STREET TWIN
It’s more than what you would ever expect it to be
REMEMBER THE 1960S? Well, I am sure most of you were not even born then. Anyway, worry not because it is with a view to giving people like you (our readers and other enthusiasts) a shot of nostalgia that bike-makers today are introducing products that induce a hefty amount of this intoxicating feeling with a touch of modernity. Ducati stirred things up with the Scrambler and now Triumph are doing the same. Riders, this is the new Bonneville Street Twin, a motorcycle that I had the privilege of seeing for the first time in London when it was unveiled to a select few from the media from around the world. I instantly felt like knowing more about this brand-new Bonnie but could not, since it was just an unveiling and not a ride. Recently, I got my hands on a spanking new Street Twin while in Goa for the India Bike Week, and, honestly, it blew me away the moment I rode it. Here is what went through my head after getting the keys to this fascinating British motorcycle.
The Street Twin rides well, has oodles of torque and also looks that engender customisation ideas in your mind. I love its minimalist look which leaves so much to imagination. And this was done with good intentions. Triumph want buyers to make their Street Twin truly unique by modifying it with a garage full of accessories and parts that are readily available at their dealerships. The minimal design is not just to make it more appealing from a customisation point of view. Certainly not. It’s intentional; to make it truly yours.
In its standard form this motorcycle is… well, simple. The beauty, however, lies in the details, such as the radiator for the newly developed 900-cc parallel-twin, which is well-hidden from the eye between the downtubes. The twin exhausts might appear to be individual pipes exiting the engine; however, they are connected via a cat-con sitting just ahead of the motor under the radiator. And this time instead of slapping throttle bodies that mimicked the Keihin carburettors on the previous bike, Triumph decided to go for completely covered throttle bodies that do not replicate anything.
As for the mechanicals — the engine, chassis and suspension — it took Triumph engineers five years to develop and finetune it. In 2011 the project was kicked off and since then the main priority for Triumph was to make the new point-ofentry into the Triumph family a unique prospect for budding riders who like to have fun in the streets rather than munching miles. So, technically speaking, the engine was the first thing that needed to change; after all, the previous Bonnie’s 865-cc lump was 10 years old when work began on the new one. The new 900-cc “high torque motor”, as Triumph call it, may mimic the old pushrod-operated Meridian lump, but it was extensively re-designed to make it a modern unit. Liquid-cooling was introduced, doubleoverhead cams made way for a single overhead cam, although twin-cam is always better than single cam, but this setup seems to work just fine. A 270º crank angle and eight valves make it smoother and more refined. The bore and stroke were reduced from 90 x 68 mm to 84.6 x 80 mm to make it less oversquare. Rideby-wire was introduced for better throttle response. All these changes make it a brilliant engine.
These major changes have altered the bike’s character to such an extent that it
feels nothing like before, and that too in a good way. It now develops 55 PS at 5,900 revolutions per minute, which may not sound like much but the hallmark here is the bike’s massive 80 Nm of torque, all of which is available from 3,230 RPM. The way this parallel-twin has been tuned, the torque starts to arrive much earlier, giving it a livelier bottom and mid-range grunt. This makes the Street Twin utterly easy to ride in almost any condition — just whack open the throttle and the bike lunges forward with gusto. Overtaking cars and buses in the city goes like a breeze and the way the speed builds up is awesome. The smoothness of the engine is also something that attracted my attention. British bikes were known for their vibrations, but the Street Twin hardly has any, even when you open the throttle. Acceleration is exceptionally good thanks to that epic low-end grunt. Past 5,000 RPM, however, power and torque begin to drop quite rapidly. I never got a chance to spend time at high speeds since my ride was limited to the city, where the engine impressed me immensely.
The chassis also has been made to make sure that the bike handles quite well. After getting my hands on it for the first time in India, I couldn’t believe how agile the Street Twin was. Having ridden the earlier Bonneville, I expected this one to be somewhat similar but, as I said earlier, it was nothing like the previous-generation Bonnie. It felt light even though it weighs over 200 kilos (ready-to-ride). Its compactness and agility impressed me highly and, combined with the 80 Nm, this bike is an absolute delight to ride. The tubular steel cradle frame also adds to that wonderful ride-ability. The chassis is taut enough to handle almost any terrain and riding style. The frame has just enough flex, which inspires confidence as I found out when I threw the bike into a few really tight corners with enthusiasm. The turn-in was quick and full of feel and I was able to throw the bike deep into a corner without an unnerving feeling. The bike’s stability also impressed me immensely as it remained rock-solid through the bends.
The suspension of the Street Twin is equally amazing. It is set on the softer side to make things more comfortable and this lends the motorcycle good ride quality. Normally, a softer setup is a strict no-no for a good handling motorcycle, but this setup on the Street Twin doesn’t hamper its handling even a bit. In fact, I quite enjoyed riding the bike hard into the corners. It may be a 900-cc beast weighing 198 kilos (dry) but the way the chassis and the suspension have been tuned it feels more like a 200-cc lightweight motorcycle. The weight distribution is perfect; the bike doesn’t feel heavy on any one side.
Although it is a great handler and has oodles of low and mid-range torque, I wish the Street Twin had a little more grunt in the higher rev range for more fun and a little more power. However, for what Triumph are offering, the Street Twin makes perfect sense as an everyday motorcycle that can be ridden by almost anyone without any apprehension. It is quick to turn in, superbly stable, handles like a charm, has ample of power and torque for city and Indian highway riding conditions, a comfortable ride quality and, most important of all, a brilliant price tag: Rs 6.90 lakh (ex-Delhi). At this price you get an entry into the exclusive Triumph Motorcycle family and also an easy-to-livewith big bike. So if I had the money to spare, I would have already booked one.