Triumph Trophy 1200 test

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Triumph Trophy 1200 test

Triumph Trophy 1200 test
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Her Majesty’s Secret Service is raging. No more Aston Martin for the Commander. But the motorcycle, they vowed, would be a triumph for British motorcycle construction – a Triumph Trophy 1200.

Michael Schafer

01/24/1996

What secret weapons does she have? ”“ Uh, just the unregulated Kats. ”“ Well, at least the box comes from Great Britain, ”mumbles the commander, who has just had to swap his beloved Aston Martin for a Bavarian convertible, with ABS instead of armor plates, airbag instead of an ejector seat and fuel injection instead of oil nozzles at the rear. That’s how you drive in agent circles today, M assured him. And now a motorcycle without gasoline injection or lambda probe, without ABS and cardan shaft should be England’s best super tourer for its top spy? “Where are the keys, Q? I want to test drive. ”“ The key, Commander. The Triumph Trophy 1200 has a one-key system. ”“ Aha? ”The right eyebrow rises. The key fits: in the steering and ignition lock, in the seat lock, in the holders and locks of the 32-liter suitcase – which the Commander has already seen on a Honda ST 1100 – and in the locks on the right and left compartments in the disguise that – “Damned.” The hard plastic lid rattles to the floor. “Q, there are no hinges on the lids.” “Uh, no.” “And the compartments can’t be opened without the ignition key.” “Uh, no.” “And how should I get my Beretta while I’m driving? Or the credit card or my ID? ”“ Uh, yes. ”“ The fuses in the right-hand compartment take up unnecessary space. ”After all, the Commander notes positively the buttons on the headlight range control. In addition, the headlights are no longer secret weapons. At last, thanks to ECE, both headlights can now show dipped beam or high beam across Europe with double headlights. The light output is therefore magnificent.

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And that button on the left? “No, no turbo boost, Commander. The hazard warning lights. ”“ Does she need something like that, Q? ”“ No, but … ”But the Commander’s head is already under the bench. “Q, didn’t Triumph motorcycles earlier have this hydraulic spring adjustment under the seat? And now? A ring nut and hook wrench. And the setting of the rebound damping? A screw head at the bottom of the shock absorber. Where’s the handwheel? ”The luggage hooks under the bench find no mercy either. “Cheap, Q, and besides, those unfolded things will soon break the seat cover.” Q is devastated. The commander is clearly not amused. “But the sitting position …” “… is okay,” the Commander finished Q’s sentence. Indeed, Q did a great job of creating the deep, wide seat indentation, the low pegs and the high handlebars that are cranked far back.

“And the space for the front passenger?” “Your companions will be extremely satisfied,” Q guesses the meaning of this question. »Bench, rests, handholds: we did what we could. I guarantee you the ladies will be delighted. ”“ But they’ll still have to work on the payload, ”murmurs the Commander, leafing through the papers. “155 kilograms are a bit tight for me and my slim girls, too, right?” The engine, on the other hand, can be heard. The choke lever is on the handlebars, and at the first push of a button the fat four-cylinder purrs to itself: “Yes, the cold start behavior was important to us. Chases and all that. ”“ But Q. The clutch. ”“ Yes, it’s tight. Because of the enormous torque, we used the harder clutch springs from the Daytona 1200 athlete. But you have four-way adjustable hand levers and a super pressure point. Because the … «» … hydraulic clutch has sheathed steel braided lines, just like the brake system. Q, please: I see something like that. I am a pro.”

Speaks, folds down the helmet visor, throws into first gear and flies off. “Two, three, four, five, six. And? ”A seventh course? No. Too bad. This ox engine has room for one more gear on the rev range. But as it is, the 296-kilogram load jumps forward in sixth gear with the slightest throttle movement. The 1180 cubic four-cylinder turns at 100 km / h only 3800 tours. However, 60 hp are already available: “A few hundred revs less, with sixth gear as overdrive, would have done it,” thinks the commander. But now he is happy about the huge trigger and angles the shimmering royal blue bullet in the first bend until the black part of the plastic belly gently rubs on the pavement. “Thank God, exchangeable,” says the practical Brit happily and pushes the willing trophy a little deeper.

But only the mounted points of the foldable footrests follow. The rigid add-on parts are stowed tightly in the casing belly. The steel-flex-refined Nissin anchors are also well presented. The heavy ship brakes with two fingers to the point. The suspension was fine-tuned – despite the cheap shock absorber. The first Japanese Bridgestone tires BT 54 / BT 54 F in the dimensions 170/60 ZR 17 and 120/70 ZR 17 cut an excellent figure on Britains Glory. Stable in a straight line, handy in curves, adherent even in damp conditions and characterized by little tendency to stand up when braking in an inclined position. The speed increases, the four-cylinder, almost vibration-free thanks to two balance shafts, sings in the highest notes. 110 hp speak a power word. Acceleration, top speed, pulling power: full of power and glory.

It’s a shame that the poor Jerrys over in Germany will have to be content with 98 hp. But strangely than a bagpipes, shrill wind noises pass through his helmet. Other touring motorcycles have slits in the windows that equalize the flow velocities of the air in front of and behind and thus reduce turbulence. But the slightly distorted Trophy disc is airtight like a submarine. “The trend is now towards the second disc,” he calms down. Q also wants to give the Trophy 1200 a higher touring windshield. But he has just misplaced it again, so the Commander cannot try it out.

The pointer of the analogue clock is approaching tea time. The afternoon sun shimmers gently in the chrome rings of the cockpit and is reflected in the glass of the almost invisible control lights. The other instruments are also barely recognizable through the reflections, and the fuel gauge – he pauses: red, reserve. One grip on the fuel tap and the Triumph reaches the yard with the last drop. “Q, that thing drinks more than a Scot in winter,” remarks the Commander, more shaken than touched. “Yes. That’s the price for her temper. But I can tell you the whole truth now. ”I beg your pardon? “Well, you asked about secret weapons. The Triumph Trophy 1200 has no secret weapons – it is. We didn’t want them to have to drive a Bavarian motorcycle after the convertible. So we came up with something. Even if we have changed its exterior a lot, the Triumph Trophy 1200 is technically still largely a Daytona 1200. A heavy sports motorcycle disguised as a super tourer. The Triumph modular system, you understand? Ford Scorpio on the outside, but Aston Martin on the inside. ”“ Yes, ”the Commander nods.

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