Speed Twin

■ New £11,000 ■ Used from about £8700

This is a real hybrid! It’s the Bonneville for those who want the speed of the faster Thruxton and the handling of a sportsbike, but without having to tuck yourself up into a ball to ride it. The more powerful 1200cc engine from the Thruxton makes just under 100bhp, the wheels carry wider, more sports-oriented tyres and it’s even gone on a diet, weighing 20kg less than the T120, to give the upside down forks and adjustable shocks an easier time. There’s modern brakes, oh, and the exhaust sounds great…

The Speed Twin may look cute but it’s a modern sportsbike. The engine pulls, the body position just right for both tanking along and riding sedately.

It’s like a vicar who has a McLaren tucked in the garage – surprising all around. Ask a bit too much and it looks after you. Want to overtake when following modern bikes? No problem. And did I say it sounds great?

The electronics work well with the Speed Twin, with three rider modes. But despite the engine being in a higher state of tune, its still smooth, like the other, more sedate models. The only issue I had was gears matching revs. Sometimes you feel like you’re in too high a gear, so you change down and it becomes all snatchy, like it’s too low a gear. I only notice it on the higher-tuned models, not on the T120 or the 900 bikes. Otherwise, it’s my personal favourite for riding.

Who would it suit? The sensible rider who still has a little fight in them…