Triumph Launches The Thruxton R's Friendlier Sibling, The Street Twin

The 1200cc roadster promises to be as dynamically entertaining as the Thruxton R

• Triumph has launched the Speed Twin at Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom, India)
• The 1200cc Speed Twin is a more comfortable alternative to the sporty Thruxton R.
• The upcoming bike should provide a retro alternative to the Ducati Monster 821 and Yamaha MT-09.

Triumph has launched the Speed Twin at Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The 1200cc roadster is based on Triumph’s Thruxton R and offers a more user-friendly and affordable alternative to the dynamic cafe racer. 

Also read: Triumph Speed Twin First Ride Review

Compared to other bikes in Triumphs retro-inspired Bonneville range, the Speed Twin is the most modern looking one. It gets the right amount of retro-inspired cues though, like the round headlamp and air-cooled motor, but also gets modernist cues in the form of bold graphics and side panels. You also get LED turn indicators and tail lamps. The Speed Twin does miss out on the Scrambler 1200’s colour TFT dash. Instead, it gets an updated version of the Thruxton’s twin pod analogue instrument cluster with two digital insets. 

Also read: All-new Triumph Speed Twin Unveiled

The riding position is more upright compared to the Thruxton R’s aggressive stance. This is due to the Speed Twin ditches the Thruxton R's clip-on handlebars for a flat one-piece handlebar borrowed from the Speed Triple roadster. While the foot pegs are rearset, they are 38mm forward and 4mm lower than the Thruxton R. Seat height is low at 807mm but gets more comfortable and thicker foam than the Thruxton R. 

The Speed Twin is powered by a 1200cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin motor that produces 97PS and 112Nm of torque of which 100Nm is available from 2000rpm to 6250rpm. Triumph has managed to shed 2.5kg from the motor thanks to the use of a lighter clutch assembly, magnesium cam covers and lighter engine covers. Electronics come in the form of ride-by-wire, three rider modes (rain, road and sport), and switchable traction control. It gets a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. 

Like other bikes in the Bonneville range, the Speed Twin gets a tubular cradle frame. To keep things light and sporty, the bike has the cradle section constructed in aluminium. All these savings mean that at 196kg (dry), the Speed Twin weighs 10kg less than the Thruxton. The Speed Twin misses out on the Thruxton R’s Ohlin’s suspension setup and instead gets a non-adjustable cartridge type KYB telescopic forks and twin preload adjustable KYB shock absorbers. Thankfully, the Speed Twin does come with sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso III radial tyres.

Brembo four-piston axially mounted calipers and a rear disc with Nissin two-pot caliper takes care of braking. It gets a dual-channel ABS as standard as well.

Like other Bonneville bikes, the Speed Twin will come to India via the CBU route. With the Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom) pricing, we expect the Speed Twin to offer a more affordable retro alternative to the Ducati Monster 821 (Rs 10.99 lakh) and Yamaha MT-09 (Rs 10.55 lakh).