fire and capacity, the 1200 is so very easy to ride. Around town it is docile and tractable, cruising effortlessly in second or third. From low revs it’ ll accelerate without having to snick down, even though the brilliant quickshifter( in my view the best I have ever used), was effortlessly efficient. Riding for longer periods on the comfortable saddle did not produce the issues the old one used to provoke – no pressure in the wrist, and no neck strain, a major bonus. The frame’ s double aluminium struts retain those same gorgeous double snaky curves that have always given it sex appeal. The stance and overall presence when parked is modern and aggressive. I rode a number of sections on Woodcocks Road where undulations in corners were problematic, and with the suspension set for my weight, left to its own electronic devices in Sport mode, it made for an exceptionally planted feel, giving real confidence in the front end; the rear tracking rock solid under all that cornering tech. Each time I passed over the undulations and off-camber sections, I felt more confident, knowing that the electronics were
vastly superior to my meagre skills. Throwing the bike around on green roads needed some restraint, particularly with the Pirelli Supercorsas in the wet, which I give serious respect to, but no problems ensued. At speed and under a twisting wrist, the front can be induced to lift without effort, and the head shaking that would sometimes accompany that on my 2017 was non-existent, and the addition of an adjustable steering damper no doubt assists with any small issue there.
THAT MOTOR! On the open road the power delivery from the Triumph triple engine is linear and steep. There is an appreciable leap in performance and low end drive over my older bike, but it is the way this one produces a creamy, smooth ferocity that thrills the old biker’ s soul in me. I fitted an SC Project two-into-one on my 2017, because I loved the noise so much. While this is perhaps not as‘ heavy metal’, even with its large first exhaust chamber underslung connecting to a compact single side pipe and boxy silencer, the opera it produces induces a bad-boy grin inside
KIWI RIDER 41