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/1441959
RIDE REVIEW I 2022 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE RR P90 The RR's sportier riding position invites an even more aggressive attitude to riding this bike on both road and track, and the Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP tires it's shod with are the ideal choice to do this with, versus the Metzeler Racetec RR K3s on the RS. Given their semi-slick tread pattern these track day tires also proved surprisingly grippy in conjunction with Rain mode in navigating the damp highways on my morning ride, but like all the Italian manufacturer's products they heated up quickly. That's partly thanks to their lighter weight compared to rival rubber, which also helps acceleration through reduced rotational inertia, as well as lowering unsprung weight and thus optimizing suspension response. But even without that added bonus, the Triumph RR's semi- active Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 OBTi electronic suspension provides a higher level of response and compliance from the 43mm upside-down fork and RSU monoshock with progressive rate link compared to the RS model's mechanically adjustable hardware from the same Swedish company. The overly stiff ride of the RS is not an issue in the RR thanks to a higher sticker price and a mere 2.2 pounds of extra curb weight, even with the fairing added on. The RR scales 438 pounds with a full 4.09-gallon fuel tank, split 51/49 percent frontwards (vs. 50.5/49.5 percent on the 216-lb RS). That's pretty clever given that the Ohlins EC system entails carrying a total of four electric stepper motors—two in the shock for both compression and rebound, and one in each of the fork legs (compression on the left, rebound on the right)—which continually adjust both types of damping front and rear within 0.2 seconds of the suspension ECU deciding what's appropriate according to feedback. Improbable as it may seem, on pock-marked public roads this delivers a ride quality which can only be described as plush, and you can actually feel the rear suspension working away beneath you in a way I have never experienced before, having only previously ridden a bike with semi-active electronic suspension on a smoothly surfaced racetrack. Indeed, on the Ascari circuit I didn't get the same feedback—it just worked! ASCARI LOVE There are three settings for the semi-active suspension—Comfort, Normal and Dynamic—and the suspension control ECU monitors input from the Continental six-axis IMU, the brake-line pressure, the throttle position and the engine management system to provide optimum damping for that given moment—so it's monitoring angle of lean, the pitch of the bike, the brake force, and via the throttle position it's also monitoring the torque, and speed. You can change any of the settings via Billiard-smooth racetracks like Ascari won't trouble the RR whatsoever.