Speed Triple RS takes on new Honda CB1000R on the MCN250
The Honda CB1000R and Triumph Speed Triple had major makeovers for 2018, but which shines during this super-tough test?
As super-nakeds like Aprilia’s Tuono V4 1100 Factory, the BMW S1000R, Yamaha MT-10 and KTM 1290 Super Duke R have become ever more powerful, Triumph’s trusty Speed Triple has been left behind in a bit of a sports-naked no-man’s land. Sitting between these chiselled, straight-barred trackweapons and the cheaper, more cheerful Japanese sports nakeds, the Speed Triple has always been a great road bike, but more recently it’s been made to feel
bulky and a little ponderous, especially compared to Triumph’s own 765cc Street Triple.
Of course, the Speed Triple started this whole scene back in 1994, so it’s heart-warming to see Triumph give it a much-needed refresh. Power is up 10bhp to 148bhp, there’s 4ftlb more torque and you get a full armoury of electronic rider aids, Pirelli Super Corsa SP rubber, Brembo monoblocs, a colour dash and a host of other detail touches. Filling the Triumph’s 15.5-litre tank with unleaded at the beginning of our MCN250 on the hottest day of the year, the step-up in build quality immediately smacks you between the eyes. Everything, from the new fasteners to the deepness of the finish, oozes class.
Honda have also been busy with their naked. I rode it at its world launch in Spain and was bowled over. It was always slightly dull compared to Japanese rivals, like the GSX-S1000 and Z1000 and could only dream of getting in the ring with the Triumph, until now. The Honda still uses the old model’s tried-and-tested 2006 Blade engine, but now making 143bhp it’s 12bhp more fruity, 12kg lighter and has extra oomph between 6000 and 8000rpm. Everything else is new: chassis, ride-by-wire, Showa suspension, ten-spoke wheels, rider aids and styling.
Viewed from the Speed Triple, as we crawl through rush hour traffic, the CB1000R★ looks rather splendid. Black paint is river deep and details, like the slash cut exhaust, milled ali-look frame plates, LED headlight and racy red shock spring, are all lovingly designed. Indicators stay lit, American-style, but flash in a panic when you brake really hard, like some modern cars. The swingarm-mounted number plate hanger gives the CB’s back end a strange lip-down, droopy look. Both are top-spec models. The £12,299 CB1000R★ is a grand more than the base bike and comes with an up/down quickshifter, brushed ali panels, a fly screen and heated grips. Over on the Triumph the, Speed Triple RS is another £1000 more than the Honda (and £1900 more than the Speed Triple S), but the level of extras you get either makes the RS look far too cheap or the Honda way too expensive. The Speed Triple RS comes with everything a far more expensive
slice of exotica would be proud of: fully-adjustable Öhlins forks and shock, titanium Arrow cans, swathes of decadent carbon fibre, keyless ignition, even more electronics to play with, leansensitive traction control, ABS and a twin-ratio brake master cylinder. Few bikes give you so much for so relatively little (yes, I know £13k is still a lot). The Triumph might cost more than the Honda (on a finance deal the extra is minimal), but it makes the CB seem under-equipped. Pound notes to one side there’s a lot to love about the Honda. Mired in Cotswold tourist traffic the clutch is light and while the throttle is sometimes over-responsive (especially in Sport mode) it’s generally smooth and welldamped. A natural riding position lets you make friends with the CB straight away. It’s light and easy at slow speeds and attacks fast direction changes with more vigour than the slower-steering Triumph. Tokico brakes have more power and feel than the latest Fireblade’s and there’s a wild top end rush when you pile on the revs, enough to float the front wheel in the first three gears. It barks like it missed its Euro4 exam and ridden swiftly on smooth roads the Honda is fun and with its crisp autoblipper/quickshifter and adjustable rider aids, it leaps ahead of its Japanese rivals. But the CB1000R★ is let down by its rear shock. It had a floaty, slightly under-damped feel at its launch on smooth Spanish roads, but with the
‘A natural riding position lets you make friends with the CB1000R+’
‘The Triumph makes you feel like you’re in business class’
MCN250 littered with blemished tarmac, the Honda struggles. With just rebound damping (and only three turns) and preload to play with, it’s impossible to set the shock
to deal with spirited riding. The Honda struggles to settle on standard settings, but the ride is harsh when you wind in the damping. Up front it’s easier to dial in the Big Piston Forks, but they lack plushness. Jumping on the Triumph is like finding the cheat in a video game. It sits lower and wider than the Honda, but sinking into its sculpted seat feels like you’ve sneaked from economy into business class. The delicious view down to the Speed Triple’s classy colour dash, racy levers and wind in the damping and Öhlins fork tops shouts quality.
It might sound slightly muffled on board but the Triumph has a heady rasp when you’re following on the Honda. It’s not a situation that lasts long because it’s hard to keep up. The new RS has the tight, refined feel of the latest 765 Street Triple with more grunt, reassuring big-bike stability and attitude.
The way the RS fires out of corners and rolls sweetly into them, with grip to spare is sublime. Brakes are superbike-shaming, rider aids are up there with the best, while the dream team of Öhlins, Brembos and Super Corsas work at their giddying best. On our test track it scorches to a true 158mph, while the Honda only mustered 144mph. The Triple stops five metres sooner from 0-70mph, too. Both have raised their games but the RS has taken the biggest step. It still won’t compete with a fiery super-naked in terms of sheer power, but Triumph have created one of the best road-focused nakeds yet?