VOL. 56 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 26, 2019 P77
at 5600 rpm is a definite option,
and despite the taller handlebar
compared to the Thruxton you don't
get so badly windblown at such
high speeds, thanks to the slightly
inclined stance it delivers.
But swinging from side to side through a
switchback succession of fourth-gear bends
is the Speed Twin's natural habitat, before
clicking into top for longer straight stretches.
There, 4000 rpm in top gear equals 60 mph,
and anything upwards of that makes a nice re-
laxed cruising speed for this Modern Classic.
Really, this is an accessible and thoroughly
enjoyable motorcycle which just asks to be rid-
den hard, and delivers when you do—although
a wide-open powershifter would be welcome
to help keep it revving hard, even with the
lighter crankshaft.
Indeed, the handling on this bike is a really
noticeable step up from any other Triumph
twin, and please believe that I'm not just saying
that because I think I ought to, after
hearing Steve Sargent tell me what
to expect.
You honestly do notice the lighter
steering and easier change of direc-
tion immediately, as soon as you
start swinging from side to side through
any tight sections of road—it has an ea-
ger, willing feel to the handling, aided by
the comparatively narrow 160/60-17 rear
tire, which inevitably helps deliver agility.
Yet when you round a turn to find a fam-
ily of goats milling around in the middle of
the road, the four-piston four-pad Brembo
axial (meaning non-radial) calipers fitted to
the 305mm Sunstar twin front discs do an
excellent job in delivering a controllable but
effective panic stop, without any instability. I
didn't miss the extra bite from a radial setup
at all—these calipers are a big improvement
on what Triumph used before, not only in ef-
fectiveness but also the way you can modu-
The new Speed
Twin hunts corner
apexes, especially
with the greater
agility from the
lighter wheels.
