Reviewing the Triumph Speed Triple 2014

When it comes to Triumph motorcycles, serious enthusiasts lose their head trying to pick their favourites. Adventure bikes such as the Explorer and Tiger 800 XC can be much fancied by those who love to go on long rides on various terrains and in numerous seasons. These bikes are perfect for those looking for an adventurous bike ride in the mountains where paths are yet to be perfectly smooth. Bike lovers who prefer classic designs swear by the T100 and the Bonneville. Those interested in cruiser bikes prefer the Rocket or the Storm which have chrome and steel used in the body. Performance enthusiasts would surely appreciate the Daytonas which go from zero to a triple digit speed within seconds.

Triumph motorcycles are one of the most coveted among Indian bikers and they are hot property in the second hand bikes market.

However, all bike enthusiasts would agree that the Triumph Speed Triple 2014 is hard to ignore. Sections of the twin tubes are exposed and the bike has a well chiselled tank. The belly pan, frame of twin spar and the dual under seat exhausts make the bike look strong and robust. The head lights of the Triumph Speed Triple 2014 may look a bit like bugs and you might take some time to get used to them. However it is a bike hard to ignore and most bike enthusiasts would fancy a ride on it.

When you rev up the engine, a sweet sound is produced that would be appreciable to all bikers. When you look at the Triumph Speed Triple 2014, you would see that this street naked bike looks muscular and aggressive, much like what a street naked bike should look like. On mounting the bike, what is immediately noticeable is its forward stance which looks quite aggressive, a wide and flat handle bar, a back set of foot pegs meant for pillion riders. The bike’s tank comes in a blue colour which has a matte finish on it. It makes the tank look all the more muscular. The instrument and meters are a combination of digital and analogue. The lights that glow on at the time of gear changing can be programmed and there is a reminder for service interval. You also get a fuel gauge, lap timer and trip computer. The back wheel can be seen completely from the right side and this happens because of the aluminium swing arm which is one sided. What can be considered to be a let-down is the prominent and large saree guard on the left hand side. These street naked bikes can hardly be called friendly for families and hence most bikers would probably ride them alone, leaving the guard redundant and odd looking on the bike.

When you put the bike in ignition, rotate the clutch and press the starter, the motor shall start easily and settles into a bit of a high idle ride. On the main road, when a bit of throttle is added the motor produces a typical growl. This sound from the 3 cylinder engine of the bike is bound to sound pleasant to any motor biker. The sound can be heard in lower revs as well. When the revs keep increasing, at a higher pace, the sound may become addictive.

You can make quick changes through short speed gears at the time of accelerating. What is impressible is the performance of the bike on city roads in limiting speeds such as 60kmph to 70kmph.

The engine feels strong at all revs. If the revs are kept low, then the bike is quite practical to be ridden through city traffic and on a regular basis. You can down shift the gear and increase the speed to 100kmph and still feel the bike stable underneath you. The 4 piston Brembo calipers do a good job of knocking off speeds as you can slow down the bike without any glitch. The gears are smooth and precise and the neutral gear can be spotted easily.

Once you get acclimatized to the style of riding the bike, you can easily accelerate the bike through various gears. When put into the top most gear, cruising around the city at 60 kmph feels like a breeze and you can also clock 250kmph when racing the bike on a track. When you are riding the bike at 100kmph to 135kmph, it feels almost as if it is breezing through the roads. The Triumph Speed Triple 2014 certainly ticks all the boxes for a long distance bike and hence is ideal for those who love going on long rides. However, the position of riding the bike may be a little uncomfortable when the bike is ridden for a long distance.

The bike is powered by a 1050cc, liquid cooled, DOHC, 12 valve 3-cylinder in line engine which produces a peak power of 135PS at 9400rpm and a peak torque of 111Nm at 7750rpm. On paper, the Triumph Speed Triple 2014 may not sound as impressive as the other powerful bikes in this segment. However, in real time, the bike delivers excellent power. Post 3000rpm, there is a thrust of undiluted power and there is enough power in the engine for pulling wheelies till the 4th cog.

Triumph Speed Triple

The growling sound of the Triumph Speed Triple 2014 is the accompaniment to the superb accelerating powers of the bike. The bike does growl and gurgle a little at the lower revolutions but when you open up the throttle, the twin exhausts give out a deafening roar. Any bike enthusiast would fall for the Speed Triple’s rich sound and peppy acceleration. The handling of the box is perfect. Moreover, the Triumph Speed Triple 2014 feels grounded when making turns and it feels steady and robust despite its 200 kilos plus frame. The directions of the handle bar can be changed confidently while Metzler tyres provide adequate grip. The excellent braking power is provided by the ABS enabled brakes.

The bike costs roughly Rs 10.4 lakhs and is the least expensive among litre category motorcycles. The stellar performance and practical usability on a regular basis can make it a coveted street naked by for most enthusiasts. However, the unsightly saree guard may irk a lot of bikers. You could also buy it at a lower price on the second hand bikes market.

Top 5 Cars Under Rs. 10 Lakhs to Buy

If you are thinking of buying a new car for yourself, then here are the top 5 models that you should consider. All these cars are priced under Rs 10 lakhs and have earned rave reviews from both critics and customers alike. The order of writing does not necessarily reflect in the rank of the cars. If the car is out of your budget, you could always survey the market for second hand cars in Mumbai for the same model at a cheaper price.

Honda City VXMT Diesel and VX CVT Petrol

Honda City

The two variants of the Honda City are the perfect cars to begin the listing. The petrol model with CVT enabled is responsive and smooth with a quick shift gearbox. It has paddle shifters in it too. This is also the only automatic petrol car to be featured on the list and it is more efficient than the manual gear shift City, rate at 18kmpl. The diesel version of the City is the most economical car offered in this price range and it has a fuel efficiency rating of almost 26kmpl which garners brownie points in our nation. The car is decent to drive and more focus is laid on riding than handling. The City is available in top trim which is enabled with features such as touchscreen infotainment and sun roof. This is an all-round package which is available without touching the Rs 11 lakhs boundary.

Volkswagen Vento Highline 1.6D

Volkswagen Vento

The German manufacturer is right on the heels of the Korean and Japanese. On the front of fuel efficiency and features it loses out and these are two very important deciding aspects for Indian buyers. Nevertheless, it is much fun to drive around and has an amazing diesel engine. The cheap price tag and German quality build are two attractive aspects of the Vento. The top trim model of the Volkswagen Vento costs only Rs 10 lakhs which makes it almost Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 inexpensive than Honda City and Hyundai Verna. Even though some features are missing, it is a good buy.

Hyundai Verna SXO AT and MT Diesel

Hyundai Verna

There is a thin line of difference between the City and the Verna. The only fine line separating the two is the higher fuel efficiency of the City. The top trim model of the Verna is manual whereas the lower half trim is automatic although it does not have leather upholstery. The diesel version of the car is responsive and powerful and if you think of the automatic transmission, it is the least expensive diesel car that can be bought. The segment focuses much on fuel efficiency and this is where the manual Verna with a fuel efficiency of 22.3kmpl, falls behind the City. Features wise, the Verna has all that is required in a premium car, an upgraded suspension and absorbent ride. The handling is not very bad either. The only pitfall is the car is not very smooth around corners even though it has a very good engine.

Renault Duster RXL 110PS

Renault Duster

The Duster is the only SUV to be included in the list. It is one of the swiftest cars to take from one point to another. The superb handling and riding combination is complement by a punchy diesel engine which makes it a perfect choice for road trips and weekend getaways. The gearbox is a 6 speed one which makes the Duster 110PS a good cruiser on highways and good mileage can be drawn out of the car. However, the features included in the middle spec RXL model does not match up to the other vehicles listed here. The car is not very fuel efficient either as it has a mileage of only 19.01kmpl. Therefore, performance enthusiasts can go for this car in this price range.

Used Skoda Superb TSI 1.8

Skoda Superb

Don’t hesitate to consider a pre-owned versioned of the Skoda Superb. Even though you could opt for the Skoda Yeti or Chevrolet Cruze, going for a powerful petrol model should be your choice. The car is almost 5 metres long which can overtake all the models listed here in every aspect except mileage. You can get 160PS of power on a simple press of the throttle connected to the petrol turbo motor. The Superb is also a good car to be driven by chauffer. A 2011 model of the car which has been driven almost 50,000kms will cost you less than Rs 11 lakhs in the second hand cars in Delhi market. It is a great car to buy although you should inspect the DSG gearbox as several cars have reported issues with the gearbox and it can be expensive to repair it.

Several parameters were considered for selecting the cars. Some of them have been jotted down below:

Gearbox and Engine

From refinement to drivability to NVH has been considered prior to deciding the engine rating whereas for the gearbox, shift quality and easy progression of the clutch actuation (glitch free timely down and up shifts for automatic cars) were considered.

Handling and Ride

Indian roads can hardly be called smooth and hence checking for low and high speed ride quality is essential. However, a plush ride is not enough as you need to check for noise and vibrations in the engine too. When it comes to handling, easy of driving on city roads and stability of the car in a straight line, round a corner and under braking was considered.

Features

Higher the number of features offered the better. Not only that, the easy usability of them was considered. Not all features were weighed the same. Features which were more useful were given higher points.

Fun to Drive

Even though mostly subjective, it is crucial. The performance of the gear box and engine can determine the fun quotient of the car along with steering response and feel, grip of tyres and overall prowess of handling were considered.

Mileage It is perhaps the most important aspect to buying a car. For fuel economy, the ARAI rating was considered. Higher the score better is the mileage.