New Speed Twin From Switzerland

Hi everyone!

New Speed Twin owner from Thurgau, Switzerland.

Thanks for all the useful info on this forum, have spent some time looking at luggage options and of course other's pics

First Triumph, been riding a Kawasaki ER-6f (Ninja 650R for our US friends) since 2007, 2 hours with the Speed Twin and I was sold. For me it sounds & feels very special compared to the other machines I tested. Looking forward to a couple of long weekends in Switzerland and the Black Forest.

Below is a brief comparison of them all (all from my perspective, there are no bad bikes anymore!).

Selection was based on classic-looking bikes maxing out at the R9T/Speed twin price which gives plenty of choice.

Background – Spirited rider in the UK, nothing better than curvy country lanes with overtaking in between them. Now in Switzerland where the speed limits are lower (50 MPH out of town) and the fines much higher, but great roads and very well maintained! In the last 5 years, did not ride much at all. 6’2”, 79KG beanpole.

BMW R9T – feels big, hard seat, larger tank pushed my legs wider which I felt afterwards, notice a little more pressure on my wrists than every other bike. Nice burbling and popping on overrun and downshifts, the sport variant is loud, the pure is a little quieter but still get pops! Excellent brakes on the sport, good enough on the Pure. Very competent across the board, a little slower to turn in than the speed twin but holds the line really well. I like the look of the Pure and on paper this is what I thought I would end up with, but it didn’t make me smile much.

Kawasaki Z900 RS – wow, what a machine. Only bike that gave me a dry mouth and a lasting dose of adrenaline! Handled really well, high, comfy riding position, felt a little top heavy compared to all the others here. The stock exhaust starts with a low tone, then through the range it emits a really loud howl ending in a scream; quite obnoxious! Too powerful & fast for me, amazing engine, but required too much attention - you’re easily way over the speed limit and haven’t used much of the massive range of the 4 cylinder.

Street Scrambler – too laid-back a position for me, the torque had me sliding back in the seat and it felt like I was hanging on compared to the ST. Handlebars too high, bit of a 'wallowy' feel around corners, exhaust restricts luggage options. Looks good though.

Street twin – surprisingly loud in stock form (1 DB louder than Speed Twin according to the VIN plate and with a deeper burble as well), good ergonomics for someone shorter than me but too much knee bend for my comfort. Engine has plenty of grunt in mid-range, really nice to just squeeze and it’s there without moving you too fast. What I like about this and the XSR700 is that you can use most of the power in a lot of situations without getting in trouble and it is still more than quick enough; I felt more reserved with the power of the speed twin as the next corner arrives very quickly!

Honda Monkey – Just happened to be in the showroom and since I’d always lusted after a Suzuki VanVan, had to try it. Cheeky, really enjoyed riding it through town and down a few country lanes. Surprisingly more rideable than it appears, a little twitchy at higher speeds. A 6 footer doesn't look stupid on it

Yamaha XSR700 – great engine, smooth delivery from low-down with lovely throttle control (no ride by wire). Lightest of all the bikes I rode. Stable in the corners for the suspension that it has and it was fun, you can use 90% of the bikes power and ability rather than 50% with something like the Z900RS on the same roads. Lovely wide bars and comfy seat. 2nd best bike for me. If the Speed Twin hadn’t been built I would have bought this no question. Not a classic look for sure, but I still think it is an interesting, good looking powerful stance and even if you don’t like the look of it that much, don’t let it put you off. I wouldn’t put looks over fun & comfort.

Speed Twin – light, sounds great in stock form and not too loud, plus it burbles and pops which I love. Buttery shifting even through it only had 10KM on it. A feast for the eyes with great details, my favourite looking modern classic, comfy seat and arm position for me, turns in so lovely, super direct, flickable and very stable. In fact, it is almost too fast in the corners!, sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough to ride it, it is too easy Best mirrors. This was the first bike I rode and I loved it, almost bought it there and then, but I thought that any other modern bike would likely feel great in comparison to the old ER6f. Rode it again after a week of tests and it simply felt special in comparison, for me, it has a great package and I can see it lasting a while. Bought the one I tested; only the mechanic and I had ridden it.

 

Danke. Yes! There's some unrestricted autobahn just by Singen and a lot of nice routes in Südschwarzwald...

I maxed the old Kawasaki in Germany but might have to strap myself to the Triumph to try that again!

 

Thanks for the warm welcomes, a lot of you have a lot of time