Best Modern Twin . ?

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Seems al these modern hings follow the axiom , " The Japanese answer to styling , was to ad more " .

Bits and bobs all over sticking out all over the place . EEYUK . ANYWAY ,

Wot'd you chose and why .

This KTM looks betteer in the flesh , and has a bit of poke .

What, stock , is gunna get around ( the Old rough uneven ) I.o.M. fastest . And which is gunna be easiest to do it on , and survive in one piece .
Over the counter standard ( ish ) mass production ( cheap tiny ) stuff .

Best Modern Twin . ?


Their big single dosnt look to bad , either . Of Course , twins & singles are primative and obsolette , cording to the mid 70s on press .
 
In years past, I would have ALWAYS answered the original post's question with: "Triumph Bonneville".

However, they've got to cast wheels, horrid mufflers, and are twice the size they started out at, which is OVER THE TOP.

Sad, really...
 
I might like the new Speed Twin , however have just purchased ‘09 Ducati GT1000 , not new , almost , but similar cost … would put it up on your list even though out of production since 2010 … the tech hidden in black boxes on bikes frightens me , weird since our Acura TL virtually bristles with it , love the tourque vectoring system it has , actually corners better when on than off ….
 
1200 Triumph Thruxton with fairing kit for me, this will be my last bike I hope and so far the best of all my old Triumphs even better than my old 81 Triumph Thunderbird and that was a great bike done a lot of miles on it and never let me down.
Best Modern Twin . ?
Best Modern Twin . ?
 
1200 Triumph Thruxton with fairing kit for me, this will be my last bike I hope and so far the best of all my old Triumphs even better than my old 81 Triumph Thunderbird and that was a great bike done a lot of miles on it and never let me down.View attachment 80931View attachment 80933
Was the 81 Triumph Thunderbird the one with the short stroke crank - about 75mm. If it was, it would be highly desirable if it had a few performance mods. The Triumph valve gear will cop 8,000 RPM forever. With both old Triumphs and Nortons, the crank used to destroy the cases. Shorter stroke is easier on the crankcases.
 
I have now done 78000m on my Hinckley Scrambler; early (2006) version with carbs. It looks well grubby, but it goes well. Not the most powerful bike around, but its adequate. Small size makes it good in traffic, a large proportion of that mileage will have been riding through London congestion / traffic jams.
 
Was the 81 Triumph Thunderbird the one with the short stroke crank - about 75mm. If it was, it would be highly desirable if it had a few performance mods. The Triumph valve gear will cop 8,000 RPM forever. With both old Triumphs and Nortons, the crank used to destroy the cases. Shorter stroke is easier on the crankcases.
Yes Al it had the shorter stroke, single Amal carb and drum rear brake, I also ran a older Joe Hunt maggie on it for over 8 years as well a Lochart oil cooler and clocked up 250k km on it in the 10 years I owned it and only done a top end rebuild (valves/springs and rebore) just before I sold it, it had the same size bore as the 750 Bonnie but shorter stroke, it was a smooth bike to ride lot smoother than the 750 Bonnie, mine was made for the USA market but none ever made it to the US and 5 were on the production line when the factory was locked up, it was the biggest mistake I even made selling the Thunderbird, I brought it new and paid $4,100 for it, the 750 Bonnie's were $4,700 at the time, I brought it when I was building my 850 Commando/Featherbed, I also ran it with a older bread box fuel tank for longer distant riding.
Best Modern Twin . ?

One came on the market a few years back and was interested in buying it but the asking price was to high, it was the Euro model with the larger red and black fuel tank
 
When I raced back in the 60s and 70s, I always raced my 500cc Triton which was a 650 motor with a 63mm stroke billet crank. It was a very nasty motor and needed a 6 speed box. The only reasons I persevered with it for 12 years was it was fast enough when ridden right, and it never blew-up. Nearly every 650 Triumph motor which was raced back then, destroyed itself. My mate has probably the only one still in captivity, and he always ran it very over-geared. He never revved it over 6,300 RPM.
The crank in the 80s Thunderbird was much more sensible. But where would you get one, unless you made it yourself ?
The trouble with long stroke motors is they give the impression they are doing their best when they are revving high, yet until you raise the gearing, you don't find out different. They can rev without pulling as hard as they can.
 
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I think the 1963 unit construction 650cc Triumph Bonneville is one of the nicest bikes ever created. It handles better than most bikes, and is fast enough for around town. The styling really appeals to me. A lot of more modern bikes look like something out of Mutant Ninja Turtles. But I am the sort of guy who likes to see 1929 model 4 Litre Bentleys.
 
There was one 750cc twin cylinder Honda race bike which Paul Lewis raced and was very fast. It was a V-twin with 4 valves per cylinder and had a 6 speed gearbox. However it's development was never relevant to road bikes. When it comes down to it, extreme performance in a road bike is irrelevant. Bragging rights must mean something. Most race bikes are probably too fast in first gear for road use. On public roads, a pristine Commando is probably as good as it gets. I have watched some of those Youtube videos of guys riding modern bikes on public roads - they only ever seem to give them little squirts, then shut-off very quickly. Where is the joy in that ?
 
You want to ride with me and my mates Al we don't shut off to much when up in the twisties with long straights, a lot better than most race tracks and a lot more fun.
 
When you tell me ' it is a lot more fun', how do you know that - have you raced ? I rode on public roads until I was 29, then went racing. I was on a road to oblivion. It is no fun dodging cops. You might be luckier where you live, but in Victoria these days the police are everywhere. I got booked for driving my car 3 kph over the speed limit on a lonely back-road - cost me #320. There was a 4-wheel drive coming the other way. It is all bullshit and not worth doing. On a race track, all the risks are minimised to a tolerable level, and you can ride as fast as you choose. I will never go back to riding a motorcycle on public roads. It would drive me crazy.
What you see when you look over the fence at a race track, is not what you get when you ride there. Looking is not doing.
When I race my motorcycle, I am safer than when I drive my car down the road. My mind is on what I am doing when I race.
 
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I was in America in 1985, driving a camper-van with my wife and daughter. We were doing 15 MPH over the speed limit on a major highway when the cops came up behind us. They pulled us over, had a look at us and sent us on our way. You would never get away with that in Australia. We went through a period in the 1970s when there were many fatal road accidents. In those days most of our drivers were probably drunk. These days it is not the case.
 
You want to ride with me and my mates Al we don't shut off to much when up in the twisties with long straights, a lot better than most race tracks and a lot more fun.
I was out riding my friend's girlfriends Honda VFR400 Honda, while he was on a GSXR1000 Suzuki. The Honda would not go over 180 KPH because it is speed limited, but it went round most corners at that speed. My friend went around me in one bend doing about 40 KPH faster. There were big trees right around the outside of the bend and wet leaves all over the road. You never get that sort of thing on a race track.
 
Al I live to ride, when ever I want to ride, not live to ride once in a while on a track that goes nowhere but round and round, and yes I have done track days in my younger days when it was cheap to do so, these days I spend my money on riding when I want to ride, ride where I want to go and ride with mates I have rode with all my riding life, how many years since you been out on your bike, well I fired up my Norton today and took it out for a good run and tomorrow I will take my older Thruxton out for a run to give the battery a good charge and Tuesday will take the 1200 Thruxton for a good day out with the wife, have lunch somewhere out in the country, I rather do that than just thinking about it, can't get better than a big twin between your legs whether its my older bike or my modern big twin.
When is the last time you rode your Norton, 6 years now I think you said, no thanks I ride anywhere and everywhere when ever I feel like it, it keeps me young and free.

Ashley
 
I will have more to say in 2 wks once new to me GT1000 in my shed and I get bike serviced , belts , valves ,oil , etc … I do know my ‘07 ST3s has same engine , differences are 1 extra intake valve each side and it water cooled , with DP performance kit makes ‘bout 110 hp , the GT1000 while still at 992cc is 2 valve air cooled with 90 +/- hp and 407lbs dry , so big saving in weight … suspect the GT will be a great fairly modern L-twin that would belong on this list … it does have an ECU and FI , that about it for making it a modern twin ….
 
I will have more to say in 2 wks once new to me GT1000 in my shed and I get bike serviced , belts , valves ,oil , etc … I do know my ‘07 ST3s has same engine , differences are 1 extra intake valve each side and it water cooled , with DP performance kit makes ‘bout 110 hp , the GT1000 while still at 992cc is 2 valve air cooled with 90 +/- hp and 407lbs dry , so big saving in weight … suspect the GT will be a great fairly modern L-twin that would belong on this list … it does have an ECU and FI , that about it for making it a modern twin ….
You gonna love it !
 
Yes ! Looking forward to delivery and getting it on the road after a quick service ! Norton still here and worried I will miss it … which is big downside , Griso left last wk , went to the only other fellow to ride it during my years with it …. a good home
 
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