Trophy - First Impression and Ride Report..

[Ghostrider25]

At last, a first ride and impressions report!

I bought the bike on a Friday and had to immediately leave town on business. SO a whole week I had to wait before I could really ride her! Arrrgh! But after a busy week in Denver, I finally got home late Friday night. And my new Trophy SE is now  in its rightful place next the Victory Vision, my Mack Daddy long hauler! The first real ride for the Trophy came on Tuesday Morning. And heeeere we go...

The first thing of course is approaching the bike. She's dead sexy! I love the styling and the way everything fits together. Just great. And the paint is fantastic. Build quality is superb. Throwing the leg over and settling into the saddle, I get comfortable immediately, as the saddle is very plush. When you turn the key it goes through an interesting "boot up". Needles sweep, indicator lights blink, and the wind screen goes back to the position it was at when it last ran. Cool! When ready, I hit the start button. It only takes 1 or 2 turns before it springs to life. This triple makes an interesting note at idle. It almost sounds like a diesel! But no vibration, no movement, nothing. Just that diesel growl.

Time to put it in first gear. You select first and it makes just a gentle bump, and you are in first. What?!? No clunk? No bang? Very interesting! When you take off, the clutch is smooth as silk. The friction zone is right where I want it on the lever (which is adjustable!), the pull is very easy and yet positive. And the bike just takes off. And now we are rolling. The bike just whispers through the air, quiet and composed. As you go through the gears you realize right away that this bike is buttery smooth and very luxurious. Everything it does it does with class and elegance. I still cannot get over the seating position; it's so comfortable. There is no stress on anything. You are completely relaxed and settled into the bike. Wind protection is excellent, and the wind screen is the best I have ever used. Period. I was thinking about getting the touring screen fitted, but I do not think I am going to need it. It's that good.

Because I am breaking it in I cannot really comment on total performance, but I can say that even though the engine still has that new tightness to it it will be a charger. It seems very eager to dash, and that diesel-like note I was mentioning earlier gets replaced by a fantastic note that gets your heart racing. And this thing handles with a kind of surgical precision that brings a huge smile to my face. It is incredible how well this electronic suspension works. It soaks up bumps like no bike I have ridden before. The different settings work exactly as advertised and are incredibly effective.

Between all of these options you can really dial in the ride. But I think the handling is what surprised me the most. I knew it was going to be good, but this bike handles beautifully. Between the suspension and the Perelli Angel ST tires that the bike came with it provides compliance and cornering ability that goes well beyond anything I ever could have expected. Compared to the Vision, which is a marvel in the handling department considering its size, the Trophy is like a sport bike. Amazing. I was immediately confident on it.

When you finally get to your destination you are almost disappointed. That hour and change I spent on the road just melted away and left me wanting more. I am beyond happy with this machine and cannot wait to jump on it again. What a wonderful addition to the stable!

[plgoddard]

Yep!    Ghostrider25, that's been my experience too for the last 20k miles -- every ride.

Smooth, powerful, capable, efficient, agile, sexy and fun. I never get tired of riding my TTSE.

I just spent five days riding -- SE Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee and lots of Kentucky -- and time just melted away on those roads. It's a beautiful machine. Yep, time for a new set of tires already.

[Coconut]

You like it then ? 

[Bludy L]

I concur with all that you said but I must emphasize how well the bike handles. It's just amazing.

Glad you're pleased with the ride.

[Mikeinnj]

 

Congrats on the new bike! 

[tdragger]

Congrats on the new acquisition.  One note, you mention the seat a couple of times.  Depending on how big you are, you may find the seat unsatisfactory after a while.  As a big guy, the 'plushness' means that you are eventually sitting directly on the seat pan. Ouch.  Almost all Triumph seats are that way (with the notable exception of the Tbird Commander and LT). 

[john348]

Congrats and good write up of what it was like when we first got the trophy.  As said it just carries on. 

[Ghostrider25]

Thanks guys. What is great about this rbing is that I like it justthe way it is. Which means the desire to upgrade or customize really isn't there. Very rare indeed.