Triumph development rider Felipe Lopeze

Having worked heavily on the RS since the start of the project Felipe is the man to ask about how this bike works and rides so well.

WHAT WAS THE MODEL’S FOCUS?

The concept for the model came to reality three years ago. We wanted to build a bike with more torque and more power. Also, when you introduce more power it makes you question how suitable the chassis will still be. We had to look into whether we needed to change the package to suit the new bike’s increased output, but tests proved that we didn’t. And because the handling of the bike was so fantastic, both and high and low speeds, we didn’t have to change a thing. I honestly don’t believe there’s a rival on the market that can offer the handling package we do, and that’s down to finding the best geometry and locating the mass of the package in the right place. We’re very happy with how we’ve moved the goalposts.

WERE YOU PRESSURED INTO ADDING MORE TECH?

Yes, I think so. The market moves on and people are always proud to tell people that their bike has the best features. It also helps them feel more comfortable with their bikes if they know they have a top level technology. We’ve added a lot of features to the Speed Triple package, and we believe it’s now at the pinnacle of technology on the market. It was great to integrate the TFT dash (from the Street Triple) on the bike, and all the other things like cruise control and cornering ABS. We believe it now has every piece of tech needed.

COULD YOU HAVE DRAWN MORE POWER?

You can always get more power. We could have matched our main rivals with 160bhp, but that would have meant compromise. The best thing about the Speed Triple is the way in which it makes its power and delivers it in a very usable and satisfying way. We’re very happy with the power figures we’ve achieved with the RS, but more so with how well the motor delivers its performance to the rider. Figures aren’t always the best thing to go by; we care more about the riding experience.