Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS
Revamped super-naked packs more aggression
When a manufacturer launches a new model, it normally tends to be a slight improvement on the existing model. Power may be up a fraction, weight down, perhaps, by one or two kilograms, suspension lightly tweaked, with three per cent more frame flex… But Triumph have smashed that tradition out of the park and, in the process, produced something mighty impressive. Here is our first impression after a first ride on this motorcycle
The new Speed Triple 1200 rS haS a 26 per cenT improved power-To -weight ratio as compared to the now old 1050 model. That is exceptional. here are some more headline-grabbing figures. peak power from the new 1,160-cc triple is up 30 hp to 180 hp. peak torque is up eight nm to 125 nm and now the engine spins another 650 revolutions per minute (rpm) higher. weight is sliced by a claimed 10 kilos from the previous model, making that power-to-weight figure twice as good as that of the original 1994 model (remember that one?) and, as you may have guessed by now, the 1200 rS is the fastest, most powerful triple-powered Triumph have ever produced. managing all that new power is a completely new, thinner, and lighter aluminium frame, new advanced electronics, improved fully adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear, and new Brembo Stylema brake calipers, while metzeler racetec rr rubber comes as standard. This should also be the sharpest Speed Triple to date. The 1200 is a giant step over the old model which, let us not forget, is an excellent and proven road bike in its own right — its only weaknesses being on track where it had become outclassed by the latest super-naked superbikes. abandoning all that weight was never going to be overly challenging to Triumph’s engineers, given the outgoing 1050 is a big and ageing bruiser. But still, to lose so many kilos, increase the power output by so many horses while hitting euro-5 regulations deserves enormous recognition. This is an entirely new bike and similar to the old Speed Triple in name only. But facts and statistics are ultimately only good for impressing friends. what is it actually like on both the road and track? only one way to find out. i had the tough job of riding Triumph’s new Speed Triple 1200 rS both on the road and around donington park, a stunning track and firm favourite of wSBK riders.
The old bike looked heavy standing still, short, and stumpy with those recognisable under-seat exhausts — like an angry British bulldog. now the Speed Triple is lighter, more streamlined, more of a greyhound. Triumph have dramatically transformed the Triple — especially the exhaust, which, incidentally, sounds amazing and moves away from its traditional under-seat routing. however, the hinckley factory has kept with the signature twin headlights, albeit with a modern twist. Styling is a personal thing but, in the metal, i like this new look. it is a little understated with a high level of finish and i approve of the carbon front mud-guard fitted as standard.
Throw a leg over and immediately the bike feels narrower and you notice the weight reduction as soon as you flick up the sidestand. The seat height has increased slightly (by five millimetres to 830 mm) but it is slim and i can easily get two feet down. There is keyless ignition (and a keyless fuel cap) and when the new five-inch TFT dash comes alive, it looks very stylish, with a prominent gear position indicator and a large digital speedo surround by digital revcounter. other information is via a sub-menu which moves the aforementioned data to the left side in a smooth operation.
There are five riding modes to select from: rain, road, Sport, Track, and ride configurator. each mode changes the throttle map, aBS, and traction control intervention. as we are starting on the road, i put it into the road mapping, then i press the starter button, and the triple starts to breathe. The now side-slung exhaust sounds rich and fruity and a few blips of the throttle send my senses into orbit, the revs building quickly accompanied by the triple’s exhilarating soundtrack. Triumph have reduced the inertia of the engine, allowing the revs to build more rapidly, and i can tell the difference already. it is like running in heavy work boots then swapping them for trainers.
ON THE ROAD
You immediately notice the new bike’s relative weightlessness along with its narrowness. The pegs are, in fact, closer together — the bike really is slimmer — which not only further promotes the sense of lightness but also increases ground clearance. The new gearbox, combined with the new “Triumph assist” up-and-down quickshifter, makes the clutch virtually redundant and gear-changes painless. Shifts are super-smooth, with the fuelling in road mode equally creamy. my first impression is that this is anything but a snarling super naked.
even though the engine has seen a significant gain in peak power and torque, low down torque below 6,000 rpm is similar to the old model. it is after 6,000 rpm where the real difference is. This is not a bad thing as the older 1050 has a lovely spread of low to mid-range grunt, but now you get that extra injection when you open up the taps. From 6,000 rpm, it starts to run, then between 8,500 rpm and 9,000 rpm the new engine starts to really flex its muscles. The 2021 1,160-cc model will rev to 11,150 rpm, compared to 10,500 rpm in the old bike. on the road, you rarely get to use full throttle, but on the odd occasion i did, the new Speed Triple rS gave me a taste of what was to come on track.
The initial test-ride was on fast and relatively smooth open roads close to donington park and the steering was accurate with sporty metzeler ractec rr tyres giving a huge amount of confidence in the sunny conditions. The Öhlins fully adjustable TTX36 rear shock felt reassuring, possibly not as plush as the old bike’s shock, but i am not complaining about its road performance. The Triple’s feel is superb and, with so much grip developed by the new chassis and longer swing-arm (74 millimetres longer with the same wheelbase), you could arguably opt to reduce the rider aids. however, the 43-mm niX30 fully adjustable forks felt a little harsh at times. on bumpy sections, there was the odd jolt from the bars, more so at low speeds. around town or ridden sensibly, the forks would not suspend with the fluidity and plushness of the old bike. with more time on the rS, i would like to open up the compression and rebound damping to give the forks greater movement and fluidity.
however, up the pace, ride more violently, and the forks appeared to like the extra forces and movement. equally, when i brushed the extraordinarily strong new Brembo Stylema brakes, they were reassuringly controlled.
a new imU controls the multiple electronic rider aids and Triumph’s front wheel lift control (or “anti-wheelie”, as most people call it) is inspiring.
in the road mode, wheelies are controlled effortlessly, especially in the lower gears. with so much torque to hand, wheelies (or front wheel lift) is inevitable. Flick into Sport and the wheelie intervention is reduced; now the system allows a small rise depending on the gear. in higher gears, fourth and above, the system permits the front to rise smoothly over crests without savagely cutting the power. There is also the option to remove the rider aids. Should you choose to, the Triumph will loft the front on the lower gears with simplicity.
Flicking among modes and changing the rider aids on the move did uncover a small gripe: the usability of the stunning-looking clocks. i did not read the owner’s manual on our test day and just jumped on and rode, but the switchgear and clocks are not as intuitive as i would have expected. The data are clear but you must scroll into a menu, then into another menu... it takes time, which means i am spending too many seconds looking at the dash and not the road ahead.
The more i rode the Speed Triple, the more i clicked with the clocks and, maybe, i am being finicky. But i would like a trip, my mpg (km/l), and, ideally, remaining fuel range to be easily accessible on the main screen, not within a menu within a menu.
ON TRACK
Seated in the pit garage, i had time to play and understand the dash and input my electronic settings for the track. intriguingly, unlike some manufacturers, Triumph did not add race rubber or change the suspension set-up for this test. So, for the first session, i left pit-lane on the same racetec rr rubber we had sampled on the road, albeit with reduced pressures.
on the road, you would rarely get to fully open the taps on the most powerful Triple Triumph have ever produced, which feels a bit like the time i went to see the Foo Fighters but, standing at the back, was not able to see anything. now on track, you are at the gig live and pressed up against the barrier in the mosh pit. holy crap, this is one rapid motorbike!
i thought i was opening the throttle fully on the road, just for a split second, but, clearly, i was not. The power is immense and the rS pulls incredibly hard, meaning it takes proper physical effort to hold on when you are fully committed. The in-line triple now revs for longer, which the old bike could only dream of. and in Track mode, the lack of anti-wheelie took me by surprise as the front wheel pawed at the sky on the first lap: fourth gear, over the crest on the back straight where the famous dunlop Bridge used to be.
it is only lap one, but my road-based opinion of the new Triumph has completely changed. That mild-mannered gent has ripped off his shirt in a phone box and changed into Superman. each lap i am re-calibrating to take on the power output, while the previously unexplored top quarter of the revrange is a ginormous step over the old bike.
Forget about my grievances on the road. who cares if i cannot see the mpg (km/l) readout? i love it. The forks, which felt on the firm side on the road, now work in harmony with the smooth but undulating donington park. combine the sporty forks with Brembo’s latest brakes, not forgetting that newfound lightness, and the stopping power is fantastic — eyes against the visor.
in Track mode, the aBS is not obtrusive and allows you to break ridiculously late. The old Speed Triple was not bad, far from it, but today we are on another level. in terms of performance on the track, the new bike can stand shoulder to shoulder with the similarly priced super-naked rivalry.
if a bike does not steer, it can be a nightmare down craner curves to the old hairpin and out — thankfully, the new 1200 rS scores highly. The line is accurate, its fluidity and ability to flick from one side to the other whilst maintaining stability quite superb. each lap i seemed to be quicker and quicker through this section, only fear and testicle size holding me back, certainly not the bike. Soon it was giving me full lean around the old hairpin, with plenty of ground clearance and the perfect line each lap.
as the pace and my confidence increased, the more the road-focused rear end felt too easy-going for my liking and weight, especially out of the Foggy essess. it was also noticeable out of the final turn, sitting down too much on the power. The combination of an unfit rider sitting back in the seat and not pushing forward on the exit resulted in a floating front end, an overly squatting rear, and the rider aids working overtime.
The Öhlins rear shock is easy to access. i left its pre-load adjuster alone, simply changing compression and rebound damping (see box for settings), which took around 30 seconds and improved the rear end, bringing it more in line with the sporty front. now the electronics, rider, and rear tyre were having an easier time, getting on the power sooner and harder, still with excellent feedback.
Competitively priced, with a quality feel, refined electronics, and that unique triple soundtrack, this is the best Speed Triple to date
You could argue that you should not have to change the suspension settings, but i would disagree. most bikes do not work equally well on both road and track and you should expect to change the suspension settings for track-days on a conventionally suspended bike. Tickling the adjusters showed the quality of the Öhlins units and their easy access. and several times i had to remind myself that i had ridden from the road on to the track with the same metzeler rubber. a few clicks of suspension and that was it, the rS transformed itself from a road bike into track tool.
The rider aids that impressed me on the road continued to excel on the track. i deliberately opted to flick into the more road-focused modes, to see how they performed on the track. with these, you can dial in the power early and with huge lean angle. The clever electronics simply will not allow you the power to do any damage until you start to push the bike upright, reducing the lean angle. i was having fun accelerating earlier, with lean, then allowing the electronics to control the power as i stood up the bike on the exit. inexperienced or those new to track-days will discover that rider aids are vital, like riding with a guardian angel on your shoulder.
The new Speed Triple 1200 rS takes a substantial stride beyond the old bike in terms of power, torque, electronics, rider aids, and looks, which we have only touched upon. all right, i have a few gripes. The switchgear’s connection with the lovely-looking TFT dash is not as intuitive as i would expect and the forks are a little harsh on the road, while the rear is a smidge soft on the track. The older bike has a plush ride quality on the road that the new bike does not have in stock trim.
nevertheless, the suspension is fully adjustable and a few clicks make a significant change, while, in time, Triumph owners will probably become fully familiar with the dash. as the specification sheet indicates, Triumph have made significant improvements to the old bike, particularly on the track, where it can now take on the competition head-on. The older 1050 Speed Triple still is a great road bike but lacks the excitement, performance, and technology of its rivals, but not the 1200 rS. competitively priced, with a quality feel, refined electronics, and that unique triple soundtrack, this is the best Speed Triple to date.