2016 Triumph Street Twin
An ideal entry into the Bonneville family
UPDATE: Triumph has announced U.S. pricing for its 2016 Bonneville lineup. The Street Twin will be available in Jet Black for $8,700 while the Aluminum Silver, Cranberry Red, Matt Black and Phantom Black paint options are priced at $8,950.
Just because the Street Twin is the smallest displacement and will carry the lowest MSRP (when it is announced along with the specifications in December) doesn’t mean it isn’t important to Triumph. The Street Twin could, in fact, become the most important of the new Bonnevilles because it is aimed at both a younger market and at less experienced riders which could have the long-term effect of bringing these riders into the Triumph fold. Featuring a 900cc engine that is designed for smooth, responsive, and friendly power delivery, the Street Twin is far from being the forgotten kid brother of the larger Bonnies. Instead, it receives five different color options (more than its 2016 siblings) and a host of accessory parts.
All aspects of the Street Twin are directed at ease of use and riding fun. The tank and seat front are narrow and combine with the moderate seat height to enable a wider swath of riders to plant their feet comfortably at a stop. The riding position is comfortably relaxed with minimal forward lean and the pegs directly below the rider. Triumph claims the handling is similarly designed to be neutral steering yet agile and confidence inspiring.
The 900cc “high torque” eight-valve parallel-Twin engine was designed to deliver its motivation as low as possible in the rpm range. When compared to last year’s 865cc mill, the 900 puts out 59 lb-ft at 3200 rpm which translates into an 18% increase. Similarly, thanks to the increased efficiency allowed by liquid-cooling, the 900’s claimed mpg is a surprising 36% better than the 865. A “slip assist clutch” offers lower clutch effort and easy engagement for new riders, and the r-b-w throttle will help manage the bountiful torque.
The Street sports other high-tech features we expect from current motorcycles. ABS is available and can be switched off. Traction control is another benefit we’ve come to appreciate. A USB plug is available for device charging. The speedometer offers more than just speed, including gear-position indicator, dual tripmeters, range to empty, average and current MPG, fuel level, and controls to disable TC and ABS. Also, available tire pressure monitor and heated grips will display status on the LCD screen. Oh, and there’s a clock.
The Street Twin rolls on cast wheels wearing 100/90 R18 front and 150/70 R17 rear Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp rubber. A single front disc of unreleased dimensions is squeezed by a two-piston caliper. A smaller rear disc gets the same from a pair of pistons. A conventional fork is topped with gaiters for the appropriate look. The tank is compact and narrow, while the stepped seat suits the classic style of the Twin. The dual shocks are preload adjustable via stepped collars.
Two Inspiration Kits are offered for the Street Twin. The first is a Scrambler version which features a Vance & Hines high-mount exhaust, a ribbed seat, a rear fender eliminator, barrel grips, compact LED signals, and a brushed aluminum bash plate. The Brat Tracker inspiration kit includes Vance & Hines slip-ons, a black seat, plus the aforementioned signals, grips and bash plate. Finally, the Urban kit has a dropped “ACE” style handlebar, a tinted flyscreen, a single leather and waxed cotton saddlebag, plus the Vance & Hines slip-ons and compact indicator lights.
Five color options await the prospective Street Twin buyer. Two colors, Cranberry Red and Aluminum Silver, receive tank and wheel stripes. The remaining three colors, Matt Black, Jet Black, and Phantom Black (with a hint of pearl), are all solids.
Yes, we wish we had an MSRP, but we’ll just have to wait
Triumph Announces Three New Engine Configurations and Five All-New Models for 2016 Bonneville Line
Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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I'm intrigued that a bike with a 900cc engine is considered a good bike for less experienced riders, considering that the bikes on which this is based, the original Bonnevilles, were top-dogs in the performance arena in their time. Do today's crop of less-experienced riders now possess the skills and judgement of the riders who chose the original Bonnies? Or is it merely that bikes that don't have the performance of today's sport bikes are always regarded as good for less-experienced riders?
That quibble notwithstanding, I'm very drawn to the new Bonnies.
They went through all the effort of upgrading the engine but still left the 5 speed gearbox? I owned a 2001 Bonnie, and they seemed to address everything I found lacking except for this...