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8th September 2024, 20:46 | #1 |
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| Triumph Speed 400 | Purchase & Ownership Experience There have been a lot of threads and reviews on the Speed 400 already, and I am more than a year late to the party. Regardless, here are my thoughts on this amazing machine. Also, I hope this post can help anyone who owns a bigger or more impractical bike, and wants a smaller one to compliment it. # The journeyFrom the last 1 year, I was looking out for a smaller bike to compliment my older CB650R
Also, people have hurt the bike even in parking (not intentionally, but while reversing their vehicle for example), so I don’t feel confident parking it in crowded spaces like markets. I already own a Classic 350 that’s quite old now (almost 10 years now), so I know from experience that having a smaller, less powerful bike is a blessing on the weekdays traffic. But given its age, and our somewhat busy lifestyles, it’s become harder to spend time on its regular maintenance. And so off to shop for a new bike we must go.. --- # What was I looking forI didn’t want this new bike to be aggressive, or overly sporty to ride. Above all, it should have a good level of comfort of long hours of on-and-off riding in the city, and must have enough power to handle quick overtakes or short signal-to-signals (within city speeds, of course).
I figured I’d keep the bigger bike for long distance and highway rides, and otherwise anytime when the traffic would be significantly less. A bit about me for context: I am about 5.7” and somewhat overweight. I am particularly biased against sporty postures, and that will show in my posts. --- # My options thenRE Guerrilla 450The most direct competitor to this bike, IMO. I had very, very, very high expectations for this bike, and I waited 1 whole year for it! I would have waited even longer if RE would have said they are releasing it next year. But when I did finally test drive it.. It just wasn’t for me at all.
And this is not one particular bike. I test rode 3 bikes from 3 different showrooms, 2 of them for 20 mins each. Each of them felt the same in these regards. Now I understand 2 of these “issues” are actually why a lot of people will buy the bike. It’s hooligan nature is definitely a plus for its intended audience. But I don’t think I fall into that audience. In the end, as Shumi said in Motorinc, it might have been better if RE had made a much more aggressive GRRRR 450, or a more laid back GR 450. But right now, as it stands, GRR 450 falls too much in between. (I don’t always agree with Shumi, specially his critique of the Dominar 400, but his review of the GRR450 absolutely summarises what I have in my head) Himalayan 450Amazing bike, same problems with the engine as above. Plus the spoke wheels and no way to change them with alloys is -1 immediately. Maybe I am too scarred from the years of pushing the Classic 350 through punctures. :( But that amazing circular display, oh man. So much in love with that.. Husqvarna Svartpilen 401Amazing bike, and decently comfortable. But the lack of low end torque didn’t strike a chord with me. The bike kind of felt a little laggy in the short test ride I took in low speeds. Also, same issue as Himalayan 450, lack of alloys. It’s true we can change it to the S250 or Duke alloys, but that’s another thing to deal with. Duke 390I really, really wanted to buy this bike. I have owned so many bikes till now, and yet not even one of them had half the features the Duke did. Amazing TFT display (I still have never owned a bike with bluetooth, leave aside full TFT). Adjustable suspensions. Just, all the stuff that make me envy every single Duke owner. But as soon as I got on the bike, I knew I had to get down immediately. It’s closer to R15 than any other bike I have ridden yet. Also, like the Svartpilen 401, it’s lack of low end torque made it even less appealing to me. I rode for a few hundred meters, but I gave up before even completing the route. Still, for those who are comfortable with the posture, I believe they are very lucky indeed to own this beautiful machine. Speed 400 (and 400x)!When I first got a test ride of this beautiful machine from the most infamous Triumph dealer in central Bengaluru (older members and Bangaloreans here will know), the bike felt like loyal dog that had been badly abused for personal entertainment. The poor bike wanted to give a good experience, but had been kicked so many times it was just tweaking non-stop. Engine jumping like at the slightest twitch, vibrating like crazy, with a clunky AF gearbox, as if like clutch plates have burned out. But, at the time, it was my first interaction with the bike, and I assumed the engine is just a caffeinated addict. I did like the bike otherwise, but wrote it off for its supposedly harsh engine. Fast forward a few months later, with my wife spending some time in Phoenix mall, I figured what harm will another test ride do. So I went to Khivraj Whitefield, and took on the Scrambler 400x. It immediately made me realise I have to now properly test the Speed 400. While I couldn’t flatfoot the bike, I had a gut feel its cousin will change my mind. And when I test rode the S400 I was completely blown away. Completely! But more on that below.. --- # Delivery ExperienceSo about a week or so after test riding the GRR 450, I figured I’d test ride the Speed 400 again, and see if I change my mind about the former. Khivraj Electronic City (Autogenika) was the closest to me, and so off I went. The bike they gave had a dying and crying in pain chain sprocket. And yet, despite the chain constantly threatening to snap, I still had a wide smile the whole time. I figured if an unmaintained bike ridden by 100 people every week can make me so happy riding it for 20 mins, a new well maintained vehicle can only bring joy every time. So after a week I decided to go ahead with the booking, and paid token amount of 5k. The process was generally smooth, but did take a lot of following up with the showroom guys for everything, including receipts for payment, delivery date, etc. But nothing too painful. PDI and delivery was also smooth, I came for PDI one fine day, told them will take delivery with number plate attached, came on the day they called, bike was ready with all accessories. Simple, smooth. It’s been almost 2 weeks now, and 400 kms on the odo, and I have been happier with my purchase than I initially even hoped I’d be! Accessories
--- # ProsEngineThe engine is the star of the show here. Very, very tractable, even at less than 20 km/h. Even at (moving) traffic speeds, the engine couldn’t care less if it’s 3rd or 4th gear. I have almost stopped downshifting to 1st gear in city rides now, and at no point does the bike give a hint of this being harmful. As long as you don’t want to start it like a Duke 390, there is no real difference between starting from standstill in 1st gear or 2nd. One of my fears when looking at a <40ps machine was could it become cumbersome to keep playing with gears in traffic. The CB650’s inline 4 is almost like a automatic at lower speeds, and doesn’t give a shit if you are on 4th gear at 20 km/h. I was afraid I’d now I will have to let go of that tractability. But the S400’s engine completely lays that to rest. It has a very wide, overlapping powerband between gears, so that 2nd and 3rd gears can be used interchangeably, 3rd and 4th with each other, and so on. And all of this, with some power left over in each gear to overtake that uncle who wouldn’t give way in a flyover. The power delivery is also very smooth, and the cliche saying “like butter” really makes sense here. GearboxThe gearbox is also quite smooth and the lever is light, so it’s never to painful in heavy traffic. Gearshifts are smooth in general, and one thing I appreciate is that while they click into place easily, they still need a little bit of pressure to upshift/downshift. This leads to fewer false shifts. This was noticeable when I was in chappals once to pick up something from a nearby store. ErgonomicsThe upright ergos are pretty nice in general, with no problems in the highway. But in traffic I can notice some strain in my butt and wrists. But this is not really a fair comparison, since I am a little biased towards the Classic 350s ergos (and my general bias against sporty postures). Compared to the CB650 tho (and any other sporty bike), this is a travelling sofa. And my wife prefers it twice as much! I do wish the handlebars were a little wider. Not as much as the GRR 450, but maybe half an inch each side? But I will have a more mature opinion of the ergos after riding it for a few months. DesignSimple, proportionate, classy, and still modern enough. But 1 con here, more of that below. Brakes and tyresBrakes work great. Tyres were a little weird for me initially. They work absolutely great, both in wet and dry (and much better in the wet than the shit Dunlops the 650 comes with). It did feel a little uneasy leaning on turns the first few days, but maybe that’s because I am more accustomed to wider tyres on my other bikes. Regardless of my hesitations, the bike and tyres hold the line 100% with no slips, wobbles, or anything that can make you remember your maker. It just sticks to the road while leaning. Amazing stuff. It made me remember my earliest biking days on my Pulsar 200 where I’d not hesitate to cut sharp corners in the hills of Guwahati. I haven’t tested them in mud and wet dirt, so I will reserve my thoughts on that for now. Weight and Ground ClearanceThe relatively less weight makes a world of difference that’s not translatable in words and spec sheets. To be able to move it around parking spots without straining your whole body, to not feel that slight bit of extra strain in stop-and-go traffic, to be able to lean the bike at standstill to rotate it in tight spots, all these things are very unspoken, but absolutely change the way you think of taking the bike out. I noticed this today when I took the 650 out and the weight immediately showed itself. I think I’ll subconsciously get biased towards taking this out more and more. Also the bike has not hit a single speed-bump yet. And that’s saying a lot in Bengaluru! --- # Cons
--- # Closing ThoughtsYou’d notice I used the word “smooth” many times in this post, and In general, it’s the word that best describes the bike. Smooth engine, smooth gearbox, smooth styling (maybe a little too smooth here). And easy to deal with in the city, without ever giving the feeling of being an outright commuter kaam-chalao bike. I don’t think I have any real complaints, and I hope Triumph/Bajaj don’t give us owners any in the future. --- Last edited by Eddy : 9th September 2024 at 10:23. Reason: Removing extra smileys. |
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9th September 2024, 13:55 | #2 | |
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| Re: Triumph Speed 400 | Purchase & Ownership Experience Congrats on your new bike & thanks for sharing how you picked one. Such posts help readers not only to learn about the chosen bike, but also how to choose one for themselves- defining needs/wants, shortlisting, what to look for, etc. You've shared your experience thoughtfully; it doesn't matter that you're late. Quote:
From how you describe what you were looking for, I'd say that it was a Commuter and not a Roadster. This is perhaps finest of lines between to genres in motorcycles, but simply put: Commuters are designed with comfort & ease of use in mind, whereas Roadsters are slightly inclined towards agility & performance than the Commuter. It would've been easy for RE to take their Commuter 'J-series' frame and make the 'GR450'; Mr.Shumi might've called it 'just right'. But really it would've been just the same on a different paint. I'm glad RE went with their 'ADV' frame, which offers the rigidity and neutral weight distribution- as a Roadster should- as opposed to the flexibility and rear-ward weight distribution found in Commuters. Likewise, the more aggressive 'GRRRR 450' I guess is more of a 'Continental GT450', given RE's current line-up. The shorter rake and trail, the fatter than usual tyres make the Guerrilla what it is- a bike that you'd be fairly comfortable to commute on, but it asks you to nimble and filter through traffic, counter-steer, lean & corner every now-and-then. It is a bit of an odd one out in your shortlist, considering what you were looking for. But I'm glad you were able to notice and steer clear of it, after test rides. This again brings me to the very first point in the post of how well you've known exactly what you want and found it! Truly exceptional, and exemplifies the need of clearly defining needs/wants and importance of taking test-rides. Congrats again! | |
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9th September 2024, 21:42 | #3 |
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| Re: Triumph Speed 400 | Purchase & Ownership Experience Congratulations! What piqued my interest is how you've articulated the low-end lag of both the 450 and 390, and you're right, they do need a little prodding to get them awakened, but being easy and high revving, you can quite get that torque extremely easily. I've ridden the Triumph and I feel it's not as torquey as the 390 or the 450, but it has a flat torque curve that makes it ride comparatively better and very linear mid-range and from then on pulls cleanly to top end. The 390 and the T400 dish out their peak torque at the same 6500 RPM, with the 450 churning it 1k RPM lesser than both, and I personally find REH 450 has that immediate punch yet still loses with the 390 both immediate and intermediate. The Triumph 400 sits in between both, not too punchy not too lackluster. It's a manageable machine! Kindly do keep this thread regularly updated with the status quo of the bike. Good luck. Cheers! VJ |
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10th September 2024, 00:54 | #4 | |
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| Re: Triumph Speed 400 | Purchase & Ownership Experience Quote:
So if you were to use the clutch from 2nd gear on the Duke, Speed and Guerilla, the Speed would move off cleanly while you'll be struggling with the Duke and GRR. | |
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10th September 2024, 12:19 | #5 | |
Senior - BHPian | Re: Triumph Speed 400 | Purchase & Ownership Experience Quote:
I myself am planning to get the new Himalayan mirrors fitted. However, this wont reduce the length of the handlebar (Which I feel is another issue, 2 inches shorter would have been sweet) as you still would have that gap between the grip and the end of the bar. Last edited by neoonwheels : 10th September 2024 at 12:23. | |
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