Triumph Speed 400 Ushers in New Era

[Hugh Janus]

Triumph’s 2024 Speed 400 is one of two TR single-cylinder models. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

It’s been 40 years since John Bloor bought the mortal remains of the Triumph brand and began its long journey back to prominence. The company has created a vast array of models since then in two-, three-, and four-cylinder formats but it’s taken until now to launch a sub-500cc single-cylinder range that opens the door to millions more potential customers around the world.

Triumph’s newly announced 400 line is just the first of two vastly important projects that will break cover in the coming months, the second being Triumph’s entry into the off-road arena, initially with 250cc motocross and enduro models, to be followed by 450cc machines next year. Triumph, at the end of 2023, is going to be a significantly more important actor on the global stage than the version of the company that started the year.

Pricing has not been announced yet for the 2024 Triumph Speed 400. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

It’s taken five years of development in partnership with India’s Bajaj—the world’s most valuable manufacture of two- and three-wheeled vehicles and a substantial stakeholder in KTM’s parent company—to create the new “TR” single-cylinder platform, which is named to hark back to Triumph singles of the past. It’s not the first attempt at an Indian-made single-cylinder Triumph; the company came close to launching a range of 250cc bikes including a Speed Single and Daytona 250 more than a decade ago, before dropping the project at the last minute in the face of changing market demand. But now, the TR platform gives Triumph the basis for a whole array of affordable, entry-level bikes going into the future.

The Speed 400 is the most affordable and simplest of the range, which is designed to align with Triumph’s Modern Classics lineup. It’s a straightforward roadster in the mold of the Speed Twin 900 and Speed Twin 1200, but when you dig a little deeper it has the ingredients to be an entertaining machine.

While being the most affordable Speed model, the 400 doesn’t look cheap compared to its larger stablemates. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Although developed with Bajaj, this isn’t a branding exercise like the Harley-Davidson X440 that’s been simultaneously launched in India as a direct rival to the Speed 400. The Harley is the result of a licensing deal, giving India’s Hero MotoCorp the right to develop and manufacture models purely for the Indian market wearing Harley-Davidson badges. The Triumph, in contrast, is a global machine designed to compete not only on the Indian market but also go up against the likes of BMW’s G 310 R and KTM’s 390 Duke elsewhere. As such, it will be manufactured in Triumph’s three factories in Thailand and in its Brazilian plant, as well as at Bajaj’s Indian facilities.

The heart of the Speed 400, and the models that will spin off from it, is the new TR-series engine: a 398cc DOHC four-valve single. Despite its retro, finned exterior, the engine is thoroughly modern, with a lightweight finger-follower valve train and a counterrotating balancer shaft to help it achieve more revs and power than you might expect, putting it in a class above rivals like Royal Enfield’s 350cc singles.

Triumphs 398cc TR single-cylinder engine that powers the Speed 400. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Peak power is a claimed 39.5 hp at 8,000 rpm allied to 27.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,500 rpm and delivered through an assist-and-slipper clutch to a six-speed transmission. Like the Bonneville and its sister models, it exhausts via a cleverly hidden catalytic converter and front muffler, with metal covers that give the impression that the pipe sweeps directly from the cylinder head to the end can. On the intake side are a ride-by-wire throttle and Bosch fuel injection.

Inside, there’s an 89mm bore and 64mm stroke for a 398.2cc capacity. Bajaj also makes the KTM 390 single, with the same 89mm bore but a shorter, 60mm stroke and 373.2cc, but a visual comparison shows no link to the Triumph motor outside the general single-cylinder DOHC layout. Compression is a modest 12:1, somewhat less than the KTM engine, but in terms of power the Triumph isn’t far from the 390 Duke’s 43 hp and easily surpasses the 34 hp of BMW’s G 310 R. There’s a traction control system as standard, though it can be switched off.

Both the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X feature ABS and traction control. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

The styling might be aligned with Triumph’s retro Modern Classics look but take a second glance and you’ll see the Speed 400′s layout is far from old-fashioned. There is a 43mm inverted fork, unbranded but with a Showa-style Big Piston design, and where other Modern Classics have traditional twin-shock rear ends, the Speed 400 has a remote-reservoir monoshock setup. The single front disc, 300mm in diameter, is grabbed by a ByBre four-piston, radial-mount caliper, helped by a single-piston floating caliper at the rear on a 230mm rotor. ABS is standard. That new engine sits in a frame that Triumph describes as a hybrid spine/perimeter design made of tubular steel, with a bolt-on subframe and a cast aluminum swingarm. The wheels are cast alloy 10-spokes with Metzeler Sportec M9 RR rubber, 110/70-17 at the front, 150/60-17 rear.

Key dimensions include a relatively short, 54.2-inch wheelbase and a moderately steep 24.6-degree rake with 4 inches of trail. At 31.1 inches, the seat is low enough to fit even short-legged owners and Triumph points out it’s gone to lengths to narrow the clutch assembly, keeping the bike as slim as possible to make it easy for inexperienced riders to get their feet flat on the floor. In front, there’s a 3.4-gallon fuel tank, and even when it’s full the bike’s weight is a low 375 pounds.

A digital and analog dash has a sweeping dial for the speedo but a digital tach. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Triumph isn’t announcing prices yet: They’ll come toward the end of the year, with dealers due to get stock by the start of 2024, though Indian-market deliveries are due to start as soon as July 2023. The only clue is that the Speed 400 will be competitive against European rivals like the BMW G 310 R, so somewhere around the $5,000 mark seems likely. To further reduce ownership costs, major service intervals are set at 10,000 miles.

Tech includes LED lighting all around, though US-market models will have slightly larger turn signals than Euro versions, as well as a part-digital, part-analog instrument panel that combines a traditional speedometer with a digital rev counter, fuel gauge, and gear indicator. While there’s a USB-C charging port for smartphones or GPS, there’s no built-in connectivity when it comes to calls, music, or navigation

Triumph claims a wet weight of 375 for the Speed 400. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Although there are just two models in the range initially—the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400 X—you only need to look at the rest of Triumph’s modern classics range to get clues as to where the TR-Series platform could be taken from here. A more retro-style model with wire wheels, perhaps? A cafe racer, maybe? In the meantime, there’s a catalog of optional equipment that can be added to the Speed 400, from luggage, to screens, to alternative seats and exhausts.

2024 Triumph Speed 400 Specs

MSRP:	TBA
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled single-cylinder; 4 valves
Displacement:	398cc
Bore x Stroke:	89.0 x 64.0mm
Compression Ratio:	12.0:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:	39.5 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Claimed Torque:	27.7 lb.-ft. @ 6,500 rpm
Fuel System:	Bosch electronic fuel injection w/ electronic throttle control
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate slipper/assist; cable actuated
Frame:	Hybrid spine/perimeter, tubular steel; bolt-on rear subframe
Front Suspension:	43mm inverted Big Piston fork; 5.5 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Gas monoshock w/ external reservoir, spring preload adjustable; 5.1 in. travel
Front Brake:	5-piston radial caliper, 300mm fixed disc w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	Floating caliper, 230mm fixed disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast Aluminum; 17x3” / 17x4”
Tires, Front/Rear:	Metzeler Sportec M9 RR; 110/70R-17 / 150/60R-17
Rake/Trail:	24.6°/4.0 in.
Wheelbase:	54.2 in.
Seat Height:	31.1 in.
Fuel Capacity:	3.4 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight:	375 lb.
Contact:	triumphmotorcycles.com

Source

[Buckster]

Do you think Triumph insisted on no pictures from the left?

[boboneleg]

More Indian bikes

[boboneleg]

I’m interested to see what their trail/Enduro models will be like 

[XTreme]

14 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

I’m interested to see what their trail/Enduro models will be like 

They'll be Indian! That's all I need to know!