Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RX

Paul
May 21
4 min read

The legend lives on!

is it yellow, or is it a sort of mustard colour?

Way back in 2012 my nearest and dearest rode a Triumph Street Triple. It had, as the title would suggest, a three cylinder engine. it was also a naked bike, but finished so much better than anything else from the Japanese or European brands. It and its bigger sibling, the Speed Triple were both a whole lot of fun to ride.

Do not, under any circumstances, break one of these headlamps!

Since then, what was a very simple couple of machines have continued to evolve into all sorts of wonderful. Now the latest Speed Triple has broken cover, and it promises to be exceptional.

So the all new Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RX is a road bike that has been designed with track day riders in mind. A road legal machine that promises to deliver enough power in a chassis that can manage it in a bike that can be ridden home at the end of a day on the track.

If it was made of chocolate you'd eat it...

It’s a very exclusive bike limited to a mere 1200 of the beasts being built for the entire global market. But this is no trophy, if you know you know, it’s a bike that is well worth consideration.

Cornering traction control. A rider aid or just plain old cheating. Discuss.

So while this RX version of the 1200 carries that styling and DNA of the original Speed and Street this one has been designed by the faster people in the design department.

Who ever thought that a yellow spring could be sexy?

Öhlins make a big appearance on the new bike with not only integrated electronic suspension but even a with an enhanced damper from the same company. And unlike you and your siblings, they all talk to each other while delivering a functional package that allows the rider to get on with putting down some fast lap times. This suspension system can all be adjusted via the Öhlins Objective Based Tuning Interface on the instruments. Try saying that last one after a few hours at the office BBQ…

"They all have lovely bottoms" Paul Creevey

Meanwhile a twin-spar frame and classic Triumph swing arm stay true to the bikes heritage as do those twin headlamps. Even the light weight wheels don’t clash with the way the bike looks.

The engine is a 1160cc affair that puts out a juicy 180 good old fashioned BHP. There is no compromise on the torque front with 128Nm on tap. Adding a new crankshaft technology to the motor allows for a more refined, easier to use, motor. Having an Akrapovič silencer on the end of the exhaust allows it to allow that wonderful triple soundtrack to sing as it should.

Helping to manage all of this shenanigans is an independently adjustable Front Wheel Lift Control feature. There’s Engine Braking Control which helps manage the bikes performance on the downshift. They’ve also added a system called Brake Slide Control. This allows the bike to lift the rear somewhat and minimal interference from the ABS on the front. For some utterly bizarre reason it has cruise control.

Carbon fibre. It lets poor people know that you're special

All of this is, as well as the suspension system are controllable from the handlebars and displayed on the TFT screen. The My Triumph Connectivity System is also included. This allows navigation, phone and music interaction. All of this is controlled via the well proven joystick on the left bar. The ABS and traction control are of the cornering type and their intensity as well as the choice of ride modes, rain, street, sport and custom are all set via the same switch and displayed on the same screen. The electrics continue with a new high-frequency flash of the brake light when the brakes are hit hard. The idea is that the other folk that you’re sharing the road with will notice and do something intelligent. The keyless operation covers the fuel cap, the steering lock and the ignition.

A damper that adjusts itself as part of the electric suspension package

The big brands continue to add glamour and performance with a set Brembo Stylema® calipers and a Brembo adjustable lever. Rolling on my very favourite Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 tyres allows for a whole lot of grip and performance on the track while still being perfectly road legal.

Pirelli, Öhlins, Brembo and Carbon Fibre all in the one picture. "Swoon"

As a machine with a trackday focus, the RX has a set of clip ons, (race handlebars) that are a significant 69mm lower as well as being 52mm further forward than the standard RS version of the same bike. The same goes for the rearsets with the footpegs being 14.5mm higher and 25.5mm further back. Theres even a performance seat as standard.

The quick shifter can be set up in 'race' or 'road'.

Since only losers buy special, limited edition, bikes that don’t announce their presence. In order to differentiate from the rest of the pack, this RX version has carbon bodywork and its’ own yellow paint scheme.

Yellow. It's the new orange, which in turn is the new black. I still reckon it's mustard.

Some bloke in a suit said: “The new Speed Triple 1200 RX offers the ultimate riding experience, both on the road and on the track. The extra technology, premium specification and more focused riding position will put this firmly on the wishlist of every track day enthusiast. With just 1200 of these available around the world, customers who secure an early order will really stand out from the crowd.”

Yep, I couldn’t have put it better myself. The RX as well as the rest of the range is available exclusively from the Triumph store in Dublin.