Everything you need to know about the 2018 Triumph Motorcycles

Get your Steve McQueen on — the new Triumph Motorcycles are here.

Triumph classifies its bikes in four groups: Adventure and Touring, Cruisers, Modern Classics, and Roadsters and Supersports. Most of the 2018 Triumph Motorcycles introduced so far have been in the Modern Classics group where “Bonneville” is the magic name. We’ve got what you need to know about the 2018 Bonneville T1100, Bonneville T1200, Bonneville Bobbers, and Bonneville Speedmaster plus the 2018 Thruxtons, the Street Cup, Street Scrambler, and Street Twin.

We have the scoop on the 2018 Rocket II Roadster with its huge displacement engine, leading Triumph’s Cruiser family. We’ve also got the goods on the 2018 Street Triples from the company’s Roadsters and Supersports group. We’re still waiting for the 2018 Triumph Tigers that make up the Adventure and Touring group — we’ll update in early November after the new Triumph Tiger models launch at EICMA, a huge motorcycle show in Milan.

How to choose a 2018 Triumph

Modern Classics — It’s (almost) all about the Bonnevilles

Triumph introduced three new D Series Bonneville engines for 2018. The Bonneville 900 HT for the Street Twin produces 18 percent more torque than the previous version. The Bonneville T120’s 1200 MT motor gets a 54 percent torque bump and the Thruxton’s Bonneville 1200 HP engine leads the pack with 62 percent greater torque. In each case, the added torque means more responsive acceleration.

New exhaust design for the 2018 Bonnevilles yields a lower, richer sound, according to Triumph, and the bikes ride on new chassis and suspension.

And now for the new models themselves.

2018 Bonneville Bobber and Bobber Black

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You can think of the 2018 Bonneville Bobbers as stripped down versions of the new Bonneville T120, with the same 1200cc engine tuned for lower end power and torque. The Bobbers’ distinctive floating pan seats are about four inches lower than the T120 seats. The bikes look like hardtails, but a concealed mono-shock rear suspension smooths the ride. The Bonneville Bobber’s starting price is $11,900 but the Bobber Black’s price is not yet available.

The new Bobbers are similar but not identical. The Bobber Black is the more aggressive of the two, with a fatter 16-inch front wheel, twin front Brembo disc brakes, upgraded front forks, full-LED headlights, and one-button cruise control.

2018 Bonneville Speedmaster

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The Speedmaster (starting price not yet available) looks back to traditional Triumph design with a fancier, more elegant look than the Bobbers. The Speedmaster retains the Bobbers’ tuning and relatively low seat, compared to the T120, but adds swept-back beach bars and forward foot pegs for a more laid back ride. Set up more for cruising and even touring, the Speedmaster also has a sculpted seat with passenger pillion along with the same higher-spec brakes and suspension you get with the Bobber Black.

2018 Bonneville T100, T100 Black, T120, and T120 Black

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The 2018 Bonneville T100 and T100 Black, both starting at $10,400, have improved comfort and handling with greater suspension travel and thicker seat foam. The liquid-cooled 900cc parallel twin has electronic ride-by-wire throttle control and both T100s have antilock brakes, switchable traction control, a torque assist clutch for lower effort, an LED rear light, engine immobilizer, and a USB charging socket located under the seat. Other than blacked-out styling instead of chrome, the T100 Black is identical to the T100.

Chrome or black styling details also separate the 2018 Bonneville T120 and T120 Black, both starting at $11,800. The T120 Black also gets a distinctive brown leather seat. The latest Bonneville 1200cc engine has more torque at lower rpm levels than the previous model as Triumph continues to improve and bring to new tech to the Bonneville while maintaining the appearance of the original late 1950s’ version. To help you keep riding longer, both T120 versions have standard three-level heated hand grips.

2018 Triumph Street Cup, Street Scrambler, and Street Twin

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The three 2018 Street 900cc parallel twin engine-equipped Triumphs, the Street Cup, Street Scrambler, and Street Twin, present different interpretations of midsized bike style and function.

Triumph positions the 2018 Street Cup, starting price $10,500, as an urban street racer with dropped bars with bar-end mirrors, cutoff exhaust, bullet seat, a fly screen, and rear footpegs. A removable cafe racer street cowl frees the passenger pillion seat area.

The 2018 Triumph Street Scrambler, starting price $10,800, switches up the configuration with high exhaust pipes, longer shocks front and rear, wide handlebars for more leverage, a larger, 19-inch front wheel, scrambler style tires for varying surfaces including light off-road riding, interchangeable rear rack and pillion site, and a front bash plate. The Scrambler’s footpeg placement facilitates “stand-over” riding when required for maneuverability.

When motorcycle makers describe a bike as their “most-accessible,” that means it’s the least expensive in the model line. For 2018 the Street Twin wins the claim as the most accessible in the Bonneville family, with a $9,100 starting price. Unlike the purpose-driven design elements on the Street Cup and Scrambler, the Street Twin has minimal bodywork. The Street Twin includes the helpful torque-assisted clutch, ride-by-wire throttle control, traction control, and ABS found on the other models and is Triumph’s most apparent attempt to appeal to newer, younger riders.

2018 Triumph Thruxton 1200 and 1200 R

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Meet the 2018 Bonneville cafe racers. The 2018 Triumph Thruxton 1200 (starting price $13,000) and 1200R ($15,000 to start) take the Bonneville 1200cc to an entirely different dimension than with the Bonneville Bobbers and T120’s. Both Thruxton model engines produce 97 hp and 82.6 lb-ft of torque, much higher than the other models. The Thruxtons have upswept exhaust pipes, slim fuel tanks, clip-on bars with bar end mirrors, fully adjustable front and rear suspension, and single seats. These bikes aren’t for beginners, but for experienced street racers or track racers able and eager to get a knee down for fastest cornering.

The 2018 Thruxton 1200 has Nissan brakes and 4.7 inches of travel front and rear with KYB forks and shocks. Wonder why the 1200R costs $2,000 more than the 1200? The 1200 R, which Triumph identifies as the “ultimate cafe racer” has a full Brembo front brake setup with tw3in Brembo discs, Brembo Monobloc calipers, and a Brembo master brake cylinder. Up front, the 1200 R has fully adjustable Showa racing forks with Ohlins twin rear shocks also fully adjustable. The 1200 R rides on Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires. The R also has more aggressive riding position with a kicked up back end and smaller hand grips.

2018 Triumph Cruisers

2018 Triumph Rocket III Roadster ABS

Claiming bragging rights for the world’s largest production motorcycle engine, the 2018 Triumph Rocket III Roadster ABS starts at just $15,700. The 2,294cc three-cylinder liquid cooled engine produces 148 hp at 5,750 rpm and, get this, 163 lb-ft at a low 2,750 rpm. Triumph states this bike has more torque when idling than many superbikes have when they’re dialed up to their max. The Rocket III uses shaft drive and has a huge radiator in front to help the massive engine run smoothly and stay cool. Shocks, forks, and brakes are all oversized in keeping with the big cruiser’s mass and power. To put the Rocket III Roadster’s power in perspective, it has more horsepower and torque than the largest engine available and about one-quarter the weight of the 2018 Toyota Corolla.

Roadsters and Supersports — 2018 Triumph Street Triple S, R, R Low, and RSs

Triumph’s Street Triple family is all about speed. These performance bikes power from apex to apex with various tunings of a 765cc 12-valve dual overhead cam inline three-cylinder engine. With starting prices ranging from $9,900 to $12,500 and horsepower ratings from 111 to 121, the high revving Street Triples invite capable riders to lean in and power through.

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It’s a stretch to think of any Street Triple as a beginner’s bike, so don’t go there. With its $9,900 starting price and 111 hp at 11,250 rpm and 54 lb-ft at 9,100 rpm, the 2018 Street Triple S is the most accessible of the family of four because of its low-entry price. This bike has a Showa suspension, ABS and switchable traction control, plus a ride-by-wire throttle with two riding modes for “road” and “rain.”

The 2018 Triumph Street Triple R and R Low pick up the action with additional “sport” and “user programmable” riding modes, a 5-inch TFT multi-style information display, fully adjustable suspension, and Brembo front disc brakes. The R Low version differs from the R only in seat height, but that information isn’t available — the R’s seat is 32-inches from the ground. Both the R and R Low start at $11,200 and get more horsepower and more torque at higher revs from the 765cc engine, topping out at 116 hp at 12,000 rpm and 57 lb-fit at 9,400 rpm.

Calling any motorcycle “the ultimate” is foolish because that statement only inspires the same manufacturer or others to top it — and they will. So let’s just say that for now, the 2018 Triumph Street Triple RS is the highest-performing performance bike in the current 765cc Street Triple lineup, for a still reasonable $12,500 starting price.

A fifth riding mode for “track” gives a hint about the RS’s place in the lineup. A quick look at the specs finds the RS pumps 121 ponies at 11,700 rpm and pulls 57 lb-ft at 10,800 rpm, so more power at slightly lower revs than the R and R Low models with the same torque at higher revs. You’re supposed to go fast, one thinks. The RS has upgraded Brembo brakes, Showa front forks and Ohlins rear monoshock, and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires.

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