Triumph Speed Twin: Same Price, Other Options

Triumph launched the Bonneville Speed Twin today at a price of Rs 9.46 lakh (ex-showroom India). On paper, this street-friendly motorcycle offers all the mechanical bits of the Triumph Thruxton R in a more manageable package. How does that translate to on-road performance? We’ve already ridden the motorcycle to find out. That said if you’re impressed by it, but still hesitant to pull the trigger, here are other options you ought to consider.

Triumph Street Triple S (Rs 9.19 lakh)

If it's outright urban street performance you’re looking for, how about hopping over to the company’s roadster lineup? The Street Triple S, in particular. The middleweight naked motorcycle packs an all-new 765cc motor that makes 113PS of more power, that is 16PS more than the Speed Twin.

The Street Triple S also gets the same feature set as the Speed Twin, including ride-by-wire, switchable traction control and different riding modes. All this while undercutting the Speed Twin by Rs 27,000. However, you do miss out on the modern classic look and a healthy amount of torque (73Nm compared Speed Twin’s 113Nm).

Harley-Davidson Iron 883 (Rs 9.23 lakh)

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If it is pure old-school motorcycling experience with a V-twin thump you’re looking for, Harley-Davidson offers the Iron 883 for Rs 23,000 lesser than the Speed Twin. With a comfortable riding position and a blacked-out look, the Harley can double up as a good looking urban companion...

...That is if you can overlook the lack of the modern-day features you get on the Speed Twin. Not to mention, the big 883cc air-cooled engine might cook your thighs medium-rare before the end of the ride.

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 (Rs 10.29 lakh)

For Rs 83,000 more, you can bring home a litre-class Japanese tourer - the 2019 Kawasaki Ninja 1000. While the Triumph Speed Twin takes the CBU route here, Kawasaki brings the Ninja 1000 as a CKD unit, hence the tempting price tag.

In a nutshell, what you get is an aggressive design, the Ninja badge and power. Lots of it. 142PS to be precise! That should be plenty for highway mile-munching and occasional spirited riding. However, it’s bulky footprint and a kerb weight of 239kg might prove difficult to manage in day-to-day traffic.

Yamaha MT-09 (Rs 10.55 lakh)

Looking for something, err, less boring? The Yamaha MT-09 is just that. In fact, it is possibly one of the most mental bikes we’ve ever tested. While its 849cc inline 3-cylinder motor (115PS/87.5Nm) may seem tame on paper, especially considering the competition. Our tests reveal a completely different story. For starters, the first-gen model we tested sprinted from 0 to 60kmph in just 2.2 seconds, while 0 to 100kmph was achieved in 3.7 seconds!

The MT-09 is no slouch, although buyers looking for a relaxed riding experience may find the Yamaha a bit too aggressive. Not to mention, it is also Rs 1.09 lakh more expensive than the Speed Twin, making it a hard pill to swallow.