Triumph 865 SPEEDMASTER 2014 — Specifications

Who remembers the era when Triumph decided to take on the American cruiser market with a parallel twin rather than a V-twin? The Triumph 865 Speedmaster, first introduced in 2006, has always cultivated this mechanical difference. A bold choice, almost defiant, that gives it a personality all its own in a segment dominated by Harley-Davidson and their clones. In 2014, the recipe hasn't fundamentally changed, but Hinckley broke out the black paint to give it a welcome shot of character.

The "blackout" treatment covers just about everything that shines on this machine. Headlight nacelle, handlebars, wheels, foot controls, shock springs, air box cover — the Speedmaster suits up in dark attire from head to toe. This dark makeover isn't purely cosmetic. New silencers alter the twin's voice, while the engine's cooling fins receive more refined machining. The visual result clearly recalls the Harley 883 Iron, its direct rival from Milwaukee. Triumph embraces the confrontation, and that's to its credit. Except here, the engine goes against the grain of cruiser history, with its 270°-crank parallel architecture inherited from the Bonneville and America family.

The mechanical upgrades mostly date back to the 2011 model year and remain current in 2014. The 41 mm fork lost its gaiters to expose its polished sliders, the front wheel went from 18 to 19 inches with a redesigned spoke pattern, and the rear fender was chopped clean for a tighter profile. The 55 mm shorter wheelbase makes the Triumph 865 Speedmaster more responsive at corner entry, a quality the 2007 and 2009 models couldn't claim. The seat drops to 690 mm, the handlebars widen: you gain in accessibility what the styling gains in aggressiveness. A rather clever compromise for a bike aimed as much at new license holders as at riders seeking a simple, everyday-usable cruiser.

On the performance front, let's be realistic. The 865 cc parallel twin delivers 61 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and, more importantly, 73.5 Nm of torque from just 3,300 rpm. It's no powerhouse — top speed caps out at 180 km/h — but the engine character favors low-end flexibility over highway sprints. The five-speed gearbox is adequate for this purpose, even if a sixth overdrive gear wouldn't have gone amiss on longer rides. The braking, with a single 310 mm front disc gripped by a two-piston caliper, gets the job done without enthusiasm for a machine weighing 250 kg wet. The 19.3-liter tank provides decent range for back-road cruising, the natural playground for this Speedmaster.

At €9,190 in 2014, the Triumph 865 Speedmaster — which the 2016 model will continue to build upon — sits below the psychological ten-thousand-euro mark, right where an 883 Iron trades in the same waters. The choice between the two is ultimately a matter of temperament: vibrations and American culture on one side, mechanical smoothness and British originality on the other. For the urban rider or the easy-going cruiser who wants a no-nonsense custom, easy to handle thanks to its low seat and contained weight, the Speedmaster remains a coherent proposition. It doesn't pretend to rival the big-bore machines in Triumph's lineup — the Thunderbird Storm and its 1,700 cc fill that slot at twice the price. It simply does what it does best: ride cool, hassle-free, with that little British accent that sets it apart from the herd.