{"id":541808,"date":"2017-10-01T18:33:49","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T08:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeme.tv\/?p=541808"},"modified":"2017-10-01T18:33:49","modified_gmt":"2017-10-01T08:33:49","slug":"outlaw-the-bobber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/outlaw-the-bobber\/","title":{"rendered":"OUTLAW THE BOBBER"},"content":{"rendered":"

The life of a motorcycle marketing manager cannot be easy. He must get his brand\u2019s product in front of as many eyes as he can. He must pander to the scum and villainy that make up the Australian motorcycle press corps. He must do things that bring shame to his ancestors \u2013 and he has to do all of these things with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.<\/p>\n

So when I approached Paul and Dale at Peter Stevens Importers with my great idea I\u2019m sure their smiles stayed fixed and shiny as their hearts sang songs of glory. But it was over the phone so I\u2019ll never know for sure.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlokes,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019ve got this great idea for the Bobber I have at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we know. You want to put apehangers and pipes on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d I agreed. \u201cBut it\u2019s what I want to do after that we need to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

See? Not a cliff in sight.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d came the guarded response.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d I said. \u201cIt\u2019s all well and good handing out your beaut motorcycles to people like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s all well and good handing out your motorcycles to magnificently bearded social media gurus so they can fill their Instagram feeds with your Triumphs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet to the point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to take the Bobber and give to an outlaw motorcycle club member and see what he thinks of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The silence on the other end of the line was profound. But they hadn\u2019t hung up on me, so I continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of the cred!\u201d I said. \u201cA bone fide one percenter rides the bike, then tells me what he thinks of it. It\u2019s a road-test like no-one has ever done before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Sean checks to see where he would fit the pillion pad.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

“Your wife will leave you if you make her sit on the back of this.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhat if he doesn\u2019t like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll set fire to it and kick it off a cliff,\u201d I grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re joking, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely. There are no cliffs where we plan on going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get back to you,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

I could certainly understand their reticence.<\/p>\n

All either of them knew about outlaws was what they\u2019d read in the media. As far as they could grasp, I was about to hand the Bobber over to a vicious orphanage-burner who would melt it down and make bath-tub speed out of it, which would then be injected into his veins to fuel a rampage of cop-killing, terrorism and book-burning.<\/p>\n

A few days later Paul contacted me.<\/p>\n

\"\"

“Ride through the water, mate. Splash that photographer. He loves it.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

\u00c4nd one more time because Nick is not completely wet yet.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSo this is all going to be cool, yes?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d I said. \u201cI know the bloke, I\u2019ll be with him on his bike, there will be a photographer along, and neither of us smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s smoking got to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo lighters,\u201d I said. \u201cCan\u2019t torch the Bobber if we don\u2019t have a lighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then we both laughed. Hahahaha. Just like that.<\/p>\n

Then I rang Sean and asked him if he wanted to test-ride a Triumph Bobber.<\/p>\n

Sean rides with the Black Uhlans MC and has for a very long time. I have known him for a few years and we have cultivated a friendship in that time.<\/p>\n

I very much admire and respect the fact Sean can ride a bike very quickly. The bloke is legitimately fast, and on his home circuit, the fabulously treacherous Macquarie Pass, is in a class all by himself. If you\u2019ve ever been rounded up on that pass by a bloke on a 2013 Wide Glide, it\u2019s probably Sean. Don\u2019t feel bad. It\u2019s what he does.<\/p>\n

\"\"

This was the most dangerous aspect of the shoot. Them rocks are slippery. I almost died.<\/p><\/div>\n

And because it\u2019s what he does, he has made sure his Harley is up to the task.<\/p>\n

Sean\u2019s done things to it. Smart things. Things that make it handle better, turn faster and track surer. It\u2019s a true hard rider\u2019s bike.<\/p>\n

I rode it the day we went out, and it\u2019s hands down the best sorted Harley I have ever ridden. It\u2019s not the shiniest. It\u2019s not the flashiest. And it\u2019s not the most powerful Harley I ever had the pleasure of riding. But it is one of the sweetest-riding ones I\u2019ve ever piloted.<\/p>\n

Harley apart, Sean also rides dirt-bikes with his family and has a very tidy and well-maintained 1985 Yamaha RZ350 two-stroke he also takes for a scream as often as he can.<\/p>\n

So Sean knows his shit \u2013 there is serious motorcycle DNA in his crazy veins.<\/p>\n

Having him ride the Bobber and to get his take on Triumph\u2019s factory-custom was going to be an interesting exercise. It\u2019s not like I could put words in his mouth, or misquote him, or make him like it if he hates it.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Sean enjoyed the way it went around corners.<\/p><\/div>\n

To Triumph\u2019s credit, it also took a gamble on this great idea of mine. After all, if at the end of the day Sean said: \u201cIt\u2019s a bucket of shit and I hate it\u201d, then that\u2019s what I would have to write down.<\/p>\n

On a beaut day in late winter, I made my way down to Wollongong and pulled up in front of Sean\u2019s place. I had fitted a set of Triumph mini apes and Vance & Hines mufflers to the Bobber. So it had a bit of a note, and it had a bit of a stance. Crucially, the apes had made it far more comfortable to ride, and offered the rider a bit more leverage in twisty sections.<\/p>\n

Sean was not a fan of apehangers. His own bike had wide bars, sticky tyres, well-sorted suspension, and a brilliant engine-bracing thingy that stopped the big twin flexing sideways, hugely improving its stability in corners.<\/p>\n

The Bobber\u2019s tyres were also sticky, it also held its lines remarkably well, and I was of the view it would surprise the crap out of him when he fired it up the mountain.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s smaller than I thought it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

And beside his Wide Glide, the Bobber certainly is small. It\u2019s slimmer, and it\u2019s lighter, but I was thinking that magical 1200cc engine was going to make a believer out of him.<\/p>\n

\"\"

“Don’t worry about the grinding noise. I’ll say it was me.”<\/p><\/div>\n

Sean spent some time looking at the adjustable seat which was already as low and as far back as it would go, before declaring he would situate it lower down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reckon it sits too high up,\u201d he said. \u201cIt would look heaps better if the seat was lower. But it\u2019s not bad otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see if you think that after you ride it,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Sean tossed me the key-fob to his Wide Glide, threw his leg over the Bobber and the test-ride began.<\/p>\n

And like all things outlaw, it began rather quickly. Sean took it easy through the built-up areas, but once we left suburbia behind, he pinned the Bobber to the stop.<\/p>\n

All I could do was try to keep up.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Sean’s Wide Glide. Note the ground clearance.<\/p><\/div>\n

We did a host of backroads Sean was familiar with, had a few beers at the pub, adjourned for the day, then hooked up again in the morning and did the Macquarie Pass early enough to avoid the Sunday rush.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do you think of the Bobber?\u201d I asked over a coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Triumph did the bobber look better than any other manufacturer \u2013 especially the rear-end.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded. \u201cI agree. The back-end is like Harley\u2019s old Softail unit, but turned upside down with linkages added, which is why it works. How\u2019d you find the ride?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was way more comfortable than it looked,\u201d Sean grinned, almost like he couldn\u2019t believe it was as good as it was. \u201cI\u2019m not usually a fan of high bars, but I couldn\u2019t imagine this bike without them.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt validated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat surprised me most was how easy the bike was to ride,\u201d Sean continued. \u201cIt would be a great bike for someone who is coming off his Ps. My 2013 Wide Glide is far heavier to turn and feels antiquated and loose in comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thinking you don\u2019t get the chance to ride much new stuff, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not really,\u201d Sean smiled.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Blame me for the messy cables.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cStill, it\u2019s not like you were exactly hanging around on the Bobber. It was all I could do to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think my Harley is faster, but it does have 400cc more. For most people though, the Bobber would leave the Harley for dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat didn\u2019t you like?\u201d I asked, opening the worm-can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t like the tacky black plastic tail-light and those half-house-brick switchblocks Indian and Triumph both fit to their bikes. They\u2019re hideous. Bigger is only better when it\u2019s to do with engines, for fuck\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m taking notes. Please continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would prefer the seat lower and further back and the wiring should be inside the handlebars,\u201d Sean said.<\/p>\n

I shrugged. \u201cI agree about the seat, but that\u2019s a major engineering exercise and I think the messy cables are my fault. When they fitted the apes, they had to fit longer cables and wiring, and even the tech said it looked a bit messy. The standard bars and cables are much neater, and I don\u2019t think Triumph thought a lot about the cabling when it added the apes to its aftermarket goodies list.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like the fork gaiters,\u201d Sean observed. \u201cIt ain\u2019t an 80s motocross bike.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded. \u201cNo, you\u2019re right. But the hipsters like gaiters. They make them feel all ironic and ethically sourced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would they know?\u201d Sean asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a lot. How\u2019d you find the handling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sean smiled. \u201cWhen pushing hard through the corners it starts grinding. The pegs are stepped down! What the\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think they were trying for better ergos and sacrificed some ground clearance for more legroom. Maybe you just need to stop riding it harder than the normal people who\u2019re gonna buy it will ride it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that was fun!\u201d Sean declared. \u201cGrinding it up Macquarie Pass was so easy. I actually missed it when I gave it back to you, especially since I had to ride my old-feeling Harley back down. I loved how you could nail the throttle to the stop at the apex of a corner, and you could feel the bike holding a perfect line. That rear suspension is awesome. Zero squirming out of corners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is good, isn\u2019t it?\u201d I agreed. \u201cBut Triumph has aftermarket Fox units that are even awesomer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you fit one?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere weren\u2019t any in stock.\u201d<\/p>\n

We both sat in companionable silence contemplating the vagaries of the motorcycle industry.<\/p>\n

Sean eventually spoke.
\n\u201cBikes like this should be obnoxiously loud,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re preaching to the converted,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also think if Triumph fitted a pussy pad on the rear guard and some pillion pegs it would sell heaps more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Sean, I have also never cared all that much about pillion comfort, but the thought of what it might be like for a girlfriend perched on a square of vinyl astride that madly bouncing rear-end did put a smile on my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will never happen according to Triumph,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could make one,\u201d Sean offered. \u201cI\u2019d actually love to own one as my 52nd bike (Sean has owned 51 motorcycles). And I really think Triumph should give me one long-term so I could make it right for me. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see how it could possibly refuse given you said please and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

So he liked it.<\/p>\n

A lot, apparently.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t surprised, but I think Sean might have been.<\/p>\n

It was my pleasure and privilege to surprise him like that.<\/p>\n

And good on Triumph for having the foresight to make this happen.<\/p>\n

I think Sean, Triumph and I have just had a world-first. An outlaw test-rode a brand-new Triumph, and offered his considered and very valid opinion on it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m now rather curious to see what Sean would make of a KTM Superduke R\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"

Yes, of course we went to a pub.<\/p><\/div>\n

FURTHER READING<\/strong><\/p>\n

My press launch test of the Bobber can be found HERE<\/a>, along with specs, prices and burnouts.<\/p>\n

My thanks to Nick Edards for the stunning photography. You may engage Nick HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The life of a motorcycle marketing manager cannot be easy. He must get his brand\u2019s product in front of as many eyes as he can. He must pander to the scum and villainy that make up the Australian motorcycle press corps. He must do things that bring shame to his ancestors \u2013 and he has [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":541827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[248,106,24,58,158],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541808"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541808"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":541964,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541808\/revisions\/541964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikeme.tv\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}