INSTANT CLASSIC

A polished hooligan - and the best motorcycle ever made in India!

- Kartik Ware

I have a theory based on my meandering observations any notable change in a particular existence is spaced by exactly five years. This opinion is formed by motorcycles, and the frequency of real game- and life-changing examples that have come along, the last three being the Yamaha YZF-R15 (2008), the KTM 390 Duke (2013), and the Royal Enfield 650 twins (2018). For lack of a better explanation, that just seems to be the quinquennial rhythm of the organism we call the motorcycle industry. And so, right on cue, here's the bike we were due that raises the standard for riders and manufacturers alike the Triumph Speed 400, a motorcycle that elevates the concept of feel above everything else.

If you've been interested in the Triumph Speed 400 and have been staring at its images for the past few weeks since its unveiling in London, you're on the right track - it wasn't Photoshop, the bike is indeed as good as it looked in those photographs. In fact, it was even better in real life, watching the light bounce off its engine's machined fins, the historic Triumph-y shapes on its engine covers, and the meticulous attention to detail. To the crowd of Indian enthusiasts who have been fed a steady diet of adequate fit and finish at best, the Speed 400 will prove to be downright exotic. The fact that it's made in India by Bajaj will boggle the mind even further.