FIRST TEST: TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RS
An all new Speed Triple. So does this one uphold the family name?
Wild power, low weight, cornering focus - Triumph’s new Speed Triple 1200 RS makes the model’s biggest ever evolutionary stride. Bike’s first full test asks big questions to see if the iconic supernaked reaches a higher plane of excellence, or has become something different… So what’s new?
Everything. With the blueprint for the previous 1050cc Speed Triple fed through the shredder, the 1200 is a crisp fresh design. Three cylinders, two wheels, squinty lights, moniker… that’s where similarities end. Measuring 90 x 60.8mm, the 1160cc inline three is racier than the 1050. With a bore:stroke ratio of 1.5:1 (compared with 79 x 71.4mm giving 1.1:1 for the departing bike) the motor is as radically oversquare as Ducati’s boisterous Panigale V4. With a much shorter distance to travel at any given engine speed the average piston speed is lower, allowing higher revs, and the larger bore allows bigger valves for more power. Claimed compression ratio is a giddy 13.2:1.
Interestingly, the 1200 has fewer pound-feet-per-cc than the 1050. But 92.2 lb.ft of torque outguns the old bike’s 86.3 lb.ft, and with the peak rising from 7150rpm to 9000rpm this means much more horsepower (as power is essentially torque x revs). It’s a record for any Triumph with 177.5bhp at 10,750rpm, next to the old bike’s 148bhp. Gulping fuel to make these horses and the reduced efficiency of a large bore, big valve motor at low engine speeds mean claimed economy falls from 54.2mpg to 44.8mpg, but servicing costs should reduce: intervals extend from every 6000 miles to 10,000. There’s equal chassis revolution with frame, swingarm and geometry all revised. Wheelbase stays at 1445mm, but Triumph’s signature sharp steering is softened. Though still
definitely sporty, the 23.9˚ steering head angle is a whole degree calmer than the previous Speed Triple, and trail is up by a significant 13.4mm to a stability-boosting 104.7mm. Weight drops 10kg, the 198kg wet claim being near as damn it the same as the old 1050’s dry weight. Being an RS means Öhlins, Brembo and Metzeler, and there’s a tweaked riding position with wider ’bars, taller seat and more inset ’pegs. And it fizzes with toys, featuring umpteen electronic assistants, a new colour dash and an updated interface.
‘With such excess firepower you could own an RS for yonks without ever exploring the upper slopes of its mountainous power’
What’s it like to ride?
Gearing is tall. We used to think the track-honed ratios and 80mph first gear of Honda’s homologation special RC30 were daft, yet here’s a roadster doing 86mph in first. Pulling away on the Speed Triple feels like second gear, or even third. Get rolling without stalling and you drop to first gear on a tight B-road more than you’d expect. The RS instantly shows it’s stupidly fast, mind. The traction control lamp blinks frantically as the front tries to lift in the first three ratios, with a raging midrange and much harder top-end rush than the 1050 – output is identical to the old bike until 7000rpm, then the 1200 clears off. Even in Rain mode, power capped at 99bhp, it’s as punchy as the 1050 at realistic road revs with its high gears offset by fewer kilos and more grunt. In a full-fat mode the madness of high revs and full throttle leaves you breathless – with such excess firepower you could own an RS for yonks without ever exploring the upper slopes of its mountainous power. Snickety-slick gearbox and quickshifter too. The few high-rev vibes aren’t intrusive, but you’ll have to put up with 38mpg and the fuel light before 100 miles. Triumph say it’s the most agile Speed Triple ever. Their definition must differ to mine. The riding stance isn’t as elbows-out camo-clad streetfighter as before but is still a dominating stance, with front-end weight bias pushing the
tyre into the road. It’s a sportsbike chassis and low-speed steering is hefty, the RS isn’t first choice for moto gymkhana. But with speed comes pinpoint steering and micronperfect handling. It delivers precise arcs on fast open roads, served with lashings of feel and a generous side order of traditional Speed Triple stability. It’s a full-on superbike dynamic, only with the control and confidence of upright ’bars rather than wristy clip-ons. Slimmer and with far more room to shuffle back and forth than previously, it’s easier to find your preferred cornering stance. It’s more KTM Super Duke R than streetfighter. And with calipers from the ‘posh’ box and a front lever adjustable for both span and ratio, the RS ripples up tarmac and has you reaching for the Radox. Road behaviour isn’t perfect, though. Suspension quality isn’t up for debate, but forks and shock are just too firm. The old RS was stiff too, but gave a sense of luxurious damping that the new bike doesn’t – it’s so stiff that it only feels like it’s working at TT speed. It’s jiggly on all but glassy surfaces, skittered off-line by mid-corner ripples, smacking off bumps. Corners are worsened by new handling traits. Dither with the gas mid-turn on the previous 1050 and it still tracked confidently, but the 1200 runs wide unless driven through. It’ll be ace at Oulton Park, but is tiresome on Oakham Road.
How’s it stack with rivals?
European firms set the supernaked bar and they set it high. KTM’S Super Duke R tops the table, pursued by the Aprilia Tuono and Ducati Streetfighter V4. Kawasaki’s Z H2 puts in a supercharged shout for Japanese factories. And in a hand of Supernaked Top Trumps the 1200 is a welcome card. It’s lightest, equals the larger KTM and revvier multicylinder Aprilia on power, and is only aced on power-toweight by the wild, screaming Ducati. And at £2846 less than the Streetfighter it’s cheapest.
‘Connectivity means turn-byturn navigation, control over music and calls, and you can link a Gopro to collect self-incriminating evidence’
The RS also sits tech-to-tech with rivals with cruise, leansensitive traction and ABS, quickshifter, wheelie control, modes (Rain, Road, Sport and Track with preset ABS, TC and maps, plus self-set Rider), and a new display with a far better layout than the annoying Street Triple. Connectivity gives turn-by-turn navigation, control over music and calls, and you can link a Gopro to collect self-incriminating evidence. Keyless ignition and self-cancelling winkicators too. What it doesn’t have is their usability. Sure, the Ducati’s focused, but the benchmark KTM is fast and sporty like the RS while also being lighter on its feet, friendlier and comfier in normal use. Aprilia’s Tuono has a smooth and tractable V4 plus a tall flyscreen for this year, and Kawasaki’s Z H2 is a big teddy bear (with a crackers motor). The Triumph is at the trackday end of the spectrum, which is fine if that’s what you crave – as a sharp high-performance tool the RS is spot on. But you’ll have to tolerate its obstinate focus on the B5324.
What about a friendlier one?
Erm... sorry, no. We’re bling-obsessed buyers – so Ducati sell more S models, BMW shift more TES, and Triumph flog more RSS. It’s why all Street Triple dealer demos are the RS. So while there was an S version of the previous Speed Triple with a few less gizmos and a more road-biased ride, this RS will be the standalone 1200. Yes, we’re disappointed too.
So is it worthy of the name?
The departing Speed Triple was unique. Yes, it had power, speed, tech, showiness, and could slice up a trackday. But the 1050 was a chunky road bike, not a stripped racer. You could sense its muscular ancestry in the gutsy triple, handling solidity and presence, right back to the iconic 1994 original. The 1200 is different. It’s all top-end power, tall gears, lap times and widgets. ‘The ultimate performance naked sports ride’, as they put it. It’s still a big triple, has familiar design cues, says Triumph on the tank... but with the lack of a roadbiased version, it’s not the Speed Triple we’ve come to love.
Does this mean buy used...?
Little hope of a new 1050cc Triple. The arrival of the 1200 meant deals and they’ve flown out the door, though you may find an ex-demo. But go for a used Speed Triple RS and a three-year-old with the on-road performance and look-atme parts of the 1200 but finer road manners – £9000. The friendlier S starts at £7k – half the price of the latest one. But if you want the best value, we’d go for the 2011 revamp model. Performance, image, modernity and, crucially, oodles of iconic (and unique) Speed Triple feel from just £4500. You have to pay that for a minty 16-year-old 1050 from 2005.
The Bike verdict »
I loved the real-road performance and touchy-feely charm of Triumph’s 1050cc engine, and was a sucker for the previous Speed Triple RS. Yes, it was a bit too firm and a tad showy, but on-road abilities, classiness and bold character more than made up for it. There was nothing quite like it. There’s no doubt that the new 1200 has a monumental engine, refinement, quality, amazing outright handling and more electronic fancies than anyone needs. It’s definitely in the running for the hottest supernaked, and if you want a focused high-performance fairing-free bike you’ll be delighted (though might want to wind off some compression damping). But, for me, the 1200’s tall gears, skinny build and rock-hard ride are a step in the wrong direction for a pure road bike. It operates at a level far above where I’m willing to go on the road, and in taking it to this performance point they’ve sacrificed the glorious front end, accessible burping drive and reassuring substantial meatiness of the Speed Triple that we love. And this makes me glum.
‘It’s not the Speed Triple that we love, and this makes me glum’