Bike: Triumph Speed Triple RS
Triumph has waved its technology wand over the Speed Triple. Is it still a little bit naughty?
STANDING on the test strip with the electronic safety systems off and revs flaring, I take a deep breath and let out the clutch. The front wheel lifts immediately. Self-preservation kicks in and I bleed off some throttle. The front hoop returns to the blacktop while acceleration still builds wildly. Too much throttle and the same happens again. Hooking second gear does not rein in the wild horse bucking for the entire run.
Combine a torquey engine, short gearing, compact wheelbase and an upright riding position, and you have all the ingredients of an exciting journey. After a few runs, learning to master the explosive torque delivery, the Speed Triple sets a 0-100 km/h time of 3,48 seconds … but that’s only half the story.
The Speed Triple legacy started in 1994 when Triumph created its first “streetfighter” by essentially ripping the fairings off a superbike and endowing it with a surplus of attitude. It soon started getting noticed and even featured in movies such as The Matrix (1999) and Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). Throughout the years, this iconic bike was updated with more advanced technology and the engine capacity grew from 855 cm3 up to the current incarnation of 1 050 cm3.
What makes the triple layout special is it combines the enduring attributes of a torquey V-twin with a screaming inline four. The result is brutal midrange torque with the ability to add a dollop of power just before the 11 000 r/min redline. Triumph updated 105 components in this upgraded mill to increase the power and efficiency. The bike returned a remarkable 4,92 L/100 km during our test period and we weren’t exactly hanging around. The best part is the soundtrack playing through those standard, twin upswept Arrow exhaust pipes bestowing the bike with a special character.
For 2019, Triumph introduced a host of technology upgrades. Most noticeable is the comprehensive five-inch TFT instrument cluster featuring layout options, a choice
of five ride modes, trip computer and even a lap timer. Toggling between these is made easy with a joystick on the left handlebar. We found the display easy to read even in direct sunlight.
The RS model gets top-spec Öhlins suspension (43 mm upside-down forks up front and 36 twin-tube monoshock at the rear) and Brembo monoblock radial callipers gripping twin 320 mm discs up front.
The suspension setup is perfect for road riding because it offers enough comfort on open, flowing routes while instilling confidence in the bends (the damping over bumps is especially impressive). It is still a large, relatively heavy machine (although it’s 3 kg lighter than before) but the wide handlebars and short wheelbase allow the rider to coax the wide bike into snappy directional changes.
It is a good-looking motorcycle and standout visuals include a single-sided swingarm connected to a large twin-spar frame running over the beefy engine. The view from the rider’s seat to the road is largely unobstructed thanks to a low-mounted instrument cluster and tiny mirrors on the handlebar ends (that still afford a sufficiently generous field of vision). The result is wind blast at speed and adding an optional fly-screen should aid high-speed cruising.
Test summary
Triumph has managed to amplify the exciting characteristics of the Speed Triple by giving it this technology injection. It is an exhilarating bike to ride but it is best to keep the traction (and wheelie) control systems on while you learn its antisocial traits before letting it off its leash. When you do, be prepared to exit tight corners on the power with the steering going light not long after the apex, turning into proper mono-wheel action as the road straightens…