Production gap
53 years
The Speed Twin badge was extinct from 1966 to 2019. Half a century. The bike that defined the British twin (Edward Turner 1938 design) just... was not made for two whole generations of riders.
Why this page is sparse
Editorial honesty
Three of four columns on this page are 'no Speed Twin existed'. That is the actual story — Triumph parked one of motorcycling most important nameplates and only revived it once they had a modern 1200cc HT twin worth attaching it to.
What replaced it from 1966-2019
The Bonneville
The Bonneville (1959+) was always the more famous variant of essentially the same architecture. So in practice the Speed Twin slot was filled by Bonneville T100/T120 throughout the gap years.
Why it came back
1200 HT engine
Triumph revived the Speed Twin badge in 2019 specifically for the high-torque 1200cc twin built for the Thruxton R. The bike needed to exist; the badge fit; they used it. Less calculated than the Bonneville revival, more matter-of-fact.
How it compares to T120
Sportier
The Speed Twin 1200 makes 99bhp; the T120 Bonneville makes 79. Both same engine architecture, different state of tune. Speed Twin = sport-flavoured, T120 = touring-flavoured. Sister bikes.
Modern with retro veneer
TC, ABS, modes
The Speed Twin has cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes — but they are all hidden behind a tiny LCD dash and twin clocks. The bike is technologically modern; the design language is 1965.
Cheapest way in
£8k
An early Speed Twin 1200 from 2019-2021. Same engine as the current bike, slightly less electronics, looks identical. Underrated on the used market because the model is so new.
