I’ll replace my mirrors with an. oval chrome ditto and an all chrome exhaust. Together with my brown saddle that will make my Speed Twin 1200 absolutely Fab
People who complain about the throttle on this bike really need to get some wrist control. I had no issues with it from the start and I do very mixed riding. The brake squeal was due to the lack of copper paste on the brake pads, easy fix.
i pay a monthly fee to watch youtube ad free - nonetheless some RU-vidrs dont care and add even more advertisement to their videos. of course, driving the latest motorbikes is a hard job. not like mine, programming and managing sap projects, which is apeace of cake. but no one pays me for advertsisng sap.
And I thought I was going to watch a video about a motorcycle. Not how to look after me feckin face fungus. People used to do this kind of thing for the pleasure not the money.
After seeing your "Speed Twin R" ride featured again in this video, I pushed the button and ordered a 23' ST 1200 with the idea of making one myself.... fast forward to 4 months in and I'm almost there, I wanted to keep true to the beautiful lines of this bike (in my opinion at least the best looking retro of them all), but add a bit of modern edge to make it a true "Modern Classic" so with rear & front suspension upgrade, decat and pipes, a tune and high flow air filter, 3k from triumph's parts catalogue, bits and bobs from British customs and motone and some carbon fibre notes from RSR-moto Europe my Speed Twin R is almost complete, bar the paint and a few more details.... I couldn't be happier with ( dare I say it), my forever bike. Thanks for all the vlogs you make mate, they really helped me zero in on the perfect bike for me.... especially when there were limited test bike available over the past few years due to covid and supply chain issues. The roads of Australia might not all be perfect for this type of machine, but the glorious weather does go some way to making up for that fact. Please keep being my go to channel for all things motorcycle mate. J
Just got the bike about 3 weeks ago absolutely in love with it ☺️ the torque and the looks are just amazing. Correct me if i am wrong but I don’t think there is another naked bike that has such torque at low rpms. This bike is no super naked but thats whats fun about it. You don’t have to rev to infinity and beyond to feel that power. Its very beautiful and can also cruise just fine if you want to
I have a Speed Twin 1200 and it took some time to bond with it. At first, it was too easy to ride after all my years with large cruisers. Second, it gets a little buzzy above 3,500 rpm, like the Japanese bikes. But the more I ride it, the more it satisfies my lust for a nimble, strong acceleration motorcycle. It feels like it's maxed out at 4k, then you yank the throttle and you're at 100 in the blink of an eye. With three Triumphs, I appreciate the quality of these bikes.
Hey @motobob you really want to fix a major error in your video that is dead wrong around 3:00-3:45. You talk about Booster Plugs and ECU. I’m the owner of DNK TuneWorks, the only active tuner in this community. We are also the only ones that cover all Triumphs. All years of Speed Twin can be tuned. All Triumphs from 2010 onwards can have the ECU directly flashed. There was zero change whatsoever with Euro-5 as for tuning. The only change is that placebos like the Booster Plug now set off a check engine light, and rightfully so since the ECU cancels it out in milliseconds as soon as it sees the AFRs out of spec. Another would be that non North America market bikes require a tune even for sprocket changes. The only real fix is ECU tuning. The throttle spacers just take up any slack at zero throttle, which are also a mod that isn’t needed or an actual problem. Never do I get on a customer’s bike and even think or notice if it has these spacers installed or not. Truthfully if you aren’t and haven’t been tuning your bike, then you have no idea how much you are missing out. Triumph severely neuters many of its models just to have a little something extra in a few years when it needs an update. 165hp Rockets suddenly become 200hp bikes. A 103hp Thruxton RS suddenly becomes a 115hp bike. They bake in such heavy limiters in some models (60% throttle no matter how much you give it) that they truly become a different bike. The only exception is the early 900cc bikes that were sub 60hp. They simply have a weak camshaft. Please correct this error. You are uninformed and putting out very wrong information that hurts companies like us. I’d hope that you’d want to be helping the only source in the community that tunes all Triumphs from 2010+ instead of putting out bad information.
@@Drzee1968 the Triumph community. We tune on six continents every month, have Triumph dealerships and private shops as partners, as well as all of the big reputable names in the aftermarket, Motone UK, British Customs, worked with Thornton, A&J, Conyon, and when I have free time will be working with Hitchcox for a collab on a Bobber TFC we're building. Hell, we were scrubbed in when BC was developing all of their new exhaust offerings. You'll also find a tuning guide on their website that was codeveloped with us. We originally just started on Modern Classics, but now we tune more Tridents, Street Triples and Rockets more than the rest, I reckon. If I could just find a Triumph dealer or shop in Antarctica, when we'll complete all seven continents.
I’ve had mine for abort 2 months and love it. And I really enjoy that it had a gentleman mode and beast mode. Not sure I agree with the poor in town manners, I have no issue
The suspension does make a difference… I moved my rear to ohlins from the thruxton rs and the front to the ohlins from speed triple 1200… since there is no xpipe possibility, I had put the pipes from tec that go straight to the v&h endcans. The tyres are a different story, the racetech are good in clean roads but give them a bit of dust or wet conditions and they tend to make the traction systems work over time, I had shifted to Michelin road 6 and they are really good…. the bike now is much lighter and handles well at what ever speed one thinks of doing. As for the jerky throttle, I had put a t120 front sprocket and it’s sorted..
I have an identical one to the one you presented. Love the tank colour and put a gel insert in the seat to assist on the comfort side. I have a V4 Ducati Diavel & BMW R1200R for longer distances but love the Triumph on the hilly curvy roads near my home in Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand. Really enjoy your good road tests
Great overview. I agree with pretty much everything you said. Can’t say I’ve ever worried about the kickstand, though. Stick some Öhlins on the back and it’s the perfect, if largely impractical bike. I don’t think I’ll ever part with mine😊
Yup I agree with everything he said as well. Kickstand only bothers me in the rain, with wet boots I have to stick my toes out and get it down on the back of my heel, small irritation on an otherwise amazing bike. I did upgrade my front master cylinder to a brembo corsa corte, WOW it brakes like a supersport now. Highly recommend that as a second upgrade after rear suspension.
As a litre+ bike rider my whole motorcycle career, I feel like not enough people appreciate the rear brake for smoothing out big power when opening the throttle.
The T120 looks nicer but is heavier and 20 less HP. and in my opinion way underpowered. because for me even the the Speed Twin is not powerful enough. unless you are using it for putting through town and just using the low end.
@@photographerjonathanthis is why there are different versions of the Bonneville. No one version is perfect for everyone. The Speed Twin 1200 has plenty of power. I traded in my MT07 for it. It’s like the same bike but more of everything, quality, price, power, and performance.
i have to agree, i have had my Speed Twin 1200 for a couple of months now, (had its 600 mile service this week @ fowlers) rear shocks are functional, but a bit naff. i am 6' 2" the bike is on the small side but fun to ride. brakes are breathtaking, even the rear is good. low speed can be fidgety, Rain mode sorts it a little... but not totally. i had a black one, with CNC brake reservoir, head bolt covers, light bezel, clutch guide, heated grips, tank and knee pads, and the necessary radiator guard!
Yeah, the side stand ! Triumph sent me several surveys about my 2019 Speed Twin 1200. I moaned about the side stand. They didn't fix it on the updated one from a year or so back ! That is probably my biggest moan about my speed twin. Otherwise I'm still loving my one 4 and a bit years later. Although I'd love a Speed Twin look-a-like bike , but with a 1 litre triple , knocking out about 130 BHP, along with a quick shifter. Triumph still haven't made that, even though I suggested it on one of the surveys. Yeah, Triumph don't listen to me !
Sure seems to be alot of people complaining about easily remedied things on a bike with great value. No bike is perfect for everyone. When I bought my '22 in Dec of '21, which makes it 2 years old already, I had a game plan for upgrades. I don't have the time or space to detail all the mods here, but lets just say its all come together quite nicely! I never even started the engine or rode the bike once, before tearing into it seven ways to sunday. With all the aftermarket support for this bike available, I had zero issues getting the parts I wanted. With an ECU tune, the mods I've done should pay off handsomely. It already pulls hard from 0-125+mph without an ECU flash. Should be like riding a brand knew bike all over again, after uncorking the severely limited factory tune.
Number 1 for me is the fact that the ride by wire throttle is limited to 90%. Yes; so if you give it WOFT you only get 90% and that just pisses me off! Utter bullshit. To fix it you need to get into the ECU!
I was at a triumph demo at mid-ohio racetrack this summer, (demo course was on the road, not the track) and i was completely blown away by this bike. I jumped on it to fill the time until my street triple ride, not expecting anything. It pulled so good and made a terrific sound. Love the guages too
Just curious but I have a Panigale v4 and have taken my girlfriend on a couple of rides but she doesn’t like being on the back which I understand. But she likes that retro triumph look. How is this bike like with a passenger, Is it relaxed and Cruzy? These type of bikes are not realistically not my kinda taste, but happy to get something me and the girlfriend can both be happy with while still keeping the Panigale.
I owned a Thruxton which I loved to look at it more than ride it, just a little too much shoulder and neck soreness. I hope the Speed Twin 1200 (RS?) specs up closer towards the Thruxton. Then I'll be ordering one.
Great vid. Had a 1st gen for about three years. Great bike, tho I think they should come with asbestos trousers as standard. Anything under about 40mph on a warm day and you'll have a right leg like a well boiled frankfurter...
Ahh I miss my Speed Twin. I had one for a year and it was a brilliant bike to ride but unfortunately didn't suit the kind of riding I tend to do more of which is loading up with tent and bags and go touring, so ended up replacing it with a Tiger 900 which I also love (but perhaps not quite as much as the Speed Twin!). I could feel my heart jumping a bit when I was watching you ride that Speed Twin and feeling a bit envious. If I had the money and garage space for the second bike, I'd have another ST in a second.
I demoed one recently and was surprised with how refined and silky smooth it was. Maybe it’s because all I’ve been riding have been used Japanese bikes 😂. It’s on my dream list now!
I love my speed twin, it's my first bike, never had an issue in town and i never found the throttle an issue, my only negative is it gets REALLY hot! which can be uncomfortable on a hot day in stop start traffic, i replaced the tyres for Michelin road 6's and they are great on this, i don't find the rear suspension that bad at all either despite every review mentioning them, maybe it's a weight thing (i'm 6ft 2 and 11stone), i agree the stand is a pain but i've not had an issue with it really, some boots make it easier to get at that others, it can be uncomfortable above 70mph+ but it is a naked bike, and it can feel a little twitchy at speed too which i think it down to the short wheel base, the T120 is deffinately better for cruising but i found the speed twin so much more fun than the T120 personally, mine is the revised 2021 model
@@juliencolonnello1782 depends what sort of rider you are. I had quite a few lessons on a Suzuki SV650 and got used to the power of that. I took it easy for the first few months, it'll only go as fast as you twist the throttle. It is quite weighty so that took a bit of getting used to. Test ride one if you can and see how you feel, if you don't feel confident, get something else. Everyone is different. I only got my bike licence at the grand age of 40 so i had 22 years driving experience in cars to help so i could just get used to the bike and not worry to much about driving if that makes sense
@juliencolinnello1782, You're better off with less bike and learning to ride it really well, then moving up. What happens with people who start out on a bike like this is that they never become really good riders because they don't ride wdll enough to get what they can out of the bike. It's like a guy who starts going to the gym and gets on steroids immediately , he's going to grow of course, but he would have gotten a lot bigger if he first got as big as he possibly could naturally, and then did the steroids. Make sense ?
@@rottweilerfun9520weird comparison with the steroids 😂 but I understand what you mean. I didn’t mentioned that I am not really beginner because I own a 125cc bike. Since my question here I had the chance of testing a ST1200. I felt it really comfortable and manageable. The power of this machine can be very smooth.
In my opinion it is the most beautiful modern classic on the market and with the best quality. Perfection does not exist, but it must be one of the closest to
I adore my '22 model. Perfect road bike for my needs, good looks and fantastic build quality. Definitely needs the standard silencers swapping out for a bit more noise, throttle spacers and rear shocks to sort the niggles out.
I hope triumph sacked the team who made the video, edited it, checked it, approved it, and then also uploaded it and thennnnnn watched it and still didn’t take it down😂
i have me a 2019 and have had it for almost 3 years now. plenty of customization options like you mentioned. I didn't touch the suspension for nearly 2 years. I'm a fair weather spirited rider and a little on the heavier side, sure there were times I wish I had better suspension; but for those that just get the bike and want to swap/upgrade suspension out the gate I would strongly suggest just riding the bike as is. Another thing I notice is that people buy these Speed Twins and try to make it something that its not. There's other bikes out there for other purposes. I've turned mine more into a cafe racer style adding spoked rims, cafe fairing and running no rear fender. But to each their own. Great content as always! I'm just happy to see some content on the Speedy! 🤙
@@alexpryce555the bike is what it is, a modern classic, a blend of power, performance and looks. I see a lot of ppl try to make it a tourer, it’s not set up for that! They try to add top boxes and side bags, raise the bars to scrambler bars. There’s a reason for the different type of bikes out there and bless your heart if you can afford more than one bike for whatever purpose that you put that bike through. But at the end of the day it’s not a tourer and I’m just tired of ppl trying to make it something that it’s not. Get a Tiger or a Scrambler.
Riding this bike for over a year now and all of these yeap yaps ppl keep repeating is absolutely bs. This bike is pure joy, flawless and a beauty that I can't get tired of looking at it.
I own a 2015 Harley Super Low 1200 T, a 2020 Harley Low Rider S, a 2020 KTM 790S Adventure and a 2016 Motto Guzzi V7 II Stone (which I am currently trying to sell). I want to purchase a smaller lighter Motorcycle for use as primarily a "city bike". I am leaning towards the 2023 Ducati Scramble Icon. But am open to other possibilities. But the bike has to be light weight (comparatively) and be retro styled and mechanically simple in design and also have ample power to be fun to ride. At some point I may also sell my Harley SUper Low 1200T keeping the Low RIder S and the KTM 790 S and whatever lightweight "city" bike I end up purchasing. What is your 2 cents worth of advice on my predicament ?
I like mine, really like mine; but I am not in love with her. For me the bike is still flawed, even with a full Nitron suspension. Somehow I just can’t get the right seat. In fact the Triumph flat bench seat works best for me, but at the ton you get pushed off! I even have a full on very expensive seat, manufacturer to remain nameless. That just doesn’t work well at all. I like the customisation part, but it pisses me off that Triumph limits the throttle to a max of 90.5%!! You need a proper ECU tune to fix that! Here in Scotland nobody can do that for me. Granted it is still plenty fast and for a naked it keeps you on your toes. Once my old ZRX 1100 has been recommissioned I might flog her, but she is a damn fine looker.
And my Goodness does it Pull! A Suzuki GXS-S GT with 152hp really couldn’t keep up because of my bikes low end torque. But the GSX-S GT is a more competent long tourer… but…. Speed Twin
Beards have not been mentioned in the caption, sorry, switched to the wrong video obviously… :-/ Otherwise: Good video on an almost-perfect bike. Riding joyfully my 2019 model since almost 30k kms, and no intention to swap.
I’m looking at trading in my Scrambler 900 for the ST 1200 Stealth Edition. Would you consider upgrading the stock rear suspension for a set of Ohlins shocks? 😊😊
I have a 22 model. It’s great. My only two bug bears are the awful cheap tank graphics. Why oh why Triumph?? Practically every other model from the modern classic range has a nice embossed triumph logo but this one is super ugly and cheap looking. A bike like this deserves better! The other thing is the rear shocks which feel budget. Everything else is epic.
I rode one & found it to be a thoroughly modern motorcycle dressed up to look like a retro... Something I found terribly disappointing. I bought a V7 Guzzi. Not because it's a retro bike, it's not. It's an genuine survivor from a different age, &much more to my liking. Horses for courses...
Love the looks of the T120 but I would prefer that it had a 17" front wheel(like the Ducati Sport Classics) for better, more sporty, lighter tyre options and looks too. Not a fan of 19/17 combos on what's a heavily biased street motorcycle. Leave the 19/17 wheels for the adventure bikes.
I can never get comfortable in the seat. Get moved around a bit. Emergency breaking throws me over the tank. And if I let the throttle out a bit too quickly I'm seated where the pillion should be 😂
One bike I would consider if I had the dough. A 1200 twin must have some serious grunt. I remember my uncle Steves Jota 1000. That was insane for a twin.
ya cant use a booster plug for 2021+ models...? I wonder who the genius is who figured out the throttle spacer fix. Dont have a Triumph but looking , i need to demo the T120 and Speedtwin 1200. I wouldnt mind a gen1 speedtwin.
Are the foot pegs position interchangeable with T120? One owner said that he put SeedTwin 1200 foot pegs in his T120. 1" higher & 1" further back. So I guess you can use T120's goot pegs on Speed Twin 1200 wherein it'll be 1" lower & 1" forward. Please enlighten if this is possible. Thank you.
Upside down forks ,idiot modes & fly by wire throttle ,is a big no no on this style of bike . Also 1200 cc totally far too much for this type of bike ,& U.K. speed limits increasingly being reduced to 20 mph & 50 mph with a national speed limit of 70 mph . Real road speeds 80 % of the time are about 20mph - 50 mph no matter what cc . What’s needed is smaller capacity engine , 100 mpg ,top speed 90 mph max ,no riding modes ,no gimmicky crap like slipper clutches ,idiot riding modes ,or fly by wire blipper throttle crap . Also quick spare parts availability & no more rip off prices , all bikes with Triumph badges claiming to be British actually made in the U.K & better reliability .
I have an identical one to the one you presented. They are a great wee bike but I would not wish to go to far on that seat. I had a gel insert put in that helps but I have a BMWR1200R & Ducati V2S Multistrada for touring down here in the South Island of New Zealand
Bought my '22 new moving from a Honda CB1300. Handles like a dream very torquey like the Honda but being a twin feels more raw. Only things I miss are the underseat storage and fuel range but the grin it puts on your face more than makes up for it.
I really like your content, follow u for awile now. I got the 2020 SpeedTwin love her, but let ask you something what would u recomend for all seasons tires? Thank you so much for the content 🤙
Love the orange just wish it wasn’t matte though. Doesn’t really matter as I don’t qualify for one due to not having a beard or any intention of growing one.
The Speed Twin is a wonderful bike, but the saddle is a piece built to torture, disgust and destroy any pleasure there is. And there is no remedy, nowhere.
You're talking about performance, power and torque that really does pull.. I mean this nostalgic engine is so underpowered for the displacement and utterly NOT performant for the money, the consumption and this year of God, that it's a wonder of the modern marketing how they manage to sell any. Other than that.. nice try!
It's not underpowered. It's a SOHC low revving under stressed parallel twin that has the one of the flattest torque curves I've ever seen on a bike. The fact you are playing the HP per dollar game shows you don't get what this bike or any modern classic is about. Go buy a Super duke R and let people enjoy it for what it is, a sporty retro cruiser.
