A confidence-inspiring bike for new riders but entertaining enough for the experienced rider.

In 2022, to better align the Street Twin with its bigger, sportier brother, the Speed Twin 1200, Triumph changed its name to Speed Twin 900. But the name can be a bit misleading, because this stylish, classically styled British twin isn’t about speed. It’s about inspiring confidence in new riders. It’s about giving a sense of nostalgia to more experienced ones without boring them with lackluster performance. It’s about creating an emotional connection with its rider — not through flashy, avant-garde styling, high performance or dazzling tech, but rather through a well-balanced mix of retro cool, easy maneuverability, and affordability.

This year, Triumph has reworked its best-selling modern classic (more than 47,000 units have sold since the Street Twin’s introduction in 2016). The last revision it received was in 2019, and aside from paint and trim colours, it has remained unchanged since (except in name) until now. For 2025, the Speed Twin 900 gets a sportier silhouette, and an overall sportier character. It features a revised riding position, and improved chassis, suspension, rider aids, and brakes. But before we dive into the changes, we’ll have a look at the smaller Speed Twin’s most appealing feature: its 900 cc engine.

COMPETENT ENGINE

Nearing 10 years of production, the High Torque liquid-cooled parallel twin has proven to be bulletproof. While internally the 270-degree engine remains the same, it looks different on the outside. Just like its bigger Speed Twin brother, it gets new engine covers, with angular lines giving them more definition than the previously smooth covers. It claims 64 horsepower, and a punchy 59 lb.-ft. of torque, the bulk of which is produced below 3,800 rpm. Perhaps because of the fat low-end torque, it still has only five gears, though after having ridden both the first and second-generation iterations of the bike, I can say that there’s no need to add a sixth. The 11.0:1 compression ratio allows the engine to run on regular fuel, and valve clearance maintenance intervals are set at 32,000 km. It’s also quite frugal, claiming 4.0L/100 km (I’ve seen 4.5L on the road). While output is unchanged from the outgoing model, the new engine is now Euro 5+ compliant. 

THE CHANGES

Some visual changes are subtle; some are bolder. The subtle changes include a reshaped gas tank, which combines with a flatter seat, slimmer tail section, and redesigned side covers to give the bike a sportier “tip-forward” appearance. Unfortunately, the gas tank still contains only 12 liters, which experience has shown me is good for about 200 km before the fuel light comes on. A more compact headlight…