SCOOP: 2016 Triumph Street Twin REVEALED! Beginner’s Bonnie ripe for customising, easy-going cool

SCOOP: 2016 Triumph Street Twin REVEALED! Beginner’s Bonnie ripe for customising, easy-going cool

Triumph Street Twin

With the Street Twin, the engineers at Triumph have taken the classic appeal of the Bonneville and mixed that with the new wave of enthusiasm towards custom motorcycles. The result, the 900cc modern classic, is something that Triumph believes will bring new customers to the brand by offering an accessible, easy and fun to ride bike with enough power to keep it interesting beyond the city speed limits.

As with the other new bikes in the Bonneville family for 2016, the Street Twin is a completely new bike, built from the ground up to meet the expectations of modern riders as well as the Euro4 technical requirements that come into force from the start of 2016.

The Street Twin is designed with a slightly younger audience in mind than the rest of the range. It has a fairly low seat and Triumph claims it to have dynamic, modern handling. That, combined with an engine that packs a punch, will make this a tempting bike for new riders who are looking for a bit of a classic looker with added mod-cons.

Engine

At the heart of the bike is an all-new water-cooled 900cc, eight-valve, parallel twin engine. Although Triumph has not released details of bhp figures yet, much emphasis has been put on the Street Twin and the other new Bonnies having ‘high-torque’ engines that offer plenty of grunt low down and across the rev range. The Street Twin delivers an impressive claimed torque figure of 80Nm at 3,200rpm, which is 18% more than the current Bonneville (68Nm at 5,800rpm).

Although the move from air-cooled to water-cooled engine was as much dictated by the new Euro4 emissions regulations as any design ambition, the transformation has been completed in style. The radiator is slim and fits in with the design of the bike. It doesn’t distract from the classic look.

Triumph’s next-generation ride-by-wire fuel injection and engine management system have been deployed to enhance responsiveness and feel. Triumph has been working to achieve smooth, linear power delivery through the six-speed gearbox.

The new Speed Twin is also economical compared with the previous generation Bonneville, with 36% better fuel efficiency.

There will not be a restriction kit available to make this an A2 licence-compliant bike because, according to Triumph, the new Euro4 regulations make this very difficult to do. So, although this is the ‘entry’ bike into the Bonnie range, you still need a full licence to take it out for a spin.

Handling

The new bike is not available for testing yet, but Triumph describes the riding experience as ‘fun, engaging and easy-going’. Just what you would expect from a machine designed with new entrants to the modern classic bike scene in mind.

For the same reason, Triumph also emphasises that this is the most accessible Bonneville ever, with what it describes as a user-friendly low seat, substantial seat foam, greater suspension travel, a natural riding position, slim waist profile and fantastic ‘stand-over’ ergonomics. All of that should make the Street Twin an ideal first step into the Bonnie range. Plus, although prices have not been confirmed yet, this will be the cheapest of the new Bonnies.

Despite the classic look, the Street Twin is packed with modern gadgetry. It has variable anti-lock brake system (ABS) and switchable traction control as standard; both ideal for a smooth and controlled ride. There is also an immobiliser with a transponder integrated into the key. Slip-assisted clutch brings a lighter touch and feel to the lever, making the bike easier to ride for longer.

Triumph riders of yesteryear, such as Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando might not have needed them, but the modern bikers rarely ride out without their smart phones at hand to take some snaps of their bikes. With this in mind, Triumph has mounted a USB socket in the headstock to help keep devices charged up.

Style

The Street Twin has a stripped-back look, with clean lines and very little clutter in the form of cables and wires on display. Attention to detail is evident from the stylish black engine casing to the upswept brushed stainless steel exhaust system.

The single clock looks stylish and has all the basics covered from odometer, trip, fuel level and clock to useful modern additions such as gear position indicator, access to turn off traction control and ABS features.

Triumph is so pleased with the stylish details of the Street Twin (and rightly so) that it’s even listed them. Here are the visual highlights according to the manufacturer:

– Cast wheels, finished in black with pinstripe detailing
– Elegant fuel tank with contemporary decals and stylish chrome filler cap
– Compact indicators
– LED rear light with distinctive light pattern
– Compact headlight with a signature Triumph bulb cap cover badge
– Elegant upswept brushed stainless steel silencer
– Sculpted black side panels, with contemporary Street Twin graphics
– Minimal black painted mudguards.
Colour schemes:
– Cranberry Red, with tank and wheel strips
– Aluminium Silver with tank and wheel strips
– Matt Black
– Jet Black.

The Street Twin may be the cheapest bike in the new Bonnie range, but it doesn’t look cheap. Speaking of pricing, Triumph has not confirmed details yet, only hinted that the bikes will be priced ‘competitively’ so expect the Street Twin to be undercutting the likes of the Ducati Scrambler slightly.

Customising the Street Twin

As part of the plan to broaden the appeal of the Bonneville range, Triumph has created the Street Twin with the rising trend of motorcycle customisation in mind. They have gone for it big-style: There are 150 accessories to choose from, with everything from bench seats and fly screens to handlebars and indicators.

In addition to the individual accessories, Triumph is also offering inspiration kits that can change the look of the bike in one smooth sweep. There are three to choose from: the stripped-back Scrambler kit, the aggressive city Brat Tracker kit and the casual Urban kit.

Here are the full details of what the inspiration kits include:

The Scrambler inspiration kit

Bringing a distinctive off-road style, the Scrambler kit features a host of
new Street Twin accessories.

Including
– Brushed high-level Vance & Hines exhaust system (off-road use only)
– Rear mudguard removal kit with compact rear light
– Brown ribbed bench seat

– Brown ‘barrel-style’ handlebar grips
– Compact LED indicators
– Brushed aluminium sump guard.

The Brat Tracker inspiration kit

Bringing a more aggressive city custom style, the Brat Tracker kit features a host
of new Street Twin accessories.

Including:
– Brushed Vance & Hines slip-on silencers
– Rear mudguard removal kit with compact rear light
– Black ribbed bench seat
– Compact LED indicators
– Black ‘barrel-style’ handlebar grips
– Brushed sump guard.
The Urban inspiration kit

Bringing together a casual style with an aggressive urban riding stance,
the Urban kit features a host of stylish Street Twin accessories.

Including:
– ‘Ace’-style handlebars
– Brushed Vance & Hines slip-on silencers
– Compact LED indicators
– Short tinted fly screen
– Signature single pannier, in waxed cotton and leather.