downshifts . Then there ’ s traction control . There ’ s ride-by-wire throttle control , too . And dare we say , under the bottom frame rails you ’ ll find the catalytic converter . It feels old school but it ’ s thoroughly new tech . Beyond the engine , you can ’ t help but admire the details such as the LED lighting ( the headlight shines two beams , not one , that probably helps drivers identify its presence in traffic ). The instrument console is another neat touch , with a big analogue speedo , while the tacho is small digital display ( being of negligible value on this bike ) and all the other digital information is neatly displayed and easily scrolled through and adjusted using just the one button on the left switch block . Oh yes , and the exhaust systems are again a signature profile for this bike . After the under-engine catalytic converter , there ’ s a single muffler on the Speed and a cool twin muffler in the Scrambler ( more on that later ).
FASTER
any owner is going to appreciate is the design . Triumph took the decision to adopt the archetypal Triumph engine aesthetic for this motor . They didn ’ t have to , the motor could have looked like every other generic fourstroke single built in the Far East . Instead we have the iconic triangular timing case and oval chain case , not to mention the cylinder finning as will have been found on Triumph ’ s old ( and modern ) twins . They ’ ve also minimised the radiator ’ s intrusion in the design , by keeping it to the width of the frame ’ s down tubes . With all the ancillary wiring tidied away ( again not always the case on competitors ’ bikes ), they ’ ve created the look of a clean , timeless classic . The motor probably weighs a few extra kilos on this account but the payoff seems worth it . It ’ s worth mentioning this motor is no Tiger Cub ( 1960s 200cc mini-Triumph ). The engine is , behind the historic façade , utterly modern . It ’ s liquid-cooled and fuel injected , the cylinder head is DOHC and four-valve with a fingerfollower valve train . The six-speed transmission gets a torque-assist clutch , which reduces the lever effort and prevents rear wheel lock up on
34 KIWI RIDER