks oil out of the gear selector over the back wheel). Only then can you truly appreciate a Triumph, like a fine Islay single malt whiskey they truly are the elixir of the gods.
Hi there and welcome to the forum. My twopenneth worth is - be careful with your choice! New riders, in my opinion, tend to choose a bike on a look or lifestyle type of thing - usually either a sports bike or a cruiser. Both are quirky to ride in their own way - sports bikes are generally uncomfortable to trot around on and cramp up your riding position whereas cruisers tend to be top heavy and tip into corners in a slightly unpredictable way. I would suggest that you start on a bike with neutral handling characteristics (I think a lot of training schools use bikes like Kawasaki's ER-5 for just that reason). I only say this because I would hate for an enthusiastic newbie to be put off riding due to an uninformed choice of bike. When you have a bit of experience you will undoubtedly choose to ride a Speed Triple - THE best bike on the planet! Whatever you choose, make sure you enjoy it - that's why we're all here! (And it may be the cruiser, in which case ignore the above load of bollocks). B :smile:
my feet reached flat on the ground, very comfortable ____________________________________ Buy WOW Gold