Triumph Speed T4 road test, review

At its heart, the Speed T4 retains the 398cc engine from the Speed 400 but with notable changes. Power has dropped from 40hp to 31hp, accompanied by a slight reduction in torque to 36Nm.

Key changes include a smaller throttle body, revised camshafts, a redesigned airbox, and a 31 percent increase in crank inertia. While this may sound disappointing on paper, the Speed T4 was less than 2 seconds slower in our tests than the Speed 400. More importantly, the in-gear acceleration figures were only milliseconds apart, owing to the wider spread of torque. The T4’s motor may not be as quick-revving as the Speed 400, but it impresses with its more relaxed, torque-rich riding experience.

It’s in the concrete jungle where the engine’s mellow nature shines. The wide torque band and smoother throttle allow for effortless manoeuvrability, with the sixth gear comfortably holding as low as 60kph. The overall experience feels smoother, the exhaust sounds bassy, and this comes a lot closer to what you’d come to expect from a modern classic. Fuel efficiency, too, has gone up, and in our test, the T4 managed to get about 38kpl on the highway and 32kpl in the city, which would put it on par with some of its rivals. By the end of my time with the T4, I found myself preferring its motor over the more expensive Speed 400.