Triumph Speed 400. Words by Lukas Foyle.

A Stylish, well priced naked that packs a 40 horsepower punch

8 / 10

Good	Bad
Fun	Loads of close competition
Powerful	Quality not yet assured
Well Priced	Shorter warranty period compared to rivals
Stylish	-

 

Learner fans of the Speed 900 Twin and members of pure blooded ‘Triumph only’ families rejoice, because there is a new, stylish Triumph naked around and it's priced to come out swinging.

 

The Triumph Speed 400 has many, many rivals to defeat to come out as top dog of the learner naked bikes, but immediately finds itself in the well priced, high power category for its class. A few years ago, a learner rider keen to get themself a Triumph naked bike had one option: The Street Triple. Now, fans have a choice between the two heavyweights: The new Street Triple and the Trident 660, and now one featherweight, the Speed 400. Triumph have styled the Speed 400 to look and feel like it's big brothers, the Speed 900 Twin and 1200 Twin. This is a great plan to sell a beginner friendly bike with the looks and reputation of a boutique Triumph model.

 

The TR 400 DOHC watercooled 399cc engine is an all new ground up development from Triumph, and we suspect there are many more bikes in the pipework which will utilise this cutting edge 9200 rpm motor. Already selling like hotcakes in India, and sold out in the Australian Pre-order, the Speed 400 looks to be a real winner.

 

Rivals

An ever-growing market, nearly every major motorcycle manufacturer has a naked or semi-fared low capacity single on offer. With a heritage background and British lineage the Speed 400’s biggest rival is the cheaper Royal Enfield Hunter 350. The Hunter costs $2000 less than the Speed, and has a year of extra warranty. The Speed is more powerful, lighter, a better handler, has better brakes, one extra gear, And frankly, is better looking. Priced at $8,990, The bikes that go toe to toe with the Speed 400 in terms of price, weight and performance are the Yamaha MT03, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Harley Davidson X350 and 500, KTM Duke 390, Kawasaki Eliminator 300, and BMW G310R. Check out how Triumph fares on paper below (arranged by price).

Name	Price	Engine	Gears	CC	Power (KW)	Torque (Nm)	Weight (KG)	Warranty
SUZUKI Gixxer 250	$6,490	Single	6	249	19.8	22.2	156	3 Yrs
ROYAL ENFIELD Hunter 350	$6,990	Single	5	349	14.9	27	181	3 Yrs
YAMAHA MT-03	$8,200	Parallel Twin	6	321	30.9	29.5	168	1-3 Yrs
HUSQVARNA Vitpilen 401	$8,400	Single	6	399	33	42.6	151	2 Yrs
HARLEY DAVIDSON X 350	$8,495	Parallel Twin	6	353	27	31	195	2 Yrs
TRIUMPH Speed 400	$8,990	Single	6	398	29.4	37.5	170	2 Yrs
BMW G310R	$9,190	Single	6	313	25	28	159	5 Yrs
HONDA CL500	$10,210	Parallel Twin	6	471	34	43.3	191	2 Yrs
KAWASAKI Eliminator	$10,490	Parallel Twin	6	451	33.4	42.6	176	2 Yrs
KTM Duke 390	$8,400	Single	6	399	33	39	165	2 Yrs

*Flexible options available from Yamaha dealers.

 

Tech Specs

The Speed 400 is an approachable and modern naked bike. It has a short 1377 mm wheelbase, 790 mm seat height and 24.6° front suspension rake. This keeps the bike accessible for riders of any size and shape, but still provides a sport/upright feeling, which inspires confidence in beginner riders.

 

Triumph have styled the Speed 400 under a ‘modern classic’ design brief and they have absolutely nailed it. The bike comes in three bright, bold and distinctive colors: Carnival Red, Caspian Blue and Phantom Black. After seeing these in person, the blue is hard to resist. As for the connection to the Speed 900 and 1200 twins, the Speed 400 certainly looks like a close relative, and rides like one too.

 

As previously mentioned, the Triumph TR series 399cc engine is a DOHC water cooled single with a 9200 rpm redline. It uses a standard minor/major service schedule, with an impressive and possibly optimistic 16,000 km service interval. Power delivery is smooth, with a peak power of 40 horsepower available at 8000 rpm and a peak torque of 37.5 Nm coming at full force at 6500 rpm. The robust engine is mated to a slip and assist wet clutch 6 speed gearbox, which has notchy tight ratios which feel rewarding to link together. I did find however, that first gear is particularly low and almost completely redundant. You could very easily set off from stationary in second gear, and the jolt between first and second stands out when compared to the frankly awesome feeling of the other gears. The upside down 43 mm front forks and 300mm single ventilated front brake gives the Speed 400 the upper hand in the handling department. Not to mention the bike comes standard with sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3 Tyres. You also get all LED lights including a switched daytime running light, ABS and switchable traction control. The instrument cluster is  informative and the styling is suitably subtle, but cycling through the multiple displays makes you wish for a tachometer option. Instead, there's a tiny and underwhelming bar style digital tachometer on the side of the display. It’s just a touch too small, and hard to read at a glance.

 

Buying advice

If you are a new or returning rider looking for a new motorcycle the Speed 400 is unquestionably one to consider. The $8,990 price tag fetches you loads of style, speed and class. The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Harley 350 are the closest rivals to the Speed 400 if you are after modern classic looks and a pedigree heritage. If you are after value for money, consider the Suzuki Gixxer 250. It isn't as good looking as the Speed 400 and other rivals but at $6,490 should you really care? It's lightweight and flickable too, and can hold its own against larger, more powerful competition. Similarly, the MT03 is a well refined, reliable and sporty naked at a great price, but again, it is let down hugely in the looks department. If the 2024 Vitpilen is sold with the new 399cc single from KTM, it will be the most powerful bike in its class, with 45 horsepower. Unlike the KTM Duke, which obviously has the same engine, the Husky is more pure to the classic looking naked design brief. The Harley X 350 is on par in the looks department, but is heavier and less powerful. Note that it is $500 cheaper, and for you new riders that money could go towards a helmet. As for the Harley X 500, it's simply too expensive.

 

In summary

This bike is perfect for the long standing Triumph fan on a budget. Or, if you belong to a family of Triumph riders and are seeking an easy to ride, distinctly Triumph motorcycle, this bike is for you. Triumph have accomplished what Harley Davidson have struggled with: An approachable LAMS model which encapsulates the performance, stylishness and iconography of the brand. 

Other cheaper learner bikes of course are available but do they have the looks, performance, heritage and street cred? Certainly if you have a middle to high budget and a plan to hang on to your first bike for a few years, the Speed 400 might just be the one.