the vibe zone because it stood out in an
otherwise silky delivery. Overall Triumph
has built a lovely engine that is thoroughly
modern and controlled with a fly-by-wire
throttle. It has switchable TC/ABS and power
modes for Rain, Road and Offroad. But
most importantly it’s just so easy to use and
quick enough to put a smile on your face.
Perhaps an even larger improvement to this
model than the engine... is the suspension.
While looking very similar to previous years’ and
having the same 120mm wheel travel at both
ends, it is undoubtably more controlled and
offers much improved bottoming resistance.
Conventional 41mm KYB forks are now fitted
with cartridge damper rods and this has jumped
their performance in to the new millennium.
62 KIWI RIDER
Likewise, the twin KYB shocks have added
sophistication in feel and progression in
damping to rear wheel travel. In fact, suspension
action is genuinely decent and an excellent
match for the Triumph’s general capabilities.
The brakes work very well and are also in
keeping with the machine’s overall performance
levels. The single front 310mm disc works in
unison with an excellent Brembo caliper and
offers great initial bite with excellent lever feel.
Only at higher speeds did I ever think a little
more outright stopping power would have
been nice – after all the triumph is around
200kg dry. The rear 255mm disc brake has the
usual slightly vague pedal feel that comes with
most ABS systems, but works well enough
without the risk of an unexpected lockup.