VOLUME 58 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 19, 2021 P87
cylinder head and camshafts, with Triumph
claiming 98 horsepower at 7250 rpm and 83
lb-ft of torque, reached 500 rpm lower than
the 2019 machine at 4250 rpm.
The motor is matched to lovely upswept
stainless-steel exhausts that are sadly (only
slightly) spoiled by the black end caps.
Triumph's done well to hide the catalytic
converter to give a proper old-school look to
the pipes, and the audio result is just fantas-
tic. Under acceleration the Speed Twin has
a lovely bark to it that isn't overly loud, thus
ensuring your eardrums don't blow out
when on constant rpm down a freeway.
The motor spins up surprisingly quickly
for a 1200 twin, and it's matched to a silky-
smooth throttle response that somewhat
hides the amount of go clenched in your right
hand. It's geared rather tall, but there's plenty
of performance on offer in third and fourth
