Who's got a Triumph Trophy SE

[5150ninja]

Well, hopefully very soon I'm going to be in the market for a new or slightly used sport touring rig. I was looking mostly at FJR and Concours, but then I accidentally sat on a Truimph Trophy. The Trophy immediately felt very cozy! I'm smaller stature at 5'7" and the bike seems to be built for me fit wise. I am alright with the FJR and Concours ride heights and I know I will fix the ergos to suit me for all day comfort, but the Trophy first impression is that it is already there. I know the only way to tell is by riding, so that is not the information I'm after here.

I'm looking for objective feedback on the Trophy SE. I've always been Japanese brand guy, so it's very difficult for me to trust anything else, but the Trophy also has a lot of perks that are making me not eliminate it too quickly. It even has an on-board stereo.

My main questions are:

1) Does anyone here have one?

2) How many miles do you have on it?

3) Any pillion feedback on backseat comfort?

4) What has been your experience with it (mechanical issues/shifting/drive line, and overall reliability)?

5) Local dealer support (CalMoto, others)?

6) Can you actually hear the radio/stereo at 80-100 mph (are the speakers any good)? :laughing

Thanks for any help, insight, and feedback on the Triumph Trophy SE!

 

[Mr. BR]

I remember sitting on one at the San Mateo Int'l MC show a few years ago. I one thing I remember was that the tank was rather wide between my knees. I'm tall with long legs so probably a not an issue for normal sized folks. Btw, Cal BMW in Mtn View has a used one currently for sale right now (2013 model) for $8400. http://www.calmoto.com/
Mr. BR

 

[TheRobSJ]

My dad got one last year. I believe it was a leftover 2014 model.

It's for sale.

He realized he's not into long rides. "Retired" right after he got it, so commuting isn't even a use for it. He got a new Bonneville and a CB1100 that he's much more invested in than the poor Trophy just sitting there.

I rode it for a week so here's what I can tell you. I'm sure the gold standard in this class is the BMW RT, but you'll pay handsomely for one compared to this Triumph. It seems to have all the bells and whistles. Cruise control, XM radio, electric windshield, electronic shocks, and so on. Not sure how it compares to the BMW or the Yamaha FJR, but the size of this bike it absolutely hustles pretty well. The triple has a great sound to it when you honk on the throttle. The stereo is pretty loud....not sure if it'd be the same at 100mph, but you can still hear it fine at 80. The shifting is quite nice. Better than any of the Hondas I've ever had.

Some negatives? If you're only 5'7" you'd better have a lot of that in the legs. It's a pretty tall seat. I'm over 6'3" so there's not too many bikes out there that I can't flatfoot at a stop. But my dad who's 5'10" says he wishes it was a lower seat since he's either got to tiptoe or lean it at a stop to get one foot flat. Throttle response is a bit abuprt/touchy...didn't quite get used to it in a week. The side case opening/closing is absolutely not a one handed affair. Kinda fussy I think.

But hey it's for sale. Maybe 1k miles...if even that much. Silver color. He had the Triumph heated seat and grips put on also. If you're interested, I'll put you in touch with him.

 

[Erbuck]

Go to www.triumphrat.net if want to hear some pro-triumph biased reviews.

http://www.triumphrat.net/trophy-1200-triple/

I've heard dealers have been having difficulty selling them, so I'm sure you can wheel & deal. The tiger explorer is a bigger seller. ADV is what's hot, yah know!

MSRP for the Trophy is ~$4k more than the Concourse, so this may explain the low sales. And the BMW R12ST is more of an aspirational brand, so people with the cash buy that. Seems like the Honda VFR1200 suffered a similar fate.

 

[5150ninja]

Thanks for the replies! I'm still just lusting at this stage, but getting closer to the day.

Rob I would be interested in the near future. I'm probably a couple months out yet, unfortunately. I'm looking to cover some bases with commuting, touring, and fun. The wife will probably only be happy on a Goldwing, so I'm trying to find a compromise that may be comfortable enough for her.

 

[TheRobSJ]

That's fine. He's selling it. But he's not exactly trying real hard to sell it. So it'll probably still be around in a few months I'm sure.