RIDEFAST AUG 21

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Where the old Speed Triple was a bit wide and
chunky, the 1200 RS is slim and compact. It feels
smaller and more trim. Like the predecessor,
the riding position is sporty, but natural and
comfortable. The bars are 13mm wider, footrests
are the same height as before (although moved
inboard for more ground clearance) and it’s easy
to get your feet flat on the ground. It has an
830mm high seat that is narrower and longer. It’s
really comfortable and allows the rider to move
around in the corners.
The new aluminium chassis is lighter - and
together with the engine’s weight savings and
lighter lithium-ion battery, the new bike weighs
in at just 198kg which is 10kg lighter than the
outgoing model. They also tell us that its powerto-weight
ratio is 26% better and double that of
the original.
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Some more interesting stuff:
Triumph’s original 885cc, 1994 Speed Triple
produced only 98bhp and 60 lb-ft of torque,
but now that its powered by the 1160cc liquidcooled
three-cylinder superbike engine, it makes
178bhp. That’s 30bhp up on the outgoing
1050cc Speed Triple and 11 lb-ft more torque
(now 92lb-ft). The new engine is 7kg lighter with,
they say its internals producing 12% less inertia.
The bore and stroke is a racier, an over-square
90 x 60.8mm compared to 79 x 71.4mm.
The new Triumph’s power curves show slightly
more power and torque below 4000rpm and
around same in the midrange, before it takes
off at 6500rpm to its new 11,150rpm redline
-650rpm higher than before…
And it all so refined. This one… well it gives you
some pretty dirty thoughts!
The new display is really cool with all of the
electronics really simple to figure out. Google is
your friend, go and have a look, but they include
rider modes, an up and down shifter, Bluetooth
connectivity, Turn by turn nav and Go Pro
access. And it all works really well.
The big question is: Was it worth the wait?
Absolutely! This bike lives up to – and in our
opinion exceeds the hype that preceded it.
Why?