#SpeedTriple

These days the Triumph Speed Triple is considered relatively tame compared to the class of big displacement naked bikes, but one could argue the class wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Speed Triple. Originally introduced in 1994, this 1996 version, as found on our sister site TheSpeedTriple.com, is a rolling piece of history. And now it can be yours for $4000. Judging by the pics and the seller's description, it looks to be in fairly good shape for a 27-year-old bike, though the seller states the fork seals and tires are likey due for replacing soon. The full ad is copied below, but as always, if you're interested in the bike, click the link to go to the original listing and contact the seller.

It’s pretty simple. If I find a vintage Speed Triple story, I’m going to republish it. Now, 20 years later – 20 years! – we bring back to you MO’s First Ride aboard the 2002 Triumph Speed Triple. So many people have memories with this bike. A lot of them are good, but these early years of the Speed Triple also brought with it a few reliability problems. Let’s not focus too much on that for now and instead appreciate Triumph’s beloved three-cylinder naked bike that basically ushered in the category of naked sportbike.

In Triumph’s modern classic line it has the Thruxton, a contemporary interpretation of the classic cafe racer that mimics styling from the golden era of when those machines were quite literally raced from cafe to cafe in search of “the ton.” For 2020, the British manufacturer took that machine a step further with the Thruxton RS, sprinkling on top-shelf components to give the “modern classic” modern performance.

After a thankfully brief teaser campaign, Triumph revealed its new Speed Triple 1200 RR, a modern café racer based on the naked Speed Triple 1200 RS.

Barreling down the back straight at triple digit speeds on the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS feels surprisingly comfortable. It could be the reminiscent nostalgic comfort in having owned two of this machine’s predecessors – one of which, the Speed Triple 955i, was my first street bike. Or perhaps it’s the fact the Speed Triple has always been an upright street bike first with its performance refined and enhanced over the decades (nearly three, at this point). Or maybe still, it’s the high-level componentry working in harmony with the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS keeping the chassis composed as I’m hard on the brakes, trailing off as I dip into the second gear left-hander.

Triumph has managed to squeak by without much fanfare regarding its TE-1 electric motorcycle prototype for the past two years, partially because it has distracted us with rollouts of so many new or updated models, all with internal combustion engines. Triumph also pulled it off by releasing a press release in 2019 stating its TE-1 project… then staying virtually silent about it all this time later. The onset of a global pandemic also helped steer people’s minds away from the project, but today Triumph has announced it has completed phase 2 of its TE-1 electric motorcycle project, and the details, while still a little vague, already look very promising. It should, considering the talent behind the project. 

The OG naked/ hooligan/streetfighter has received a ground up redesign for the 2021 model year. Triumph tells us it has left no stone unturned with every single component new from tip to top. From the chassis to the new 1160 cc Triple, the latest Speed Triple RS is said to be the, “Fastest accelerating, most powerful, highest torque Speed Triple ever with a hair-raising new sound.”  

It was a sad day in southern Spain, not to mention a long way to travel, to be peering out from the garage as intensifying rain dashed any hopes of spinning another lap around the Circuito de Almeria. With only a single session under our belts, and that one merely a familiarization one at best, there was nothing left to do except get wet on the ride back to the hotel.

Last week we saw a teaser video followed by confirmed CARB filings of a new Triumph Speed Triple RS and R versions. As noted in the CARB filings, the engine will retain its 1050cc capacity, however, the new mill has received a different engine code which suggests changes from the previous model.

Earlier this week, we wrote about a new video from Triumph teasing a new Speed Triple model to be announced on Jan. 29. Thanks to new filings released by the California Air Resources Board, we can now confirm the new model will be 2018 Triumph Speed Triple RS variant.

Triumph released a new video teasing some sort of match-up between four-time World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty and two-time Isle of Man TT winner Gary Johnson. Left unsaid but clearly hinted at in the video is a revised Speed Triple. (UPDATE: New CARB filings confirm a new 2018 Triumph Speed Triple RS.)

Mr. Burns’ diary entry of the Top 10 sportbikes of the 1990s gave me a great idea for this week’s Church entry. If you want a taste of what old MO was all about, then the 1997 Open Bikini Shootout is a perfect example. Silly, irreverent, and filled with fast riding and fast riders, this test between the Buell S1 White Lightning, the Triumph T509 Speed Triple and Ducati’s M900 Monster, has it all: three cult classic motorcycles, one Shawn Higbee – an AMA Pro racer and former Buell test rider – and even a bikini model! Because, you know, a Bikini Shootout wouldn’t be complete without one of those. Check out the story (and the model), and don’t forget to click on the photo gallery for more pics.

Triumph announced new updates to its Speed Triple line for 2016. The base model will now go by the designation Speed Triple S and come with new Ride-by-Wire power modes and traction control. It’ll be joined by the Speed Triple R which adds higher-spec Öhlins suspension, carbon fiber components and other premium features.