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/1531151
P58 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN 1200 acceleration but also a more abrupt throttle response, so around-town cruising is best left to the Road map found on the base model. But when the pace starts to heat up, the RS in Sport mode is what you want to be on. Quicker acceleration is matched to a sublimely smooth quick - shifter, one that delivers a sat- isfying exhaust pop if you time your shifts just right. There's a slightly higher rev ceiling on the RS, but like the base model, it still prefers to be short-shifted through the gears and kept between 4000-6000 rpm to give optimum drive. Engine-wise, the two bikes may be similar, but the chassis perfor - mance between the two is obvi- ous. The racier ride position of the RS allows you to load up the front tire with more weight, letting the Metzeler RaceTek RR K3 rub- ber bite into the tarmac with more gusto and giving you faster and more direct initial turn speed. A little extra ground clearance given For that sort of carrying-on, you need the RS. 2025 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS Ride Switching to the RS, you can tell the sporty genes the moment you sit on it. You're perched in a racier position with more weight on your wrists and your feet are perched higher up and farther back on the RS, and even without releasing the clutch, it's easy to feel the extra stiffness of the fully adjustable suspension. The RS takes everything the base model has and ratchets it up into the reds. Looks-wise, there's no contest between the two. The RS is positively gleaming in its Baja Orange paint scheme that gets offset beautifully by the gold on the Ohlins shocks and the silver from the Brembo Stylemas. It's like the base model has a nice crisp white T-shirt and clean jeans, while the RS is rocking a fitted suit. The RS's extra Sport mode in the electronics enables faster that can't be adjusted, which is a bit of a black spot for a bike cost - ing north of $13K. Likewise, the Triumph-branded four-piston brakes work just fine at lower speeds but require a decent handful at higher speeds, which can see the ABS kicking in a little too early for my liking. Another curious trait I noticed was the traction control on the base 1200. As this model doesn't come with the Sport mode, when the pace heated up, the TC would kick in too early, the telltale orange light on the dash flickering far before I could tell there to be any loss of grip from the rear Metzeler. This, in turn, slowed drive until the 1200 was near upright, meaning you'd get quite a dead spot at the twistgrip right at the time you didn't want it. Aside from those gripes, the base 1200 will do fine if you're after a classy-looking roadster that doesn't require hard rides up your favorite canyon road. (Left) The uncluttered view from the base model's cockpit. (Below) Higher-set handlebars on the base model make for a slightly more comfortable ride than on the RS.