Triumph Street Twin: First Look Review

The Triumph Street Twin will have the smallest displacing engine and expected to carry the least expensive sticker price in the 2016 Triumph Classic range. The Street Twin will be the most important model for Triumph India when the bikes are launched in India sometime in 2016, after being unveiled at the Auto Expo in February.

Like the current Triumph Bonneville, the Street Twin is expected to carry the bulk of Triumph India’s sales. But that’s where the similarities end, if any. The new Street Twin is a new motorcycle from the ground up and is a complete upgrade of the existing Bonneville.

The engine is all-new and is now liquid cooled, compared to the air-cooled unit of the current Bonneville. Then there is ride-by-wire throttle, switchable ABS and even traction control, all of which aren’t available on the current Bonnie. 

Looks and Styling

The Street Twin still retains the original Bonneville silhouette, but it’s a contemporary take in design. Clean lines, minimal bodywork and a sleek rear end define a sharp, stripped back styling. The attention to detail is impressive – be it the large, clear lens headlight, cast wheels and a unique retro-looking LED taillight.

Designed for ease of use and riding fun, the Street Twin combines a fuel tank which narrows down towards the rider as is the seat with low height (750mm), again narrow at the front. This will certainly benefit newer riders as well as those with shorter height to plant their feet comfortably. This means the Street Twin will appeal to a whole lot of riders, from different geographies and with different riding skills. 

The instrument panel is a single-pod unit, and it incorporates a digital menu system which can be accessed by a handlebar mounted scroll button. Read outs include gear position indicator, odometer, two trip settings, service indicator, range to empty, fuel level, average and current fuel consumption figures, clock, and traction control and ABS settings too.

The engine itself has been beautifully styled too, incorporating styling cues from the legendary Bonneville engine silhouette while incorporating contemporary engine components to maintain that authentic look. So, while the new 900cc engine is liquid-cooled, the engine still retains the air-cooled cooling fins for that authentic ‘classic’ look.

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The upswept dual exhausts add more character to the Street Twin and are said to deliver the unmistakable sound of a British twin, with a characteristic rich and raw note.

Engine and Performance

If there’s one thing which is completely different from the current Bonnie, it is the engine of the Street Twin. The powerplant is what Triumph calls a ‘high torque,’ all-new 900cc liquid-cooled, parallel twin engine which makes a whopping 80Nm of peak torque at a low 3200rpm. That’s over 18 per cent more torque than the current Bonneville. But what is more important is that the torque now comes in lower in the rev range (the current Bonneville makes 61Nm at 5500rpm).

What this means is that there will be more usable power lower on the revs, and Triumph says the torque will be spread over the entire rev range, so riders can enjoy the Street Twin’s performance in daily street use as well as on the occasional long distance ride.

Triumph says the new liquid-cooled engine not only achieves cleaner emissions, but will deliver enhanced fuel efficiency as well – as much as 36 per cent better fuel economy than the previous generation Bonneville. Power figures aren't disclosed yet, but expect a bump there too, from the currrent Bonneville's 61PS output.

Then there’s the electronic ride-by-wire system that enhances throttle control and responsiveness and the bike comes equipped with variable traction control and ABS too. And there’s also a slip assist clutch for a light feel at the finger tips, making it easy to ride, and ride longer. 

Suspension and Brakes

The Street Twin employs an all-new chassis and suspension design. Triumph says the bike delivers dynamic handling and an engaging riding experience. While no details are released yet, the front is a conventional fork fitted with gaiters for the period look while the dual shocks are preload adjustable.

Unlike the previous generation Bonneville, the Street Twin now gets switchable ABS, with a single front disc squeezed by a two-piston calliper, while the rear wheel gets a smaller rear disc. 

Competition and Market Positioning

With all the features expected from current motorcycles, the Street Twin makes a bold statement as a very capable neo-retro motorcycle. Pricing will be particularly important, more so, when the previous generation Bonneville contributes to the largest sales numbers for Triumph India.

We’re not sure about how the Street Twin will be priced. But with features like ride-by-wire throttle, switchable ABS and traction control, the sticker price will perhaps get dearer than the current Bonneville on sale for Rs 5.7 lakh (ex-showroom). Our guess is, anything between 80,000 to a lakh. But knowing Triumph India, we hope the 2016 range is brought in as CKDs and prices kept competitive, hopefully as close to the previous generation as possible.

And it certainly will be a very important bike for Triumph, not just in India, but across the world. Ducati already has had a winner in the Scrambler, making it the largest selling Ducati worldwide this year. And looking at how it’s positioned, the Street Twin could very well become the largest selling Triumph as well. Now, it’s only a matter of time till prices are announced. We are waiting...