2005 Triumph Speedmaster Motorcycle reviews

I have had my Speedmaster for just over a year now and I absolutely love this motorcycle. This is my first bike and I think I made the right choice. My friends who have rode my bike that have had Harley's and Honda's tell me that mine is the most comfortable riding bike they have ever rode. The only problem I have had is the computer went out a few months ago, but other than that, it's a wonderful bike that I am very proud to say is mine. Show less

This is a real sweetheart. I love the looks, the performance, the quality in every detail. Slab rides or twisties, my Speedmaster takes it all in stride. I've ridden in all conditions, including wet snow, and it handles great. I like the extra stopping power with the dual front discs. I experimented with several other bikes before deciding on this one. None seemed to feel right for my size and weight, but the Speedmaster fits like a glove. I recommend: a beaded seat for long trips (rolling back and forth gives you a massage a louder horn (Stebel is good). OEM shorty pipes allow easier access to rear wheel, and they sound great without being obnoxiously loud or Harley-hey-lissen-to-my-rolling-thunder. Kudos to Triumph and the Hinckley plant for reinventing classic biking! Show less

I agree with the upgrade of the sprocket. The 2005 865cc Speedmaster stock is a 16 tooth. I upgraded mine with an 18 tooth. I also had a 904 big bore, fcr 39mm carbuerators, nology hot wires, air box installed and changed out my pipes. My Speedmaster still has great low end and with the sprocket change it balances out the low and high end. Show less

I've been riding motorcycles off and on since I was a kid, I'm 56 now. It's been about 15 years since the last one. I looked at several HD, Yamaha, Victory and a few others then I looked at Triumph. Right away I fell in love with the looks and feel of a 2005 Speedmaster 900 (865cc). I demoed several other motorcycles and none gave me the ride this Triumph did for a mid size cruiser. I've got just over 10,000 miles and it's been nothing but fun. As others mentioned, I ride with a mixed group mostly HD's and get nothing but compliments and I never have a problem keeping up with them. The performance is excellent. I changed out the pipes, added an air box and high performance spark plug with a noticable difference in sound and performance. I was looking for another motorcycle, something larger, but decided to keep this one and go with a 904cc big bore kit. It has plenty of power but I want a little more. I don't see any down side to this Speedmaster. Show less

I love this motorcycle. I bought it used two weeks ago and I have fallen in love with it. The bike is already to go just change the front sprocket to a 19 tooth so you don't keep trying to put it in 6th gear (there is no 6th gear). Show less

The first review I wrote was at the end of my initial long ride of 500 kilometres. Since then I have done a couple of short hops of 100 Kilometres and a ride of 760 Kilometres in 2 days to get the bike its first service. My thoughts on the comfort and handling of this bike has not changed. It is comfrotable for long runs and if needed you can do a lot of kilometres in a day. The bike handles well in corners at speed and at the lower end of the speed spectrum. I noticed the first reviewer in this section stated that the bike is dangerous in the front end with it "diving" during operation. I have encountered this but only on sharp braking at low speeds. I think this is to be expected as the brakes at 120 kph are good slowing the bike quickly and smoothly. If the brakes are good at stopping the bike/rider combination of 300 kilograms at this speed, it makes sense that a sharp application of the brakes at low speed would see the bike dive. At higher speed the inertia of the bike is enough to prevent the brakes locking the tire so as forward momentum is maintained it allows the bike to slow quickly with the suspension slightly compressed. Go to low speed with less momentum and grab the brakes and the bike wants to stop suddenly due to the force of the brakes and lack of forward inertia. In this case the forward momentum is absorbed by the only part that can give and this is the front shocks. If you apply front and rear brakes sparingly, the bike will handle as well at low speeds as at the higher end. As for other accessories I will probably look at boards with a heel toe shifter as I think it would relax riding a bit more. There's my 10 cents worth! Show less

The Speedmaster is my first motorcycle of any kind and it has been absolutely perfect in every way. <br /> I intended to get a Harley and looked at many other bikes but the Triumph simply looks and feels more natural. <br /> The bike fits me like a glove, has plenty of power even for my size and looks like a million bucks without having to spend a lot of money. It's fun to ride and has very distinctive styling. You will get many compliments and be very satisfied with the Speedmaster. Show less

I rode a Bonnie in the 70's and I thought that was the ultimate bike, how wrong I was. The Speedmaster is true to its Triumph name giving you all the nostalgia of the old days coupled with all the modern technologies available. It's a sheer pleasure to get on and just ride. I love the low-end power it has - just open that throttle and you get the deep roar as it just starts pulling away. You need to, however, change your pipes to hear the roar as it is locked away with the standard pipes. The looks - well, what can I say? You cannot park it without coming back to find some one just standing drooling all over it. It also has a great sitting position giving you a long slender feel without feeling huge. As for the handling, I'm not sure how they get it to stick to the road the way they do, but it sure does - it just sits and follows the line you have given it. I have owned many different bikes, but only now do I know what I have been missing all these years. Show less

I gave it 4/5 for quality only because I think they could have added better looking small hardware parts in many places. Some chrome washers and bolts, etc. Not a big deal but just a niggle of mine, and I've done much of that myself. Nevertheless, the bike is just about perfection as my tastes go. Engine is nice and torque-y, though could use a few more HP, which by the way was very easy to acquire by changing pipes to open the airflow more and re-jetting. Now it's as strong as I'd ever need. It's very smooth and as rock solid and stable as anything I've ever ridden all the way up to the ton mark, which is as fast as I'll go. Comfort is perfection, at least to my butt. The seat is as comfortable as a living room chair. And it's the same in that just like your living room chair you gotta get up now and then and stretch. But more than any bike I've ridden, I can stay on it for many miles without discomfort. But the look is what I just can't get over. If you haven't seen one in person, go to a dealer and look. But bring your checkbook because if your taste in bikes is anything like mine you will NOT want to leave without it ! Overall, it's a fabulous bike that turns heads and gets comments all the time. Pull up to a pack of Harleys and watch them do double takes. Then ride away with pride knowing you're unique as you wave goodbye to the lemmings! Show less

I had a big v-twin(modified just right)which needed work and the dealer let me have a basic Bonny for a weekend. Hated it at first(my wife had to talk me into taking it)and after "10-15 gettin' used to it miles" I had more fun than I'd had on a m/c in a long time. Dealer also had a SM demo with Trimuph off road pipes and they had ported and polished the heads. Runs so smooth. I couldn't resist and although I did miss the V-T initially, I know if I had both bikes,the V-T would be a hangout for spiders. 3400 trouble free miles in about 6 weeks. Been in the twisties, on the interstate, and use it to commute. No problems. It accelerates like a two stroke compared to the V-T so passing is much more fun and it handles great in the curves. I don't even mind having a chain again(it's been 15 years). Two things.. waiting on a new counter- sprocket for higher gearing(which having a chain allows easily) and am swapping out for cruiser type handlebars although I've gotten use to the drag bars and they do look nice. It's nice to have a light weight, great handling, quick scooter again. Great stopping power, I usually get 47 mpg and have gotten as much as 50. I get stopped everywhere, mostly by the older generation who "owned a Triumph" and have got stories they want to tell. The bike feels rock solid, shifts super-smooth with no false neutrals, and just plain runs. I love the blacked out motor and don't spend much time polishing. I also like having mags again, also much easier to clean not to mention tubeless tires. If you prefer the more standard cruiser, the America hits the spot too. I would recommend the SM to anyone looking for a solid, dependable and fun,fun bike to ride. Show less