Our Favourite Triumph! The Bonneville Speedmaster Gold Line Special Edition Motorcycle Review 2022

We review the 2022 Triumph Speedmaster Gold Line limited edition motorbike and find out how good it really is.
This stunning special edition Triumph Bonneville 1200 is simply amazing to behold.
We give it a thorough test ride as usual and give you all the facts, feelings and figures you need to know. We look at the stying, the brakes, engine, power and torque delivery, seating, ergonomics, handling, geometry and more. We even get the BMW R 18 in for a size comparison. Is it good for plus 6 ft riders? We find out. Is it a good fit for shorter riders?
We forgot to mention the gear-change - its great! Really smooth and positive.
The Ol Man also moans about the usual pointy plastics and tft screens found on so many bikes and why he prefers analogue.
Is the Triumph Speedmaster a cruiser? We discuss this and would like to know what you think too.
You can get a very good impression here too on how this Triumph Bonneville 1200 parallel twin high torque engine sounds with stock pipes.
Also the new puppy makes an appearance and we have a bit of a rant about motorcycle manufacturers in general and 'marketing executives' and 'social media executives' who seem to be missing the biggest marketing trick of all, as Million Dollar Bogan @danielhayes-domore would also agree; YouTube reviews!. We also explain why we have to sometimes include product placement in our videos. We don't do this very often and only recommend products if they are worthy - we turn down many more than we endorse (theres none in this video by the way).

[troydavenport]

The sense of humor, no bullshit reviews, the editing style is all top notch.

I've bought a speed master because of this channel.

I've bought an RE Continental because of this channel.
I went back and got a ex demonstrator RE interceptor from the same dealer for the wife because of this channel.

I need to stop watching this channel for my Visa balances sake.

[overtime]

I'm 5'10" 42 years old. This video convinced me to ditch my Forty-Eight and move to the Speedmaster.

[thepodbaydoorshal]

38 and loving it. Definitely not an old man's bike, I get looks and comments from all ages. Children stop and stare as much as the oldies. A home run from Triumph and destined to be a future classic.

[anovastat]

Just bought a 2022 Speedmaster a few days ago and it was thanks to you for your descriptive reviews of it and other bikes. It was down to a decision between the Speedmaster and the R18 for me. I'm 6' 4" and a heavy rider but felt immediately comfortable on the Speedmaster. I didn't go with the R18 because it felt too big for me and I didn't feel like I'd be able to control it well.

The Speedmaster was comfortable and no issues with height, reach, or foot placement for me. I've had the Speedmaster for a few days now and it's incredible. At least for me a taller and heavy rider it was a clear choice. As you said in your review you feel "planted" to the ground.

On the R18, the foot placement was a problem and I wasn't able to fully fit my size 14 American shoe between the engine and the foot pegs to the point it didn't feel safe, for me. It was a close second choice though.

Again, I watched probably hundreds of youtubers but found your channel to be the most influential. Thank you for that.

I definitely see me looking to buying an R18 someday, maybe with a few years of experience more in riding and a different footpeg setup. It was just too advanced for me at the point as a new-ish road rider.


This is an invaluable youtube channel, THE definitive review site for motorcycle reviews is Mr. Darcy & the Ol' Man! Thank you!

[hdemi]

I found this channel 2 weeks ago...it's so underrated, I love the simple and neat review style. Nowadays everything is fast paced and chaotic, your videos are so calming for me, they remind me that life isn't a race.
I'm 27 and I like the look of the Speedmaster, I'm contemplating this or a Rocket 3 R, since I can't afford both at the moment in this economy.

[davidcaldwell]

Agree with your comments. I was drawing up a similar shortlist. The Speedmaster was on top of the list, until I rode it. I love the look of the bike but ... I'm 6'2" and it did feel too small. However there is (was) a bigger longer Triumph. I bought the Triumph Thunderbird LT. It's fantastic. Love the Channel.

[whythefckineedthis]

Never reacted to anyone begging for subscribers. You didn't beg, just told how it's working and made me think: Why didn't i subscribe this great channel?

For the bike choice: Keep both of them, i'll take the house. Can't get much better than that, love the look of it.

I was about to say i am young and interested in the triumph, but with the 30 years passed i am not sure anymore where to fit. I am not a fan of the chrome on the Speedmaster and didn't really like the handlebars, but damn this gold line looks good.

[karlsquire]

It was the Speedmaster that got me to sell my Indian Scout. Took a buddies for a spin and loved it.

[jonmartin]

I am 71 and have been riding since 1970. I had a 2020 Rocket 3 but health issues made that bike too big for me. I traded for the same bike as you are reviewing here. At 5’10” and 140 lbs, it fits me perfectly. It is the most user friendly motorcycle I have ever had, everything feels intuitive and right. Always secure, comfortable and in control on this bike. Great review.

[ianmacdonald]

I brought the gold line speedmaster last month and I love it. I’m 5’ 8’ and being a shorty it’s just perfect seat height. Having not ridden for many years I felt that it handles well and feels planted on the road, does everything I wanted too and looks good to boot.

[kevincrockford]

I’m 66, bought my Goldline in May, absolutely love it, I wanted a bike that I knew I would feel comfortable riding into my 70’s, the manoeuvrability is fantastic, it’s not an old man’s bike. The torque is fantastic

[cloud]

I'm 41 and this bike is gorgeous. Absolutely stunning bike. Only other bike I can stare at for hours like this are the Speed Twin and the Enfield Classic 350. All gorgeous.

[Cruiser_speedmaster]

Just picked up my speedmaster goldline last week. Your previous review of the speedmaster was a big influence on my decision to get it. Love the machine so far and really enjoyed this video.

[Brian-tbzs]

I have a Speedmaster, had the foot controls moved to center and T120 handlebars fitted at the dealer. Basically setup like the Bobber but with a very comfortable seat ! I prefer center controls. Moving the foot controls was no problem since the forward controls are mounted using that removable bracket. They did have to change the handlebar cables when switching to the T120 bars to prevent kinking. Totally worth the cost to customize it. Absolutely love it. I also have a 1200XC scrambler when I want to play around more. I’m a very fortunate guy ! Love your channel 👍⭐️😎 !

[michaelcoger]

I'm 73 and have ridden for 50 year's.
I have built hard tailed triumph choppers mostly pre unit construction.
I'm wanting a new speed master after my upcoming heart surgery.

[t]

I traded in my 2017 Triumph Thunderbird Storm AKA the Triumph Dyna Low Rider for a 2022 Triumph Speedmaster Gold Line. I've had it for a little over a month and I've put just under 800 miles on it so far. The Triumph Dyna was a little large for me and frankly too Harley-like. I feel like light weight and sharp handling are core Triumph values and the Speedmaster definitely embodies those, especially in comparison with the Thunderbird. The quality of the paint is just impeccable, that's what drew me to this particular model. I agree the handling is excellent, especially for a cruiser, so I see why you were reluctant to put it in that category. I'm 49 years old and 6' tall. I have arthritis in my wrist due to a work injury so the beach bars weren't working for me, I went with the apes instead and they're perfect. I also added British Customs straight pipes and an x-pipe de-cat, proper loud now lol! I also went with the lower profile seat, which I'm having re-covered in black horsehide by a friend. As a final touch I'm replacing the headlight with a Bobber unit and I'm going with a shorter front fender to lighten the look up a bit. I love this bike!

[denisg]

Should trip over 50k in the next day or two. Thoroughly deserved. One of my favourite channels.

[robertlee]

Just bought a used 2022 Speedmaster because of your reviews and others. I always came back to your reviews when I was having doubts about it as I already had a great T-100 to play with and the Speedmaster is a chunk of change. It came with high bars and a windshield, along with a backrest. I am a smaller rider (nowadays!) at 5' 9" and it fits me perfectly. Also 76 going on 29. I have only had it for a day but rode it for a while and I can say it was worth every nickel. Motorcycles are emotional beasts and this one just makes you want to hit the road. I think I will get some camping gear together and head for the Georgia mountains... it is that kind of bike...

[Bikergramp]

Analog is so much better than digital! I was so glad to hear you say that.

[mavaleng]

Great review as always. Pick up my Speedmaster Goldline in 2 weeks which I ordered back in March. Upgraded from the Bobber which was a great bike, albeit probably a bit small for me as I'm 6.0ft. Cant wait to get on this machine, thanks for the review.