December 13, 2018 and it’s a mild winter day here and Milwaukee and what better to do on a Thursday night but go and check out some new motorcycles that Triumph is releasing for early 2019. Local Milwaukee Triumph dealer Schlossmann’s Motorcycles of Milwaukee in part with Triumph Motorcycles hosted this event at Miller Park which was a perfect location for this event. Josh and I arrived just before 6pm and the line was already starting to grow quickly. Seemed like all the moto heads in the city were in line looking to scratch that itch all of us Midwest riders get in the middle of winter to do anything 2-wheel related. Once the clock struck 6pm the opened the door and started letting people in and the first thing you see the boys from Gent’s Classic Barbershop set up giving free haircuts and beard trims along with the last years model of the Bonneville Bobber set up in front of them. Of course, we could not resist the calling of a free hair cut so Josh and I decided we might as well get our selves cleaned up while we are there. The guys from Gents were pumping out the cuts quick and everyone coming off the chair was looking fresh and clean! After getting my hair straight I headed into the main event area and seen all 5 bikes they would be unveiling through out the night under black covers waiting for the moment that everyone can get their eyes on them.
The lay out was really cool with backlit boards behind the bikes with images of people riding the new bikes, tons of accessories and apparel on the walls that went with the bikes and a band cranking out tunes all night long. After about 20 minutes of wondering around talking to a bunch of familiar faces they reveled the first 2 bikes.
First up were the redesigned 2019 Triumph Street Twin and the all new designed 2019 Triumph Speed Twin. The street twin got a few styling updates this year compared to the last version and the new grey paint color looked fantastic! But what I was really interested in was the all new Speed Twin. To me the Speed Twin is what classic styled bikes are all about, sleek design with plenty of power and amazing handling. With more power than the previous Thruxton R and coming in at 22lbs lighter this bike will be a backroad beast! Can not wait to get a chance to ride one next spring.
After they reveled the first two bikes, the Blues Addiction Band got back on stage and started back up with the tunes and people got back to chatting and getting a closer look at the Speed Twin and Street twin. About another 20 minutes or so of music and socializing went on and they made the announcement was made that they were going to be reveling the next bike in the lineup. The crowd got excited and started gathering around the next bike to get that first look.
The next bike uncovered was the 2019 Triumph Street Scrambler. This bike caught my eye instantly!! The white tank offset with all the black and silver accents just looked so good on the eyes and not to mention it’s a scrambler and who doesn’t love a good scrambler. I spent a good deal of time looking this one over day dreaming of what it would be like to get it out on the road or even some old gravel fire roads in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Once the crowd settled down from the excitement of the Street Scrambler the music kicked back in and people started to socialize and get a better look at the bikes. This was about the time that Josh and I had to leave due to other obligations, so we did not get to see the unveiling of the new Scrambler 1200s.
Overall this was a really great event at the perfect time. I know that I was feeling the moto itch from not riding in at least a month. I feel in love with that black and white Street Scrambler and Josh had a keen eye on the Bonneville Bobber and I cannot blame him for that! It was great to get out with like minded people and talk about our passion for the sport. There were people of all ages from little kids to older riders, men and women all taking in the beauty of all these new bikes coming out from Triumph. If you get a chance go to one of these Bonneville Icon Tour events or your local Triumph Motorcycles Dealer and look these bikes over and take a seat on one. I think you will be impressed!
