2025-on Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS review: Super-naked matures with advanced electronic Öhlins

Our two-day test was disappointingly hamstrung by poor weather – with the occasional burst of sunshine overshadowed by heavy downpours, punctuated by the occasional stream of standing water.

And yet, despite this, I come away from my time with the Speed Triple very impressed. First and foremost, a mention must go to the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 tyres – rubber that has no place negotiating torrential rain on nadgery Portuguese hillsides, but performed impeccably none the less.

With next to no tread, its natural home is a bone dry racetrack, but combined with the compliant suspension and quality braking equipment, I felt comfortable enough to press on harder than I otherwise would.

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For the track, these tyres were swapped for full Pirelli wets – allowing us to continue to press on further whilst reducing the risk of a spill. We did get one dry session in the morning, to allow for slightly greater lean angles, and at no point did we suffer issues of ground clearance.

Back in England, where it rains an awful lot, there would be no harm in equipping your own Speed Triple with a slightly more treaded tyre, such as Pirelli’s Diablo Rosso IV Corsa for some added versatility. I’d also like to give a shoutout to the riders’ seat, which remained plush and comfortable across the entire day – soaking up your cheeks like a memory foam pillow.

In fact, the entire riding position is a lovely place to be, with an easy reach to the bars, and relatively low pegs allowing you to move around the bike with ease. This helps when stretching your legs, or getting your weight off the side for the next corner. The handlebars are now 10mm wider a side, and 7mm taller, too.

Stopping power comes courtesy of  Brembo Stylema calipers and a Brembo MCS master cylinder, with span and ratio adjustable lever. These work with 320mm floating discs and deliver and wonderful progressive feel within your fingers.

Given the conditions, braking wasn’t held to the last possible second, but working alongside the cornering ABS, there is a confidence there to hold onto the brakes later – as well as apply a dab of rear upon corner entry to neaten everything up through the bend. It was much the same feeling on track, with firm squeezes of the lever at the end of the 160mph start/finish straight met with a forgiving, progressive feel rather than an aggressive on/off switch.

There’s also a manually adjusted steering damper mounted under the front headlight unit. It was never really called upon for the road, however fought against a few shakes of the head under acceleration on circuit, and could possibly done with being a little tighter on occasion.

Finally, we must talk about the Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension, which takes over from the manually adjusted set-up on the old bike - sometimes criticised for being too stiff for the road. Thankfully, at the touch of a button, the new Speed can be made softer and more forgiving – with setting suggested based on a riders’ weight via the colour dash.

Constantly evolving and adapting, our rain-soaked road miles were done so with the help of a softer setting and the ‘Road’ riding mode. With hefty bumps and craters around most corners, and plenty of water to negotiate, the set-up allowed the bike to feel more compliant and user-friendly – encouraging some level of lean, rather than tense arms and gritted teeth.

Those wanting to make changes could do so at the flick of a switch – with no need to faff about with tools on the day. The preload, however, does remain manually adjustable, however suggested setting changes are offered. It’s also planted at speed – never wobbling and giving off the impression that it could eat through hundreds of motorway miles with very minimal effort.

Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension – How does it work?

The Speed Triple 1200 RS uses the latest semi-active suspension design from the Swedish suspension gurus Öhlins, and can currently only be found on select high-end motorcycles, including the 2025 Ducati Panigale V4S and Streetfighter V4S, plus the 2024-on Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on which it made its debut.

The system makes use of something Öhlins call the Objective Based Tuning Interface (OBTi for short) which continuously monitors and adjusts the suspension damping, depending on what the bike and rider are doing. It also allows riders to make adjustments for a number of parameters including support under braking, and initial hard acceleration.

According to Öhlins, Smart EC3 is said to have been partly inspired by the rear ride height devices now found in MotoGP. This includes during weight transfer on initial acceleration – lowering the bike’s centre of gravity for a faster getaway. Rebound and compression damping can also be tweaked to a riders’ specific weight, with suggested settings for the preload which remains manually adjustable.

“The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is just the start of it, it's a very sophisticated unit,” Triumph Chief Engineer, Stuart Wood explained during the initial reveal of the bike in early 2025.

“It's a six-axis unit measuring acceleration in all directions, and rotations as well - so it measures pitch, roll, and yaw. That allows the system to take those measurements and work out exactly what the bike is doing.

“It can tell if you're braking, braking hard, or in a corner, and it can set the suspension settings appropriately for each of those scenarios, and it really does work very well.”

The Smart EC3 is not the first time we’ve seen semi-active springs on a Speed Triple. The half-faired 1200 RR model launched for 2022 (and now discontinued for 2025) used the older Öhlins SmartEC2. The new system has moved from a needle valve to spool valve set-up for changing the damping, which – according to Triumph - moves faster, and makes the changes a lot quicker. It also allows for a bigger window of change for a wider choice of suspension settings.

“The new suspension control module is faster, but also is more compact, and lighter - so everything helps to improve performance of the bike. This is really a completely new system and does allow more adjustability,” Wood added.

Continuous changes are made to the springs whether the bike is accelerating, at a constant, braking for a corner, completing a turn, or increasing speed out the other side. Riders can also adjust the performance in each of the seven parameters via the TFT dash.

“You can adjust front wheel firmness, rear wheel firmness, acceleration support, braking support, initial acceleration support, cornering support, and cruising support,” Wood said. “It's a wide range of adjustment so that you can dial in the feel of the bike completely to suit you.”

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The 1160cc three-cylinder engine is a triple treat! An updated version of the motor first found in the 2021-2024 Speed Triple 1200 RS, it now gets a boost in both power and torque – despite meeting more stringent Euro5+ regulations. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air, with updates to hit emissions targets usually resulting in a bit more weight, and a little less oomph.

Power now sits at a claimed 180.5bhp at 10,750rpm, with torque at 94.5lb.ft at 8750rpm. This has actually come down from 9000rpm for more shove at road speeds, and the crank balancing strategy has been tweaked with the aim of a smoother delivery.

It’s a flexible unit, delivering a rich, velvety induction roar that remains audible at almost any speed – capable of delivering a savage linear drive that superbikes would’ve been proud of in the not so distant past, as well as holding your hand through rainy conditions, and awkward built-up areas.

You can afford to be lazy with the gears, riding on the rich vein of torque to pull you along at low speed, and driving out of bends from very low down without any judders or protests from the motor. At the other end of the spectrum, it’ll also rev its little heart out – driving forward with as many gears as you can chuck at it to thrill even the most experienced of riders.

The boost in performance partly comes as a result of a new single-exit exhaust system, which sheds 150g from the total weight. It’s a freer flowing design than the previous incarnation and allowed Triumph to tune the bike differently for a little extra power and torque. On top of this, the exhaust is also more compact, shorter, mass-centralised to help improve the handling.

The impressive drive is matched by the equally good up/down quickshifter, which provides crisp cog changes up and down the box at almost any revs. It put up with the track no issue, and worked at lower road-friendly rpms without protest. A design slit in my Gaerne GP1 Evo boots occasionally got caught in the heel plate making footwork more awkward that it need be, but this is no fault of the bike. There are optional degrees of engine braking available depending on your preference, too.

The engine was never a bad unit to begin with, and with the new balancer strategy in place, I’d say it’s got better still. It’s smooth and vibe-free against your extremities, and there was next to no engine heat against your body, despite the entire side profile of the motor being exposed. I reckon you could do some serious miles in comfort, providing you could take some of the wind blast off your shoulders.

Yes, the Speed Triple loses at a game of performance Top Trumps when you line it up alongside a 211bhp Ducati Streetfighter V4S, but this is every bit as fast in the real world, and still capable of delivering an indicated 160mph in top gear along Portimao circuit’s imposing front straight.

Triumph offers a 24-month warranty on road bikes as standard, with 950 dealers across 68 countries – meaning your Speed Triple is likely to be looked after wherever you are, should something go wrong. Although some internal tweaks have been made to the engine, and the electronics have been updated, much of the new Speed Triple 1200 RS is carried over from the previous model – giving a good indication of how reliable the bike will be.

MCN owners’ reviews of the 2021-2024 Speed Triple award the bike an average of 4.1 out of a possible five stars for reliability, with people knocking off marks for recall work, and the occasional electronic issue, as well as difficulties with the Triumph app. There are no reports of major failures though.

On first impression, there’s nothing to suggest there will be any problems with this latest generation of Speed Triple. We rode in heavy rain across two days without fault, and the whole bike is screwed together with typical Triumph attention to detail. It might be an expensive bike, but it feels like an expensive product – and something to be proud of when you slide open the garage door.

The headers and radiator are likely to take a pasting in crap conditions, thanks to the short front mudguard, but that’s an issue common to all performance nakeds, and something easily looked after with regular cleaning, and a radiator guard.

There’s no doubting that the 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS is an accomplished motorcycle, but it starts at £17,495 OTR and that is a lot of cash by anyone’s metric. It’s even more expensive when you consider Honda’s new CB1000 Hornet SP, which still produces a claimed 155bhp, costs £9999.

Yes, the Honda’s not got the same level of onboard gadgets, or exotic appeal, but many UK customers are likely to draw comparisons when it comes to making a potential purchase – especially when there’s a saving of almost £8000 to be had in the process.

Triumph themselves say that the natural rivals to the Speed are the Aprilia Tuono V4 family, plus the KTM 1390 Super Duke R/Evo, and BMW’s four-cylinder S1000R – all of which now meet Euro5+ conditions, come priced very competitively, and offer a version with electronic suspension. Exactly which one will come out on top remains to be seen, with BMW and Aprilia yet to deliver their latest-generation models to customers in the UK.

Where the Triumph looks like great value is when you compare it to Ducati’s Streetfighter V4S, which starts at £24,499.

Triumph don’t consider the Bologna brawler to be a direct rival, but it also makes use of the Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension – albeit in a different state of tune. The SF V4 also produces a much higher 211bhp and arguably trumps the Triple in the poster bike stakes, but a saving of over £7000 is nothing to be sniffed at – think of all the trackdays you could buy!

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Triumph are claiming 51.4mpg from the 1160cc motor, which is enough for a theoretical 175.2 miles between fill-ups of the 15.5-litre tank. Whether you’d actually be able to achieve that without tip-toeing around is another thing entirely, and chances are those buying a super-naked haven’t got fuel economy at the top of their priority list.

The 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS might start at just shy of £17,500, but for that price you get an awful lot of kit. It’s easily the best equipped naked Speed Triple to date and offers an air of luxury that cheaper nakeds are simply unable to match. Starting with the suspension, it’s equipped with the latest in Öhlins Smart EC3 semi-active finery, with compression and rebound damping dealt on their own, but preload remaining manually adjustable. Optional settings are chosen and adjusted through the 5in colour TFT dash – controlled via back-lit switchgear.

As you might expect, there’s also a fully lean-sensitive electronics package, courtesy of a six-axis IMU, with a ride-by-wire throttle unlocking features like cruise control. There are a total of five riding modes, plus a four-stage front lift (wheelie) control system to let the front wheel raise between minimalist and full-on hooligan without fear of disappearing off the back.

This wheelie control has been one of the biggest revelations of the launch. On track, in its lowest setting, it allows the front wheel to skim along the tarmac to maximise drive in a straight line. This is nothing new for bikes of course, with manufacturers fighting front wheel lift for years in pursuit of better lap times.

Where it’s been a real revelation for me is when you turn it to setting four, and allow the front wheel to lift to its highest controlled setting. Here, the bike is taking data from the IMU, wheel speed, and various other sensors to achieve a controlled continuous lift of around 60cm – allowing the pilot to perform stunts in a controlled manner whenever you find yourself on private land…

I couldn’t pull a good Denis Healey if my life depended on it, but the Speed Triple is capable of turning you into a fully-fledged legend without need to flick the clutch, or cover the back brake. It really is an impressive system, but it goes against everything you’re taught when learning to ride.

To demonstrate the tech, Triumph insisted I approach the start finish crest on Portimao’s front straight, pin the bike in second from the middle of the revs and hold the throttle flat. With the front wheel hoisted over the crest, simply keep you right wrist twisted and throw gears at it where necessary, via the smooth quickshifter.

After a couple of duff runs, where my brain forces me to bail out of the lift, I’m able to go through second, into third, and onto fourth gear on the back wheel without any real skill at all. In this safety conscious world, I’m amazed it’s included, but I welcome it all the same.

On top of this, Triumph have unsurprisingly packed the new Speed Triple with five riding modes, cornering ABS, traction control, cruise control, an up/down quickshifter, and engine braking control. A keyless ignition also unlocks the fuel filler cap, meaning no searching for the fob when you arrive on the forecourt.

We spent our day on the road in ‘Road’ mode, providing full power with modest traction control intervention, and slightly more relaxed suspension parameters. It’s not just about the clever electronics either – with a manually adjustable steering damper, hefty Brembo Stylema front brake calipers biting onto 320mm discs, a Brembo MCS master cylinder, and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 trackday tyres as standard (although these were swapped for track-specific wets on our rainy track launch).

There are also new wheels, with a five-spoke design up front, seven-spoke rear – which is flattered by the single-sided swingarm. These shave 200g at the front and 290g at the rear – reducing inertia and contributing to easier changes of direction. From there, you can also spec your bike with a number of glitzy optional extras, plus a choice of three paint finishes; Jet Black, Granit/Diablo Red, and Granite/Triumph Performance Yellow. The latter two options will add £300 to your bill.

You get a choice of a wide range of accessories, including practical options like luggage and heated grips, as well as more performance-orientated changes, such as an official homologated Akrapovič exhaust silencer costing £1440. Having spent a day on the racetrack being smashed in the face by high winds, the option I would be reaching for first is the £152 flyscreen and additional £112 fly screen visor.

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That’s a lot of dosh for some pieces of plastic, but they neaten up the area behind the TFT dash and should take some weight off your shoulders for a little more trackday and motorway comfort. Our test bikes were also equipped with heated grips, which were a godsend on the rainy road ride, and accessed through an easy-to-reach button on the left bar, rather than faffing about through the TFT dash.

Despite the springtime weather, I would’ve liked them to be a little warmer on their hottest setting, and if you are planning to ride in very cool conditions, I dare say they won’t be up to the job of keeping your digits warm on their own.