Triumph 865 SPEEDMASTER 2013 — Specifications

Who still remembers the era when Triumph was trying to hunt on Harley's turf with a parallel twin rather than a V-twin? The Triumph 865 Speedmaster is exactly that somewhat bold proposition. A British custom that refuses to play by American rules and which, in its 2013 version, sports a sharp-edged black face designed to go poke the Sportster 883 Iron on its own ground. It's a daring bet, but not without merit.

Since the 2011 updates, the machine has gained visual character. A stripped-down fork with darkened lower legs, a front wheel bumped up to 19 inches with redesigned spokes, a cleanly chopped rear fender. The whole package exudes a kind of restrained aggressiveness, far from the flashy chrome of American customs. The chassis was also revised with a wheelbase shortened by 55 mm, making the beast nimbler in town and less cumbersome through corners. An interesting paradox: while the styling gets tougher, the ergonomics get softer. The seat drops to 690 mm, the handlebar widens, and the riding position becomes genuinely welcoming for smaller riders or motorcyclists who don't fancy playing cowboy perched up high. It's a real selling point against the competition, especially for those discovering the custom world.

Beneath the 19.3-litre tank sits the 865 cc parallel twin with a 270-degree crank, an architecture the Triumph 865 Speedmaster shares with the Bonneville and America. This engine delivers 61 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and, more importantly, 73.5 Nm of torque from just 3,300 rpm. Not enough to tear up the tarmac, but more than sufficient for cruising along A-roads or crossing through town with that deep rumble so distinctive of Triumph twins. The five-speed gearbox gets the job done without fanfare, and the chain drive remains conventional. At 250 kg wet, it's easily manageable in daily riding thanks to the low centre of gravity. The braking, with a single 310 mm disc up front and a 285 mm disc at the rear, lacks a bit of bite for those used to sportbikes, but fits the laid-back philosophy of the machine.

In terms of positioning, the Triumph 865 Speedmaster 2006 launched the concept, the 2007 and 2009 model years refined it, and this 2013 iteration represents the most accomplished version of the series before the range evolved towards new platforms. At €9,190 at the time, it sat right opposite the 883 Iron, with a different temperament. Where the Harley plays the card of raw minimalism and unapologetic vibrations, the Triumph banks on a smoother, more civilised engine and a tubular steel cradle frame that offers markedly healthier road manners. The Triumph 865 Speedmaster 2016 would close this chapter with the same fundamentals, proof that the recipe held up.

This machine is aimed at riders who want the custom style without the usual compromises of the genre. Urban riders, Sunday cruisers, A2 licence holders with restriction options: the target audience is broad. It doesn't claim to rival big-bore cruisers or deliver track-day thrills, and that's precisely its strength. The Speedmaster 865 remains an honest gateway into the custom world, backed by Triumph's know-how and that parallel twin engine that just sounds right. Not spectacular, but genuine. And in a segment where marketing often carries more weight than engineering, that already counts for a lot.