Speed Twin Vs Street Twin

Discussion in 'Bonneville' started by Quyen, Oct 14, 2020.

  1. Quyen

    Quyen New Member

    Oct 14, 2020
    11
    3
    USA
    Hello, I am looking to purchase my first Triumph. I’m having a hard time deciding between the street twin or speed twin. My biggest concern with the street twin is highway driving. I’ll be going 75-80mph fairly frequently and am hearing differing opinions as to whether the street can comfortably handle commuting at those speeds. Any input would be appreciated!
     
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  2. steve lovatt

    steve lovatt Something else

    May 12, 2014
    9,216
    1,000
    North Yorkshire
    Welcome to the forum.
    Get the Speed Twin :cool:
     
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  3. Quyen

    Quyen New Member

    Oct 14, 2020
    11
    3
    USA
    My biggest hold up with the speed is that I don’t really care for any of the existing colors.
     
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  4. dilligaf

    dilligaf Guest

    Paint it:p
     
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  5. Ducatitotriumph

    Ducatitotriumph Crème de la Crème

    Apr 25, 2019
    2,181
    1,000
    Rothwell
    Get a tank bag as then you can’t see what colour it is when you are riding it?;)
     
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  6. steve lovatt

    steve lovatt Something else

    May 12, 2014
    9,216
    1,000
    North Yorkshire
    You won't care about the colour when you're enjoying the acceleration! :p
     
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  7. Quyen

    Quyen New Member

    Oct 14, 2020
    11
    3
    USA
    Also, will the speed be less engaging with all the power? It’s like with cars, I tended to not enjoy my faster cars as much because I couldn’t really use the power without going to jail.
     
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  8. Carl556

    Carl556 Senior Member

    Nov 13, 2019
    260
    113
    Durham Uk
    Not at all. It ain’t that quick mate. It’s nippy but I wouldn’t class it as fast. It’s a nice relaxing ride
     
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  9. B with Speed

    B with Speed Well-Known Member

    Aug 17, 2020
    128
    83
    Denver Colorado
    Well, after a couple months and a thousand miles, I have to say I think the HP and torque of the Speed Twin are just about ideal for both city riding and highway blasting.
    It’s pretty comfortable just burbling along at a relaxed pace in the city, then when I want to open it up and rip, it’s totally eager for that too. Almost a Jeckyl and Hyde bike, but in a good way :cool:
     
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  10. joe mc donald

    Subscriber

    Dec 26, 2014
    14,309
    1,000
    slough / burnham
    Quyen
    Welcome to the family. Really go with what makes you happy. Test ride both bike and not a spin out and back. Get it out on the motorway and do an hour or two see how you feel. The bear in mind there is so much you can do to improve the steed like seat gearing and tyres. Do keep us all in the loop as what rocks your boat and gets the thumbs up
    Regards
    Joe. Sorry you don't have motorways is it highways.
     
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  11. MTBskier

    MTBskier Well-Known Member

    Mar 12, 2019
    242
    93
    Las Vegas, NV
    I could never advise anyone NOT to get the speed twin. Such a fun bike, and the styling is right on point. I don’t think I could love mine anymore than I do.
     
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  12. Notso

    Notso Senior Member

    Dec 17, 2018
    634
    243
    Solihull
    Well, for balance, I have a 2018 Street Twin, it is still quicker than me and I love it. I rarely open it right up and it is fine on dual carriageway around indicated 75 mph, it would sit there all day limited more by wind in the face due to no fairing than power. BUT, I don't filter much and am quite cautious and progressive on the controls. I agree with the advice to try them both thoroughly. My mate has just sold his Street Triple and kept the Street Twin.
     
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  13. Stramasher

    Stramasher Senior Member

    Jun 10, 2020
    475
    113
    ex-0141
    Speed Twin.
    Its the torque that will get you. BRRRRAAAAP!

    Plus, any "highway" riding, bigger cc is a lot less "busy." Sitting at 75mph and it still has plenty to give instantly in top (6th)
     
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  14. Quyen

    Quyen New Member

    Oct 14, 2020
    11
    3
    USA
    Thanks for the input! I picked up a black speed today. I really liked the street but the fear of wanting more in the future pushed me to purchase the street. Plus the fit and finish is so much better on the street. The sum of its parts is far greater than the cost difference so getting the street felt like a bad business decision. Can’t wait to start making it mine!
     
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  15. Jet City

    Jet City Noble Member

    Sep 24, 2018
    522
    343
    Seattle, Washington USA

    Oh yeah. Big congratulations, and the black version is so sweet!


    Here is my personal upgrade list (as previously posted on the Forum) with grades for relative merit.

    1. Sato Racing crash bungs. Chosen because they are clean and unobtrusive. Grade: Incomplete. They have not yet been tested.

    2. Evotech tail tidy. Looks like it could be stock, retains the stock license plate light. Grade: A

    3. Ohlins rear shocks from a Thruxton R. Bolt right on, they look the business. But they are VERY firm. I only go about 160-165 lbs and I’ve got them set on the “comfort” soft settings from the factory, and the bike still feels “sports car” taut. They look awesome, though with the yellow and gold contrast with the black bike. Grade: B+

    4. Stainless steel mufflers from a Thruxton. They bolt right on; I simply like the look better than the painted black. No performance difference. Grade: B

    5. Sato Racing helmet lock. Good God, why don’t modern bikes have helmet locks? What’s up with that? The Sato part is nicer than anything the factory could afford to give you anyway. I use it almost every ride. Grade: A+

    6. Arton Works retro gauge faces. This may sound frivolous, but you spend more time looking at the gauges than any other part of your motorbike. A and J cycles sells these gauge faces for $100; they mount in place of the slightly gaudy stockers. A breeze to install and worth every penny! Grade: A+

    7. Triumph case guards. These come in a set, left and right, and mount snugly over the engine cases on each side (not protruding like crash bungs). I bought these mainly to support my dealer during the COVID19 slowdown. Frankly though by the time the engine cases touch the ground you have way bigger fish to fry and your bike is probably a writeoff. I had similar covers on my RSV4, which was crashed for me by my friend, and although $7000 of damage was done the case covers were pristine. I have not felt the need to install them yet, so they are sitting on the old couch in my garage protecting it from harm. Grade: C

    8. Triumph heated grips. So sanitary, so toasty on cold days. Don’t leave the city limits without them. The Triumph parts do seem kinda spendy (although again, the installation is seamless and the heating level shows up on the dash which is pretty cool). Grade: B+ simply because of the cost.

    9. Meerkat crossover exhaust. It’s a beautifully made part, which makes it a pleasure to have on the bike, and an excellent value. Unlike on my Bonneville, though, it didn’t seem to make a big difference in performance. If I’m honest, grade is a B+.
     
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