Triumph Street Twin

Hinckley’s best-selling Bonneville gets an upgrade

Bike says: ‘The new one gets 18% more power and a lighter crankshaft ’

The old Street Twin was a no frills big-seller. Its 900cc parallel twin engine was perky enough to rattle down a country lane at a hugely entertaining pace, the non-adjustable suspension was just about able to cope, and the lack of electronic fripperies meant you could just get on and go. New riders, Sunday cruisers and hundreds of customisers adored it. And now, say Triumph, it’s better. The new one gets 18% more power (now 65bhp) and a lighter crankshaft and balance shafts which let the bike rev higher. Plus there’s a magnesium cam cover and a lighter clutch. The forks are now higher spec cartridge jobs (as opposed to the old bike’s damper rods) which should give the Street Twin a more progressive, plush feel down grotty roads. An extra 10mm of seat foam should help matters. So far, so unequivocally better. But there’s some new electronic gizmos too. For 2019 the Street Twin gets Road and Rain modes which seem an unnecessary complication given that the engine will hardly need taming in the wet. The new tyre pressure monitoring system might come in handy though, especially for those riders who leave the bike alone over winter.