Speed Triple R (2012 - present) review
Triumph's Speed Triple with Ohlins suspension, Brembo monobloc brakes and lightweight wheels
Ah, the R. A letter that invokes visions of exotica, exclusivity and excess carbon fibre. For those lucky enough to have owned one, those thoughts are quickly dispersed by the memories of a numb arse, stiff neck and probably sore wrists, too.
The R, once preserve of the superbike set has spilled over into almost every category. Should the letter R be reserved for superbikes and what really makes a bike justify the addition of the coveted R status? Has its significance been lost? In a world of increased marketing hype and tenuous links to racing, it appears the R now gets splashed around so much that it is to motorcycles what the word 'executive' is to a block of flats.
So is the Speed Triple R worthy of its R status? Better suspension? Check. More stopping power? Check. Less weight? Check. Gratuitous amounts of carbon fibre? Check. A more powerful engine? Erm, well, no. Triumph have kept the engine's output exactly the same as the standard model. Surprised? Well, I was too, to be honest.
