…and it’s the best bike I’ve ever owned or ridden’
Age Current 41 Height bike 2017 5ft 11in Triumph Street Triple RS Been riding 25 years First bike Kawasaki AR50 Dream bike Any 2-stroke 500cc GP bike! “I’d gone from sportsbikes on the road to a track bike, with something less sporty for the road. Then I moved from Essex to Belfast in ’14 and that meant fewer trackdays and increased road riding. I therefore wanted something that performed well on track – handling and braking especially – while not being too compromised on the road. Hence a Street Triple RS. “The performance suspension and brakes, low weight, good electronics, upright riding position, quickshifter, good build quality and comparatively low price all made the RS a good choice. At the time, the Speed Triple didn’t offer the same level of track handling and was only marginally quicker, which wasn’t enough for me to consider paying the extra. I’ve considered the Speed Triple RS more recently, but a new one with the options I want is around £15,000 – and I can’t justify that. I like the Speed Twin and my friend has bought one and is very happy. It’s a good mix of retro and modern. I’d be happy with a Speed Twin on the road but still want the option of track riding, which I wouldn’t do on one.
“I find my Street RS is perfectly good at all forms of road riding and has plenty of charm – and is also the best handling and braking bike I have ever owned or ridden.”
or damping refinement of either RS, but then again these are public roads, not Donington Park – and 95% of the time the ride and handling are spot on. Oh, and the brakes? Great. My datalogger shows the Speed Twin stops in less distance than the Speed RS, and its coaxial-mount calipers have a sensitivity that makes the other bikes’ poshlooking radials feel overly grabby. Slumbering villages and rushhour town centres highlight another advantage of the 1200. Performance and handling are well and good, but the Speed Twin is also brilliant when you want a steadier time. It’ll potter happily in town, swing breezily on lanes and saunter through countryside, where the racy RSs bang, fidget and become frustrating. With its easy-to-fathom electronics, clear dials, great headlight and superb ergonomics, using the 1200 is simplicity itself.
Sure, there are roads on our MCN250 test routes where the sharper RSs give the type of thrill the retro can’t manage. If you want outright performance both triples are ultimately faster, too. But the charm, usability and sensations of the Speed Twin mean most of the time it gives a more enjoyable ride – and is more likely to make you feel like riding in the first place. I understand the appeal and appreciate the abilities of the focused Street Triple RS, and I’m a massive fan of the Speed Triple RS. But at the end of a full day riding, with the sun dropping and 50 miles of B-roads to my humble dwelling, I’ll take the rowdy retro.