Ridefast July 2021

Change is the story of the new Speed Triple but
nowhere is that more pronounced than with the
engine. Triumph has completely redesigned the
motor so not one single part carries over from the
previous generation.
The bore has been widened considerably (up to
90mm from 79mm) while the stroke has been
shortened (60.8mm down from 71.4mm), which
together with an overall loss in rotating mass and
improvements in gas flow taken from their Moto2
project learnings, has enabled them to rev the
engine higher than before.
The result is a 29.5bhp boost at the top end, so
peak power is now 177.5bhp at 10,750rpm. Peak
torque is also up, now 92lb.ft at 9000rpm, helping
to deliver a fatter midrange.
The Speed Triple RS features a six-speed
transmission with a multiplate wet clutch that has
been reengineered to use fewer friction plates,
which reduces weight and makes for a lighter
clutch. It’s also a slip-assist design, so you can
afford to be a little less delicate with your left
hand while riding hard. The box also benefits
from a quickshifter, fitted as standard, that allows
clutchless upshifts and downshifts.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Paired with this new motor is a brand new
chassis. The headline figure is that the bike is
10kg lighter than the previous model, with the
frame itself 17% lighter than the old one. This,
along with the boost in power, has contributed to
a 26% increase in the power-to-weight ratio. The
wheelbase remains the same, although with the
new stacked gearbox, Triumph has elongated the
swingarm, which helps improve the handling.
The chassis is a twin-spar aluminum design
and has been reworked for 2021 and includes a
single-sided swingarm. Suspension on the Speed
Triple RS is extremely high-quality Ohlins stuff,
with NIX30 forks and a TTX36 monoshock in the
back. All are fully manually adjustable for preload,
rebound and compression.
Braking is handled by Brembo, with twin Stylema
calipers and 320-millimeter discs up front and a
single Brembo caliper and 220-millimeter disc out
back. The bike is outfitted with a sophisticated
antilock braking and traction control system
managed by an inertial measurement unit that
offers lean angle sensitivity.