Well Today I took this bike out on a test ride thanks to hemel hamstead triumph. the weather was aweful, cold and very wet. the roads were dirty and grimey and this bike just ate it up! unbelievable! it was just planted to the road no matter what! the torque makes all the difference, it makes it feel it has some poke. you can flick it like fudge even while going slowly! This bike is a real winner, almost perfect. When I got I finished I turned to my friend and said " that is a motorbike!" and that is high praise. it encompases everything you think motorcycle riding is.
IMO Triumph is smart to make motorcycles for the real world of public roads. Too many motorcycles that are grossly over-powered needing complicated electronics to keep the little tire patch in contact with the road. A lovely big parallel twin with strong mid-range and a seating position leaning slightly into the wind with a chassis that leans beautifully in the corners. It is about looks and feel, not scaring the crap out of you when you try and go through a few gears, although they will go very fast if you want to.
+gwwayner - Couldn't agree more! A lot of the target market (55 years old+) are pretty much beyond having masses of HP & are more turned on by a bikes rideability. I'd say Triumph have pretty much aced it with this bike & like H-D have figured out there's a lot of coin to be made in the accessorising basic models. Also like H-D an owner is literally buying an image but UNLIKE H-D they're getting a proper bike instead of a tarted up dinosaur.
He came very close to dragging a foot peg in some of those corners. I've read the shocks are not the best so you may want to consider fitting a pair of Ohlins. The front forks have been called a bit mushy, so maybe some thicker fork oil? The front brakes are not stellar but the single disk is lighter than the Speed Twin's dual disks and thus it turns in better. Maybe aftermarket brake pads would help? Still, it's a beautiful bike and would be my choice if my wife would allow it. (I had a BSA Lightning which I laid down in a corner. She has been biased against bikes since then).
makes total sense to me to increase the torque and fuel economy, peak BHP is irrelevant on a Bonnie....they are designed to be ridden below 6000rpm, anything over that and they feel nasty. Short shifting, riding the torque wave and cruising is what these bikes are about.
Nicely done. All things considered, I don't think the Street Twin is worth trading-in my 2013 Bonneville for, though. Still, hats off to Triumph for listening to their customer base and reading the market so well.
+street2fighter Well, he talks about it @ 5:50 where he points out there's something wrong about the helmet, but doesn't say exactly what, but to me it looks gigantic on his head, more like he's an astronaut rather than a bike rider. Just google astronaut helmet and you'll see what I mean. lol
Thanks for the great review. I was so excited to hear about these bikes when they were first announced. They seemed to have everything on my wishlist that I would have wanted for the old Bonnies. I am chomping at the bit to test ride one soon. C'mon Spring!
Beautiful review and gorgeous footage too! Finally a modern-day Triumph with vintage styling! Can't wait for this baby to land up in Dubai. Counting days :)
What a great review! Thanks, this bike has just shot to the top of my wish list, ousting the r1200r and even the street trip. Test ride time soon, can't wait.
Good and well informed review. What really irritated me though was that there was no shot without music, so that we could listen to the sound of the Bonneville in all it's glory. For me, and I feel I'm not alone here, the sound of the motorcycle is one of its most important traits.
+Bike World Thanks for the reply. This is the first review I have seen on your channel. So I don't know your explanation. Don't get me wrong though, I liked the review and I even liked the music and the way the video was edited. I just would have loved to hear the sound of the motorcycle on its own :)
Sorry Sam, our content is made for a Motorbike lifestyle TV show. We try to cater to non bikers and well as hardcore riders. We don't make informational type content and it's too much work for me as I produce it all on my own to re-edit for youtube. Our goal is to grow the bike market by getting buy in from non riders. Thanks for the feedback and we do listen to the comments.
+HalfCrazy520 Extra fuel mileage, if as claimed, had to come from somewhere. May miss the power if you carry a passenger. But looking at it in the video, it looks great. Especially in that shade red. But since they're offering a 1200, I can see why they might offer one that's had a reduction in power. Might be the hipster demographic influence, or more appeal to women.
Looking forward to what British Customs and other aftermarket companies put out for the new Bonnies. Also looking forward to seeing how Triumph will eventually replace the America and Speedmaster.
Great vid - thanks for taking the time to post.....what a shocker about that power figure eh? No wonder Triumph were keeping quiet....just show's you though, power on paper isn't everything - let's face it, it is still a 900cc bike!! Looking forward to getting a go on one of these once they appear in the wild.....all the best (oh, and ditch the helmet!!) - TMF
+CherrieBlossoms Knowing you, you will probably be one of the first people to ride one in Canada. ;-) I'll see and maybe hear them in 2 days. Maybe I'll record noise for you?
Although it is much more into the new technology than the previous model it looks more retro and closer to the classic models just because some typical details that are respected as original. Nice looking bike, indeed.
nice video,bike looks great,also like the fact the key ignitions been moved to a better position and it looks like a locking petrol cap has been fitted
So, effectively, it doesn't feel like it's down on power. Otherwise all the testers would have mentioned it. Less power and lighter eh? That also means it'll be more economical and quicker through the twisties!
The indicators the same part number as my old Ninja 250R I guess! Hehe! Very cool looking bike.. The triumph logo on the headlamp is just a brilliant touch!
Been Kinda looking at Triumph for a few years as a next bike wish list(currently own a Suzuki 1998 GSX-R 6). I was looking at the Scramblers, both Triumph and Ducati, Then I saw this.....oh man.
Bought a Phantom Black Street Twin last week. Was really hoping to include some of those 160+ accessories to my Street Twin. Be warned in the USA; As of this posting date, 99% of those accessories are still not available in the USA. Oh and as for those so-called "Inspiration Kits", again if you're in the USA, Triumph decided they will NOT make these kits available here.
Triumph is doing what all manufacturers are must do for Euro4 compliance, change their models, the discreet radiator is the best they could do, as air-cooled engines have had their day.
The Street Twin has gotten some rave reviews, but I'm not sold on the new engines yet. I'm going Triumph, but everything in me screams to go with a T100 while they're still making them. Next year will likely see the end of them as a '900' is in the works; as far as I can tell it's basically a T120 with a Street Twin engine- not looking forward to that :(
A reasonable first ride report. Not good to see ordinary jeans being worn though. Reviewers should set a better example in wearing decent protective gear.
2 years, 12000 km with mine, costs next to nothing and lots of pleasure. though it should be fitted for long rides (850km in a day is my record on this one)
Less HP is fine with more torque. The old Bonnie produced more peak HP but the engine didn't like being revved, so you never used it... Under normal riding, if what they say is true, the new bike will have more power, more of the time.
I really dislike how you insist on drowning out what the engine sounds like with music. Unless the music comes with the engine, I'd rather hear the engine!
Thank you for this great piece of editing ......... turning the musac down so the delivery of verbal information can be heard ......... Euro 4 rubbish ? So you don't want air you can breath ? Hopefully they made more effort than VW & dropping 10% of engine output suggest they have . Have they sat down & looked at making an electric Tina yet ? So , is this an on shore product yet ?
The real truth is that they missed the original feel of the Bonnie of the 60s,namely 375lbs. A light ,easy to handle powerful machine.Needs to lose 60 lbs.
I enjoyed the review. It looks like a fun bike. Am I right in thinking this bike has a five speed gearbox? You should protect your knees. It may look cool but you will live to regret it if come off (I speak from experience).
I will stick with my Carb model T100 thanks. 'Ride by wire', whats wrong with a throttle cable?. And 55 horsepower, mine is 73 horsepower with a decent exhaust system.
Thanks Guys. You are SO Exotic and ..Well..pretty amazing, almost...!! I could only do my Bonnie review (2014) in Brighton FFS...Well, it was Worthing but it's pretty close to Brighton though ;-)
Nice review. What size helmet is that? LOL. I bought Bitwell Gringo to look cool and had to sell it on eBay after the first ride, because it was awful with no airflow whatsoever. Lesson learned. I will stick with modern full face helmets in the future.
So..can you tell me why someone interested in retro styled bikes would prefer a watercooled, heavier, and less powerfull street twin over a cheaper, lighter, and more powerful ducati? I wonder why Triumph changed the original neo bonneville range for that street twin (bonneville, is it?) which is more expensive, looks no longer like a real classic, is less powerful, and overall looks like in no one's land style wise, from my point of view. Come on mate, there has been no retro luster like Ducati since the MH900 to the SC ever. Triumph bikes are great at what they are, but don't come close. And it's a current Truxton owner who is writing. Saludos!!
+Kgonross Astur look mate, I 'm not trying to convince you about anything. The bike feels more powerful than the air cooled bonnies and it is much better overall. I know for fact since I rode it today - and I have ridden all the Bonnies. The styling simply appeals to younger audiences, there is a strong trend towards more modern looking classics. Whether we like it or not is another issue.
No problem mate. Good luck at selling them!! I'll stick to my classicly engineered british 360 aircooled, actually more powerfull and, few mods afterly torquier Thruxton. Saludos/Cheers!!
If you wanted to, could you add a tachometer? Or perhaps the tach and speedometer from the Bonneville? I hate that it doesn't have a tach...how much more could that cost Triumph? It's a motorcycle, not a car.
Why do they shy away from using the original great Triumph name, Speed Twin? And considering Turner's legacy to Triumph and motorcycling, why not name a factory-custom, special series after him? Turner 100, 150, 200?
I've never driven a bike so I don't know if this happens but when he's turning it looks like his feet are gonna scrape the ground. Does this happen? I have big feet and if I get a bike I wouldn't want that to happen
I've never had that happen, scraped up the pipes a few times though so I'm sure it's possible. If you're leaning that far into a turn (which you don't have to btw) you'll hopefully be experienced enough to know exactly where your body and the bike is in relation to the road.
It's nothing like a Star Bolt. The Bolt is a cruiser, much heavier and worse handling, even the C-spec one. I've ridden the Bolt and the new Bonnies look much better made an equipped. The bolt is a fun bike but areas like the clocks, mirrors and brakes are a bit budget feeling.
