Triumph Speed Triple

[aruljothi]

Triumph's Speed Triple has since inception been a bit of a brute.

The 885cc original was no real brute in the engine department but in the handling stakes it demanded plenty from its rider.

The steering was incredibly heavy; think Ford XD Falcon with no power steering and a flat tyre heavy. But it still won a legion of fans and the Speed Triple went a long way to shrugging off the demons of past Triumph woes in regards to reliability.

The Speed Triple went on to prove bulletproof tough and was a significant milestone in the now hugely successful reinvention of the Triumph brand.

Fast forward 15 years and the latest incarnation of the Triumph Speed Triple is still a brute.

Not in the somewhat crude tradition of its ancestors, but in a smoother and more sportingly focussed kind of way. 

With 34 more horsepower than the 1994 original and tipping the scales a significant 20kg lighter, the latest Speed Triple can also be quite an animal and demands quite a lot from the rider.

The 1050cc triple-cylinder powerplant is quite smooth, for a triple, but still retains some of the raucous characteristics the configuration is renowned for.

The Triumph Speed Triple grunts out of corners nicely with as little as 2500rpm on the tachometer while things get decidedly exciting from around 5000rpm.

In sixth gear the engine is turning over at a leisurely 4000rpm at the 110km/h highway speed limit and will return a 300km touring range under such conditions.

A major model update in 2008 saw the sometimes maligned Nissin braking components of early 1050 models replaced with Brembo hardware.

There was never anything wrong with the outright stopping power of the previous bike but the Brembo components deliver significantly better feel at the lever.

Showa provide the 43mm fully-adjustable inverted forks and shock absorber. Spring rates are quite firm, and as such the ride can be made more pleasant by easing off a little preload and damping, particularly on the front.

The upside however comes when carrying a pillion as the tautness of the suspension then becomes a significant asset.

Unfortunately, though, the Triumph Speed Triple is hardly more accommodating to a passenger than a hard core sportsbike. The seat is small, fairly hard and the peg position far from friendly.

The gearbox is quite sweet and the clutch cooperative.

Ergonomically, the simple handlebars allow the rider to experiment somewhat with reach by simply rotating the bars in their clamps.

Further tailoring of the ride position can be done by changing the bars for aftermarket items of a different bend.

While the smaller 675cc Street Triple is one of the most forgiving and easy to ride motorcycles on the market the Triumph Speed Triple occupies a fairly more serious role, and as such it is suited to more aggressive and confident riders.

What the Triumph Street Triple delivers with no effort, the bigger Speed Triple delivers with serious aggression. Its smaller sibling is all smiles and laughter, but big brother has a definite mean streak and proves much harder to tame.

Add the optional Arrow 3-into-1 exhaust system to match the bark with the bite and you inject even more of a mean streak to the Speed Triple.

The Triumph Speed Triple is a bike with attitude, and not all of it particularly friendly.

But for some that will be the prime reason for choosing the Speed Triple over other offerings in the marketplace such as Honda's extremely polished CB1000R and Ducati's gruff 1100 Monster.