I’m looking forward to a test ride..Compared to my torquey R9t the Speed Twin peaks higher and at a lower RPM. Can’t wait to see how it compares on the road.
I suspect that the Speed Twin 900 is the better bike for urban and city center riding. The 65 BHP is plenty for fun on the back roads and I found it a charming companion on the test ride many years ago. If you ride more on the interstate then the 1200 would be a better choice. I have a T120 (79 BHP) and my other bike has 134 BHP. When I'm on the T120 I NEVER miss the power of the other machine and I have never had the throttle pinned in the twisties.
John, I did buy the 900 for mostly urban use, but I do like to cruise the back roads outside of town. Unfortunately, Seattle has sprawled into such a web of congested side streets that you really need to take an interstate to get to any interesting country or mountain roads.
To continue the thread, I considered the 900 (did not test ride it); but figured the 1200 would work Ok in urban and countryside riding; liked the idea of having the extra spunk if I wanted it. Didn't think the extra weight would make a difference once you get used to the bike. Handling is excellent when hitting the twisties; bike makes you feel it will get you thru any curve and loves being bent over into the curve.
Funny, weight was a consideration for going with the 900. I only found out later that the ST 900 and ST 1200 are the same weight.
As a follow up to this post from last year…. I’ve gotten a chance to put some miles on the ST900. I was worried I’d be disappointed by the lack of power. Well, It’s a fast enough bike for around town especially solo. Add a pillion and it slows down a bit and the stopping power is diminished, no 2 finger stopping down hill. A surprising issue it the heat coming off the motor. I thought water cooled it would run cooler. I’ve installed Ikon shocks, triumph bar end mirrors and a Unit Garage rack and bag. I couldn’t really feel big difference with the new shocks until my wife jumped on. 2-up they really ironed out the ride… bumps and pot holes are not a problem. The unit garage bag it fantastic, took about 10 minutes to install the minimalist rack. The bag is extremely well constructed. The canvas is heavy duty and the bag retains it shape even when empty. The only downside is the price! The mirrors offer much better vision than the stock mirrors but I’m undecided about how they look, they seem big. Also there is a large gap between the mirror’s base and the grip. I have an older pair of Silver CRG Lane splitters without adapters that I might try fit. So the bike is pretty much what I expected. Solo it’s a fun ride, 2-up it’s a little more work. Sounds amazing and has enough power to satisfy my 67 year old adolescent urges.
@Geof Spencer yes great updates and great pictures again. Glad you like the bike. The bar end mirrors i prefer. Like you said you can see past the elbows and jacket. @joe mc donald
OK, a follow up to the follow up. I enjoyed the st900 but soon became dissatisfied with the performance so I traded in on this last week. No remorse this time……
Pretty much my story with the Street Scrambler. Absolutely loved the look and ride of the bike but sometimes wished they'd made a 1200 version. The Scrambler 1200 (XE & XC) are completely different bikes with much more off road focus. Then Triumph released the 1200X, much closer to the SS than the 1200XE/XC and as close to a 1200 SS as you can get straight out of the crate.