VOL. 53 ISSUE 2 JANUARY 19, 2016 P83
which there will presumably be a
new version yet to be launched
powered by the new 900cc
liquid-cooled motor.
SPANISH SOJOURN
But that's in the future, and
what's already here right now is
the 900 Street Twin, which I had
the chance to spend a day riding
first through the streets of Valen-
cia on Spain's sunny Mediterra-
nean coastline, then out through
the hills and orange groves in-
land from the coast. Just throw-
ing a leg over its 29.5-inch high
seat makes you realize straight-
away this is a better thought-out
and more accessible bike than
any previous Bonneville, be-
cause while 10mm higher than
the outgoing T100's perch, it
actually feels lower thanks to the
way it's been narrowed where
it meets the slightly smaller fuel
tank. Shorter riders, many of
them female, will welcome being
able to place both feet flat on the
floor at stoplights, yet at 5'10"
tall I didn't feel at all cramped
because there's lots of room to
move around the bike, plus the
seat itself has been redesigned
to incorporate more substantial
foam for a comfier mile eating
posture. It's now well-padded
enough to be comfortable on
any journey a Street Twin rider is
likely to make in terms of length,
and the footrests are sufficiently
low to be relaxing, without touch-
ing down at the relatively enthu-
siastic angles of lean permitted
by the specially developed Pirelli
Phantom Sportcomp tires.
In addition, the Street Twin's
riding stance feels more natural
and more engaging than be-
fore, thanks mainly to the reach
forward to the shorter, flatter
one-piece steel handlebar with
adjustable brake and clutch
levers being shorter compared
to the old bike-you feel you're
seated further forward, and
although the handlebar is closer
to you, it asks you to lean slightly
further forward than with the
more pulled-back bars of the
old bike. Plus, the footrests
feel positioned slightly further
back, so you're encouraged to
ride with your toes parked on
the pegs, with knees tucked in
tight to the flanks of the tank-you
feel more a part of the Street
Twin than before, and it's a very
untiring place to be thanks to the
complete lack of vibration at any
revs from the all-new parallel-
twin motor with 270ยบ crank, up
to and including the redline. The
fuel tank is well shaped, so you
grasp it cozily with your knees,
plus the retro-looking round mir-
"WHAT MATTERS MOST IN REAL WORLD
RIDING IS THE FACT THAT THERE'S A
CLAIMED 18 PERCENT MORE TORQUE
THAN THE OUTGOING T100 MODEL,
PEAKING AS LOW AS 3230 RPM."
