TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RS (2021 - on) Review

Suspension when new is a little hard but can be adjusted, but with time eases and smooths out. I usully take a short break when refilling with fuel. I have don 550 kms in a day without problems. I have had a gel insert fitted in the seat and this gives me more distance comfort.

Brilliant engine and power delivery.

A small spring in the gearbox needed replacing as it made changing gear difficult. All the electronics failed and were changed over a period of 7 months. Mechanically the bike is top level.

Recommended lubricants are greatly overpriced at dealers and trying to buy recommended coolant at the dealers is a waste of time. Tyre changes at the dealers is usually expensive, labour wise.

SWMOTECH tank bags work well as with their panniers. The official tank protector made with a black rubber, will mark lighter coloured jackets around the groin area when riding. Recommend an aftermarket clear plastic one. The Metzeler K3 tyres front and rear work well and give pretty good mileage for this type of bike. Although I avoid long straight boring roads, motorways, etc.

Just goes, way more capable a machine than I am a rider

Still stonking

Running smoothly

Not cheap, but as expected for a premium bike

It's a high power naked, can't expect much in the way of frills

Brakes are awesome - feel and stopping power.Stock suspension and ride quality is utterly, utterly terrible, crossing the line of 'firm supportive platform' to just brutally harsh, jarring, and fatiguing to ride. I’ve had many bikes in 25 years; the RS ride quality is the worst so far and simply not acceptable for UK roads. Don't expect that the 'comfort' setting will sort it, or that the fully adjustable Ohlins has a damping setting in its stock 29-click range suitable for naff UK roads. I spent weeks tweaking the suspension, paid for a professional setup and finally went for a Front and Rear revalve / respring by a very well-known UK tuner. They dyno’d the stock forks, noting they’d never run that much damping even on a TT bike build… it was helpful to know it wasn’t just me. Be prepared to spend another £500-1500 sorting suspension on this bike... or find one that's been done already, there’s a few out there.

Great fun, great sound, loads of grunt, very useable and a great top end. There's a lot to like. Couple of minor issues that are probably Euro 5 related - it's vibey up to about 3500rpm, and it's easy to stall pulling away on a cold start. An engine tuner told me they were way too lean and this was the issue, but I spent my money on suspension, so never proved the engine theory. It's not a relaxed engine either though with a perpetually raring-to-go feel, which gets old on longer days.

Build quality is top notch with quality castings, coatings, bolts, finish etc. My bike was faultless from a reliability perspective, but it loses a point for having three recalls to address known issues (fair play Triumph for doing them, but it was still time out of my day, and £20+fuel for a loan bike in between). Minor point that the supposed GoPro integration / operation, err, doesn't. Spent ages trying to pair and operate a Hero 11 with the RS before a track day. They refuse to play together.

Fuel economy is decent. Main dealer hourly rates and service prices are somewhat extreme. Depreciation on a new one is fairly high as there's a good choice of s/h ones now. Bike seems hard on front tyres; front Racetec K3 lasted just 1900miles, so I went for some harder rubber after.

Decent spec, nice TFT. Must-have add-ons are Heated grips, Flyscreen & visor, Engine crash protectors and a Rad guard. (oh, and suspension work!) TFT itself is decent quality, but Triumph could have added a few more basic bits of data to the front screen - the Odometer reading is about 6-clicks deep in a Service menu somewhere. Why?! No front wheel lift control like you find on the competition.

ride is firm but perfect for the type of bike . brakes are like hitting a brick wall , so powerful and fade free. its not made for a pillion so wouldnt even attempt it Can ride all day in complete comfort if needed to . pleasure to own and ride .

the new 1200 engine isnt like the old 1050 , the power and torque are now higher up past 7k and if you ride it like a sports bike then its superbike fast and as fast as my H2 SX upto silly speeds. great sound and decent MPG of over 150 miles per tank even with a heavy wrist .

No issues with actual bike , paint and finish are great , the triumph app is not great though .

far less to service than H2 thats for sure

love the heated grips and cruise control . quick shifter and blipper are perfection .tyres are 3 times better than me so no issue there. its a naked bike but wind blast with optional screen is ok upto 100 mph. I test rode a tiger 1200 and the screen on that was so noisy it was awful in any position the 1200 RS is better not having one .

Only thing I could say would be that with traction control off it’s a monster and with it on the mildest setting it’s a different bike. It would be nice to have further control of the electronics but not a huge deal. Only noticeable if you ride like a plonker really

Ride very hard for uk roads but European like Germany Austria ,Northern Italy! Fantastic handles a dream! Breaks bang on but would expect anything less being Brembo!

Not as exotic as a V4 engine but very flexible and surprisingly torquey too! Plenty of powe for real life roads! Supposed to be better on track! Not my thing

Yes 10 k service but all the other issues; 1 ) Major fuel leak bumped half the tank on the road until I stopped it (warranty issue) 2) Recall for exhaust bracket malfunction (warranty) 3) Fuel gauge playing up 4) Heated grips failed (warranty issue) 5) Gearbox problem, spring broke inside( warranty issue) 6) Led tail light failure (warranty issue) part supplied fixed myself 7) Fuel cap issue, not closing/locking 8) Headdet tan cover flew off ( warranty) 9 ) Potential overheat issue recall ( warranty) 10) Major gearbox input shaft sheered off in Italy Stuck in 4th not going anywhere so now left at Triumph Como , Italy waiting for bike to be repatriated and repaired 11) ABS sensor played up! To be fair some road debris got in but everything shut down! ABS , traction control, quick shifter, cruise control ect ! Just when into limp mode! Finally cost of parts exsessive! Same front and rear pad as mutistrada and half the price !

Everything great when working so not all the time!

Ride over 200 miles in a day does get harsh brakes are 5 / 5

Think the engine is fine but rider modes could be better

People have had problems but mine has been spot on for the 1st 18 months

Overall grate bike for short 100/150 mile rides and track days I’ve fitted evotec crash protection and fly screen

I've heard of criticism of the brakes, not sure what they are comparing against. I find them strong and progressive, the thing stops quickly. The suspension is too hard for uk roads, I understand their test team is based in Spain/ Portugal, so they won't notice. I've set it down to the softest settings and uneven tarmac still let's you feel everything unless you are doing "go to jail" speeds everywhere. Biggest problem is quickshifter, it has constantly found neutral from 1st to 2nd, whilst under load and accelerating. This is downright dangerous in some conditions, it eventually failed and is now going to be replaced under warranty.

It's a great engine. It pulls well and cleanly, even from low revs in high gears. You can find yourself going very fast very quickly if that's your thing. Overtakes are effortless. The gearbox, when it works, is great to use.

Quick shifter failed, oil pressuresensor failed, recall for incorrect rotor bolts . I've also had numerous refusals to unlock the steering lock, but this seems to have stopped recently. The finish other than electronic gremlins is the usual high level you find on Triumphs.

The first service was about £90, the others will probably be about the 300 mark. So far I've done just over 1000 miles on it, oil use is minimal. Get about 38 to the gallon, so par for the course for this type of bike. Would have done more but quickshifter has broke.

I've got heated grips, which are a must for me in the UK. I really like the dash, nope, you can't split everything out like you can on some of the competition, but the standard settings seem to me to be pretty well judged. Tyres are K3s which work pretty well, unless it's really cold. Cruise control all works well enough.

I have had no issues so far...

Average for a supernaked

TFT dash is good but the software is clunkier than rivals

Brakes are phenomenal, one finger is all you need. Yes the suspension is a bit on the firm side out of the box but it can be softened up which I have done easily, I weight 79kg without my kit on and the sag was 40mm front and rear.

The engine is very tractable it’s smooth, powerful when you want it to be and so easy to life with.

I have covered 1000miles with no issues

First service was free from Destination Triumph in Christchurch, I only had to pay for the oil and filter. The running cost seem about the same as any 1000cc plus sports naked.

Rad guard and battery tender lead and that’s all it needs

4 times back to the dealer to fix issues, waiting for a warranty. Poor reliability. Its sad, and awesome bike to ride.

would love a separate wheelie control.

Spongy shifting, impossible to find neutral.

In the shop three times for mechanical/electrical issues. Purchased new. These bikes are not ready for prime time.

Many bad comments about the ride quality being far to firm, I am 6' 5" and have kept the setting as it came out of the dealership. It is firm but for me it is not uncomfortable, I ride mostly A and B roads with plenty of potholes etc and never found it too stiff. I have done over 5 hours riding without taking a breakBrakes are phenominal and have incredible stopping power

The engine is a monster, it pulls and pulls when you want it too. Through towns and low down speeds it is friendly and compliant and remains smooth. Neutral was hard to find for first few hundred miles but seems to have improved now. Not significant enough to mark down to 4 stars.I prefer my exhausts a lot louder and had the arrow on my old RS, this one has a very different sound but is very very quiet

Build quality so far seems good, I've had no issues to date.

Standard equipment is superb. I also added the optional fly screen as it looks better. Stock tyres are good and give confidence. Sat Nav is my only gripe as it seems to crash the few times i tried to use it so had to stop, get phone out and check for directions

Have backed off front and rear spring pre-load and set most damping to comfort (apart from rear comp damping as will wallow backed right off) Mostly back road Qld roads ridden Brakes work as they should

Its a gem of and engine

One of two headlight retains bolts fell out L/H header bolt fell off One of two front fuel tank retaining bolts parted ways Dealer on 1st service rectified and did comment they found other things loose in weird places (whatever that means)

Haven't purchased as yet as none available at least a 10 week wait Radiator vulnerable and no guard available which is piss poor on Triumphs behalf. $400 for a fly screen to cover up non finished area not good considering price of bike

Compared to the 1050RS the new bikes perch is exceptionally comfy and roomy. I don't know if it's the marginally wider bars or what, but the riding position feels better too; the way you're dropped forwards towards the tank seems to sit you into the bike more than before, and gives the feel that you have considerably more control and influence over the entire machine as a result. I feel more at one with this bike. The bike feels wider out front (it can only be the bars, surely), but it's a great riding position to be in. Oddly, visibility even feels better (how can that be even possible on a bike??? Same helmet too).I mentioned earlier that I was anxious about the reports I'd read regarding the overly hard suspension set up on this new model. I needn't have worried. The moment that I rode off the dealer's forecourt I knew I didn't have to worry; everything felt instantly familiar. The ride is firm, but so was the 1050RS's, but it's compliant too, like the 1050RS was. I'm intentionally riding at and over man holes, small pot holes, road repair seams and ruts, bumps and ripples on roads I know; nothing's upsetting the bike at all - it's so similar to the 1050RS in this respect. The feedback through the bars and saddle is excellent; giving a real sense of what's happening beneath you. Cornering is as pin sharp as the 1050 ever was, even more so perhaps. I'm a real world motorcycle rider, I'm not an ex-racer or press journalist. The bike's a hobby, an interest, and an awesome commuter when the sun's out.

It's a Triumph Triple... there's not much to dislike. These engines never sound or feel overworked. I was new to Triple's two years ago - I can't see me moving away from this engine configuration anytime soon. The new engine does feel very different to the outgoing 1050. The exhaust note is very different but no less addicitive. 1st gear feels much taller then the old bike's. You can hold the gear for longer, and it's feels usable - it's more than just a gear to get the bike rolling; it's a gear you can use. There's a square black box just in front of the new single exhaust can. I don't cliam to know what it is, or what it does, but it's integral to the exhaiust system. I think this is also what gives the exhaust is wonderfully rich and deep growl, howl, even... it's an addicitive sound all the same.

The build, finish, standard kit, comfort... it's all spot on. It's a £16K bike afterall; it should be well built and relaible for this kind of outlay. No problems to report thankfully. The 1050RS had the same high quality feel to it as the new bike does. That's a good thing. Nothing seems to be lacking and everything feels bullet proof. The quickshifter 'box is a marked improvement over the outgoing models version; super smooth, super quick, and best of all, no false Neutrals :-) The 'box snicks up and down with the mereset of touches. It's a very different sounding exhaust note - not quite as 'raw' to my ears as the 1050RS was, but that doesn't mean it's any less entertaining to listen to - the low down grumble is simply addictive. I'm not feeling any early desires for an aftermarket can.

It's a pricey enough bike at £16k but as yet I can't comment on running costs due it being so new. based on past experience with the 1050 I'm not expecting any horrors looming. Will be in for it's 500 - 800 mile service in the couple of weeks. 200 miles on the clock so far... I'm 1/4 way through my third full tank. So circa 100 miles per fill up so far.

Really well specced straight from the box. I opted for a few options, including a Tracker System, Heated Grips and Scrolling Indicators but the standard spec list is jam packed as it is.

Ride quality is firm but I’m a big fella so it takes a firm set up. I have however heard from owners that this can be greatly improved by a good suspension technician. It’s something I’ll look into again. Brakes are phenomenal.

What an awesome engine Triumph have produced, this thing is superb!

Quality is top notch. Triumph have used only the best parts when they were putting this together.

It’s early days yet but it does seem to be rather fond of the unleaded but if I was wanting good fuel economy I’d have bought a tourer!

Everything you need and more.