SpeedTwin | First Ride Review
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- I love the T120 almost as much as I love the Thruxton, but there are compromises to be had owning either.
If only there was a bike that combined the comfort of the T120 with the performance of the Thruxton...
The Speed Twin is a fantastic bike. It is, as previously stated, an expertly crafted hybrid of two of Triumphs best modern classics. But perhaps more interestingly similarities can be drawn to one of Triumphs more accomplished sports bikes, the Speed Triple. There is a very familiar feeling at the bars that can lull you into stretching a gear beyond where this twin cylinder motor is comfortable.
Once you attune to the slightly more modest power delivery though it is very easy to believe that you could keep pace with almost any other twin on the market.
If this doesn't sell in impressive numbers it really will be a shame for those missing out on such a versatile machine.
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Love love love the Speed Twin. After looking longingly at both the T120 (just A bit too sedate) and the Thruxton (incredible, but only for about 30 minutes, then agonizing) - Triumph releases this blend of the two, plus! It's lighter and has the Speed/Street Triple bars. It's like they saw me from way off.
That's pretty much how I felt about it all summed up. I love the Thruxton but I couldn't live with it day to day. This I could.
I was waiting on this review like a junkie waiting on crack.
This is my dream bike. A do it all for me since I can afford 1 bike at a time.
I'm the same. And if I could only buy one bonneville to do everything, this would be it.
I've already decided this is my next bike, but I follow the reviews anyway. Yours is really good. Personable, informative, relaxed -- I will follow your reviews.
That's very Kind, thanks. You won't be disappointed, it's a great bike.
I just found you on RUclips, your videos are great. Really good they are kept to around 10 mins. Too long it’s easy to loose interest. Your delivery and editing is great. Keep up the good work. Subscribed.
Thank you. Its really hard to keep some of them around 10 minutes but I try my best. Thanks for subscribing.
Great review sir ,a dream bike ....picked mine up a week ago for my 70th ..... fantastic.... thanks for sharing.... regards Fred
Thanks Fred. Happy 70th. I've got something else for this year but I really do see myself owning one of these in the near future.
Good on ya Fred! And a happy birthday!!
Happy belated birthday fred !!!!!
I bet you rode triumphs in your hay day ,
Dont bloody stop mate !!!
See you on the rode
Andrew Bull .... cheers .... believe it or not , didn’t learn to ride till I was 60 ..... argh .... regards Fred
Your reviews are just satisfying to the soul.
Nice country side reviews😊😊
That's really nice to read, thanks Jaya.
Thruxton for me . Great review of an excellent bike
I like the video format, very different from lots of vloggers, subbed.
Then you.
Yours is the best, most helpful and useful read on this bike out of all of ‘em. Thanks man! Now I want to trade in my Street Cup - were it not for being so addictive in its own right
That's really kind, thanks. It is a cracking bike, and definitely one I'll keep my eyes pealed for in the future but I'd keep with your Street Cup if you're happy with it, that's actually my favourite of the 900 Bonnevilles.
Just when I had decided on the RNINET..... Great work man. confident and a bit cheeky. The angle and quality of the helmet footage really takes us for the ride.
Appreciated as always. The RNINET is actually one of the only retro bikes I haven't tried. Think I need to fix that.
Rarefied Road please do! I’m between the r9t and the speed twin!
@@robertomarrero7086 What did you choose?
Like your review style, I have one of these on order. Subbed 👍🏼
Thanks. You're going to have a fantastic season on this mate, enjoy.
Rarefied Road thanks Man, keep making the videos like you are and the channel will grow.
Nice and complete review once again, loved it.
Btw i've received my Speed Triple RS (i was watching your review on an endless loop while waiting for the delivery ^^) and i can confirm all you mentionned in your review : quite expensive but you have exactly what you pay for : a fantastic bike, frame and engine...nearly no weakness (only the alarm is a real pain in the a** but no choice, insurance wanted one) and a real great feeling in all aspects of the game...from far the best bike i've ridden in last 20 years and i've ridden a lot of bikes in all kinds.
I'll test the Speed Twin at my next visit to my dealer but pretty sure i'll agree with your feedback like always.
Keep up the good work,
Cheers from Belgium
Thanks man, glad to hear you're getting on with the speed triple. I don't think you'll have any competition with this for yours but it'll be nice to compare. I think like me you'll probably hit the rev limiter a lot because you're used to the triple.
Enjoy the rest of the riding season, you've got the right bike for it.
@@RarefiedRoad thanks will do and enjoy the season too ! ;) Can't wait to test the Speed Twin, exactly the kind of bike which could be a logical suite in my biker carreer tbh. Keep up the good work and have fun !
Daaam now I need to try the speed twin !
I went to a Triumph dealer recently to look at their Street Twins. The salesman had me sit on the Speed Twin and start it up. I was CHEERING in the showroom! It sounded that good. Among other things like the brakes and tires, I liked how the foot pegs didn't poke me in the calves when my feet are down the way they do with the Street Twin.
Yeah it's got more of a tucked position which is nice, helps it achieve a better lean angle too. It's my favourite bonneville of the moment.
Nice review. That bike suits you. It sound very good, even on my small tablet speakers. Such a great looking bike, like many of the Triumphs. However, if I bought one, why would I feel short changed? Not massively but, just that niggling feeling I could get more for my money.
Yeah money wise it's hard to keep value in my head while I'm reviewing. I'm sure it would be different if I was actually looking to buy any of them, then I'd be hunting around to see what else I could get for the money.
Great video. It seemed to me that the Speed Twin is Triumph classic to have.
Nicely positioned camera for the road riding views.
Thanks
On most bikes, sport mode is herky jerky. On Triumphs in particular, there's really no reason for it. It just takes away the ability to modulate it at lower rpms making it jerkier. On straight roads like you rode, it's fine. On twisty roads, it sucks. Rain mode makes just as much power. It's applied a lot more linearly off idle though.
About the only time my Thruxton ever sees sport mode is if I want to pop a wheelie, but since that also requires killing TC and I'm too anxious to stop and fiddle with it, it doesn't happen often.
Watching this made me miss England. The rolling green countryside, drystone walls, hedgerows and quaint villages. EDIT: just clocked the 'ARAF' road markings and realised you're actually in Wales!
Ha! I wasn't going to say anything. It's the same landscape.
Best review so far. Thanks
Again Amazing review, I was also waiting on your review for this Speed Twin, i am currently in doubt which bike to buy, and currently thinking of Speed Twin, Z900Rs, FTR1200, also considering R9T but their suspension is crap... Still indecided, but this Speed Twin surely is in my mind. Just dont get it why the price is so high compared with the street triple... for that price we could get a street triple RS ... wich is better at everything except the looks...
Must admit I’m not a fan of the Triumph twins, bit too retro for me, but it is certainly the nicest looking. Nice review sir.
Thank you. I get what you mean. They all kind of blend into featureless unfortunately but I think this one looks the most purposeful.
Inclined to agree, although the T120 is better for pillion at present until more extras are available. What appeals to me is that it’s only 196 kg, which is a little lighter than the Street Twin whilst having a centre stand. I understand the Speed Twin to have a higher spec than the T120; but as my T120 is kitted out for touring I’ll stick with that.
If I was touring it would be the T120 for me as well, at a certain mileage comfort takes precedent over performance. And to be honest whilst this is my favourite if I was buying new now, I don't think it would be enough to tempt me over if I already owned a bonneville and was just contemplating an upgrade.
Rarefied Road - yes, you put that well. That is just about how I feel. The T120 is very good for my partner as pillion, also luggage etc. 28 kg heavier, true, but even that sometimes is good in strong weather conditions. My dealer thinks the the Speed Twin is a higher spec than the T120, but the differences aren’t so great as to make me want to take a hit and part with more hard earned cash. I must say though, if I was just starting out and just wanted a bike for an occasional blast I’d look at the 2019 Street Twin (also a good review by you). Cheers. P
There are too many modern classics in triumphs range, I've completely lost track of what's different about them.
Great video as always.
Thank you. They have made a lot and I'm tempted to agree with you. I think they can give the bonneville design team an extended holiday and maybe give us a new Daytona instead.
Just watched this again. Very useful, thanks. Still wondering about trading a T120 and a Vespa for a ST next March. Not a fan of the “Triumph Whistle” though, which I know from when I had a Tiger XRT. p.s. How you getting on with Moto Guzzi V7 you bought? Some say the Guzzi is under powered? Cheers.
The whistle does split a crowd. I really like the V7, it is pretty mellow but it doesn't feel underpowered until you're on a motorway, it'll keep up with the pack on a twisty road. Only problem I think I've got with it is that I feel like I'm being harsh on the engine because I like to rev it out so I'm not sure it's suited to my riding style because I feel like I'm working it too hard.
Rarefied Road hold on to your wallet then because i reckon you have an eye for that Speed Twin ;-)
This was the bike I was most eager to try this season (tied with KTM's 790 Duke). I thought it could be the one. And I certainly don't disagree that it's a high-quality machine - everything is Swiss-watch precise feeling. But what surprised me is I came away feeling that in arriving at that sweet center everyone, including you, agrees it hits, it ends up being neither here nor there for me. It doesn't have the T120's (which I rode immediately after) smooth glide and pleasant plushness. And it isn't the rev-happy, rip-snorting athlete the Street Triple is. Many, including you, may say that it's a cake-and-eat-it-too, best-of-both-worlds solution, while I think you get kind of a letdown with a personality complex. We do agree on the lovely exhaust note, however. Thanks for your usual informative-with-a-dash-of-irreverence review.
Ah, so you would go with the 1200. Good call.
I would too go with this bike if my 1200 ZRX ever failed me, but it won't. So maybe some day.
I think you should do whatever you need to do to buy it. You wouldn't regret it ever.
I'm already saving up :)
Buy one used.
I believe the new Speed Twin engine (although identical) actually has titanium parts in the engine to save weight. Enjoyable review to watch, thank you. Would you say the riding position is more attack than relaxed? Ie. feet more back with slightly more upper body forward than the T120?
Thanks that's good to know.
I would say the position is more attack than the T120 for sure. It has flat bars for comfort but everything else is angled towards having a quick ride.
I was dying to test ride it. I liked it but less than I thought I would. I found the seat to vibrate quite a bit. Felt like I was on a tractor. Did you feel that constant vibration? Did it maybe not bother you? I test rode the street triple RS just before it and is and was mesmerised by it. This may have influenced how I felt...
It has the character of a twin which is what I was expecting going in, It would be quite a big contrast to the Street Triple to be honest. If you got off that bike loving it then I'm not surprised this underwhelmed. This is the sportiest of 'classically inspired' Triumph range but it is nowhere near as modern, smooth or quick as the Triple range.
Your videos capture exhaust sounds very well. I see that you have your equipment listed below, but can you tell me which mic you use to capture the exhaust? Wondering if it's separate from what you use to capture voice.
It's all through the same little Sony at the moment. Captures it through the helmet reasonably well but I will be trying something new for sound soon.
Great video thank you. Strange question but..if you had to chose between this and the Street Triple, what would would you go for?
That probably changes depending on my mood but right now I'd go for this. Maybe just because I've owned a street triple and I'd like to live with something different.
Buy one sir !..... like your style sir .....Fred
Hey brother, like your videos and find them very entertaining. May I add a little suggesttion? Could you show the ergonomics of the bike when you're mounting them? I'm about 5 foot 8 so not a tall guy and I just want bikes I can easily swing a leg over and not have to think about tip toeing everytime I stop the bike. I like modern classics bikes in particularly the Moto Guzzi and Triump brands and I'm just wondering...did you get a chance to ride the Triumph T120?
Thank you for the suggestion, I will make sure I include some of the ergonomics next time i'm testing.
As for the T120 I'm afraid I haven't tried it. I've yet to try that or the Scrambler. I've had experience with the same engine in the Bobber and I've sat on it at shows so I've always overlooked it as something that will feel very familiar.
@@RarefiedRoad Thanks!
That's a lot of throttle hand action during gear shifts. 🙂
How would you compare this bike to the V7 III ? its roughly $5000 more here in Canada. Torn between the two. I understand the speed twin wins in speed, but how about handling, suspension, comfort, etc.
I think pretty much everything on the speed twin is a little more premium to be honest. For me the only thing the V7 wins on is character, comfort and style but that's all for the most part just down to taste. The Triumph has better brakes, suspension, more power as you say so it's also a faster bike but if you're not trying to break any lap records I think you'd be happy with the V7.
Great sound! Did this bike have the X-pipe installed as well? Or just the Vance & Hines exhaust?
Just the Vance & Hines, fitted by the dealership.
I have an itch to scratch , my Street twin is wonderful , but the Itch ... more Horse power .... I have £10 K in the bank and its not staying there :-)
Itches like that are dangerous, hope you enjoy it.
if you had your choice
which one do you put in your garage? The Triumph Speed Twin or the Kawasaki Z900RS and why?
Just for my own personal taste I would go with the Triumph. I prefer the delivery and character of a twin, and for handling I felt a bit more connected, a bit more like I was part of the bike instead of sitting on it. But it's a complete heart vote because there's very little splitting them.
@@RarefiedRoad For me the Speed Twin and the Kawasaki Z900RS are my favourite retros. I cannot decide between them which one I would have in my garage if I could afford it. Both are great machines. The Kawa is the more powerful and quicker bike but the Triumph is plenty fast enough for the road. I suspect there will probably be an R version next year [2020] for the Triumph with fully adjustable upgraded suspension and wire spoked wheels. Great review by the way.
Great review, i finally got out on mine form the first time, found throttle response/fueling was poor in first and second gear so not great around the town and after 80mph the pull drops off and the wind is right on you. On the good side its comfortable, has good breaks and looks the part.
I came from a sports bike so this might explain how i feel but it will be getting traded in next year.
That's fair feedback, it helps to hear what they're like to live with. Thank you
What are you thinking of getting next year BTW?
@@RarefiedRoad will be going back to a sports bike, im thinking an m.v augusta f3 800rc if i can get a used one at a good price, would love a daytona 765🤞
@@leemacdonald6533 good choices. I'm a fan of a 3 cylinder too, they've got all the power you need all of the time. Happy hunting.
Could you fit some conventional mirrors if you don't like the bar ends?
I'm sure you can if you want but I don't know how much It'll cost you.
How do you compare this to the BMW R nine T, I'm stuck between the two, gonna be doing test rides on both when possible but there are some good 2nd bikes on the market right now to consider. I'm tall though 6ft3, taller torso, 32in inseam. and not lightweight, about 105kg kitted up... looking for character, naked, retro
I prefer this to the BMW but they compare well. This is a bit stronger down low and gives more feedback the RnineT will rev smoother but it gives you some feedback and connection when you're stationary and you get the little rock over as you rev it.
Came here because of the cb review stayed for the rest
Glad to keep you on board.
awesome review, question, you said this is not as sharp as the thruxton but its lighter , in the corner you'd say the thruxton feels less heavy?
I'd say you feel a little more connected to the Thruxton in a corner maybe because of the sports clip on position but I don't think I'd call it less heavy. You have more leverage over the bars on the Speed but the weight difference isn't so much that you'd notice.
@@RarefiedRoad ah I see thanks
for the input
Now the question is ... Between the BMW R nineT vs the Speed Twin, which one is your favorite ?
I'd love to be able to answer, but the R nineT is one of the only bikes in this field that I haven't ridden. Hoping to remedy that this year.
I love my Speed twin, even more since I took the cat out.
You got something against cats? 😼
@@jonathanrath2627 Hahahaha, not at all, but when people talk about the cat on motorbikes, they mean the catalytic concert or.
I just rode this today and Im seriously consider selling my cruiser and get one of these. How is this compared to the street twin?
They're quite different. This is a big solid sporty bike compared to the nimble little street twin. The street twin is a bit more playful in comparison.
I wonder what impact the Speed Twin is having on T120 sales?
I'd be curious. I'm assuming it's cutting into it a little bit.
30 seconds in the video, you twist the throttle for us to enjoy the sound! (Wonderful sound!)
Your legs vertically down and the pegs clearly behind them! Magnificent moto, not for me! :)
Just passed my DAS and become a middle aged newbie rider. I am looking at the 2019 Street Twin . I guess everyone is different, would a newbie rider really be recommended to get one of these over a Street Twin ? (assuming they can afford it !)
Congrats on passing. This bike is manageable for a newbie if you're sensible, I'd say since you are a little more mature you would be fine but you'll probably have more fun on the street twin to start with so I'd go for that. But, there's no harm in test riding both :)
@@RarefiedRoad It could come down to the usual deal breaker. Money ! The twin disks and twin clocks certainly look better on the Speed Twin. I think I prefer the plain red fuel tank on the Street Twin . Plus there's availability. The Speed Twin is on a longer waiting list as compared to a new Street Twin. Dunno if I can wait until sometime mid July for a Speed Twin , when it looks like I can have a Street Twin by late May. The power limitation of my Honda CB125R (and to be honest , all learner bikes) is now getting me down, although that felt fast to me back last October !
@@karlosh9286 yeah you get that with any bike. My street triple feels fast to me every time I go back to it but give me an hour and it starts to feel pretty easy. The street twin's got enough to keep you interested for a long while, and if the roads twisty enough you'll only notice the lack of speed on the exits and straights. If you're itching to get out then I'd put my money down on the Street.
@@RarefiedRoad I'm definitely itching to ride something bigger than a 125cc without being followed by the instructors. Although I did need the instructors following me, they did a very useful and good job !
@@RarefiedRoad
I did get the Speed Twin. Probably has way more power than I currently need. It was the twin brakes, twin clocks, sixth gear, excellent visibility from bar end mirrors, and higher seat than a Street Twin that did it. Plus lots of positive reviews, like yours.
The power level, I guess I'll grow into. I didn't want to get a bike that I might want to swap in a years time. Trading in bikes is not cheap (lost a lot on the 8 month old CB125R) I don't see me ever willing trading in the Speed Twin.
As you found, my only real gripe is the throttle can be a bit snatchy in sport at low speeds (apparently a booster plugs might solve this, TEC do one).
Yeah, the side stand is fiddly, needs just about 1/4 inch more hanging out, but I'm getting used to it. Ditto for the fuel cap.
No lugs on the frame to fit a centre stand is a minor irritation, so I have the bobbins on the back for a paddock stand.
A complete lack of rear luggage options from Triumph has been a pain. I have however just got a rear luggage rack from TEC (only just come out). Need to fit that. Don't guess it'll improve the looks, but sometimes I could do with a top box.
I also had a test ride of a Street Triple RS at the Speed Twin's first service. Quite different, especially the engine. Now I want one of them too. In a choice between the two, I'd still have the Speed Twin mainly for it's retro looks. If I do get a second bike, well I have a retro twin, so a modern looking street triple will complement it nicely, now I just need to find the cash !
Speed twin or Guzzi V7??
Pains me to say it but probably the speed twin
Would you trade in the Griso for one of these?
If i could afford it yes