Triumph Bonneville Street Twin, the classic becomes more modern and accessible [ROAD TEST]

Triumph Bonneville Street Twin – The classics are more than a quirk at Triumph, they are the queens of sales and represent an important portion of the turnover. This is also why we chose to make the Bonneville is increasingly a family, rather than a model. With the update of the classic range from the House of Hinckley in fact, the gap between the entry level and the sporty T120 is widening, so as to make the offer appetizing for very heterogeneous users. However, this does not mean giving up the pleasure of driving in any way, on the contrary. The new entry level, the Street Twin, has an engine that it switches to Euro 4 and liquid cooling and on the one hand it drops to 55 horsepower, but on the other hand they have been made very usable, with a torque that rises by 18%. The new Bonneville has then lots of modern technology, from ABS and ride-by-wire to traction control, which helps a lot on low-adhesion surfaces, as well as for example a practice USB socket or lamp posterior to LED. Also notable is the creation with increased quality and record consumption. A completely new product and not simply an update, as demonstrated by the chassis, redesigned and combined with more refined suspension. A motorbike with which to go to the office or for an aperitif in the city, where there are always many eyes on you and compliments, but also perfect for a nice ride in search of the right curves, where the 55 horsepower are among the most pleasant and fun that can be expected.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Modernly retro, with a simple and very well-groomed look

Details make the difference. The new Bonneville looks the same, but she isn't. The concept of classic motorcycles has always been dangerous, because reinterpreting and adapting motorcycles from the past to current laws and style can lead to results that are not always excellent. Injectors disguised as the body of a fake carburettor may appear to some to be an ingenious compromise, to others a nasty ploy to save appearances. Thus the previous update, with the transition to electronic injection in 2007, had aroused, for this detail and not only, conflicting opinions, while the Street Twin prefers to be more modern, mixing elements with strong references to the past with more current ones. Just take a look at it and walk around, to find the modern in the front headlight bracket or in the LED rear light and in the black 5 split-spoke alloy wheels, but also the hybrid flavor of clean and simple instrumentation, combined with a very useful display to view all data. The style remains unmistakably retro, a reinterpretation of the 1959 model, from beautiful and sinuous tank with the cap off-centered to the right, to the beautiful engine dressed in black, except for the surface of the cylinder cooling fins.

Fins that lose part of their being, because the cooling passes to water, as is highlighted by the radiator, cleverly hidden and painted black, which you only notice if you look for it. Attention is drawn to something else, such as the low exhausts, essentially the only clear element in a context where black reigns supreme. The beautiful saddle drops in height, to make the Street Twin also perfect for women and more comfortable for city use. A minimal and very clean look, enriched by ever-increasing attention to detail and quality. We don't feel like raising any major criticisms, not even for the choice to opt for plastic mudguards and side panels instead of metal, you only pay attention to it if you are extremely fussy. They report the name of the model, Street Twin, but not of the "family to which they belong", Bonneville. However, we liked the convenient button on the left block to move between the instrumentation functions, as are the beautiful plates at the base of the cylinders, the only element that recalls the model, with the writing "Bonneville 900 HT" (High Torque ). This is the standard Street Twin, in reality it could take on a completely different look, depending on the taste of its buyers, because it absolutely does not want to hide its prerogative of being an excellent starting point for customizations and for those who want to stand out and make it unique your own motorbike. We would give you, for example, some compact turn signals, but the list of original accessories is really very extensive.

Engine and performance:

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A few horsepower less, but more enjoyable and here comes the electronics

Power is not always the most important data, as the Street Twin clearly demonstrates. Compared to the old Bonneville it loses 13 horses on the road, reaching 55 horsepower, but driving it isn't bad at all even for those who love to go full throttle. The driving pleasure in this case derives from the torque and thesmoother delivery compared to the past. The many innovations of the new engine start from the displacement, which goes from 865 to 900 cc, but above all by the two letters HT, High Torque, with a torque that rises to 80 Nm, delivered at 3.200 rpm, with a conspicuous + 18% compared to the old engine. In addition to the handful of extra cubic centimeters, this is achieved above all by virtue of the 270° crank mechanism, as it already was, for example, on the Scrambler. Like all Bonneville, we are not faced with an engine update, but with a completely redesigned unit. It gains 4-valve distribution per cylinder, liquid cooling and modern electronics, which includes ride-by-wire accelerator and traction control. The latter does its job very well, especially if we consider the fact that the entry level Bonneville is obviously also aimed at a less expert audience, while if we have to find a flaw in it we can only point out the fact that it can only be excluded or restored by motorcycle stops, as per Triumph tradition, with a menu that disappears once the bike is moving. The electronic accelerator brings with it at least two big advantages. The extremely precise management of the injection allows us to reduce fuel waste, and we will see that in terms of consumption this 900 twin-cylinder is a record, but also to remain within the limits imposed by the Euro 4 directives. The vibrations of the twin-cylinder are practically non-existent, thanks to the new crankshaft timing and a balancing countershaft. The gearbox is a 5-speed gearbox and the clutch now has slipper as standard and is power assisted in an excellent way. The effort at the lever is very low and this being soft is a great thing when traveling with the clutch in hand, typically in city traffic. Driving it you discover a round and soft engine, but tasty and with a nice back, as well as very full bass. It doesn't have a great reach, but it was already evident from the technical sheet, given that maximum power now reaches 5.900 rpm, compared to 7.500 before. Some would say better, because the Street Twin is perfect in the city and also on mountain roads, both enjoying it with a touch of gas and at more cheerful paces. You don't need 10 thousand laps to have fun, especially with a couple like this. After having taken an "interesting" stroll around Lake Como, on our way back to Milan our thoughts went to the fact that sometimes 55 horsepower can be enough, not only to enjoy the landscape and a beautiful motorbike, but also to have fun and outrun some geeks, if you use the beautiful twin-cylinder in the right way. This is also thanks to an improved chassis, as we will now tell you in detail.

Ride and handling:

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The new chassis and suspension give it a more pleasant feel when driving

Change the riding position, with the saddle just 750 mm from the ground, but above all comes a all new chassis. Always double steel cradle, but with different dimensions and greater attention to handling. The wheels go in the same direction, with the rims, 18" at the front and 17 at the rear, which fit a 100/90 and a 150/70 respectively. Previously they were both 17", with the front tire wider (110) and the rear narrower (130). This change makes the Street Twin that is quickest in changing direction, at the same time very stable and able to discharge torque well even when the bike is still leaning. THE Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp they help the task because I combine a pleasantly retro look with a grip that is always up to par. The chassis is completed with one Kyb fork with 41 mm stanchions and the double rear shock absorber. The suspension is intelligently tuned. They are soft in the first part of the excursion, to the full advantage of comfort, especially in city use, they become progressively more supported, giving safe support in curves. Thus the Street Twin does not go into crisis even with more sporty use, highlighting some limitations only in emergency braking, where the front which sinks quickly initially forces the ABS to work harder, moderately lengthening the clearance spaces arrest. The brakes are not super sports car type, but theABS as standard handles braking well two single discs, 310 mm and 255 without the system ever going into crisis. The front caliper has two pistons, sufficient to limit braking distances, as long as you don't overdo it too much. Help with this the dry weight, just under 200 kg (stops at 198). The riding position, thanks to the low seat, is more compact than in the past, but never becomes uncomfortable. The ergonomics of the controls are excellent, which never require you to move your hands from the handlebars, which is no small matter. Very good dynamics and driving pleasure. The Street Twin is a bike you can ride alone or with friends, but it can also be a lot of fun if you ask her more. It turns out to be agile and precise far beyond expectations and you don't need to be a champion to lead it cheerfully from one curve to the next.

Price and consumption:

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Aligned in price with the old Bonnie, it now consumes much less

The price of 8.700 euros it is practically identical to that of the old Bonneville (8.690). There are a handful of horses less, but many new features and a lot more electronics on the table, so the balance is more positive than not. There are five colors available. They rule the roost the blacks, three, with the Jet Black, the only one available at the base price of 8.700 euros, which is joined, with an additional 150 euros, by the Matt Black, the Phantom Black, the beautiful Cranberry Red (for us the most impactful color) e Aluminum Silver. With over 150 accessories, the Street Twin confirms its vocation as a perfect basis for the creation of a customized special. In this the English brand is second only to Harley Davidson and is consolidating an almost unique role in the motorcycle scene, with a flavor linked to the past. Packages are also available, with a customer advantage compared to the cost of individual accessories. It's about the scrambler (1.880 euros also including the Vance & Hines high exhaust, with carbon terminal), of Brat Tracker (1.515 euros) andUrban (1.351 euros). Among other accessories, these last two packages always include the Vance & Hines exhaust, in this case with low passage, like the original. Great news for consumption, which the company declares has decreased by 36%. At a constant pace we saw over 30 in a liter! Even in our little trip to put it to the test up and down the mountains near Lake Como, consumption was around 25 per liter, truly surprising! With the 12 liter tank, a range of approximately 350 kilometers is therefore guaranteed.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Engine output, consumption, look, technology and electronics

We do not like it:
Braking can be improved

Triumph Bonneville Street Twin: the Motorionline Report Card

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Test clothing:
Jacket: Spidi Street Tex jacket
Gloves: Spidi Jab RR
Trousers: Furious Tex JEANS
Shoe: Stylmartin Sunset
Helmet: Scorpion-Exo 300 Air