It is that time of year again, ECIMA time! Triumph official announced three new models to join the Triumph line-up this morning; The Triumph Tiger Explorer, Triumph Speed Triple R, and Triumph Steve McQueen Edition. The bikes will officially launch on November 8th at the ECIMA show in Milan, Italy.

As we set out early Sunday morning, the temperature is lower than expected; 31* says my iPhone. The big Sprint is instantly comfortable for the first 75 mile stretch. The frigid weather however, is only amplified by the three or so inch too short windscreen that comes standard on the Sprint GT. The big Triumph’s ergonomics are what I consider a perfect blend between sporty and comfortable for long distances. Blasting down LA18 the bike was amazingly confidence inspiring even given the horrible century old pavement. The telescopic forks may not be high tech, but they are certainly sprung and damped very well and do an excellent job of disguising the 550 plus pounders’ weight. Same goes for the new GT’s brakes. ABS gives you a great mental safety net, but considering their axial mounting I was truly stunned by their power and feel. The levers for both clutch and brake are 4 point adjustable, and even with my XXL hands, they had to be adjusted to their closest position for my fingers to even reach. While the rearsets are in great position for athletic, yet relaxed riding, the passenger pegs seemed to want the same real estate my heels did.