Triumph Speed ​​Twin: Class and muscle [ROAD TEST]

Palma de Mallorca — We set off under a gray sky, but the horizon is promising, the forecast says that it will rain only in the afternoon: a good test is expected. In fact, the roads are beautiful, a 270 kilometer tour is planned and our guide is Gary Johnson, multiple winner of the TT; It's going to be a busy day.

For the first fifty kilometers we can't really understand how the Speed ​​Twin behaves in corners, the first stretch of the test route is completely straight. Gary (needless to say) keeps a cheerful pace on the narrow Mallorcan roads closed between stone walls, and so we are able to appreciate first of all the engine, isolating it from what is driving on mixed terrain. We start with the Rain map, Gary imposes it on everyone "Until the tires are ready", he says, he knows that on this lap we will encounter slippery sections, and it is good to take some time to get comfortable with the Speed ​​Twin, so There will be no shortage of roads to have fun on. The twin-cylinder in Rain management is not excessively penalised, it changes the attack, the first touch of the accelerator and the first part of the delivery up to the intermediate revs, which is softer; then comes the back anyway, and makes you understand all the beauty of the 112 Nm (a good 40% more than the maximum torque of the Street Twin). The peak is at 4950 rpm, and the thrust remains full with a fair amount of acceleration, until it touches the red zone, which begins shortly after the power peak, 97 HP at 6750 rpm.

As soon as we warm up the tires we move on to Road, a map that has a quicker response to the accelerator, right from the bottom. The twin-cylinder managed in this way is a spectacle, because it manages to combine without losing anything two characteristics that are the antithesis but which you would always like both: the smooth and easy-to-manage power delivery and the delicious nastiness of a big twin-cylinder. The character is given by the vigorous action of the two massive pistons - bore and stroke of 97,6 x 80 mm, it is a 1200 cc - which make an engine of this architecture and displacement unique; the sweetness comes instead from the quality of the delivery, the ride by wire is very precise, and from the perfect management of the vibrations, once the annoying ones have been eliminated, only the massive and beneficial pulsations of the 1200 remain. With the Road map, and with the Sport, which ensures an even quicker response, however there is a noticeable on-off, both at the first touch of the accelerator and at closing, due to the noticeable engine braking.

It turns out that in the city and on low-speed curves, first of all, if the planned route has these characteristics it is a good idea to select the Rain map, which in any case does not lack anything in terms of performance. With the Speed ​​Twin a notable leap forward has been made in the quality and substance of the delivery curve: you walk calmly at the lowest revs, from which it recovers with great strength and fluidity, and you reach levels of wickedness that have nothing to be envied by sporty models. At 3000 rpm the twin cylinder regulates itself (i.e. the pulsations soften), at 4000 it starts to show its muscles, tearing the handlebars from your hands and entering the hot, high performance range. Even if the maximum power is on the threshold of the red zone (6750 rpm) it is not advisable to increase it, it is better to move to the next gear using the large back that exists at 4000 to 6000 rpm, an operation also facilitated by the quick and precise gearbox.

The curves are coming

The weather forecast was favourable: an excellent day, with the sun barely veiled by the clouds. We still fall for it, even though we should know that you can no longer trust the weather, especially if you are on a windswept island. In fact, the curves come, but with them also come endless stretches of dampness and, under an amazing green that covers most of the road, there is even moss. Gary is English (and for the English the wet road is normal), he raced in the Tourist Trophy, in Macau, yet in these sections he drives on eggshells, with great caution and sweetness. We would like to loosen up a bit, but he's right, his job is to bring us all back to base: the road is so soapy that on some stretches you just need to touch the accelerator for the traction control to intervene. A holy hand: the Speed ​​Twin drifts for a moment and then gets back in line. This in a straight line, there's no question of creases yet.
Just as the sky threatens to storm, going from gray to black in two minutes, it opens up to the sun, and we finally free ourselves by running on splendid curves, some long with a constant radius, others dry in rapid progression and with perfect asphalt. It was very useful to go from moss to perfect asphalt in a few minutes, it helped us understand that the chemistry with the Speed ​​Twin's chassis is instantaneous. We didn't waste a single corner trying to understand the reactions, to understand how to brake, how to push, how to lean, how to open the throttle, everything came straight away, clear and natural.

The entry into the corner is excellent, you get stuck, you release the brakes and you immediately take the right line and inclination, drawing perfect trajectories. Then, on exit, you leave everything in the hands of the engine, which does its job admirably, pushing very hard right from the medium-low revs, taking you close to the next bend with extraordinary determination.
Braking was also positive, the front has bite but isn't aggressive, even on the slipperiest sections the ABS never intervened; the rear is well calibrated, although, obviously, in wet conditions it is almost always controlled by the ABS. The English technicians worked a lot on dynamics, to design a bike that was not only easy, but also very effective. They worked above all on the inertia, lightening not only the mass in general (the Speed ​​Twin weighs 10 kg less than the Thruxton), but also working on the unsprung masses, i.e. on the front and rear wheels (a saving of 2,9 kg and 1,7 kg compared to those of the Thruxton), and those internal to the engine (the clutch is 1 kg lighter). Compared to the Thruxton, the weight distribution also changes, which is more advanced on the Speed ​​Twin, again to improve the dynamic qualities.

The result is excellent, in the family of classic Triumphs the Speed ​​Twin stands out for the pleasure of driving, for the effectiveness combined with pleasure and naturalness. The suspensions complete the picture, they are not excessively sporty to ensure comfort, as befits a touring car of this kind, but they are not so compliant as to require careful driving, obviously a pinch of common sense is needed and not to overdo it.
The Speed ​​Twin will be available in March for 13.200 euros, in the Black Flag livery; 13.500 in the two-tone, red and grey.

Tester clothing:
Gloves: Spidi
Technical jeans: Spidi
Dainese boots
Jacket: Segura
Helmet: Bell