Limited edition motorcycles were all the rage this week. MV Agusta announced the new Rush Titanio super-naked, while Triumph pulled the wraps off the Speed Twin Cafe Racer Edition. Here’s how they stack up…
Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition
As implied by its name, the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition is a Speed Twin RS with, you guessed it, a heavy amount of café racer styling.
In stock form, the Triumph Speed Twin RS is a modern classic built for spirited riding. It features a 103.5-horsepower / 112-Nm parallel twin engine, adjustable Marzocchi forks and Öhlins shocks, 17” alloy wheels, and twin Brembo Stylema front brakes. Aesthetically, it takes cues from the uber-popular Bonneville range, with several contemporary details blended in.
The Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition, limited to 800 units, adds all the quintessential café racer touches to the existing Speed Twin RS package. The upright street bike bars have been swapped for clip-ons, with a raised design that places them just above the top yoke rather than below it. Blank-off plates cover the holes left by the original bar clamps.
Out back, the Speed Twin’s slim bench seat has been replaced by a stepped unit. The seat’s covered in brown upholstery, with a removable cowl. Passenger pegs are included in the box, but not fitted as standard.
Other add-ons include machined bar-end mirrors, ribbed clutch and alternator cover badges, and knee pads on the fuel tank. The tank, fenders, lighting, headlight brackets, and TFT dashboard are all carried over from the Speed Twin RS.
A beguiling cocktail of Triumph’s signature Competition Green and Aluminum Silver adorns the Speed Triple Cafe Racer Edition, underscoring the machine’s British roots. But the pixel-perfect paint does little to address our only gripe with this particular special edition—it lacks the elegance of the now-defunct Triumph Thruxton 1200 RS.
That’s mostly due to the fact that the Thruxton was designed as a factory café racer from the ground up, which accounted for its sleek silhouette. Here, Triumph has taken a roadster that’s closer to a bulldog than a greyhound, and massaged it as best they can. But the aggressive, modern aesthetic of the Speed Twin RS is still very much present.
It’s still a sharp-looking motorcycle that we’d happily park in the Bike EXIF garage (which would cost us $18,895.00). But a Thruxton, it ain’t. [Triumph Motorcycles]
MV Agusta Rush Titanio
With muscular styling, 208 horsepower on tap, and a blistering price tag of $50,000, the MV Agusta Rush is the Varese firm’s most unapologetic offering. But if it’s not bold enough for you already, we present the new, limited-edition Rush Titanio.
On the surface, the MV Agusta Rush Titanio looks like a regular Rush with a special paint job—but there’s a bit more going on.
For starters, all of the carbon fiber parts on the Rush Titanio use a different weave from those on the regular Rush, giving the bodywork a far more striking aesthetic. This extends to key details like the carbon fiber engine covers and the Rush’s distinctive rear wheel cover.
The Rush Titanio’s livery, dubbed ‘Nero Intenso,’ sets glossy silver and blue highlights against the matte finish of the carbon sections.
As implied by its name, the MV Agusta Rush Titanio is loaded with titanium bits—starting with the front section of the fuel tank cover. There’s also a smorgasbord of exquisite brushed titanium brackets, holding the headlight, dashboard, and exhaust muffler. Luxe Alcantara upholstery on the saddle adds to the theme.
The Rush Titanio ditches the four-into-four exhaust system from the base bike for an all-titanium four-into-one arrangement, terminating in an MV Agusta-branded Arrow muffler. Under the hood, the Rush’s motor boasts 16 radial titanium valves and four forged titanium connecting rods. A sprinkling of titanium fasteners completes the package.
There’s no word on exactly when the MV Agusta Rush Titanio will be available, or what it will cost. We do know that it’ll be limited to just 300 units, each numbered individually and built in Varese. Tempted? [MV Agusta]
