2019 Triumph Speed Twin – What else can you buy

Triumph has finally launched its newest offering in the Bonneville family, the 2019 Speed Twin, in India. The motorcycle shares its engine and chassis (in a tweaked form) with the more expensive Thruxton while the design is similar to the Street twin.  Priced at Rs 9.46 lakhs, the Speed Twin faces competition from six motorcycles in terms of pricing in India. Let’s take a quick glimpse at them. 

Now that the Speed Twin is a modern classic bike, you can also consider the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 in this category. The Iron 883 is a bobber with lower seat height, forward set foot pegs, farther placed handlebar and alloy wheels. The bike is powered by an 883cc, twin-cylinder motor which produces 50bhp and 70Nm and comes mated to a five-speed gearbox. It retails at Rs 9.33 lakhs.

Ducati offers a pair of Scramblers in this price bracket – the Café Racer and the Desert Sled. While the former is a road-biased bike with tad aggressive ergonomics, the latter is more inclined towards off-road riding. Both bikes share the same 803cc, air-cooled, twin-cylinder motor. However, the Café Racer produces 71.4bhp and 67Nm while the Desert Sled makes around 3bhp and 1Nm more. The motorcycles are priced at Rs 9.32 lakhs and Rs 9.45 lakhs, respectively.

Yet another Ducati in this segment is the Monster 821 naked bike. Placed above the entry-level Monster 797, the 821 looks butch as it takes design cues from the flagship Monster 1200. Then there’s the 821cc, liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder motor which churns out a healthy 107bhp and 86Nm. The bike is also loaded with features such as two-way quickshifter, three-level ABS, eight-step traction control and three riding modes. You can get all of this at Rs 9.51 lakhs.

Now, if you want a lighter and more affordable naked street bike than the Monster 821, Triumph has the Street Triple S. The motorcycle is priced at Rs 9.32 lakhs. It has a kerb weight of 166kg (40kg lighter than the Monster) and is powered by a 765cc, three-cylinder engine which belts out 111bhp and 73Nm. The electronic aids on offer include switchable ABS and traction control, quickshifter and five riding modes.

Lastly, by paying Rs 9.99 lakhs, you can get your hands on the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja 1000. Being a sports tourer, the motorcycle offers comfortable ergonomics but has a traditional Ninja appeal with aggressive looks. Featuring all the crucial electronics such as traction control, cornering ABS and riding modes, it packs in a 1043cc, inline-four engine which generates 138bhp and 111Nm. It features a six-speed gearbox with slipper and assist clutch.

(All prices are ex-showroom)