My impressions of the Triumph Speed T4 after a couple of test rides

I was in my ancestral town of Thrissur and passed by the Triumph showroom all too often not to stop by for a test ride. Then had a couple of test rides on the Triumph T4. So I'll share a few thoughts

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Firstly, excellent customer service. Like I mentioned, not one but two test rides and no questions asked. Because the first one was all too short and - I never thought I'd ever say this about Thrissur roads but - the designated route contained all well paved roads.

For a quick verdict - It's sitting on top of my list right now. (I also tried out the RE Scram 440, Honda CB Highness and CB300F).

Secondly, coming to the bike itself

1) I liked the engine character. Torquey, refined and calm. Has enough power and then some for my usage patterns which is primarily the city and state highways. Very similar to the Scram but smoother and quicker. The first ride was mostly in traffic and I didn't have to shift too often. 2nd gear speed breaker? 4th gear trotting in 40s behind the way-too-cautious Wagon R uncle and then overtake and disappear in the same gear? Checked. No problem.

2) Build quality is a thumbs up. Cheapest Triumph does not translate to cheap equipment by any means. The new livery feels classy and the colours are beautiful. The steel exhaust returns to standing ovations. Overall design? It gives justice to the “modern classic” tag even if the rear gives me mixed vibes but overall I liked the looks. Not too flashy but yes I'd turn around to look after I parked.

3) It felt like I was sitting tall which is weird for a “modern classic” but I'm not complaining as the ergonomics suited me well. Neither the seat height (806mm) nor the weight was concerning (180kg wet - the bike had half tank of fuel if the guage is to be believed). I'm 170cm, the slender type.

4) The brakes were fine. I have rather weird braking/riding habits so I'm not a good judge in this department.

5) Too much was talked about downgrading to conventional forks upfront. Now, I don't know about the other two 400s and I didn't ride the T4 on any curvy or sweeping roads but I did take it on some fairly broken roads on the second go, and it held on well. I didn't find it uncomfortable at all and I wasn't riding too fast nor too slow. How fast were I? I can't tell because…

6) The clock is definitely in the cons category. I can't read anything without actually taking my attention off the road. Maybe the gear indication is visible. Nothing else.

7) Heat dissipation is another concern but I can't comment after such short rides. The fan was on a few times and the heat was felt, but then I was wearing joggers and running shoes.

Overall, high on my list. The current revised pricing of 1.99L is great value, but I was told it may be hiked again. In Kerala the sub-2L bikes attract a lower tax and if it stays under it is a good proposition. The base model Scram 440 and Highness 350, that I also rode, also sit at 1.99L just for that reason, since the on-road figures of their next up models are sometimes a whopping 30k apart.

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