Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1086032
2019 TRIUMPH SPEED T WIN FIRST REVIEW P80 uneven of surfaces, when the rear end does skip about a little. And the quite aggressive steer- ing geometry doesn't deliver any instability, just totally predictable, confidence inspiring steering. This is a really fun bike to ride hard in something approaching anger, and I reckon it might well surprise quite a few outwardly more sporty-seeming bikes at track days, where its retro styling compared to the Thruxton might cause some to underestimate its sporting potential. At their peril. Eighty years on from the debut of its grandfather, the new Triumph Speed Twin won't play as crucial a role in reinventing the naked sport bike as its il- lustrious namesake ancestor did in changing the face of motor- cycling—whatever Triumph may claim in their somewhat over- wrought PR poop. But it does very arguably set a new standard for all-round performance in the increasingly crucial Mod- ern Classic category, where the costlier BMW RnineT and Ducati 1100 Scrambler are very legitimate targets for the new British bike, whose array of over 80 dedicated accessories will allow any customer to pimp their Speed Twin by using Tri- umph's own options catalogue. Butch looking and purpose- ful, it more than lives up to the expectations aroused by those looks – and at the right price, too. Improbable as it may seem thanks to the retro styling, this is quite enough motorcycle in real world terms to satisfy all but the hardest of hard core per- formance addicts – and it not only goes better than Triumph's previous top twin, the Thruxton R, it's also a lot more comfort- able to spend a day with. Job well done, Triumph, but do you really expect anyone to buy a T120 from now on? CN 2019 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN ($12,100) ENGINE: ... Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle, parallel twin DISPLACEMENT: ............................. 1198cc BORE X STROKE: .................97.6 x 80mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ...................... 11.0:1 CLUTCH: ... Wet, multi-plate assist clutch TRANSMISSION: ........................... 6-speed FRONT SUSPENSION: ....41mm cartridge forks REAR SUSPENSION: .... Twin shocks with adjustable preload FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ....................4.7 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ......................4.7 in. FRONT BRAKE: ......... Twin 305mm discs, Brembo 4-piston fixed calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: ........... Single 220mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: .........................120/70-17 in. REAR TIRE: ........................... 160/60-17 in. WHEELBASE: ..................................56.2 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .................................31.7 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ............................3.8 gal. WEIGHT: ............... 432 lb. (dry, claimed). COLOR: ....................................... Red, grey S P E C I F I C A T I O N S