The difference between the three modes is noticeable. Road and Rain are included on the standard Speed Twin, but the RS also gets Sport mode- which is the pick of the bunch for me. In this mode it’ s lively and revs freely. The exhaust note is great for stock pipes and I suspect with an aftermarket pipe it would sound outstanding. I would happily hand over the hard earned dollars for one of these, I suspect they will hold their value well. It’ s a bike that lends itself well to customisation, with rides like the Distinguished Gentleman’ s Ride etc becoming increasingly popular, a bike like this will be of interest to a much broader market.
If you want a more relaxed feel but still want the look and performance of the RS, the standard 1200 Speed Twin is a great option too and comes in $ 3000 cheaper- and the riding position is more relaxed than on the RS. As I was once told by a wise man, every day on a motorcycle is a great day, and the days I spent with the Speed Twin were no different. I found myself jumping on it just to shoot down to the shop, as well as for quick blasts up the twisties, it really does do it all quite well. It’ s definitely worth a look and a pretty cool option for those coming off LAMS bikes too. BRENDAN ABEL
KIWI RIDER 67