I do; I learned to ride on my dad's, which he'd converted to a 'desert sled' back in the 60's. Eventually he got a new bike, and I got to ride 'the Trumpet' for a couple years myself. Now I'm looking for a 60th birthday present, and I'm torn between a Bonneville 120 and a Speed Twin. This will be a third bike (I have an '09 Yamaha FZ1 with some performance mods and an '08 Suzuki V-Strom 650, which I got last year with only 4K miles. With a full set of GIVI bags, this is the 'long/comfortable' bike, while the FZ1 is the 'short/fast' ride for the nearby mountains here in East Tennessee.) So why do I want a Triumph? Partly because I always have, partly because I miss having a 'normal' (sit up and ride, no bags, no 50MPH wheelies) bike, and partly because my dad just passed. Getting a Triumph would be a way to keep remembering those early days with him... So, is the Speed Twin good for an old guy with three back surgeries already, and looking at his fourth this winter? Or should I just grow up and realize I'm a Bonneville customer these days? Thanks, Larry
Hi Larry, imo the speed twin is a great all round package and would be fine to own. I would suggest you test ride the bikes you are interested in before you make a decision.
Hi Larry I have a T120 Black. The brakes still aren’t near KTM braking power that I was used to on my old 950SM and the warning lights on the dials are pretty unreadable in bright sunlight but, once I dropped the gearbox sprocket by one tooth, it does all I need to at 67 with an iffy back and dodgy knees. Much more comfortable as standard. My wife likes the nice flat pillion seat as well. I have read that the Speed Twin extra performance is great but the seat seems to get slagged off rather a lot as being like sitting on a plank. My backside isn’t very well padded sonI did pass the idea by.
Hi and welcome to the forum I would agree with wessa, test ride both if you can. If the better performance and handling of the Speed Twin appeals but the comfort of the seat is an issue you could always opt for an aftermarket one
