We rode the RS in mixed conditions
across road and track, so the chance
to properly unleash the RX in the dry
at one of the world's most thrilling
circuits? Yes, please. It's the kind of
bike that looks like it's doing 100 mph
while parked. But can it live up to the
hype? Only one way to find out...
Back To Portugal We Go
Back in early March, our rain-soaked
shakedown of the Speed Triple 1200
RS (read the review here) left one
standout impression: Triumph's Öhlins
SmartEC3 semi-active suspension
was nothing short of genius. With
the tap of a button, it could morph
the bike from a plush sport tourer
to a snarling streetfighter. Sadly, we
couldn't push it hard on the track at
the time. Now, under Portimao's blue
P98
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RX
Now that's one
pretty motorcycle.
Clip-on bars and a
high seat distribute
a lot of weight
over the front for
sharper cornering.
skies, we had the perfect condi-
tions—and plenty of laps—to give the
RX a proper thrashing, both on stan-
dard Pirelli Supercorsas and slicks.
The RX was unveiled just 12 hours
before the test, shrouded in secrecy
but wearing Triumph's not-at-all-sub-
tle "Performance Yellow" paint like a
high-vis warning: this bike is here to
take names. Built to shred racetracks
in a way no Speed Triple has before,
it's immediately clear this isn't just a
dressed-up RS.
Hop aboard, and the changes are
obvious. The new clip-ons sit 69mm
lower and 52mm further forward than
the RS's upright bars. Pegs are higher
and further back, putting you in a
full tuck even before you leave the
paddock stand. It looks angry, feels
aggressive, and is clearly built for
speed, not Starbucks runs.
