Try a new Street Twin on February 11

If Triumph’s excellent new Street Twin has grabbed your attention, then you need to put February 11 in your diary for a visit to your local Triumph dealer as the firm launch the new model with a nationwide dealer event.

It’s the first of the 2016 Bonneville range to arrive in dealerships, and the 900cc model has already been tested by MCN’s Michael Neeves:

“Triumph could’ve produced anything vaguely 60s-looking, stuck their logo on the tank and watched it steamroller out of showrooms, but the new £7300 Street Twin is so much better than that. It’s well thought-out and immaculately conceived – and pretty cool in the metal, too.

“The Street Twin is easy to ride, fun, involving and all-day comfy. You can cruise like Beckham or dash like McQueen. Every twist of the throttle pummels you with nostalgia and those twin upswept exhausts make all the right throbbing Cool Britannia noises. And tucked away out of view, bringing the Bonnie into the modern age, are traction control, ABS, ride-by-wire, a digital dash and a USB port.

“The Street Twin is designed to be a blank canvas for customising, and there’s even three pre-packaged Inspiration Kits to transform your Street Twin into scrambler, flat-track or urban style bikes.

“The Street Twin is the only one of the new Bonnie range to be fitted with the new liquid-cooled, 900cc ‘high torque’ 270° parallel-twin engine, with a claimed 54bhp, which is more than enough for mischief on a naked retro. Power is up 22bhp over the out-going air-cooled Bonnie engine between 2750rpm and 4750rpm and the new motor makes 18% more torque. 

“Liquid-cooling might upset the purists, but radiator aside it’s win/win. Not only is the new motor more powerful and frugal (Triumph claim an average 75.5mpg), service intervals have increased from 6000 to 10,000 miles.

“With its new chassis and non-adjustable Kayaba fork and preload-adjustable twin Kayaba shock set-up, the Street Twin is agile around town and offers a plush ride that’s all-day comfortable. The Street is low enough for both feet-down at the lights, but not too cramped for six-footers like me.

“But when you want to turn up the wick, the bike handles brilliantly. Its 198kg (dry) feels light and agile, and it has excellent full-lean stability and acres of ground clearance. The single disc twin-piston Nissin brake set-up has impressive feel and power, too.

“Priced at just £7300 the Street Twin offers superb value for money. As well as the styling, performance and all-round friendliness you get those electronic rider aids, a Smiths-style white-on-black speedo, an underseat USB socket and immobiliser.

“Even if you put the classic looks to one side, the Street Twin is simply brilliant. It’s as easy to ride as the bike you took your test on, but it has enough performance to keep a sportsbike refugee happy.”

The official dealership launch will include special offers on clothing and accessories, exclusive prizes, competitions and priority test ride bookings, the evening is a key diary date for any classics fan.

Find your nearest Triumph dealership.

 

Tech Specs: Triumph Street Twin, £7300

Engine 900cc (84.6 x 80mm), 8v parallel-twin

Claimed power 54bhp@5900rpm

Claimed torque 59ftlb@3200rpm

Electronics Traction control, ABS

Frame Tubular steel cradle

Dry weight 198kg

Tank size 12litres

Seat height 750mm