New Triumph Street Twin


The all-new Bonneville Street Twin, a bike aimed at appealing to the widest possible selection of riders ranging from those who are new to big machines, to those who want something to customise or who just want a simple – but modern – classically-styled roadster.



Triumph are presenting the Street Twin as the most contemporary of the new five-bike Bonneville range, whcih include a Thruxton and Thruxton R, plus Bonneville T120 and T120 Dark, and it’s also the only model that uses the new 899 cc, eight-valve high-torque parallel-twin engine, rather than the 1199 cc unit used in the rest of the range.


The Street Twin is new from the ground up, with a bespoke chassis and new engine and packs modern technology like ABS, traction control, ride-by-wire throttle, and LED lighting.

Classic touches include black cast alloy wheels, a fuel tank that clearly harks back to the original Bonnevilles first seen in 1959, an upswept silencer finished in a brushed aluminium texture, black-painted side panels and a minimalist black front mudguard.


While the capacity of 899 cc is close to the outgoing Bonneville, the new twin shares nothing with the current 865 cc engine. Triumph knew they needed to dramatically increase power and torque so that the new Street Twin could compete with rivals and win over those who felt the old bike was lacking in performance for everyday use. They also needed to future-proof the engine against Euro4 and Euro5 emissions legislation.

The crankcases used on the 899 cc and 1199 cc versions of the new engines are the same, with the difference in capacity achieved thanks to the models’ respective bore sizes, while the stroke remains the same between all the new ‘classics’.


Triumph are aiming this pared-back, simple Street Twin roadster at a wide range of potential owners and those of a shorter leg are going to be thankful for the lower seat height. Triumph will no doubt be aiming for the same reaction with the Street Twin, which is expected to be firmly entrenched in this cost-sensitive end of the retro niche.

The engine in the Street Twin has been dubbed the 900 cc high-torque motor, and is an eight-valve version of the parallel-twin. It delivers a very punchy 59 lb-ft of torque at just 3200 rpm – an 18% increase over the outgoing model. Triumph have also worked hard on improving the fuel economy of this new engine and the firm claim this engine is 36% more efficient than the outgoing model.


The Street Twin is a simple design but Triumph have ensured they have a decent grasp on the sort of technology that potential owners will be looking for. This includes ABS, switchable traction control, slip assist clutch to keep the clutch lever action lighter, a ride-by-wire throttle and an LED rear light. There will be four colours available: red, silver, matt black and gloss black.