Twin & Scrambler
Triumph’s entry-level modern classic balances low stress with classy looks. Does more power spoil it?
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IN A COMPLEX world, it’s easy to see why Triumph’s classy 900cc Street Twin is popular. It’s elegantly simple, unintimidating and unburdened by tech overload. The water-cooled parallel twin’s non-threatening 54bhp makes for carefree Sunday rides; get on, turn the key and enjoy simple pleasures knowing you look awesome and aren’t going fast enough to trip speed cameras.
There’s much to be said for that, and for not messing with its formula. Which is why the 2019 Street Twin’s updates, of more power and revs, rider modes and stronger brakes and forks risk upsetting the balance.
We’re finding out if that’s the case in the hills around Sintra in southern Portugal, negotiating traffic jams and carving up mountain roads. Thankfully, the revised bike is as manageable as before. Weight is the same at around 225kg fully fuelled. Seat foam is 10mm thicker for comfort (all day, no problem) but a mere 760mm seat height still means freedom for all (and cramped knees for six-footers). Bars are narrow; steering is light and precise; low speed filtering and feet-up traffic lights are fun. The clutch, revised for less lever effort and back-slip going down the gears, is onefinger — dawdling around town is easier than taking a poodle for a walk.
And the Speed Twin looks cracking from all angles — hour-glass figure from above, splayed swan-neck exhaust headers, great economy of design. Cosmetic updates include new diamond-turned cast wheels and side panels, a ‘Bonneville’ badge on the clock bezel and a shorter rear hugger with new brake light. It all looks proper quality.
On paper, the Twin’s engine revisions read as if its charming, if ploddy, character will be altered to something harder-edged, revvier and peakier. A lighter crank and balancer shafts, new cam profiles and fuelling, and higher compression ratio give more claimed power, up 10bhp from 54 to 64bhp — no bad thing; the previous bike lacked outright poke. But the new power comes at increased revs, peaking at 7500rpm instead of 5900rpm. Torque is the same 59 lb·ft but it too now comes at 3800rpm instead of 3230rpm.
But no worries; the new bike isn’t rev-happy — it makes the Speed Twin’s performance more flexible, and the rider is better able to call on reserves of pace to squirt past cars and boogie away. It’s still not fast but it’s less slow than it was and has preserved its easy-going nature.
Triumph has upped the Street Twin’s electronics, too, with new Road and Rain riding modes adjusting traction control and throttle response (not overall power or torque) from a button on the bars. On tricky, wet Portuguese cobbles, the TC light flashes a few times but care is needed; electronics can’t defeat physics.
Extra braking power comes from a Brembo four-pot caliper instead of a Nissin sliding two-pot which, in turn, calls for new, non-adjustable KYB cartridge forks with better damping control. The twin rear KYB shocks are as before, with preload adjustment only, and steering geometry is also as was. The new set-up is a clear improvement in feel — the Brembos have a nuanced build-up and the revamped forks give more feedback about grip at the front.
The final news is price; the Street Twin is £8100 in black or £8250 in red or gunmetal — and its new performance will be handy against rivals such as Royal Enfield’s Interceptor (£5500, 46bhp), Moto Guzzi’s V9 (£8699, 60bhp) or Ducati’s Scrambler Icon (£8150, 73bhp).
Overall, the Street Twin’s 2019 improvements are enough to keep it relevant – it’s faster and it handles better – but without unbalancing its blend of style and extreme usability. You’d be hard pushed to find a better way to unwind from modern life.