In spite of the attractive base price point, Classic 350 is no match for the sheer performance and equipment that Triumph Speed 400 is offering
For a long time, Royal Enfield has dominated the 350cc to 500cc space with a slew of motorcycles. Honda, Jawa and Yezdi brands tried to steal its thunder for some time. But Royal Enfield has soldiered on. Now, it has two new contenders with legacy pedigree brand names attached to them. We’re talking about Triumph Speed 400 and Harley-Davidson X440.
These two have a higher chance of disrupting RE’s dominance than the others. Especially Triumph. With disruptive pricing, Speed 400 challenges the current champion Classic 350 in a way we had never imagined. Let’s take a look at how Triumph’s latest entrant holds up to the recently launched X440 along with others.
Triumph Speed 400 Vs Rivals
One look at the spec sheet below is enough to see that Triumph Speed 400 has the most technologically advanced and powerful engine. Harley-Davidson X440 has the most torque and it makes this torque at just 4000 RPM too.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 has the weakest powertrain on paper and Yezdi comes off as the most underrated. Triumph Speed 400 is the only one to get ride-by-wire for smooth throttle transitions and boasts a slipper clutch along with Yezdi and Honda. Speed 400 has the tightest packaging too.
It has the shortest wheelbase, 26-degree rake and 102mm trail and is the lightest of this bunch too. Dual-channel ABS is standard with all the models. Adding to it, Speed 400 boasts fattest tyres in this segment (110-section front, 150-section rear), completed with 43mm USD telescopic front forks and rear mono-shock.
Sporty handling and explosive performance crown belongs to Triumph, among this list. It doesn’t have the largest disc brakes on this list, but a low 176 kg weight should negate that need. Royal Enfield Scram 411 offers the highest suspension travel in this list. In terms of seat height, Triumph is one of the lowest among this bunch.
Changing narratives for the 350cc to 500cc retro machines?
Until Royal Enfield’s new 450cc liquid-cooled engine debuts, Triumph Speed 400 seems to be the motorcycle that does it all. Triumph does miss out on Bluetooth connectivity. But considering everything it is offering at the impressive Rs. 2.23 lakh (introductory, ex-sh) pricing, it is easily forgivable.
As seen in the pricing table above, Classic 350 does start at an attractive 1.90 lakh (ex-sh) price point. This is just Rs. 33,000 less than Speed 400’s introductory price and Rs. 39,000 less than X440. But Classic 350 prices go till Rs. 2.21 lakh (ex-sh). And at that point, Triumph Speed 400 is just Rs. 2,000 more expensive and offers a plethora of goodness that Classic 350 just doesn’t. Harley-Davidson X440 is still the most expensive on this list going till Rs. 2.69 lakh for top S trim.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
