Historically and typically, here’s how things go. You build a fully faired superbike and down the line you strip it back and release a detuned naked version. Triumph went its own way, instead creating a comfy and potent Speed Triple 1050 that folk came to love because it was different, characterful, and a bit cruisy and comfy in a sea of hard-edged streetfighting supernakeds. And that’s how things were for quite some years and a couple of generations of the Street Triple….until recently.
For whatever reason the Brit changed tack for the latest Speed Triple, going full bore in the engine department and hard edged for chassis development, meaning the new Speed Triple 1200 could actually compete on an even footing with all the other supernaked rockets about. Then and only then did Triumph spin off what you’d classify as an almost sport bike (more like a stylish cafe racer to behold) in the machine you see here, the RR. But then Triumph likes to go its own way, just like Britain and the EU then.
This is something gorgeous to behold, even if we’re thinking, crikey that’s an elongated riding position, is it not? If you put some numbers to these things, the bars are 135mm lower and 50mm further forward than those on the Speed Triple while pegs are 15mm higher and set 26mm further rearward. So is this really a thinly disguised torture rack that just happens to be one of the sexiest sport bikes you can buy at present. Clearly this type of bike is designed for nimble young things unaffected by decades-old skeletal issues from, er, memorable motorcycle moments.
Anyhow, I’m standing there admiring this thing of abject beauty with its single sided swingarm, brushed aluminium muffler and carbon fibre highlights, thinking that at some point I need to clamber aboard and assume the position. Sure enough, you need to lift the knees pretty high just to get the boots to the pegs, and then there’s the stretch down to the bars. We’re there but for how long?
UK reviewers have waxed lyrical about how well the riding position works for road and track; but then they would, right, Triumph being a British brand? Within a kilometre of travelling at town speed, my neck is reminding me that I’m no longer a young one, and by the time we hit the motorway it’s screaming blue murder. By moving forward a tich and sitting up slightly the pain subsides temporarily but we’re going to need to do something to relieve it for longer rides. And that’s when I come up with what seemed like a brilliant idea. I’d noticed that by leaning forward into the back of the tank I could take some weight off my arms and relieve a bit of neck strain so how about a bit more padding up front to unweight my arms some more? At home and Bingo, my cylindrical lumbar roll should do the trick.
Whaddyaknow, it actually does! Now we can ride the RR in a more care-free way; it was quite remarkable the difference this made, even if it’s a ho ho ho Santa look. Nevermind, comfort is king. It was time to see what the RR was really like, sans the aching neck.
The engine is the same as that in the Speed Triple 1200 RS, delivering 177hp (132kW) and 125Nm at 9000rpm. It’s said to spin freer than the old 1050 and sure does pack a wallop from 7000rpm onwards where it gets its second wind. At the mild end of things, this pulls smoothly enough from about 2000rpm, not with a whole lot of conviction however but by 4000rpm, 100 in top, this blasts past stragglers without even needing to chop back a cog. Helping is wet weight of 199kg. The induction noise is quite something and so too the sound of the triple out the back.
Drop it a cog or two and watch the digital speedo go mental.
Because the riding position is set well forward of that on the Speed Triple RR we figured it might be easier to keep a leash on the front end during TC-free acceleration and sure enough, it’s quicker. The RS managed 0-100 in 3.27 but we massaged the RR to a best of 3.04sec. Oddly enough, for the 80-120 discipline we got a better time using second gear alone and with TC engaged. The 1.37sec best for the Speed Triple was eclipsed by a 1.24sec run on the RR. Both figures are right in four-cylinder superbike territory, few going under 3sec for the sprint. So she’s a Rocket that only the Rocket 3 will eclipse (more on that next month).
Numerically speaking, it’s rather difficult to achieve stellar stoppies on sports bikes, because of their lightweight rear ends and state of the art stoppers up front. Hence a best of 44m, down some on the Speed’s 39m effort. However, the Stylemas are simply the best stoppers I’ve experienced on a bike, adjustable not just for handspan but also immediacy, with power to burn, retardation assured by sticky Diablo SuperCorsa SP V3 rubber. The rear brake is excellent too.
We found the suspension on the RS a bit too firm for general use. The Speed Triple RR runs Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension, adjusting multiple times per second, and configuring according to what mode you’re in, firmer in Sport and Track. Or you can simply adjust it to how you want it electronically. We left it on Road most of the time where there’s about the right amount of suspension compliance. It’s still firm in the scheme of things, but less so than the RS. A shame you can’t option this Ohlins set-up for the Speed Triple RS.
Because of the clip ons this doesn’t seem to steer as quickly as the RS, but it still carved up the Seabird Coast road, the stick from the tyres notably permitting quicker than normal cornering speeds. There’s every safety item conceivable on this too, along with cruise control, so handy on something this fast, along with Bluetooth connectivity via the TFT screen. It’s registering 115km/h at 4500rpm, which is not even half throttle. Mirrors look fantastic and give a clear view rearward, only they’re half full of elbows so aren’t much use. We love the action of the Quickshifter going up the box, but down, not so much, and resorted to using the clutch. The action feels somewhat rubbery at times too. Finding neutral isn’t hard, but does require a full clutch pull; 90 per cent isn’t enough.
All of this will set you back $33,490, available in white or red. That’s thousands less expensive than an S 1000 RR, Panigale V4 and RSV4, while vastly undercutting a CBR1000RR. The Suzuki litre superbike costs a little less, while ZX-10 is lineball with this. For the money you’re getting one of the sexiest looking speedsters on the market at present. It’s for limber lads or lasses who want something a bit different from the IL4 norm, and will be doing some track day work along with regular riding.
If you’re primarily a commuter we’d imagine the Speed Triple will be more fit for purpose.
| Model | Triumph Speed Triple RR |
| Price | $33,490 |
| Engine | 1160cc, liquid-cooled, fuel injected, IL3 |
| Power/Torque | 132kW/125Nm |
| Transmission | 6-speed, chain final drive |
| 0-100km/h | 3.04sec |
| 80-120km/h | 1.24sec (35.16m) |
| 100-0km/h | 44.23m |
| Safety systems | ABS, TC, wheelie control |
| Seat height | 830mm |
| Weight | 200kg |
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