The Triumph Speed T4 has just gone on sale in India. The bike is priced at Rs 2.17 lakh, ex-showroom. That makes the Speed T4 the most affordable Triumph motorcycle to go on sale in India. Here is all that is new.
Engine with strong low-end
The Speed T4’s engine is based on the same 398cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine you get in the Triumph Speed 400, However, Triumph has made a few tweaks to change its character. The engine in the Speed T4 makes 30.6bhp at 7,000rpm and 36Nm of torque at 5,000rpm.
This engine is significantly down on power compared to the Speed 400’s unit. However, it is tuned for a strong low and mid range. 85 percent of the 36Nm is available from 2,500rpm only. This means fewer gearshifts while riding in the city, which should remove some of the fatigue from commutes.
In terms of rideability, this engine should be similar to the J-series engine in the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, its chief rival.
Conventional telescopic fork
Triumph was looking to price the bike competitively and this explains the omission of a few expensive parts that we’ve seen on the Speed 400. The USD fork in the lovely gold finish has been replaced with a conventional telescopic fork. The steering geometry is also slightly sharper. These changes should have a bearing on the way the bike will ride and handle
Fewer electronics
Next up on the list of items that have been deleted is the traction control system. Besides the obvious cost implications, it made no sense to include TC in a 30.6bhp bike. Plus, the availability of the TC in the higher-sped Speed 400 will also make its higher price tag justifiable.
Different tyres
The Speed 4T rides on the 17-inch alloy wheels that are shod with MRF Zapper tyres. These are bias-ply tyres and not radial like the ones you find on the Speed 400. These are also cheaper to procure and help drive down the overall cost of the bike
New colours
The Triumph Speed T4 is available in three colours-White, Red and Black.
