Introduced in 1994, the Triumph Speed Triple was one of the first production streetfighters – combat-ready sportbikes stripped of their fairings (often after a crash) and tarted up with upright handlebars, rowdy exhausts, and performance mods. These days we call them naked bikes, and they’re enjoying an upswing in popularity. As you’ll read in this 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS review, the ST has made a huge leap forward and is now the most powerful and high-tech model in Triumph’s lineup.

You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

The Speed Triple has gone through an interesting evolution over the past three decades. The earliest models had a single round headlight, but after a few years the signature twin round headlights were adopted. Early models were carbureted, powered by a liquid-cooled 885cc inline-Triple that made 108 hp, and fitted with a conventional two-sided swingarm. As the years rolled by, the engine became fuel injected, displacement and horsepower increased, the swingarm became single-sided, aluminum replaced steel for the frame, and an upright handlebar replaced the clip-ons. The Speed Triple’s model designation evolved too, from T309 to T509, 955i, 1050, and 1200 RS.

The Speed Triple 1200 RS was introduced in 2021, replacing the 1050 version, which had gone through a series of changes since arriving on the scene in 2005. With serious competition in the naked bike segment, Triumph went all-in to create the 1200 RS. Displacement of the inline-Triple grew from 1,050cc to 1,160cc, and engine output jumped from 140 to 177 hp and 83 to 92 lb-ft of torque. It also lost more than 30 lb, gained a state-of-the-art electronics suite, and was fitted with top-notch Öhlins suspension and Brembo Stylema front calipers.

That brings us to 2025. The name may be the same, but four years after its debut, the Speed Triple 1200 RS has moved into rarefied air. A freer-flowing exhaust better centralizes mass and boosts output, now up to 180.5 hp at 10,750 rpm and 94.4 lb-ft at 8,750 rpm. The electronics package now includes Öhlins SmartEC3 semi-active suspension, an advanced system that’s only available on a few high-end sportbikes, all of which cost more than the Triumph’s $19,995 MSRP.

The IMU-supported electronics include new rider aids: adjustable front wheel lift (wheelie) control, engine braking control, and brake slide assist (in the Track ride mode). Lighter wheels save 1 lb of unsprung weight, and a new lithium-ion battery is 5 lb lighter than the previous lead-acid battery. The Speed Triple now weighs just 439 lb with its 4.1-gallon tank full and all fluids.

Precipitation in Portugal

Triumph hosted a two-day press launch for the Speed Triple 1200 RS in Portimão, a city on the southern coast of Portugal that’s home to the Algarve International Circuit, a 2.9-mile MotoGP track known for its elevation changes and tricky corners. We’d spend one day testing the RS on the road and another testing it on the track. Global press launches with multiple waves of journalists from around the world take months to plan, and the dates can’t be easily changed when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Rain was forecast for the days we’d be there, so I packed waterproof gear and hoped for the best.

My first press launch assignment at Rider was for the 2008 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 and was a street-only test in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina. Being the FNG, I was nervous about riding an unfamiliar motorcycle on unfamiliar roads that were damp from overnight rains. This was back in the day before ABS and traction control were common features on sportbikes. It all worked out, but I had flashbacks to that anxiety-filled day when we saddled up on the latest Speed Triple as light rain fell.

Part of my concern had to do with the Triumph’s Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 dual-compound tires, which have minimal rain sipes. To ease into things, I selected the Rain ride mode, which reduces available power to 100 hp, softens throttle response, and cranks up the intervention for the cornering-optimized ABS and TC. Our first few wet miles were drama-free.

GEAR UP (STREET)

• Helmet: Arai Corsair-X
• Jacket: Klim Carlsbad
• Airbag Vest: Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x
• Gloves: Alpinestars SP-8 V3 Air
• Jacket: Klim Carlsbad
• Boots: Cortech Apex RR Waterproof

Optimal Öhlins

As we would learn over the next two days, the storms passing through southern Portugal were patchy. There’d be dark clouds in one direction and bright sunshine in another. When we arrived at our first photo stop, we had escaped the rain and found a mostly dry road, but it was a rural two-lane with pavement that was far from perfect – the sort of surface that brings a sportbike’s hard edges into sharp relief.

But thanks to the Öhlins SmartEC3 electronic suspension, the Speed Triple felt remarkably plush. The SmartEC3 system, which combines a suspension control unit with an NIX 30 EC inverted fork and a TTX 36 EC shock, uses what Öhlins calls an Objective Based Tuning Interface (OBTi). It continuously monitors and adjusts damping characteristics in different riding scenarios. Seven different parameters can be adjusted independently: front firmness, rear firmness, braking support, acceleration support, initial acceleration support, cornering support, and cruising support.

The system allows a far wider range of adjustment than what’s possible with manually adjustable suspension because it can maximize damping in hard braking or acceleration situations and then relax the settings back to a base level, all in the blink of an eye. Changes in damping happen so fast because the Öhlins system uses spool valves, which operate up to seven times faster than conventional needle valves.

During the launch, I had a chance to speak with Stuart Wood, Triumph’s chief engineer, about the SmartEC3 system. “Öhlins is performance based, but they’ve given us a system where we can dial in an immense amount of comfort,” he said. “The system will decide for you exactly the suspension adjustments that you need at every point in time. It recognizes when you’re braking for a corner, driving out of a corner, going around a corner, or going in a straight line, and it will give you the appropriate damping setting. You can even dial in your own weight, and it will adjust the suspension for that.”

Watch our 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS review video
with an interview with Stuart Wood

In terms of adjusting the objective-based parameters, Wood said “The rider can tell the system what outcome they want, and the system decides what to do. You don’t have to think, ‘I need two clicks of rebound and three clicks of compression.’ If you want less dive under braking, you can dial up braking support. And the harder you ride, the more support it gives you. You can adjust each parameter individually or just use our presets and it will work really well for you.”

Triumph’s presets include Normal, Comfort, and Dynamic, and for our street test I used both Normal and Comfort. As expected, Normal felt a little firmer in most situations, but both delivered very good compliance and ride quality over some very poor-quality roads. Because semi-active suspension uses an array of sensors to detect a motorcycle’s behavior and respond accordingly, the best systems deliver a magic-carpet-ride experience in terms of comfort, responsiveness, and chassis stability. The Öhlins SmartEC3 elevates the experience to a whole new level.

Around the Algarve

After a day of testing the Speed Triple 1200 RS on mostly wet roads and rarely getting an opportunity to shift higher than 3rd gear, we took a bus down the hill from the Algarve Race Resort hotel to the circuit. The weather was no better than the day before, and at times it was much worse with occasional heavy rain.

GEAR UP (TRACK)

• Helmet: Arai Corsair-X
• Suit: Alpinestars Missile V2 Ward
• Airbag Vest: Alpinestars Tech-Air 7x
• Gloves: Alpinestars SP-8 V3 Air
• Boots: Cortech Apex RR Waterproof

Due to the wet conditions, Triumph fitted our test bikes with Pirelli World Superbike rain tires. Learning the layout of a tricky, new-to-me track in the rain would normally call for very conservative lean angles and inputs to the throttle and brakes. WSBK rain tires were also a new experience for me, and they exceeded all expectations in terms of grip.

In a closed-course environment, especially one with a 0.6-mile front straight, we could finally get hard on the gas and feel the Speed Triple’s full 180.5-hp fury. Rain mode limits power, but the entire can of beans is available in other ride modes, which include Road, Sport, Track, and Rider (customizable). As I turned more laps and gained more confidence, especially in the tires’ grip and their ability to endure intense loads under acceleration and braking, I rode farther and faster down the front straight. Over 200 kph (125 mph), the windblast on the naked Speed Triple became intense. I finally got as high as 260 kph (161 mph) before throwing out the anchor for Turn 1 and called it good.

Here’s the thing. I’m not a former racer, and I’m not much of a track guy. I like to ride fast, but I mostly ride on the street, and it’s a fool’s errand to wring out a 180-hp motorcycle on public roads. I’m not skilled enough to push a bike like the Speed Triple to its limits on a track either. But the wet conditions provided a unique opportunity to test what cornering ABS, cornering traction control, and other electronic rider aids can do. Ultimately, they made the experience safer and allowed me to ride with more confidence. Isn’t that what we all want?

The coolest part of our day on the track was testing front wheel lift control, which uses inputs from a 6-axis IMU and has four levels. Under hard acceleration, Level 1 will only allow the front wheel to skim the road surface to maximize acceleration. Each subsequent level allows the front wheel to lift to a progressively higher level, and once that level is reached it will stay there as long as the rider maintains steady throttle and upshifts if necessary.

Algarve’s Turn 15 is a long right-hand sweeper that leads to a gradual rise before the front straight. Approaching the straight in 2nd gear with revs at about 7,000 rpm, a brisk roll-on brings the front wheel right up to the specified level, no clutch or skills required! It worked like a charm every time, though I’d forget to shift before banging into the rev limiter and the front wheel would drop back down. Next time, I’ll try to remember to upshift.

After two days of testing, I was thoroughly impressed by the new Speed Triple. Yes, I’d love to repeat the experience on dry roads and track, but even in the rain the experience was a true thrill.

All Grown Up

Over the past 31 years, the Triumph Speed Triple has matured from a rough-and-ready streetfighter to a proper sportbike with all the latest technology and refinements. It’s gotten better in every conceivable way: more power, less weight, better handling, more features, and better fit and finish. It also has the good bits that I failed to mention earlier, like a 5-inch TFT display with the Triumph Connectivity System, backlit switches, cruise control, an electronic key fob, and emergency deceleration warning (flashes brake light).

Rider’s first test of a Speed Triple was published in the March 1998 issue, and the 1997 T509 version that we compared to three other naked bikes (a Ducati M900 Monster, a Buell S1 White Lightning, and a Moto Guzzi V10 Centauro) retailed for $9,995, the equivalent of $19,918 in today’s dollars. The 2025 Speed Triple 1200 RS is the most powerful, sophisticated Triumph ever built, and it costs just $77 more. Sounds like a bargain to me. I just wish it was available in Nuclear Red.

2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS Review Specs

• Base Price: $19,995
• Website: TriumphMotorcycles.com
• Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles
• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse inline-Triple, DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.
• Displacement: 1,160cc
• Bore x Stroke: 78.0 x 62.1mm
• Horsepower: 180.5 hp @ 10,750 rpm (factory claim)
• Torque: 94.4 lb-ft @ 8,750 rpm (factory claim)
• Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch
• Final Drive: Chain
• Wheelbase: 56.9 in.
• Rake/Trail: 23.9 degrees/4.1 in.
• Seat Height: 32.7 in.
• Wet Weight: 439 lb (factory claim)
• Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gal.

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Source: RiderMagazine.com