Cycle News

Cycle News 2021 Issue 42 October 19

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/1420253

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P90 QUICKSPIN I 2021 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN Super clean analog dials hide neat digital faces at the bottom. the same caliper you'll find on the much faster Aprilia Tuono V4, so you're in good hands there. Triumph's done the right thing and laced some proper sporty rubber beneath you in the Metzeler Sportec RR tires, which have more grip than this bike could ever need and would be more adept on something like a Streetfighter V4. The Speed Twin's agility is impressive, of- fering quick direction changes while able to hold its line nice and tight when you get on the gas. Right now, it all sounds pretty hunky-dory, right? For the most part, it is. But the one issue I had with the Speed Twin was it was just too damn small! This is a bike designed for riders 5'10" and under, at 6'1" I found the gap from the seat to the pegs too small, the width of the tank too narrow, and the same for the width of the handlebars. The Speed Twin has a rather low seat height of 31.9 inches, which makes it ideal for shorter riders out there, but I found I was just too cramped on it. That was about my only gripe with the machine because the performance is excellent, and this bike got more looks from interested onlookers than any test bike I've had for a long time. I even had one old guy come up to us refusing to believe this was a 2021 motorcycle and not something from 40 years ago. Thus, Triumph's styling depart- ment is absolutely on point, even if I personally am more inclined to go for the rangier Scrambler 1200 than the Speed Twin. Electronics-wise you get a handy USB charging point in the un-handy position of under the seat instead of near the dash somewhere, as well as LED lighting with a neat Daytime (Above) The seat is relatively comfortable but not overly padded and you'll feel the bumps filter through pretty quickly. Superbike stoppers on your retro rocket.

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