Triumph Rat Motorcycle Forums banner

New Speed Twin

211K views 1K replies 121 participants last post by  SirCuffsalot 
#1 ·
Picked up my New Speed Twin yesterday :)
 
#5 ·
My dealer has 2 on the floor - a red one and a silver one. He’s promised I can take the first test ride (I was Sales Manager there for a few years). Waiting on a call later today. Very nice to sit on. Feels light but the seat seems a bit hard, sort of like the Thruxton seat hard.
 
#6 ·
I’m located in Sydney Australia , I pre ordered the red / black one and payed a deposit as the store was only receiving one this month and I think maybe one more next month .
I’ve been riding cruisers so this bike is completely different to my previous style and riding position , in particular I lean a little forward with the bars as they are quite low like the Thruxton so I may look at riser options down the track
 
#9 ·
Haha, you are like me but a few months in the future. How are you finding the transition from the laid back to the sporty. I’ve sat on it and I rather liked the more engaged position but not all the way committed like the thruxton. Are you still feeling it in your wrists though?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
It feels light, the seat is hard and the red looks nice. ?
Rosso III tyres, which I’ve been running on my Thruxton and on the Street Triple.
The mechanic who ran it up said it’s “awesome”.
Anything more will have to be post ride. ?
 
#21 ·
Went to my Triumph dealer in Adelaide oz today they had one on the floor that i had a good look at, over all bike looks nice they only had the full black colour
and they are waiting for their demo bike, Triumph may have decided to release some here first due to us being in the summer months.
 
#22 ·
I wouldn’t put any store in the fact it’s summer. When the Street Twin first lobbed here at the start of winter (April I think) you couldn’t get any accessories for months and in particular heated grips. They became available in December that year when the temps were getting towards 40C.
 
#23 · (Edited)
OK, took it out for reasonable ride with a mix of traffic, highway and a fast winding road up a mountain.

Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Motor vehicle Automotive tire


I rode my Thruxton to the shop to get the best near comparison. First thing that struck me was the riding position. It really is a Thruxton with high bars. Even though the pegs are forward, because the seat is also forward your legs are pretty much in the same position as on a Thruxton. The bars are up and very comfortable. However, the end result - for me at least, and remember this is just my opinion - is that I felt pushed forward a bit and had a fair bit of weight resting on my hands, which surprisingly was not unlike on the Thruxton. Not uncomfortable by any means but if you’re buying this because you can’t do a Thruxton you’re going to be a little disappointed.

The seat is hard and no more comfortable than the Thruxton seats. I’d be looking to see if any of the Bonneville or (new) Street Twin seat’s could fit.

Performance is exactly Thruxton. I have exhaust, decat and filter on mine so the stock Spd Twin didn’t feel quite as snappy, even with the standard gearing. I’ve also change my front sprocket for the 17t on the T120. I’d really recommend doing that on the Spd Twin, particularly if you’re likely to want to do any trips or highway miles on it. With the standard 16t it’s just a bit buzzy even in 6th and there’s no shortage of torque to cope with the taller cog.

Handling is excellent; really really good. And ride is very comfortable even over bumps and corrugations. The suspension felt a little better than the standard Thruxton set up, probably because there’s a cartridge in each fork leg now instead of just one. The rear felt a little softer than the stock Thruxton shocks. I have changed mine for Bitubo so it’s a bit hard to tell, but the bike seems really well balanced was very planted at speed.

The Brembo/Brembo brakes are fantastic. Not sure they’re actually better than the Nissin/Brembo on the Thruxton but they do seem to grab a bit quicker. Of course the Brembo calipers and floating discs look cool.

Would I buy one? Absolutely.
Would I get rid of my Thruxton to get one? Not for a long time yet, if ever. I think if it had been a quantum leap forward in comfort things would be different, but it’s too similar (IN MY OPINION) and lacks the retro style of the Thruxton to make me want to switch .

I thought this bike would suit people stepping down - or sitting up - from a Thruxton, but instead think it will have more appeal to people stepping up from a Bonneville or Street Twin. They will not be disappointed. I’d be more inclined to put risers and bars on my Thruxton I think.

ps bit of a shame about the seat and peg position and disappointing that heated grips aren’t standard and that a centre stand and cruise control seem to be unavailable.
 
#24 ·
I thought this bike would suit people stepping down - or sitting up - from a Thruxton, but instead think it will have more appeal to people stepping up from a Bonneville or Street Twin. They will not be disappointed. I’d be more inclined to put risers and bars on my Thruxton I think.
Thanks, excellent review without too much bias and coming from a guy who has THE comparison bikes in his garage.
 
#25 ·
CanberraR3 best review I have read to date. Just about to buy a T120 then the Speed Twin came along, really hard decision which one to buy. The deciding factor will be engine performance. I can read the HP and torque numbers but in the real world (seat of your pants) will there be that much of a difference? Any thoughts?
 
#27 ·
@fcorbin The main difference is where the power comes in the rev range. The HP engine is happier at slightly higher revs but still pulls very strongly low down. Peak torque is actually higher than the HT engine but at higher revs. We’re not not talking a lot of difference; crack the throttle open on a Thruxton/Speed Twin at 3,000rpm and you’d better hang on because you’ll be hitting the 7,000 red line in the blink of an eye. The T120 has a surge off idle but doesn’t have the same sharp acceleration and there’s not much point taking it over 5,000rpm.

The engines use the same camshaft so it’s not the case that there’s a noticeable peak in power at high revs on the Thruxton/Speed Twin. Its very linear.

Quite big gearing difference between the 2. T120 is 1t bigger on the front sprocket and 5t smaller on the back. This tends to even out the power delivery differences to some extent and, with lighter pistons and higher compression, is what gives the Thruxton/Speed Twin a much sportier feel because it spins up so quickly. I went with a T 120 front sprocket. There’s so much torque it doesn’t slow it down but makes it more sensible and gives it longer legs.
 
#29 ·
Apologies @Roasted. Poor choice of words or my part. I was trying to explain the difference between the HP and HT engines in stock form. You perhaps will still disagree with me but I really meant there’s no ‘need’ to take it over 5,000rpm. With torque peeking at around 3,100rpm, an upshift at 5,000 works at least as well, in my opinion, on a stock bike, as pushing the High Torque engine to the red line before changing gear.
With the Meercat exhaust you have you’re no doubt getting more out of it.
 
#31 ·
Thanks CanberraR3 for posting your riding impressions of the Speed Twin. I'm considering a trade of my 2016 green Thruxton S for a Speed Twin with the hope of acquiring a more relaxed riding position. I've fitted a T-120 handlebar and Corbin bench seat to my Thruxton which has improved comfort. However, the reach over the long Thruxton gas tank to the handlebars is still a stretch for me and the pegs are a too high and rearward for all-day rides. Your observation that the Speed Twin's peg location is similar in feel to the Thruxton is good information. Thinking now it may be more cost effective to try another handlebar or bar backs to reduce the reach to the handlebars and investigate fitting T-120 foot pegs.
 

Attachments

#33 ·
The bike feels bigger than than a Street Twin but not a big bike by any means. Being lighter than a T120 perhaps makes it feel smaller, certainly more nimble. You really need to sit on one to see how it fits.

Thanks for posting the pic of your bike @GreenBonnie01. It looks to me like a very comfortable option and more likely to be what I’d do if/when the Thruxton no longer suits me. Of course by then I might just want a new bike anyway.....? But it is the way I’d go if I was doing it now. If you feel the reach over the tank is too much you’ll probably find the Speed Twin a better fit for you. It’s a pity your Corbin won’t fit on it though.
 
#34 ·
CanberraR3 Thank you for your comments on the T120 vs the Speed Twin engine. I have own cycles that were HT engines and ones that were HP. Although different both were fun to ride. My riding now will be no two, no long distance touring. Just Sat or Sunday morning rides to breakfast or when wife is out of town a day trip to the mountains. Either cycle would fit the bill and would do exactly what i want to do. GreenBonnieO Very nice cycle thanks for posting picture. Was the handle bar swap a easy deal or were a lot of additional parts needed?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top