Hmmm. At the risk of giving you too many words...
I have a long history with motorcycles, some of which were terrific and some of which were not. The Speed Twin Has become one of my favorite bikes of all time. I’ve even taken it on a little tour (“if you leave town without a fairing you will surely die” —Miles).
It’s so crisp and immediate without feeling frantic or critical. You can pootle around or take off like an arrow shot from a really big crossbow, your choice. Eighty foot pounds are available from 2500 rpm to redline, so you are always ready to jack yourself into the future without downshifting. And the soundtrack tells you that, well, you are riding a motorcycle, Bucky.
I’ve done a bunch of stuff to mine but it’s turned out fairly subtle with the exception of the Ohlins.
Because I’m a lazy, lazy man here’s the list I posted on the Triumph forum with letter grades for each mod.
1. Sato Racing crash bungs. Chosen because they are clean and unobtrusive. Grade: A so far, because they have not yet been tested. No first hand info is available yet.
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. 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. 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 price.
9. Meerkat crossover. 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+.
I can’t recommend this bike highly enough if you are looking for this style of machine. Unless you are taller than say 6’2” in which case it’s a little cramped.
