2019 Triumph Speed Twin First Look

Yeah.... but Triumph seems to be one of the only manufacturer that’s building a bike for everyone. Balls out sport bikes, hardcore streetfighters, retro standards, low slung cruisers, scramblers, heavy and middleweight ADVs, and whatever the Rocket III is.

Maybe.....although I'm not certain they actually make sport bikes anymore. Plus everything is big capacity, and heavy(ish). No innovation at all, easier to just go for swift profits. To me, that means a lazy company. Don't get me wrong however, I've owned and enjoyed 4 Hinkley bikes. I just think they could do a lot better.

Try a Street Triple RS or a Daytona 675 and tell me that it’s not quick enough for you. Although I admit they are decidedly missing lightweight beginner bikes, but I’m not a beginner anymore so it matters little to me. Every motorcycle company operates to earn profit. If offering a bike in every configuration means trying for swift profit, then more companies need to try operating on swift profits.

Well granted the Daytona was awesome. Notice they don’t make it or anything like it anymore? And the Street or Speed triples no matter how good I could never place my hard earned on a bike that looked as though it was built in a back yard and had headlights from a Daihatsu.

Triumph have definitely run out of ideas. Sad.

I wasn’t aware the Daytona was out of production. I thought they just hadn’t updated it in 6-7 years because sport bike sales are trash. I’m sure we’ll see a 765 Daytona now that they have Moto2 as solid advertising.

I have to disagree. Focusing on just their cruiser line I think they are knocking it out of the park. They offer a wide variety of sizes and style. All are easy to ride, and some will scoot pretty good. If you had a buddy looking to get back into riding would you take him to a Harley shop or a Triumph shop? There are a lot more options on a Triumph show room than any one other brand (cruiser/laid back streetbike wise).

If I had a buddy looking to get back into riding I'd only take him to a Harley shop to ask for directions. Triumph? Maybe, although making 10 models all based on the same thing, to me, represents gross laziness by a manufacturer. If any Japanese company did that, they would be similarly labelled. I'd probably take my buddy to a Triumph shop first, then discreetly point him down the road to Moto Guzzi, or, at a pinch, Royal Enfield. My 4 previous Hinkley bikes were all good, but all a bit bland. What spins my wheels nowadays is back to basics biking without the glitter and hipster shite.

"What spins my wheels nowadays is back to basics biking without the glitter and hipster shite."

Do you think the Speed Twin is glitter?

Yes I do. I think it’s born from a lack of imagination and innovation within Triumph. I think it’s a bike that will leverage a whole new wardrobe, Triumph branded, from its owner then spend most of its life outside a cafe. I’m sure it goes, stops and swings bends really well, but, to me it’s not desirable.

If I were buying a a cruiser I think the Speed Twin would be it.

You complained about their bikes being heavy and low performance, and then champion the two brands that put out super heavy and underpowered motorcycles? I love Guzzi and owned one for a bout a year. During which time it was ridden 50/50 mileage with my commuter. Cool as hell it was, ultra high quality rocket ship it was not. If I hadn’t paid less than half the MSRP on a nearly brand new bike I would have been disappointed.

Why would you want performance with your style Spiff? Don’t you want a RE with its 70s era power to weight authenticity? What is it 45hp and 480lbs on a 650cc “back to basics” bike?

I'm a classy guy. Just how I roll.

Err maybe you need to go to Specsavers. At no point did I say Triumphs were low performance. I did say they were heavy(ish) as I believe modern bikes (nakeds, cruisers, etc) should be lighter. The reason I mentioned MG and RE is because I don't consider them modern bikes (so they can be heavy and lower powered) and as a consequence, they ooze character. My MG Griso had more character in it than all my 4 Hinkley Triumphs combined, and I would trade that any day over spec-sheet numbers and glitter.

Like I said, I owned a Cali 1400 Custom and my allround favorite bikes are air cooled Ducatis. You are barking up the wrong tree with that spec sheet rider nonsense. I owned a Sprint ST which carried me back and forth to school 4-500 miles a week for two years without issue, and I have a STRS, which is the lightest and quickest bike I have ever owned(and the aesthetics have grown on me). It is simply not true that Triumph is a stagnant company. They have the broadest portfolio of bikes that are actually desirable in their respective classes of any manufacturer I can think of. They also deliver bikes that need nothing right out of the box. No shitty fueling or bad throttle response to be found. I'm sure if they wanted to sell MX bikes and beginner bikes they'd be the shit too. And that concludes my interest in this conversation, good day sir.

Keep shifting the conversation.....you'll get there someday. Nowhere have I said the company is stagnant. Whose postings are you actually reading? Certainly not mine. Good luck to you.

"I'm not certain they actually make sport bikes anymore."
"10 models all based on the same thing, to me, represents gross laziness"
"Triumph have definitely run out of ideas. Sad."

Hey man you really need to stop with the BS. Those quotes from me above are not the same as what you accused me of saying. Nowhere have I said that Triumphs lack power. Nowhere have I said they are a stagnant company. Maybe go back and actually try and process my words. I've owned 4 Triumphs and all were good, just a little dull. The company lacks imagination and innovation. Even Harley has more of both: the Livewire. Triumph don't do concept bikes. The Rocket 3 has stayed the same since launch way back whenever. They don't do sportsbikes anymore. They have ten bikes,, TEN, in the Modern Classics range. All that shows a company that is lazy and has run out of ideas. I'm not arguing that the bikes aren't well made. I know they go, stop and handle pretty well. Clearly we differ in our mindsets on this and I'm perfectly ok with that. But I take exception to those who claim I've said something that I haven't actually said.

Fwiw, you're working the spin pretty hard.

Yeah spiff you’re right. Time to move on I guess. I’ve just been to Bangkok motor show. RE took over 400 orders for the new twins in just 3 days. Lots of Chinese brands I’ve never heard of, Zontes for one, plus heaps of 200cc single customs, racers, etc. overall 10,000 bikes sold during the week. It was exciting.

Yeah, and the price of bananas in Zimbabwe is skyrocketing.

Well it’s a better discussion than US tariff successes.

I should also add this: You think HD is doing more than Triumph? They make 3 bikes. The Sportster, that new 500/750, and the Soft Tail. That's it. Everything else is stuck in the pipe.

My point about HD is that they trounce Triumph for innovation because of the Livewire, which I understand will make production. I’m no HD fan, having owned 2 in another life. Where is Triumphs innovation? Another Steve McQueen t shirt perhaps?

I wouldn't put much faith in the Live Wire. They picked Alta's pocket on that one. If it is successful it has more to do with that than the crack HD engineering department. HD would love to sell a Steve McQueen shirt.