TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200RS
Iwent into some detail last month about my lack of time in the seat over the past 18 Covid-ravished months to the point where I had been reticent to take ownership of the 1200RS for Fast Bikes. The lack of riding, combined with the well-documented increases in the Triumph’s power jettisoning it in as a marked contender for the supernaked crown, did have me questioning my ability to tame a bike boasting such credentials.
You have to keep in mind that I am the mild-mannered man of advertising, after all, diversifying in my role to give a bit of a real-world view of these exotic rides. My Fast Bikes colleagues fight over these supernakeds, waving the front and back wheels in the air, displaying skills learnt from their ‘missspent youths’ that really passed me by. Certainly, my riding credentials do not tally up to TTs, BSBs and national race meets like these boys.
Thus, the entering ‘Beast’ from Triumph was one I didn’t think I was going to get on with... that was my first
misconception. For all of the unquestionable performance upgrades, massive drop of 10kg in weight and 30bhp increase in power on the previous model, I was expecting something far harder to handle.
Ultimately what I have found is a bike that’s extremely rideable, delivering all of my riding demands thus far and always giving the opportunity for more, but not demanding it.
I had been lucky in my first trip out, crossing Dartmoor with a few lads on their adventure bikes and managing to take in the scenery, challenging mud and grit-strewn roads, twisties and farm traffic with every bit of success and finesse of the bikes I joined that were designed specifically for such trips.
A roads, B roads and motorways were all wrapped up in a one-off 24-hour hit, which were arguably not the ideal conditions for the RS. But the enjoyment of this trip was the perfect grounding for the bike’s all-round qualities – this ticks a lot of boxes.
Dartmoor was a pleasure ride, but this month has moved to far more functional in aiding my day job as a travelling salesman, one such jaunt being joined by Johnny Mac and his Hayabusa, heading south for a visit to R&G to get him kitted out in crash protection. R&G is a great supporter of Fast Bikes, as it is of this section as sponsor, with its Gleam range of cleaning products. I am not ashamed to give R&G a plug, who is normally well ahead of the curve to offer new products on brand new bikes, and its Gleam range is extremely good – we wouldn’t be sponsored by something we didn’t rate.
So, while the hugely complicated dismantling of the Busa’s farings took place on the R&G bench, John took me through a basic set-up for the triple, checking the sag and advising on what I needed – as it was, it was spot-on with 23mm sag in the front and 15mm on the back.
The rear shocks compression was three clicks from fully open, rebound was seven clicks from max, and with both settings having a range of 22 clicks, there is plenty of adjustment available to play with.
I ended up leaving John at R&G while they continued carefully ‘operating’ on his termer, but not before they added a set of crash bungs and fork protectors to the triple. These may not stay on the bike for my full term of ownership, as it goes back to Hinckley soon to have a full ‘Triumph Catalogue’ refresh.
However, I would rather have it than not, even if it is not specifically stylised as to what I am expecting Triumph to add, with the further addition of a screen and potentially luggage fore and aft.
This has all led to a very sensible eight weeks on the Triumph, mile munching and scenery spotting, and the sort of riding that has not been specifically ‘celebrated’ by my friends in the press. But this is the joy of the long-term proposition, being able to get to know a bike, treating it as if it were your own and being able to report thus. That’s not to say I don’t have a hankering to get “the sort of sweat on and dry mouth that only comes with having had a good thrash on a really fast bike” that Johnny got from the RS on launch, but all in good time.
Having treated the Triumph with the uttermost respect since taking ownership, I have had to relinquish it for a week as the lads are testing it against its peers for the next issue. This will be the real proof of how successful Triumph’s full revamp of the Speed Triple has been in regard to leading the supernaked sector – I can tell you how impressed I have been with it so far, but this is in isolation, at low revs and in first date territory. In the next issue, it’s up against a further six supernakeds, with Bruce, Tim and John all giving it the beans and upping the ante somewhat.
Prior to swapping the bike with John, I had the tyres changed at JHS Racing; for the test they all needed to be on Dunlop’s Sportsmart TT’s as a control tyre – a road-to-race-toroad tyre which promises longevity. I have to wonder how much rubber the bike will return with though; given the excitement the chaps have riding the triple, it will certainly have to put in a shift, thus it is a good job I still have the OE Metzler Racetecs to go back on.
So there will be much more to learn about the triple next month. In the meantime I have Johns Hayabusa to play with... a very different way to package 180bhp plus – new pants please!