Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1388078
RIDE REVIEW I 2022 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RS P116 I spent almost my entire time in Road mode on the ECU, which offered the right amount of direct throttle application with- out any of the harshness of Track mode. At reasonable speeds, Road map is all you need, and I wouldn't be that annoyed if it was all the bike came with as it does the job well. Another issue Mark raised was sadly, and repeatedly, realized. It's near impos- sible to find neutral when coming to the lights. The only time I could successfully engage the no-go gear was if I went down to first, then dance on the lever with the precision of a Russian ballet dancer in the hope my lightness was just enough to snick neutral and not second gear. When coming from fifth, having to go back to first then search and hope for neutral was frustrating in the extreme. Cruise control is always welcome in my book. In fact, it's now a necessity if you're spending this much on a motorcycle. Thankfully the RS has it. At the end of my quick test, I was a little confused. The Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS is absolutely a power player in the naked superbike category, right up there with the best from Aprilia, BMW, KTM, Ducati and Kawasaki. But, in its effort to reach heavyweight status, it's lost a touch of the charm the old bike had. It's so much more hard-edged than before, which, when all is said and done, doesn't always equate to a better street bike. Triumph was in a hard spot with the RS. If they didn't build a super naked, people would say they don't care about beat- ing the rest. But if they stayed the same, people would still say they didn't care about beating the rest. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. It's a stupendous bike, this new RS, and if I'm predominately at the track, this thing would be a complete weapon. On the road, however, the overly stiff suspen- sion takes its toll, as does the infuriation of not being able to find neutral. Triumph's now a heavyweight, but it came at the cost of the original Speed Triple ethos of a rowdy naked bike for the masses, rather than a super naked. CN 2022 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE ($18,300) ENGINE Liquid-cooled, inline three-cylinder, 4-stroke VALVETRTAIN DOHC DISPLACEMENT 1160cc BORE X STROKE 90 x 60.8mm FUELING SYSTEM EFI, Ride-by-wire throttle, fixed length intake system COMPRESSION RATIO 13.2:1 POWER 177 hp. at 10,750 rpm (claimed) TORQUE 92 lb-ft at 9000 rpm (claimed) EXHAUST 3-2-1 TRANSMISSION 6-speed with Bi-directional Quick Shift System CLUTCH Wet, multi-plate type, SCAS-equipped CHASSIS Aluminum twin spar frame, bolt-on aluminum rear subframe FRONT SUSPENSION Ohlins 43mm NIX30 USD down forks, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Ohlins TTX36 twin tube monoshock, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 4.72 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 4.72 in. FRONT BRAKE Twin 320mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers, OC-ABS, radial master cylinder with separate reservoir, span & ratio adjustable REAR BRAKE Single 220mm disc, Brembo 2-piston caliper, OC-ABS, rear master cylinder with separate reservoir FRONT TIRE Metzeler Racetec RR K3 120/70 ZR17 in. REAR TIRE Metzeler Racetec RR K3 190/55 ZR17 in. WHEELBASE 56.9 in. SEAT HEIGHT 32.7 in. FUEL CAPACITY 4.1 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED) 437 lbs. COLORS Sapphire Black, Matte Silver Ice SPECIFICATIONS