Triumphrat

ChuckofTahoe · 02-15-2006

Nice review of the S3 in this month's MCN. Speed Triple sets braking record in the test.

Links to PDFs are on this page:

www.mcnews.com/mcn/model_eval.asp

I hope this was not previously posted. If so let me know and I can delete the thread.

DwarF · 02-15-2006

I hadn't seen it. Great writup, though a bit biased. Thanks for the post.

crashmasterd · 02-15-2006

Overall very interesting. Normally I'm very happy with MCN's reporting, but this time I'm a little skeptical. Some of their numbers just didn't add up. For instance, I've had mine on the 1/4 mile strip many, many times. Close to 300 runs. My absolute best time was 11.44 seconds. They claim 10.88 seconds. Granted they could have a lighter rider than me, but a full half second is a bunch in 1/4 mile times.

I wouldn't call the report "Biased", but it did seem as if they were looking as hard as they could for something good to say about the Buell. They went on at length about Buell's "Advanced Brakes", only to have the S3 destroy them as far as perfomance.

However, their complaints about the S3 were pretty much the complaints a lot of people have. The only one that is arguable was the deriding remarks about the silencers. I think that's just a matter of personal taste, so they really shouldn't be calling that a "Flaw".

ChuckofTahoe · 02-15-2006

I think it just boils down to the fact that there are a gazzillion Harley owners out there. And it is very likely that some of them are on the MCN staff and therefore they would tend to look favorably on their Vee Twin breathren.

I think where their review fails is in discounting the 6,500 mile service interval of the Triumph vs. something 2,500 hundred of the Buell is absurd. Harleys and Buells are expensive to maintain. The V Twin engine jostling around in it's rubber housing may be acceptable for Harleys but has to be terrible for any sport bike and must feel weird.

So yeah the review pretty much sucks from the point of view that both bikes got four of five rating which is unfair.

But just looking at the raw data and the styling and it is clear there is no contest between the two and any one reading the article can see this.

Quote:

On 2006-02-15 18:44, crashmasterd wrote:
Overall very interesting. Normally I'm very happy with MCN's reporting, but this time I'm a little skeptical. Some of their numbers just didn't add up. For instance, I've had mine on the 1/4 mile strip many, many times. Close to 300 runs. My absolute best time was 11.44 seconds. They claim 10.88 seconds. Granted they could have a lighter rider than me, but a full half second is a bunch in 1/4 mile times.

I wouldn't call the report "Biased", but it did seem as if they were looking as hard as they could for something good to say about the Buell. They went on at length about Buell's "Advanced Brakes", only to have the S3 destroy them as far as perfomance.

However, their complaints about the S3 were pretty much the complaints a lot of people have. The only one that is arguable was the deriding remarks about the silencers. I think that's just a matter of personal taste, so they really shouldn't be calling that a "Flaw".

beers2u · 02-15-2006

MCN has always been a little reluctant to declare a "winner". I wonder why, seeing as they tout the "no advertising" thing. :???:

worthy1 · 02-16-2006

Does sitting on the fence hurt your arse?? And what the hell is a "zoomie muffler" ? :???:

TonUp · 02-16-2006

Thanks for the article. I have ridden both bikes on the same day. The buell does handle extremely well in the tight stuff.

I still prefer the S3, the sound, the effortless wheelies, the way it can carve a corner, the way it does everything!

Ton Up!

trypcil · 02-16-2006

I thought MCN were quite restrained. The Buell is in a different class to the S3 and that's it - a bit like a 1st grader hanging with a high school grad. Cycle world has a similar approach to their bias, subtle but a flavour leant towards HD and somewhat snide in approach to Triumph. All of which is natural but these bikes are so far apart there is no real comparison and comparing them serves only to create hyperbole. Try as they will the Buell, a fine handling bike perhaps this time - twitchy before that and dull, confused in all it's prior incarnations - is still a torque dependant lolloper of a dog (St Bernard), that runs out of steam way early and relies on design rather than function - which in my book makes it jewellery for the boulevard - or buellevard. The fact that MCN even took time to compare them should be considered flattering, Buell/HD should give thanks that it was allowed out the pound, to play even - personally I believe they should all be kicked over at the factory along with the v-wads - but that's me, a NSHO. :razz:

MD05S3 · 02-16-2006

After having owned a Buells XB9R right after it was introduced in 2002 I can say that the Buell is a decent bike. It doesnt even compare to the S3 in many categories. First, the maintenance cost, there is no way MCN is going to tell me they are basically equal. Just to get the oil changed at the Harley dealer is close to 200 bucks. Not to mention the fact that, at the time, most of the technicians there were clueless about the new Buell. Second, performance, again the Buell doesnt hold a candle to the S3. I could go on but why? I like my Buell when I had it but, as was mentioned in an earlier post, "it's like a 1st grader hanging with a high school grad". The S3 is head and shoulders above the Buell. The better comparo would have been between the Tuono or the Monster.

[ This message was edited by: MD05S3 on 2006-02-16 08:55 ]

Curmudgeon · 02-16-2006

Quote:

So yeah the review pretty much sucks from the point of view that both bikes got four of five rating which is unfair.

Yes, the overall rating is indeed unfair; it's inconsistent with their own sub-category ratings. While the average of the Buell's sub-category scores rounds to 4, the average of the Triumph's sub-category scores rounds to 4.5.

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