On Thursday morning I made the decision to cut my loses and trade the Street in for a Speed Twin and for a while the relief of making a hard decision didn’t hit me – I still felt screwed up inside. I realised that the sickness in my stomach was actually grief. Grief for an inanimate object. While it had troubles it gave me the relief and the highlights that I so needed over the last few years and before I bought the CRV it was my means of getting to my Mum’s to take care of her and many a dark winters evening, after a hard day at work, I’d ride along the cliffs in the wind and the rain to get to Rottingdean to pick up my Mum’s meds. I loved that bike. I rode it along the A27 this morning and every time I slowed down, I could hear it rattling and clanking below me – it was never going to get any better no matter how much money I chucked at it.
I didn’t want to say goodbye to the dog, nor the bike, nor my Mum or her house. But they’re gone. Onwards!
I first rode a Speed Twin a couple of years ago when Triumph lent me one while they carried out one of the many warranty claims on the Street. My first instinct was “retro boring” but within a couple of miles I realised that it was a lovely thing to ride. I just kept riding and riding, corner after corner – it practically rode itself. It is smooth and easy and rolls happily from one corner to the next with an immense amount of torque. I had got to mid Kent before I stopped for a coffee where I contemplated the legalities of never taking it back and leaving them with the Street. I was so disappointed when I got the text to say that my bike was ready. When I got back to the dealers I handed them the key with a big smile on my face, told them what a fantastic bike that was and that I would have one one day. I’ve been researching them ever since, I joined the FB group back then and I must have read and watched every review. If you’ve not tried one – give it a go. There’s nothing retro about it above the look of it and it sounds amazing.
Card’s behind the bar
