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It already looks awesome, so why use AI to pretend it's cool?View the full article

I have a 2020 model Speed Twin 1200 and have owned it for the past four years and done some 20,000 miles on the bike. I use this bike for everyday riding, ride outs and touring. Me and my Speed Twin 1200 touring in Spain I had this bike on loan from Triumph UK to ride and review and I was so taken with the bike that when it went back I asked if I could buy it at the end of the season when the press bikes come up for sale. So, when Triumph announced the new 2025 models for the Speed Twin namely, the 1200 and 1200 RS, I was eager to have these on loan to review. I have had both models for a couple of weeks each, back to back. The new 1200’s have evolved with their raked fuel tank, front cutouts, brushed aluminium throttle body covers in sculpted side panels inside a slim rear frame. There are machined cooling fins on the cylinder head and finned header roses. I was really interested to see what the differences were (apart from the extra £2,000 price tag for the RS) with my bike and if I would be tempted to trade my bike in for one. Let’s see, shall we…. A Few Specs for you: Speed Twin 1200Speed Twin 1200 RSPriceFrom £12,495From £14,495Colours Aluminium Silver; Sapphire Black/Crystal White; Sapphire Black/Carnival RedSapphire Black; Sapphire Black/Baja OrangeMax power 105 PS / 103.5 bhp (77.2 kW) @ 7,750 rpm105 PS / 103.5 bhp (77.2 kW) @ 7,750 rpmMax Torque112 Nm @ 4,250 rpm112 Nm @ 4,250 rpmFront suspension43mm USD Marzocchi forks, 120mm travel43mm USD Marzocchi forks, 120mm travelRear suspensionTwin Marzocchi RSUs with external reservoirs and adjustable preload, 116 mm wheel travelTwin Öhlins RSUs with external reservoirs, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping. 123 mm wheel travelFront brakesTwin Ø 320mm floating discs, Triumph branded four-piston radial calipers, OCABSTwin Ø 320mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema M4.30 radial calipers, OCABSRear brakesSingle Ø 220mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper, OCABSSingle Ø 220mm disc, Nissin 2-piston floating caliper, OCABSSeat height805mm810 mmWet weight216 kg216 kgFuel tank 14.5l14.5lTyresMetzeler Sportec M9RRMetzeler Racetec RR K3Riding ModesRain, RoadRain, Road and SportStandard equipment Optimised Cornering ABS and Traction Control​; LED headlights with DRL; Cockpit mounted USB-C Socket​Optimised Cornering ABS and Traction Control​; LED headlights with DRL; Triumph Shift Assist up and down quickshifter​; Sports suede seat with stitch detail​Optional equipmentOhlins adjustable RSU​; Low handlebar kit​; Cruise control kit – DRL​; TPMS Tyre pressure monitoring system​; MyTriumph connectivity module​; Scrolling LED Indicators​; Triumph Protect ​; Triumph Track; heated gripsLow handlebar kit​; Heated grips​; Cruise control kit – DRL​; TPMS Tyre pressure monitoring system​; MyTriumph connectivity module​; Scrolling LED Indicators​; Triumph Protect+; Triumph Track+ Engine Both the 1200 and RS are sporting the HT (high torque) Bonneville liquid cooled 1200cc parallel twin engine pushing out 112 Nm @ 4,250 rpm or torque and 77.2 kW @ 7,750 rpm of power with 103.5 bhp. The new Speed Twins have a 5 PS increase over the previous model in top end power with the engine being Euro 5 compliant. If, like me, you love the unmistakable sound of a twin, then you will love the distinctive deep throaty sound of the Speed Twins. You can just feel the grin spreading across your face when you drop a gear and open up the throttle Chassis The tubular cradle steel frame houses the engine with the 1200 having 43mm USD Marzocchi forks with 120mm travel on the front and twin Marzocchi RSUs with external reservoirs and adjustable preload with 116 mm wheel travel on the rear. The front brakes are Twin 320mm floating discs, with Triumph branded four-piston radial calipers and the rear having a single 220mm disc, and Nissin 2-piston floating caliper. The RS is sporting top-spec Marzocchi 43 mm USD forks which are fully adjustable; and the rear having twin Öhlins with piggy-back suspension units which are fully adjustable. The Brembo master cylinder is paired to premium Stylema calipers, as well as a span and ratio-adjusted MCS lever. The brushed stainless steel two into two exhaust system with twin silencers really do complete the look of this bike giving it a modern look with a contemporary twist. Ride by Wire Throttle & Modes Both the 1200’s have ride by wire throttle – instead of having a throttle cable connected to butterflies in the inlet, it will all be controlled by electronics and the twist grip sends an electronic signal to the ECU. The 1200 has two riding modes: rain and road. The RS has three riding modes: rain, road and sport. The modes can easily be changed, even when riding, by using the mode button on the left bar and then using the up and down arrows. Scrolling through the screen is easy to do (even for me!) and allows you to decide what you see on the screen. I thought the 1200 in road mode was absolutely brilliant, handled nicely, felt good in the corners and was a really nice bike to ride. I was not as keen as the RS either in road or sport mode. The bike was more ‘focused’, giving a harder rider and, I felt, was not as much fun to ride as the 1200. I definitely didn’t have the same grin factor as with the 1200. Instrument Display The twin analogue clocks on the Speed Twins of old have been replaced by a single colour TFT screen, which looks to come from the Triumph Trident. The clock is offset to the left and has a USB-C socket sticking out on one side. To be honest, I am not a fan of the new clock, it really is not in keeping with the style of the bike. It would appear that I am not the only one of this opinion, judging by the comments received when parked up. The clock however, does do very well what it is intended to do. The screen is clear to read, especially glancing down when riding. Everything you need to see is there – speed, revs, trip, what gear you are in, time, fuel gauge etc. There are arrow keys on the left bar for you to scroll through the menu and have on display what it is you want to see. It is easy enough to use these keys whilst riding too should you wish to change what you see. Tyres The tyres on the ST 1200 are Metzeler Sportec M9 RR which Metzeler describe as “The Supersport tyre for your daily leans, enhancing the pleasure of riding without worrying about the unexpected, be that changing asphalt or weather conditions’. Metzeler say these tyres are the first Supersport tyre to feature high-silica and full-silica compounds for both front and rear offering high grip from the first corner with the tyres performing optimally at low temperatures with their warm up speed. The Supersport tread design is for optimised water drainage with the grooves delivering outstanding stability by draining more water as speed increases. I thought these tyres were okay, not the best I have experienced but they performed okay. I had the bike on loan in early March so the temperatures were generally between 5 to 10 degrees, a little bit greasy from the salt on the roads and at times damp/wet. I honestly don’t think I would keep these on the bike for long, I prefer a more all round trye that gives me confidence when riding. I didn’t get that feeling from these tyres. The tyres on the ST 1200 RS are Metzeler Racetec RR K3 which Metzeler describes as a road and racetrack tyre developed to win road races delivering maximum performance. Metzeler says that road racing courses feature multiple and variable conditions and the Racetec RR have been designed to cope with all of them with their versatility of use on a wide range of asphalts and temperatures. I did not like these tyres, especially in the wet. I had the bike mid to late March with temperatures between 5 to 15 degrees, with salty roads and, at times, wet. I felt there was a distinct lack of feel of the bike with these tyres on wet roads. I felt my riding style changed and I tiptoed along. I would change these tyres straightaway to a more all round tyre which works well in all conditions be it hot, cold, wet or dry. Personally, I do not think this type of tyre should be standard OEM on a road bike. The vast majority of people will never do a track day and do not ride with their knee down around corners. What are The Triumph Speed Twins 1200 & 1200 RS Like To Ride, I hear you say? Well, interestingly, I found both the bikes very different to ride. The 1200 is a really nice bike to ride, very smooth in its power delivery, handles nicely in the corners and this bike put the biggest grin on my face. The suspension on this bike has been improved over my 2020 model and I could feel the difference, it gives a much nicer ride. The riding position is also different to my bike, more focused, and although it is noticeable, I very quickly got used to it and it soon felt natural. The RS was not such a nice bike to ride. Don’t get me wrong, it went like stink (as does the 1200) but I felt the bike was too ‘focused’. The ride was harder and although it handled well, I didn’t think it was as smooth to ride. I thought the quickshifter was a bit clunky, certainly not the smoothest one I have used. I prefer the colours and design on the RS to the 1200 but, that of course is just my personal preference. I much preferred the Sportec tyres on the 1200 to the Racetec on the RS. I could live with the Sportec’s for a while but ultimately I would swap them for a more all round, everyday tyre, like the Michelin Road 6’s. The Racetec tyres I would have to change straight away. I was riding on wet roads with these tyres and they were not nice at all. I did not like the feel of the bike in these conditions and had to change my riding style to accommodate the lack of feel I was receiving. Both bikes weigh 216 kg, but the seat heights are slightly different – 805mm on the 1200 and 810 mm on the RS. To be honest, I didn’t notice the difference. I found moving both bikes around was okay, and at 5’6” my feet were nicely on the ground. The brakes are responsive on both bikes (which is always a good thing ) I did not think the Brembo brakes worked better over the Triumph ones. There is a lot of engine braking with the Speed Twin so just lifting off the throttle scrubs off some speed. The 1200 is very torquey and riding around town at low speeds is not a problem. Find an open road though, and now you’re talking, you can tell these bikes like an open road with fast flowing bends and tighter twisties, the bikes just soak it up. The sound of the twins on start-up always sends a shiver down my spine and then the rumble from the engines at low speeds always have me grinning under my helmet. I find myself having a little chuckle when I open the bike up as I head out of town onto an open road, the noise is addictive. Both the Speed Twins are easy bikes to ride. I use my Speed Twin for both everyday riding and touring, it is comfortable enough to be able to do this, although I do have a woolly seat cover when touring as I find my seat uncomfortable after a while. I would say both the new 1200’s would make great touring bikes too. With both the 1200’s, I did experience wind buffeting especially when on a dual carriageway/motorway, and would put a screen on the front to cut this down and, hopefully, stop this happening. I have a screen on my Speed Twin and found this to have worked. The clock is probably my biggest gripe with the new Speed Twins, the single digital clock is definitely not in keeping with the style of the bike. I know when you’re riding a bike you are not actually focused on the look of the bike or the screen but, when parked up and admiring your steed, appearances are important. I would swap my 2020 Speed Twin 1200 for the new Speed Twin 1200. I would not swap my 2020 Speed Twin 1200 for the new Speed Twin 1200 RS. Not the verdict I would have expected. Before I rode both bikes, I just assumed that it would be the RS that would be my bike of choice but how absolutely wrong that assumption was. Even though you are getting sport mode, Brembo brakes, Ohlins and a quickshifter on the RS, I would not pay the extra £2,000 for these. I would be very interested to hear what you think of the 1200 and the 1200 RS – which one would you go for/have you gone for? Thank you to Triumph UK for the loan of both the Speed Twin 1200 and 1200 RS. BK The post 2025 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 & Speed Twin 1200 RS Review appeared first on BikerKaz. View the full article

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Here is a list of events so far for 2025 that I shall be attending – if I missed anything, let me know WhenWhatWhereSaturday 8th MarchLadies DayOn Yer Bike, Aylesbury HP18 0JXSaturday 22nd MarchCoffee & Cake morningOn Yer Bike, Aylesbury HP18 0JXSaturday 5th AprilCoffee & Cake morningMoores Motorcycles, London Rd, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9SXWednesday 14th MayBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPWednesday 14th MayRide to BK Bike Night from Moores MotorcyclesMoores Motorcycles, London Rd, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9SXSunday 18th MayDistinguished Gentleman’s Ride The Red Lion, Marsworth HP23 4LUSaturday 24th MayCoffee & Cake morningOn Yer Bike, Aylesbury HP18 0JXWednesday 11th JuneBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPSaturday 14th JuneCoffee & Cake morningMoores Motorcycles, London Rd, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9SXWednesday 9th JulyBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPWednesday 13th AugustBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPSaturday 16th AugustCoffee & Cake & Two Stroke morningMoores Motorcycles, London Rd, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9SXSaturday 6th SeptemberCoffee & Cake morningOn Yer Bike, Aylesbury HP18 0JXWednesday 10th SeptemberBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPWednesday 8th OctoberBK Bike NightThe Village Swan, Ivinghoe Aston LU7 9DPSaturday 13th DecemberCoffee & Cake MorningOn Yer Bike, Aylesbury HP18 0JX The post BK Events 2025 appeared first on BikerKaz. View the full article

It’s inspired by the Red Fuji scenery of Japan. View the full article

I had the pleasure of having the rather stylish Honda CBR650R E-Clutch on loan from Honda Motorcycles UK for a couple of weeks and what a great and interesting time I had. The CBR650R and the CB650R are the first Honda’s to be offered with the option of Honda E-Clutch technology, which gives you the choice of automatic clutch operation by simply using the shift pedal. I have never ridden with an E-Clutch before so I was really interested to see what it would be like and if I was going to like it. A Few Specs for you: Weight: 211 kg Seat height: 810 mm 649 cc Liquid cooled 4 stroke engine Power: 70 kW @ 12,000 rpm, 47 bhp Torque: 63 Nm @ 9,500 rpm 6 speed TFT customisable screen with Honda RoadSync connectivity 15.4 litre fuel tank Emergency Stop Signal Showa upside-down forks with Prolink mono with 5 stage preload adjuster on the rear 2 colour options: Matt Gunpowder Black from £8,729; Grand Prix Red from £8,729 Engine The 649cc, DOHC 16-valve in-line four engine is Euro 5 compliant and does sound rather nice. Peak power of 70kW arrives @ 12,000rpm with peak torque @ 63Nm delivered at 9,500 rpm. A 35kW option is available for A2 licence holders. The engine has a compact internal set up with a stacked six-speed gearbox and starter layout with the cylinders canted forward 30°. The assist/slipper clutch eases upshifts while managing rear-wheel lock up under hard braking and rapid downshifts. Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) manages rear wheel traction which can be turned off should you choose via the settings on the screen. Chassis The end can needs replacing! The CBR650R has a steel diamond frame which provides core rigidity while the 41mm Showa SFF-BP USD front forks and Showa rear shock deliver great suspension control. A tail tidy is needed! The four-piston radial-mount front brake calipers work 310mm floating discs and the cast aluminium wheels mount the 17” Dunlop Roadsport tyres. I am not sure which would have to be purchased first – a new end can or tail tidy. Both are crying out to be fitted as soon as possible. The standard end can is way too quiet and is not in keeping with the style of the bike. E-Clutch The 2024 CB650R and CBR650R are the first bikes to be launched with Honda’s E-Clutch as an option. What is E-Clutch? The Honda E-Clutch is unique to Honda and basically means you do not need to use the clutch lever for starting, stopping or going up and down the gears. The E-Clutch technology takes elements from the quickshifter, manually operated clutches and Honda’s unique Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) technology. The Honda E-Clutch You can choose manual clutch control of the six-speed gearbox, like normal or select E-Clutch via the TFT screen and leave the clutch lever alone. That’s it. Setting off from a standstill, shifting up and down, and coming to a stop, all you need to do is operate the gear lever. E-Clutch does the rest. If at any time you want to use the clutch, you do not need to select anything, just use the lever and you are back in control. For the techy of you amongst us, Honda describes how it works as during the gear change it uses a harmonised combination of ‘half clutch’ operation, fuel injection cut and ignition control to eliminate ‘shift shock’ for an ultra smooth ride. The clutch control itself is managed through an actuator unit, similar to those used in Honda’s DCT gearboxes. All you have to do is use the throttle and change gears via the shift pedal. If you want to use the clutch manually at any point, simply grab the lever and use it normally. After a few seconds the E-Clutch technology is back on. The E-Clutch can be turned off completely via the TFT screen. I did find it was a very smooth ride when using the E-Clutch. Going up and down the gears is smooth and in that respect it’s like riding with a quickshifter. To start with I kept forgetting that I didn’t have to use the clutch but soon got used to it. It does feel odd at first when you are coming to a standstill and then a stop, not pulling in the clutch, natural instinct is to pull this in. I can see that the E-Clutch would be good for round town riding or commuting. Instrument Display I do like the 5” TFT screen on the CBR650R, it is really clear and easy to read, especially when glancing down when riding. All you need to see at glance is there – speed, gear you are in, fuel, time etc. The display can be customised using the 4 way toggle switch on the left handlebar. Navigating my way around the screen was easy too which is a huge plus point for me. The 5″ TFT screen is clear and easy to read Connect your Android 8.0 or iOS14 (or later) smartphone with the Honda RoadSync app which can be installed through your Google or Apple account. The app will also connect to your Bluetooth helmet-mounted headset with audio input. The navigation app, which is OS specific, provides the navigation base for Honda RoadSync, with the turn-by-turn directions voice guided and displayed via the meter panel on the TFT screen. I did download the app and connected my phone to the bike which I found relatively easy to do, the prompt along each step of the way helped! It was great to be able to access navigation whilst riding and also a bit of music should you wish to do so. Tyres The tyres on the CBR650R are Dunlop Roadsport 2 which Dunlop describe as: A great proposition for keen riders, looking for a great value package for everyday riding: The Dunlop Roadsport tyres Consistent performance from new to worn, thanks to the state-of-the-art HCT tread design High silica content provides strong wet performance The highly modern compound, using very fine carbon black, provides versatile performance for different riding styles, in a wide range of conditions. Not having ridden with these tyres before, I was impressed by how well they handled and gripped the road. I had the bike on loan end of January/beginning of February so the temperatures were very low and the roads were damp and salt laden, but the tyres performed well and gave me the confidence I crave from a tyre when riding. LED Lights Front LED lights I absolutely love the design of the front headlight, it is mean and aggressive, I can just imagine what that looks like in a rear view mirror The lights are LED all round and the front light gives plenty of illumination. The front indicators illuminate permanently when the ignition is on and then flash when turned on. The LED rear light The rear light housing is equally as impressive as the front and sits neatly underneath the rear seat. I really do think Honda have got the styling of this bike spot on. A tail tidy would need to be added as soon as possible though as this does spoil the rear somewhat. The indicators have the Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) function which means that at a minimum speed of 56 km/h, with either brake working if negative acceleration of a minimum of 6.0m/s2 is detected, the hazard lights flash to warn other road users a hard stop is in process. At the same speed the threshold is reduced if ABS is activated, to a negative acceleration of a minimum 2.5m/s2. A2 Licence Compliant The CBR650R can be ridden by riders holding an A2 licence as there is a 35kW conversion available, which is ready for full power once an A licence is held. The A2 licence is for riders aged 19 or over who have either passed their CBT or are looking to move up from a 125cc bike (A1 licence) and take the next step towards the full A licence. Riders are limited by law to progress through the various stages of licensing. AM (50cc moped) -16 years of age A1 (125cc) – 17 years of age A2 (restricted power) – 19 years of age A (any engine, unrestricted power) – over 21 years The full A licence is only an option for riders over 21 years of age who’ve held an A2 licence for more than two years. Riders over 24 years of age can take the direct access route to attain their full A licence. What’s The Honda CBR500R Like To Ride, I hear you say? Very nice The CBR650R is a very smooth bike to ride, it does everything it should do very nicely, it feels like a quality bike, very nicely put together. When parked up on the bike, I did get people coming over to look at the bike and talk about the bike, their bike etc. The bike looks stylish and draws people to it which is fabulous For the money, you are getting a lot of bike, I am not sure if I would go for the E-Clutch myself but I can see why people would, especially if you are commuting on the bike, not using the clutch lever does make sense (once you get used to not using it ) I was impressed by how many times I grinned when riding the CBR650R, it is a lot of fun to ride and definitely has that grin factor. The bike felt solid and stable in the corners and you could tell this was its happy place, it seems made for sweeping bends and twisting roads and because you are sitting ‘in’ the bike rather than ‘on’ the bike, you do feel at one with it. It is just you and the bike egging each other along. For someone riding on an A2 licence, what an awesome bike this would be! How cool would it be to rock up on such a stylish bike and only on an A2 licence. Once you have got your A licence, the bike can be derestricted of course. Moving the bike around was okay for me although I did think the side stand was a little on the long side. The bike weighs in at 211 kg with a seat height of 810 mm. I’m 5’6” and my feet were nicely on the floor. I did find there was a lot of engine braking so just lifting off the throttle scrubs off some speed and the brakes are responsive, which is always a good thing! I thought the suspension was good, it really soaked up the lumps and bumps on our roads nicely and made for a nice comfortable ride. The CBR650R would be a great bike for touring on, as well of course, as everyday riding. The riding position is not as extreme as you think it would be. The CBR650R is one bike that makes you go the long way back home, there’s just something about it that makes you want to keep on riding. Thank you to Honda Motorcycles UK for the loan of the CBR650R. BK The post 2024 Honda CBR650R E-Clutch Review appeared first on BikerKaz. View the full article

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