2021 Speed Triple 1200RR

26th September 2021

Triumph | Öhlins | 1,160cc | 177bhp | £17k

It's not a Honda. That's for sure. But at first glance that's what we thought this was; a new Honda served up in the Triumph style. Probably mostly due to the cockpit fairing and the livery. But now, after sobering up a little, we can see immediately that it's pure Triumph, and it's evidently fundamentally a Speed Triple 1200RS.

It's got the same 1,160cc RS motor; an engine that generates an arm-wrenching 180 PS/177bhp (132.4 kW) @ 10,750 rpm. And if you want to talk the torque, you'll be wrestling with 92lb-ft @ 9,000rpm.

Chassis-wise, it's also got the RS aluminium backbone and aluminium sub-frame, and it shares the 15.5 litre (3.4 gallon) RS fuel tank. Suspension-wise, the bike has been fitted with Öhlins' cutting edge Smart EC 2.0 electronically adjustable wizzbang suite operating through a 43mm fully adjustable USD front fork offering 120mm travel. At the trailing end is an Öhlins monoshock, also with 120mm of travel.

The riding position is clearly more sporting than the RS. The pegs are set further from the bars, and the bars are closer to terra firmer. So forget shopping trips. This one is for hard-core scratchers and goes some way to address the call for a more decisive sportsbike. So if you want an easier ride, try the RS for size.

Stopping power is handled at the front by twin 320mm floating discs c/w Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers, operating through a radial master cylinder with separate reservoir. At the rear is a single 220mm disc c/w a Brembo twin piston caliper with separate reservoir

Other Speed Triple 1200RR features include:

Optimised cornering ABS

Switchable optimised cornering traction control (with IMU)

Front wheel lift control

Cruise control
5 inch TFT instruments with "My Triumph" connectivity system
5 riding modes (Rain, Road, Sport, Track and Rider)
Triumph Shift Assist up and down quickshifter
Lithium ion battery
All LED lighting and self-cancelling indicators
Full keyless system
10,000 mile/12 month service interval

The colours are Red Hopper & Storm Grey, and Crystal While & Storm Grey. The price is a little over £17k.

Overall, it looks like a pretty decent cafe racer. But we'd be more than satisfied with the standard Speed Triple S (which currently sells for around £11,600) and find a better used for the six grand saving. But then, Triumph simply doesn't have guys like us in its gun sights. This is a very specific stroke for very specific folk.