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/128152
its models continued to be pursued, somewhat improbably in the race-driven Supersport class. In which case, the obvious thing was to diversify the model lineup, and hope that having missed the bull'seye with one arrow, the next one from the same quiver might hit the mark. With naked four-cylinder roadsters derived from 600 Supersport contenders dominating the sales charts in many of Triumph's key markets - the Yamaha 600 Fazer has been the number-one best-selling motorcycle of any kind in France for the past three years, just as the Honda 600 Homet was last year in Italy . it was only a matter of time before Triumph lived up to expectations by stripping the bodywork off the TT600 to create a Speed Triple lookalike, especially as the company's outrageous streetfighting fashion statement based on the 955i Daytona has become a Rude Boy roadster loved by the masses. So, in concocting the slightly inevitably named Speed Four which has just entered production, around 3000 examples of which will be built for the 2002 model year· same quantity as the fully faired TT600 in revamped guise - Triumph has opted to follow in the proven tire tracks of its established Speed Triple family which, ever since its 1994 debut, in its various forms has consistently sat at or near the top of Triumph sales charts around the world. That means aggressive, chrome-backed, twinheadlamp front-end styling surmounted by a distinctive deflector, the same essential chassis package as the TT600 it's derived from, and a slightly retuned but still pretty potent fuel·injected, 16-valve, dohc engine, again closely derived from the British firm's Supersports contender. "Most other middleweight naked bikes are old-technology products built to a price, which are heavier and use lower-spec components," says Triumph export sales manager Ross Clifford. "We decided to make the Speed Four stand out by employing leading·edge technology and offering a higher level of performance, but at a competitive price." At .£5649 ($8150) list in the UK, the fuel-injected, Speed Four, (the first middleweight naked bike to employ EfI) costs a whopping .£1000 ($1440) less than its TT600 sister, and is only around .£500 ($720) more than the carbureted Fazer/Hornet duo which are its main showroom rivals. But in becoming the first and so far only fuel-injected middleweight naked roadster, the Triumph offers quite a bit more for the money, as the chance to ride the bike both on the Cartagena race circuit, then around the hills and streets of southern Spain, proved at its press launch. Moreover, in spite of delivering only around 10-percent less horsepower than the fully faired 600 Supersports, it represents a viable alternative, too. The Speed Four costs a lot less to insure - .£859 for a 26-year-old living in London with three-year no-claims Now Available Through cgcle news Video Theater CARL FOGARTY : CHAMPION (#5942) The first ever video biography of Britains biggest biking hero and the most successful World Superbike rider of all time, takes you from his early career to his fourth World Superbike Championship crown. This official video - made with "Foggy's" full approval, reveals the story of an ordinary down to earth man who has achieved superstardom and a prime position in motorcycling's hall of fame. 90 minutes from White Star I Duke Video. ,..--) To Order Videos. Call 714/751-7433 - Charge to ~ Jml This release $19.95, Order Videos On-Line at: """""",.cycleneW's.corrl/product:!video.asp cue' • n _ includes shipping. _ s • MAY 1. 2002 55