One of the most famous names in the history of British motorcycling has returned: the Triumph Speed Twin. It first caused a stir in 1938, when Edward Turner?s parallel twin offered unprecedented levels of power for a 500 cc bike.
The original Speed Twin created a template for many other manufacturers to follow, and the lineage is still visible in Triumph’s ?Modern Classics? range today.

But the new Speed Twin is a very different beast. With 1200 cc and almost four times the horsepower of its predecessor, on paper it?s a cracker.
It?s recognizably a Bonneville, but with a pumped-up, muscular style and a very obvious focus on the riding experience. It?s more than a boulevard cruiser, and is likely to trouble bikes such as the established Ducati Monster and BMW R nineT, and the incoming Indian FTR 1200.
The engine is the 1200cc ?HP? version of the Bonneville twin, in the same tune as the Thruxton and with the same 11:1 compression ratio. There have been some updates, including a low inertia crank, so it?s not exactly the same as the Thruxton motor.
The cam cover is now magnesium, and the engine cases are ?mass optimized.? It?s a new emphasis on weight saving that sees the Speed Twin tips the scales at ten kilos less than the Thruxton.

The cooling system is also updated, and the first major service interval is at 10,000 miles (16,000km).
Peak outputs are the same as the Thruxton R: 97PS at 6,750 rpm, with a peak torque of 112 Nm at 4,950 rpm. We?re promised a ?...