New retro revolution
BMW R nineT vs Triumph Speed Twin
BMW and Triumph are head and shoulders ahead of the game when it comes to creating modern, oldschool charmers with sizzling performance.
There are machines that do the job of cruising in a haze of yesteryear bliss for a lot less, but the R nineT and Speed Twin are apex predators. Both are strippeddown, straight-barred roadsters, detailed to within an inch of their turn-ups with big brakes, quality suspension and electronics hidden neatly away. Both have tank badges with genuine history – the Triumph is Steve McQueen and the
‘Dynamically the Triumph is damn near perfect’
Beemer the soldiers chasing him. On paper their twin cylinder engines are similar, too. The BMW punches out 108bhp and 86lb.ft of torque from its updated Euro5spec 1170cc boxer and the Triumph produces 96bhp and 83lb.ft from a 1200cc parallel twin.
But bikes aren’t ridden on paper, and out on the road the way their engines look and act couldn’t be more different. The liquid-cooled Speed Twin burbles away with its cylinders neatly in line, dishing out impeccable thrust throughout the revs. Over on the air/oil cooled R nineT its punchier, more instant delivery comes from huge power stations sticking out horizontally in front of your shins.
They’ll both do around 140mph on a good day and either machine will scratch the itch of those who’ve left their sportsbikes behind. They’re the most unlikely wheelie machines when you turn the electronics off, too.
BMW’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect in 2014 when they introduced the R nineT. Retros had come and gone before, but never really caught on, and bikes like Ducati’s utterly brilliant Sport Classic series were dropped just as the world woke up with a beard and short back and sides.
Not only did the R nineT arrive at precisely the right time, but it was also as much about substance as style. The engine BMW chose for it was more used to lugging around the weight of an R1200GS adventure bike or RT tourer, so with just a checked shirt to shuffle along, the R nineT went like stink. It rocked and rolled, as BMWs do, and a had hot, oily musk to it, but that all added to its allure.
Here was a retro that was as happy to admire itself in shop windows, as it was getting stuck into backroads. Ground clearance was plentiful and with a chassis set up to such perfection, and a set of S1000RR-style upside-down forks and radial Brembos hanging off the front, it could dive into corners and nibble neatly at apexes like any plastic-covered race rep.
It was pricey, but you got a lot for your money. Every square inch was special, from its exquisite detailing to its handmade brushed ali tank and stacked exhaust cans. In 2017 BMW added fully adjustable forks into the mix and new for this year it gets more goodies included in the price: two riding modes, traction control, cornering ABS and LED headlights.
These 2021 upgrades don’t add much to the riding experience, though - the R nineT had reached perfection anyway, but the engine now has a bit more neck-cracking midrange than before and the electronics add an extra dash of safety. It’s still not cheap at £13,150 and that’s before you’ve gone mad with the accessories list.
The £10,700 price tag for the Speed Twin is far more palatable, but it doesn’t have fully adjustable suspension or radial brakes (although they’re still Brembo).
‘Huge power stations stick out horizontally’
Other than that, the spec and equipment level is more or less the same, putting the Trumpet immediately on the front foot. Having said that, the £11,395 R nineT Pure costs less, but it’s very much BMW’s base model, whereas the Speed Twin is at the top of its family tree, sitting above the Street Twin.
Of course, Triumph were making retros long before the R nineT arrived, but it wasn’t until the latest Bonneville range appeared in 2016 that they stepped up a level to challenge BMW for style, quality and performance. The Thruxton was the sporty jewel in the crown, but with low clip-ons it was more of a café racer than the R nineT. Then came the Speed Twin in 2019.
It was still a Thruxton, but one with a more sat-up riding position and a cheaper asking price, but it still had all the classic-inspired goodies we craved (and its chain on the right like an old Brit bike), mixed in with modern performance and electronics to make owning it as special as the BMW. It was smooth, fast and just as adept at cruising or going banzai.
So, which to buy when they both do largely the same thing? If price is priority number one get the Triumph, but the way they’ll fit you and go about their business couldn’t be more different.
The BMW is physically bigger and roomier with a more spacious peg and bar layout, so it’s the one for larger riders and long two-up jaunts. It’s more visceral with a crackling engine that’s more urgent when it gets the merest sniff of throttle and has a plusher ride. There’s more front-end feel going into corners, it has the strongest brakes and at this time of the year has better tyres. Sports-touring Michelin Power Road 5 rubber trumps the Triumph’s sportier Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs in the cold and wet – a situation that’ll be reversed on dry, warm roads in the summer.
But in the cold light of day the Speed Twin is the more rounded retro. Yes, it’s smaller, so taller riders like me look a bit too big on it and the brakes lack feel next to the BMW’s. But its power delivery is less spiky and, compared to the shaftdrive Beemer, the Triumph is more stable when you grab it by the scruff of the neck.
Swoops, curves, bells and whistles in all the right places and dynamically the Triumph is damn near perfect, but that’s maybe its only flaw – it’s perhaps a little too perfect. It lacks the R nineT’s quirky charm and isn’t as memorable to ride. But judging character is subjective and most will love its impeccable manners, which is why the creamy Triumph Speed Twin rises to the top of our test.