Triumph Speed twin
Twin shocks, right-way-up forks and a thudding air-cooled engine? Don’t be fooled, there’s more to an exciting dynamic than fancy tech
Peruse the Speed Twin’s spec list and it doesn’t look terribly enthralling. With 96bhp from its 1200cc twin it’s the least powerful of the three, with only half the power-per-cc of the Street Triple. At 196kg dry (so nothing in the 14.5-litre tank, and probably no engine oil, fork oil or battery) the Speed Twin is heaviest, with a chassis featuring unadjustable right-way-up forks and old-school twin shocks. You won’t find radially-mounted brakes, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control or a swanky track riding mode either. Ride this pumped-up retro, however, and you immediately realise the Speed Twin’s easy-access wallop, instant response, rich sensations and quick-fix thrills make it the best pure road bike here.
‘It’s a completely different beast to the two RS models – sound, feel and performance are nothing like the triples,’ reckons Langy. ‘Any gear, any revs, and it leaps forward on rapid-fire big-twin punches. It hasn’t the rev range of the triples and eats through the gears quickly, but this accentuates the sense of acceleration. And once in a tall gear there’s rarely any need to change down. It shakes and rattles the right way too; sounds an odd thing to say, but feed the gas at 50mph and its rumbling torque, sense of combustion and deep noise stir your insides...’ Triumph have ignored pointless peak power. Instead, they’ve spread thick torque across the full rev range, dispensed through snappy roadbiased gearing. Creating a torque curve that’s a horizontal line across
a dyno curve is a mechanical engineer’s dream, and the 1200’s trace is the closest ever – there’s a Pirelli-tormenting 80 lb.ft or more all the way from 3500 to 6250rpm. With the rev limit set at 7200rpm (an indicated 8000rpm), this means the 1200 has give-or-take as much torque across its entire usable rev range as the Speed RS musters at peak. Wallop. With short gearing the Speed Twin is king of thrust. Our datalogger shows it hits 60mph as quickly pulling away in second gear as first. From 50mph in fifth it accelerates so hard that the Speed Triple RS – the gruntiest supernaked – needs to be a gear lower to keep up. Treat it like a giant twist ‘n’ go down a rolling B-road in top gear, and the Street RS needs to be working like a two-stroke for the same progress. And it sounds amazing and feels fabulous. It’s superb. So is the chassis, which has the steepest steering angle here at a race-like 22.8°, an easier-turning 160-width rear tyre, and a stubbier wheelbase than the Speed Triple. It might not have Öhlins stickers, but quick-turning geometry, commanding riding position and compact feel create a giddying mix of nimbleness and confidence. ‘You sit up and turn the bike beneath you, rather than leaning your body into corners as with the sportier bikes,’ notes Langy. ‘It’s so easy to ride briskly. I’m sure the suspension would be limiting on a track, but who cares? It’s perfect for me on proper roads. Loads of brake feel too: I’d rather have this sensitivity than the initial grab of the radials on the Street and Speed.’ It’s not at the expense of power either: the 1200 stops in less distance (with the ABS on) than the Speed RS...
The retro’s trump card is also being ace when you’re in a less excitable mood. It trundles around town, saunters down lanes and wafts across countryside where the overly-stiff RSS clatter, jiggle and feel wasted. Yes, in the right conditions and on the right road the buzz from the Street RS is as big. But the character and accessibility of the Speed Twin mean you’re so much more likely to enjoy a ride. Or to feel like riding in the first place. Especially as its ‘simple’ dash, clear clocks, great headlight and superb ergonomics make using the bike a doddle. Pity the too-short sidestand lug is hidden behind the exhaust: you shouldn’t need to dismount to operate the flippin’ stand. ‘I could happily plod around on this until I pop my clogs,’ says Langy. ‘It makes me feel really good, regardless of road, speed, weather, mood. And it makes me want to be in the middle of nowhere, sun going down and the wife on the back. I wouldn’t even get her near the other two.’
‘The Speed Twin is king of thrust – it’s so easy to ride the 1200 briskly’