Triumph Street Twin [2018-2019]

Pros: Torquey motor, brakes, riding ergonomics

Cons: Price

The Triumph Street Twin is a good motorcycle. It is the most affordable Triumph out there to get your hands on. It’s a motorcycle that doesn’t try to be something that it isn’t. It’s British, straight-forward, easy to ride and comes with modern classic styling that is in tune with the other models offered by Triumph. But, as they say, there is always room for improvement, which is why the next-generation Street Twin in here. 

Now, if you have owned/ridden a Street Twin before or have friends who own one, you may have come across small niggles that need to be worked out to improve the overall riding experience on this motorcycle. Triumph seems to have taken account of these factors and worked on them which has resulted in making the 2019 Street Twin an even better product. After spending several hours on the saddle of the motorcycle, from carving through city roads to open sweeping highway tarmacs, here’s the road test review of the 2019 Street Twin.

Like every motorcycle that rolls out of the British bike maker’s factory, build quality is something that Triumph has maintained efficiently and it is instantly noticeable as soon as you get up close with the motorcycle. While the 2019 edition follows the same profile as the previous-generation model, it has undergone subtle upgrades like the new Matte Ironstone colour scheme accompanied by new cast alloy wheels which, in our opinion, look fantastic. The motorcycle also has aluminium headlamp brackets, redesigned side cowls and a new seat. All in all, the build quality and overall finish is top notch with no sign of any shoddy work.

Like its predecessor, the new Street Twin continues to offer comfortable ergonomics. The wide handlebar, slim waistline, slightly rear-set foot pegs and the 760mm seat height feel right in place as soon as you straddle the motorcycle. The 2019 edition also has a new seat with additional padding so that when you get off the bike after a long distance trip, you’ll be left with pretty much nothing to complain.

Also getting the bike off the stand is an easy affair. The weight of the motorcycle is not felt due to its low centre of gravity and good weight distribution. This also helps in manoeuvring the bike through tight spots without breaking a sweat.

Triumph has updated the suspension setup with 41mm cartridge-type forks up front. While these offer the same 120mm of travel, it has resulted in making the ride plusher. The rear, however, remains unchanged with the same twin shock absorb setup. At city speeds, the setup absorbs minor undulations and bumps without much fuss. And on open roads, the bike is better off at long sweeping corners rather than sharp ones. We won’t complain about it because the Street Twin was not designed to be a sharp handler. Also, the pegs tend to scrap easily on entering a corner hard.

This is where the Street Twin receives the most brownie points. The motor now bears a small badge just under the cooling fins that reads ‘Bonneville 900 HT’ wherein the HT stands for ‘High Torque’. Now, if you haven’t guessed yet, Triumph has bumped up the power of the motor by roughly 18 per cent which takes the maximum power output to 64bhp, a good 10bhp gain. The rev-band now stretches by an additional 500rpm with a new redline of 7,500rpm. The peak torque output remains the same at 80Nm but is flatter and available sooner at 3,800 rpm.

All this has been achieved by using lighter components in the engine which include a magnesium cam cover, lighter crankshaft, dead shafts and the balance shafts that ride on them. Even the clutch is a slip-assist type with fewer springs which makes its operation lighter. The gearbox remains the same 5-speed unit. The tall ratios accompanied by the flatter torque curve of the motor allow the bike to be ridden in higher gears at lower speeds comfortably and is actually enjoyable. We say that because, as you open the throttle, you can feel the torque building up and it has a strong punchy exhaust note to go with it which is an absolute treat to the ears.

And when the time comes to drop the anchors, the braking performance on this motorcycle is equally impressive. The 310mm disc at the front now comes with a new 4-piston Embower caliper replacing the floating 2-piston Nissan one. The difference is instantly noticeable. There is more bite from the front with improved progression which, in turn, lets you ride the bike with more confidence. The rear continues to be the same floating 2-piston Nissin mounted onto a 255mm disc.

Here, the biggest highlight has to be the inclusion of riding modes. The motorcycle now gets two modes -- Road and Rain. The modes are switchable on the fly with the throttle closed via a dedicated button on the left switchgear. Road is the default setting whereas in Rain mode, the throttle is more easy going and the traction control system is more intervening. However, even in Rain mode, there is no reduction in power. Besides that, the motorcycle continues to feature other electronic features like traction control and ABS which are switchable.

After riding the motorcycle on our designated route for fuel runs, the Street Twin managed to return a fuel economy of 21.66 kmpl in the city. This translates to a range of 260 km from its 12ltr fuel tank.

Like we said in the beginning, the Street Twin is a good motorcycle. And with the 2019 edition, Triumph has attended to the chinks in its armour making it an improved product. The increased power, revised suspension, better brakes and the inclusion of riding modes has made the Street Twin a more engaging and enjoyable motorcycle.

From daily commutes to weekend rides, the Street Twin easily fits the bill as a versatile product. The build quality, comfort, riding ergo and power delivery all contribute to make it a very approachable motorcycle for an experienced as well as a budding rider.

The 2019 Street Twin, being an entry-level Triumph, carries a sticker price of Rs 7.70 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Now, the price tag is on the premium side, but yet again, it’s also justified. It ticks all the right boxes with its modern classic styling, sweet sounding exhaust, excellent riding ergonomics and torquey motor. But, most of all, it is a motorcycle that will urge you to ride it more as the experience just keeps getting better and better, which is something not many modern motorcycles can offer.