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I know this thread is a bit old, but I just read it for the first time and I really like VLJ's discussion of the T120 vs the EX. I own a 2017 EX and the brake squeal is annoying, but the biggest negative vs the T120 for me is the seating position. The Honda really has the footpegs pretty far to the rear and high compared to the T120. The riding positions are very different. The EX footpeg position in my view really is too sporty for what the bike is best at being. Also, anyone who complains about the T120 radiator really is not being objective when comparing the bikes--the EX oil cooler is way more prominent than the T120 radiator. Sure, it has oil in it rather than coolant, but that is unrelated to the looks. I actually don't mind either. I dislike fake stuff, but if it really is functional, I always am good with the aesthetics. While I think the T120 is a good looking bike, I still love the looks of my 2017 EX and I am willing to live with the seating position for a bike that beautiful in my eyes. Plus, I really like that the motor is air cooled--very old school in a genuine way. If I were choose again, it would still be the EX for me. Plus, the bike sells so poorly in the U.S. that it actually feels somewhat exclusive. Pretty rare for a Honda.
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The Ford Model T was liquid-cooled, so radiators is for all intents and purposes, authentic. I think the T120 does a good job of not attracting the eye to the radiator. On the CB, the oil cooler is a visual distraction, but minor and still functional. Both bikes are wonderful to gawk at. I wish I could park the CB in the bedroom.
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apex1, I sat on a 2018 T120 and the new Speed Twin just the other day. Yep, absolutely, the T120 has a more comfortable seating position than my '17 EX. The bike feels so much slimmer and lower, yet it still has a lot more legroom, despite having no less ground clearance.
It really is an ideal seating position for a standard. Shame, though, about its truckish handling, compared to the Honda, or most anything else, really. Those narrow bars in combination with that tall wheel make for a very heavy steering front end.
When I sat on the Speed Twin, I couldn't help but think of mickey. For a relatively sporty motorcycle, the seat height is so low! It's just as low as our Honda, and nearly as low as the T120. Plus, my god, it is so incredibly narrow, with a tank/overall frontal area that looks positively bicycle-like from the saddle. There is so little bike before and beneath you, it's similar to the rider's view when perched atop the latest SV650, or the Moto Guzzi V7. It's also a good seventy-five lbs lighter than the T120. Man, it's even lighter than the new Street Twin. It's so small and skinny, you have to remind yourself that you're sitting astride their high-powered 1200cc Twin.
No such reminders are necessary, however, the moment you hit the starter button. Blipping the throttle, the thing sounds and feels tremendous. Love that deep rumble.
The seating position is a bit strange, at least compared to the T120. The Speed Twin's pegs position is nearly identical to the Honda's. They're fairly high and rear-set, creating the same basic knee-bend we see on our Honda. The bars are lower, though. They're nowhere near as low as the Thruxton's, or even the Street Triple/Speed Triple, but they're not as upright as the T120's, or the Honda's. I didn't have a chance to ride it, because they don't do test rides in the rain, but it feels like it has just enough forward lean to be ideal for combating the wind on the freeway. There is no undue weight on the wrists. Overall, it feels comfortably sporty. Whereas the Honda has high bars and an upright seating position paired with high, sporty-ish pegs, the Speed Twin's seating position is more balanced. The slightly lower bars are a proper match for its slightly high, rearset pegs.
It's a good seating position. If mickey was ever to get another sporty bike (as opposed to a full-on sportbike), I think the Speed Twin would be the one. He would fit on it. I know I do.
It's just too bad, though, about that angled seat, side cover, tank, etc. I would like the look of the bike so much better were all those items nice and horizontal, the way they are on the T120. On that score, mickey nailed it. That being said, it wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. I'd simply chalk it up to being a unique quirk of the bike. Besides, plenty of people seem to like its more aggressive stance.
Yeah, not a deal-breaker. I could live with it.
