Motorcycle Review — 2018 Triumph Street Twin
Say hello to the Triumph Street Twin, a classicly styled naked roadster. But don’t be fooled, underneath that lovely retro exterior is a very modern bike with modern day rider aids.
For those of you that prefer video, or just to hear what this bike sounds like, which I definitely recommend, check out my video review here.
Anyway, back to this review…
Continuing with its looks, I absolutely love it. Everything is well proportioned, looks like it should be there, and isn’t out of place. There are lots of lovely details too that make all the difference. Things like the red spark plug covers, the finned downpipes, and aluminium throttle body covers.
The Street Twin has a 900cc water cooled engine, but it’s also pretty light and compact. I parked it next to a friend’s Honda CB125F and they were about the same length. The seat is large, very comfy and really good quality with lovely stitching and the classic embossed “Triumph” name on its rear.
The riding position itself is comfortable too. It’s fairly upright and even though my knees were at quite an angle (I’m 6ft tall), they tucked up perfectly into the cutouts of the shaped tank. This not only helps you grip the tank, but it also acts as a bit of wind protection. The mirrors are really good, especially for round ones, and give great visibility and there’s no shake from them. As you’d expect for a naked bike, there isn’t really any wind/weather protection but the air coming off the front of the bike is pretty clean. You can buy aftermarket fly screens though which should provide more protection.
When it comes to the switchgear and dashboard, it’s all very simple, easy and obvious. It has a classic looking analogue speedo with an LCD screen at the bottom. This screen actually includes lots of useful information including odometer, fuel gauge, the time, and 2 tripmeters. It even includes things like your instant and average MPG, and miles left until empty.
The throttle is ride by wire rather than cable and this was really responsive. The clutch is a slipper clutch and was extremely light and easy to use too. The bike also includes ABS and traction control (which can be switched off) to keep things nice and safe. There’s even a USB port under the seat so you can keep your phone or other tech charged up.
Now to the engine and ride. When I looked at the specs I was surprised that for a 900cc engine, it only had 54bhp which seemed quite low. However, the 900cc water cooled engine feels great. It may not be high revving (it’s only got a 7000 rpm limit), but it has loads of torque so it still feels plenty quick enough and much more than the figures suggests. It’s also super smooth but the best thing about it is the noise it makes. The bike I was riding had the optional Vance and Hines exhausts (still 1 each side). It has a low rumble but then when revved sounds fantastic and loud without being too unsociable.
Who is the bike aimed at? I really think it has a huge range, from someone who just wants a nice looking, riding, and sounding standard bike, to someone who wants to create their own custom bike (Triumph themselves have over 150 accessories and bolt on replacement parts!). It feels at home on both A and B roads and because it’s quite small could be used for a posh commuter. I think I’d stick to summer though with no weather protection. With some soft panniers or even a roll top bag on the rear, I even think it would be good for some touring too.
So can I hear you already asking “So how much is this going to cost me?”. For everything this bike is suited to, I actually think it’s quite reasonable for a brand new bike of this quality at £7800 on the road.
Now for my usual positives and negatives…
The 3 things I like best about the bike are 1) The engine and noise. 2) How easy it is to ride and it’s handling. 3) It’s Build quality.
And for the negatives. It was quite windy but then again, so are most naked bikes. A niggly thing but after I refuelled, it didn’t register this for a couple of minutes which had me worried. And finally, if it revved a bit more to give more top end power, it would be even better (check out TEC parts who can help you do just that http://www.tecbikeparts.com/).
So in summary…
I really enjoyed having the Street Twin for the day and was quite sad to give it back. If you’re looking for a great looking modern retro roadster, that’s easy and fun to ride, and is fairly sensibly priced, then the Triumph’s Street Twin is a real winner. I’d be very happy to have one in my own garage.
I’d just like to say a huge thanks to the Triumph dealer who was kind enough to loan me the Street Twin for the day. This is A1 Moto Services in York. They seem to have just about every make and model of Triumph there is so it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area. They even have a proper bikers cafe there. You can find out more info at https://www.a1moto.com/
Thanks
Richard
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