Page 27 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)
P. 27

Shed loads
                                                                                                    So what are my plans while this is in my shed?
                                                                                                    AS WELL AS gaining confidence each day using it
                                                                                                    as a runabout, I plan on saddling up and setting
                                                                                                    off for a proper road trip. A couple of days in the
                                                                                                    saddle, seeing the world through a visor, is one
                                                                                                    of the things I’ve really missed in my 12-month
                                                                                                    hiatus, so it’ll be good to see how the Speed Twin
                                                                                                    handles those duties.
                                                                                                       It’ll be good to see how I hold up, too, and how
                                                                                                    quickly it takes for my bike fitness to return. I’m
                                                                                                    looking forward to getting some decent kays under
                                                                                                    the belt and, if the last few weeks are anything to
                                                                                                    go by, it should be a helluva lot of fun! Stay tuned.
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          found myself unknowingly sitting in fifth for long
          stretches on the highway, instead of sixth.
            When it comes to electronics, the Speed Twin gets
          traction control that can be turned off, ABS that is
          always on, and ride-by-wire which allows for three
          riding modes of Rain, Road and Sport. I tried Sport
          mode around Kangaroo Valley, but felt that the
          throttle was a little too snatchy for me at this point in
          my riding career – but can see a lot of potential fun in
          that setting down the, er, track.
            If there was one problem though, it would be my
          knees never really reached the sides of the tank.           Main. Andrews works
          In fact, they sat lower and close to the engine. This       hard to get his street-
          means it can get a little hot on your legs when you’re    cool going on the Speedy
          stuck in traffic, though on the move, there isn’t much        1. The heart of the
          to complain about.                                        matter is 1200cc of liquid
            Triumph has produced a bike that is both willing                  power
          and able to match a rider’s mood and abilities – its         2. Classic Triumph
          ergonomics and engine actually make it an easy bike
          to ride fast, but for now, for me, it’s perfect for a mid-  styling, wide bars, twin
          40s returning rider who isn’t going to get carried away             pipes
          in the capabilities of the 1200cc nakedbike.              Below. Beach, Triumph...
            Well, not just yet anyway.                               does it get any better?

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