Featured New Convert To A Speed Twin

Happy 24 hr anniversary!

Bought a silver 2019 yesterday. Dropped a Speed triple in trade.

Took it out for a nice 200 canyon initiation ride today and I must admit, I haven't been this giddy about a new bike in a very long time.

Was an absolute delight to ride. Pure enjoyment. Didn't need to ride fast to enjoy, but responsive enough when I felt like having a moment of fun (still breaking in). Great in the corners. Light as all get out. More importantly, just a pleasure to return to basics - a fun bike on open rode with a flexible cockpit and not tons of electronic crap or faring. The freedom to move as you'd like while riding and a rare gem of a bike that is equally satisfying to ride slow as it is to let you treat it like the ripper it wants to be deep down.

I was amazed at how fun it was to ride and be mellow, yet how responsive it as if I felt like dragging it about a bit. The engine didn't care and the freedom of body position was fantastic.The view of open road in any direction was just zen for me.

I don't remember the last time I was is pure motorcycle bliss as today.

Appreciate any and all that have helped along the path to making this decision.

Among Triumphs, have owned a street triple (2010-18) and a speed triple (2019-20). Currently also own a BMW R1200RS for winter, rain and distance.

ZERO regrets on trading that one trick pony, though I'll miss the "ludicrous speed" from time to time.

This bike brings me back to the basic joy of riding.

Now I have he pleasure of making it my own, though like many of you, will be doing many of the exact same things .... Xpipe, booster plug, pipes (opted for V&H over SC project - dont need to be too obnoxious for this bike) and some little bling ... like stealing the upper yoke nut from the scrambler, sump plate and a few pazzo levers for starters. Haven't decided on a specific tail tidy, but that's a must. Likely a corbin for longer trips.

The jury is still out if I do the suspension.

And the little things like a garage door opener, either mo-door ... or this: .

I'm sure I'll have some silly questions. I haven't even looked for a haynes manual yet, but am squarely a 3 wrencher ... 2 if electronics!


I look forward to getting to know you guys as time rolls on. Forgive my silly questions and hopefully I can offer something of value in return.

 

Congrats. And what a place to ride a bike. Utah blew my mind a few years back (not on a moto unfortunately.)

Looking forward to seeing some pics from out there, hint hint.

 

Sounds like you made a good decision with the Speed Twin. I think they look fantastic and, as you say, the riding position seems open and unencumbered. I haven't driven one, however. In these cases, less is indeed more. Enjoy.

 

Hi Warren, i hope you are enjoying the Twin as much as I am, I also swapped my Triple for a Twin this year, it is a great bike

 

Hi Warren and congrats on your new Speed Twin! Nothing like a new bike to make you feel like a kid again. Thanks for your nice write-up. We'd love to see some photos of the new family member, too. Where in Utah do you live? I live in southern Arizona. My hubby and I along with some riding buddies are looking at perhaps riding up into southern Utah in October or thereabouts depending on how the world is looking by then.

 

Great choice in bike, I absolutely love mine. I’m interested, as Sandi T is, to know where abouts in Utah do you live? I currently live in Las Vegas, but grew up in Utah, so I know it well and am extremely jealous of the roads you have at your immediate disposal. Options in Vegas are quite limited.

 

Hi and welcome, enjoy the new speed twin.....

 

Hi Warren and congrats on the new purchase Nice intro and I had a giggle at the integrated door opener

 

I'm in Salt Lake ... Sandy to be exact. Came out here 20 years ago intending to only stay 3 but the outdoors pulled on us, jobs were offered and the wife loves it here so we stayed.

But yes, the roads are great. Access to good canyons are nice and close, jumps up to MT and WY are only an hour's boring interstate ride away and who doesn't dig the national parks and the 12 the to the south ... at least when its not 100 degrees.

Only negative is the heat, to which I'm less and less tolerant every year, but you get that in spades in vegas and AZ too I'd imagine..

October is a great time to make that trip. March-April and late Sep-early Oct are my favorite times to go down there for camping or riding (or both). Weather is perfect, colors pop. And I'll take morning chill over afternoon baking every day.

Let me know when you guys head up!

 

@Warren71, it sounds like Salt Lake is a great place to live as a rider. I've never been to Salt Lake or even to any of the national parks in Utah. In fact I've only grazed the SE corner of the state while riding through Monument Valley. It's great to know that October is such a good time for a motorcycle trip through the southern parks because. Mr. Sandi and I both work in schools and we have a week-long fall break that month and usually do a MC trip then. This year, though, with COVID we don't really know what will be happening with schools and our work--or with vacation travel. It's also nice to know that March-April are good too since our spring break always falls somewhere in one of those months.

My story about living in Tucson is very similar to your way of winding up in Utah. My ex and I moved to Arizona in 1991 to go back to grad and med school at the University of Arizona and had every intention of moving after we finished. As with you and your wife, the outdoors kept us here--the desert and the mountains and the vibe of the town itself kept us here. I love Tucson! And enough to tolerate the intense summer heat.

May I PM you if and when we make plans for a Utah motorcycle trip to pick your brain on roads to ride and things to see?

 

Absolutely !!!
Let me know when you guys are coming out.

I'll admit I know more about the northern roads, than the southern, but I may explore that more this year. Far easier for me to take trips in the summer (June and September), than spring / fall due to workload. And last few years, most of my planned multi-day rides have gotten hijacked by the family so I've been mostly riding the NE Utah, ID/WY and up to Mirror Lake. Areas where I can escape for a day, get 4-8 hours in and be back by night.

As you plan your trip, the 12 should absolutely be on your short list. You'll hit Dixie, Escalante, Bryce and Capital Reef. Great road, especially mid-week!

A word of caution if you come in spring, I have hit snow in March. April far less likely, but not impossible.

I had a friend go to undergrad at UofA and loved it. I'm kinda surprised she returned to Cali. The desert and horses suited her perfectly.

 

Absolutely !!!
Let me know when you guys are coming out.

I'll admit I know more about the northern roads than the southern, but I may explore that more this year. Far easier for me to take trips in the summer (June and September), than spring / fall due to workload. And last few years, most of my planned multi-day rides have gotten hijacked by the family so I've been mostly riding the NE Utah, ID/WY and up to Mirror Lake. Areas where I can escape for a day, get 4-8 hours in and be back by night.

As you plan your trip, the 12 should absolutely be on your short list. You'll hit Dixie, Escalante, Bryce and Capital Reef. Great road, especially mid-week!

A word of caution if you come in spring, I have hit snow in March. April far less likely, but not impossible.

I had a friend go to undergrad at UofA and loved it. I'm kinda surprised she returned to Cali. The desert and horses suited her perfectly.

 

Thanks, Warren! I'll keep you posted. I'm not sure when our spring break is this coming school year but they are usually in March. But this coming school year will be anything but typical for us, I think. Anyway, it's good to know about the snow. We've traveled by motorcycles through Colorado multiple times and there you even have to beware of snow through the mountain passes in June! Perhaps someday we'll plan a week-long summer trip with our primary itinerary being Utah from stem to stern.

I have heard about and seen a couple of videos of the 12 and it looks amazing! So we'll definitely make sure that's on the list. My brother and his wife just left Bryce and Zion and loved both although they said that Zion was really a zoo while Bryce was pretty quiet. The photos he texted me were gorgeous.

Yep, Tucson is definitely a great place to live is you love the desert and you love horses. In many ways it is truly what we all think of when we think of The West. I love it. If you ever ride to the south and into Arizona, let me know and I'll return the favor on great motorcycle roads and attraction recommendations.

 

When dropping the Speed Triple in for service I had a chance to try the Street Twin and I have to say I was surprised how pleasant it was to ride.
Lacked a bit of punch and not as nice as a triple, but still.

What's the Speed Twin to drive compared to the Street Twin?

After riding the Street Twin for a day I have to say I did really like the driving position and the way it drives. It just feelt natural and fun, easy to drive and really put a smile to my face driving it.

Just wish they could marry a Street or Speed twin with the triple engine.
And keep the riding position as it is...

@Warren71

What's your thoughts having owned it for a month, still in love with it?

 

Hi Warren
Congrats on speed twin , I love mine used to have the Thruxton R, just need to get suspension as good.
Reference your tail tidy, if you are half decent with a disc cutter you can convert what is already there. I did mine for £ 5.50 ...... ah your money under 10 bucks just to buy 4 longer m6 bolts.
One of the guys on here has a thread on the conversion, take a look.

 

Sorry for the delay - was out of town for a bit and works been a zoo.

After 1,500 miles, I can absolutely say that I have ZERO regrets.

This is not to say I don’t miss that engine and mid-range, because I absolutely do. That bike will ruin you for so many other sport bikes its crazy. But for me, there were too many compromises to get that and it was the wrong bike for me, at least at this moment.

Keep in mind, everyone’s needs are different. Currently, I have a BMW R1200 RS that’s for touring, crap weather and when I have a ton to haul.

I bought the speed triple to replace a ’10 Street triple R and honestly, it delivered exactly what I wanted. Better mid-range, a more planted ride, better wind protection. Problem is, I lost the agility and comfort that I had come to enjoy, among some other issues. And in the end, those trade-offs were more than I was willing to accept, or realized at the time.

Whereas the ST3 felt like an extension of my body and was practically telepathic, I just never quite melded with the speed triple in the same way.

I must have sensed this because I barely did any mods on the bike, just waiting to fall in love with it. In the end, I came to terms with it, but that’s not the way you should feel about a bike. The center of gravity a bit higher than I wanted … the seat more locked in and canted forward than I would have preferred … the steering took a bit more input than I would have liked. The whole bike felt a bit more closed in and committed than I really wanted.

For me, the Speed Triple was a pure speed demon, but one that I only truly enjoyed when driving balls out, like a frenzied grinning maniac. And it soooo encouraged that behavior. I’m actually surprised I still have a license. But I never really enjoy it when riding at a relaxed pace.

That said, they (twin v. speed) are of course very different bikes.

The twin brings back that comfort and feeling that the bike is simple an extension of my brain and damn near telepathic, just like the street triple did. On tight twisties, I find it actually to be a far more capable bike. In the city, it really excels in its agility and the torque is good enough, albeit with a bit more effort and lag.

But almost equally important for me was that on my mellow days I can just enjoy being on the road, not feeling like I have to be doing triple digits to enjoy myself. It’s a fun bike to just ride however the mood suits you.

Plus, IMO there’s something very liberating when you shed the fairings, open up the cockpit and take away all the clutter that stands between you and the surrounding road. Allowing freedom in that seating position is a huge plus too. It just feels right.

Yes, you miss the insane torque. The ability to have the bike doing 100-120 and feel composed, settled and like there’s tons more left in the engine (which there is) is a delight. The ability to get that Millennium Falcon hyperdrive moment and get from 40 to 100 so fast the surrounding area blurs out for a moment is amazing (if not a just a bit crazy)

(Though I was starting to feel like the speed triple was a very lazy bike in that you could just leave it in 3rd or 4th gear and do any speed you wanted … like an insane CVT. I think that took something away from the experience.)

The Speed twin is just a different ball game altogether. It’s a joy to ride relaxed. It’s still a blast to ring its neck. Though if you try to ride it like a sports bike it will remind you that’s it’s not. It’s certainly not a bike you’ll be doing 120 mph down the highway on, but you don’t NEED to in order to enjoy it. Though capable of moving, it tends to do so with a bit more thought and delay (but better than so many others in its class).

However, from 30-90, the twin will pull good enough to still make you smile and deal with whatever the road throws at you. Maybe even more so as it “feels” like a smaller bike despite being 10# heavier.

I can certainly go thru the pro / cons and tradeoffs. But for me it was more of a question of what I wanted out of it and where did that bike fit, especially where I already have a BMW R1200 RS, which I have no intention of trading out of (at least till the 2021 KTM SDR 1290 GT (???)

Although it’s a far better engine than the boxer, the practicality and comfort of the BMW wins for me hands down (at least at my age and condition). After 3 hours on the Speed Triple, my legs and neck were calling for longer and longer breaks and riding was becoming a bit more of a chore.

In the winter, I know I’d be back on the BMW with fairings and attaching a larger screen.

I needed a bike that would be a good commuter and ideal for a <4 hour canyon rides. Be grin worthy when I wanted to pull the throttle back and rip, but be relaxed and chill when the mood suited me. The Speed triple just never quite fit that bill for me. It wasn’t agile enough. It was far too committed. I never enjoyed just “going for a ride” unless that meant taking full advantage of what the engine had to offer.

The one thing I do miss: taking that thing triple digits on day trips through WY and MT, but anything beyond 3-4 hrs was a bit harder on my legs, neck.

So no, I have zero regrets.

For me, the speed was not going to replace the more comfy sport tourer for the long or wet stuff.

And I enjoy riding the twin far more than I have any bike in a very long time.

Comfy. Open. Easy. Enjoyable to ride slow. Fun to flick about. Fun to rip on it and open it up. Gives you that “small bike feel” despite its weight and engine.

A great second bike. Or if you’re not planning on doing extensive touring … a great only bike that can enjoyed regardless of mood.

You will miss the intoxicating speed, but this has enough to still make you smile. But being a speed demon and adrenaline junkie … yeah, I miss it. But bikes are all about trade-offs. And I would make this trade again in a heartbeat.

I did debate whether it was worth keeping for those days you just felt like you needed to blow of some steam and ride like the devil. But in the end, didn’t think I’d turn to this enough to warrant the fight with the wife or the insurance $. And I have a feeling it would have cost me my license or worse at some point. It really did bring out all the bad voices in my head, and I always listened.

Plus, if you've seen my other thread on the speed, you may know i had some major engine issues last year that broke my faith in the bike. Once that gets into your head, its hard to get past. Having the fueling cut out on you briefly, but repeatedly while doing > 85 mph is not an endearing experience. Didn't happen this year, but no answer from the shop, and it was happening to their bike as well !

Other major considerations:

1) You must decat this bike. It’s absolutely positively essential. Trans-formative, especially in 2nd and 3rd gear.

2) The front end lacks a bit of feedback when pushed too hard (but I’m thinking new springs and maybe a steering damper may be in my future).

3) I’m on the fence with the rear suspension. Not great if you’re really pushing it. Fine for everyday riding. PIA to adjust Not sure its worth the investment to upgrade and may wait till fall to decide. My only hesitancy is I want to still be able to dial in a nice plush ride when the mood sits and my last set of ohlins was just a bit firmer than I wanted even on the softest setting for casual city riding.

Hope that essay helped.

In the end, you wont ride as fast, but I think you'll have a more enjoyable experience all around and still have enough fun to keep a grin your face.

 

Hi mate and welcome, Utah is an awesome place looking forward to some pictures

 

I really do need to take some photos. Only took a pick on its inaugural ride.
Planned multi-day trip after break-in got bogarted by family and became a 5 day camping trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

September is a slower month for me and I have to get down south late that month on this bike.

This is my only pic. Pre-mods, but honestly haven't done much beyond V&H w/ remap, decat, throttle spacer, headlight bezel and Arton Works gauges (love those).

Will work with ASV to get some levers built.

other things planned soon: Corbin seat for long trips, mo-door (and pray it'll fit under the seat), motone helmet lock, rear peg deletes (free spirits if motone doesnt get them in soon)

May do a rizoma low fairing

Still havent chopped the tail yet.

may throw some leather wraps on the grips (trip machine) and change the gas cap

New rage will do a tail light if they can get their hands on a speed twin... not sure if I would go that route though or if it breaks the spirit of the bike.

I think I'm giving up on highway pegs. Could only come up with one solution and I didn't like the way it looked.

As always - have an evolving shopping list my wife just shakes her head at.

 

ps - ok, I miss the torque.

I tried to really ring its neck today (those damn voices in my head) and it sooooo let me know it limits.

So at least we all know what this bike isnt.

But yep - still like it.

For a casual fun and commuter friendly bike that can be pushed, this fits the bill.

Definitely need to figure our the front end to make it less vague and dive less. Maybe some simply progressives will be adequate.

Had it in the shop for a few days and rode my BMW and now trying to get reacquainted to the smaller bike. Forgot how good the BMW 1200 was ... just needs more low end umphhh that a boxer cant give.

But that bike (RS 1200) is a jack of all trades if ever there was one.

Guy at the shop borrowed the speed triple I traded and couldn't stop gushing but his negatives were reminiscent of my thoughts

1) He'd lose his license
2) Not a city bike
3) he'd rather be on his GS for anything over a few hours ... and he was young (mid 20's)

I laughed when I saw they were trying to sell my bike for $500 MORE than I paid despite it now having 4,000 miles on it. Damn dealers.