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jstark47 wrote:

NewGuy wrote:Well I think the Triumph America is one of the best looking cruisers out there. However, when compared to the M50/C50, you're giving up some things......

Yeah, you're giving up about 80 lbs of weight. E.g. Suzuki Marauder = 456 lbs, M50 = 544 lbs. Very similar bikes, exact same engine. Marauder was chain drive, M50 is shaft. I'll take chain any day for the weight savings.

Chain maintenance is a non-issue: adjust once every 5,000 - 10,000 miles, clean once per year, spray on some chain lube (a 20 second operation) every 500-1,000 miles.

Not only that, shaftie on a cruiser would scares the dodo outta me. I ride pretty agressive and occasionally scrape the pegs on my R1150R which has fairly high pegs. It has the paralever so it doesn't get too upset. I had a K75 which the pegs were lower and I was scraping them all the time and the non-para shaft would turn into a pogo stick. The pegs on the cruiser would be even lower still and I would probably be scraping it on practically every turn and turn the shaft-driven cruiser into a bucking bronco.

05 america is the bike I ride. I wouldnt trade it for anything else. As far as parts being hard to get. Its not true most major cities have a Triumph dealer I live in Houston and we have three. The chain is a non issue some acctually prefer them. as mentioned before an adjustment every 5,000 miles or so. I dont even spray lube mine. if you lube them they do last longer, but they are about 40 bucks for the chain kit. They will last about 20,000 miles with out if you are abusive. thats about when you will have the back off to change the back tire any way. Some one mentioned above about being made in thialand. I havent found that to be the case on mine so far everything i have done to mine the parts have been made in the uk. How ever I am shure ill find something eventually that is not. we do Live in a global economy. even Harley has parts made in china and mexico.

My bf is getting a Bonneville standard soon. The local dealer had no idea when they would have one in. But a business associates of his, builds racing bikes for Triumph and is trying to get an 09 off the line for him. Oh to have those kind of connections.

I ran a standard Bonnie for 2 1/2 years with no problems- changed the pipes removed the AI and rejetted all simple stuff. But then I got a fancy for a cruiser type thing So I bought a Rocket 3

Rode the hell out of my Bonnie, someone liked it better than I did. So they are enjoying it now.

Great machine, no regrets while it lasted