M
y god, this thing is stiff.
I'm thinking this as I roll
down the 405 freeway in
Southern California on the Triumph
Speed Triple RS after picking it up
from the dealer.
I'm in Sport mode, which, when
combined with the more direct throt
-
tle response, gives a stiffer setting to
the Öhlins SmartEC3.0 semi-active
suspension than I think any road
rider would ever need.
Part of the reason I feel it's so
stiff is that I've spent the last few
months riding a plethora of midsized
naked bikes that, in comparison to
the Triumph, are like wet noodles in
the suspension department.
The RS is the most purposeful,
single-minded Speed Triple I've ever
ridden (I am yet to throw a leg over
the chart-topping Speed Triple RX).
It's about as close to a naked super
-
bike as Triumph makes and goes
against fellow heavy hitters like the
BMW S 1000 R (or M 1000 RR if you
really push the boat out), the Aprilia
Tuono Factory, the KTM 1390 Super
Duke and the poster boy, the Ducati
Streetfighter V4 S. It is decidedly
more motorcycle than anything the
Japanese make, with the Yamaha
MT-10 SP being about as close as
they get to the Triumph.
That's because there's been a
distinct "them versus us" mentality
from the Japanese and Euros with
regard to the naked-bike class. The
Euros are all about outright perfor
-
mance, the Japanese more in the
everyday performance realm. The
RS thus hoists Triumph right to the
pointy end of the Euro performance
pile. Hey, if you want slower, softer,
simpler, go grab a Street Triple RS
instead. This one's for the big dogs.
IRON
FIST,
IRON
GLOVE
We pinched a
Speed Triple RS for
some fun but feel like
we've come away
from boot camp.
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROWNDOG WILSON
P92
RIDE REVIEW I 2026 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RS
