2018 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 RS review

Triumph’s Speed Triple has been a staple for over 20 years now, and it has a massive cult following – and things don’t look like changing with the 2018 Speed Triple 1050 RS.

It all started back in the early noughties with the T309, a bike Triumph’s marketing supremos called ‘The original Hooligan’.

Compared to the big-bore bikes of today, where 140hp just isn’t enough, the original bike was a bit tame. It had around 100 rampant ponies but it was the look and the sound from the three-cylinder 900cc engine that transfixed people, including me.

It was billed as a naked Daytona, and that it was. In fact I still have one: a Daytona stripped of its bodywork so it looks just like a Speed Triple. It was a fantastic bike and still is, but thrown up in a dogfight against the current 2018 model I’ve just ridden, the original T309 would be eaten alive. It really can’t compare in all aspects of riding: power, handling and civility. But in my opinion that first Speed Triple was and still is the best-looking version ever built, and a bit evil looking too. Showing my age? Maybe.

From the second model onwards the bike sported what has become its signature look: the twin headlights. Love them or not, they’re distinctive. There have been seven previous model changes, but interestingly the current 1050cc three-cylinder engine first saw action in 2005, where he still remains in play today.

Sure, it’s been updated, but the fact it’s so good is a testament to the engineers who breathed life into it in the first place. The main changes for 2018 are in technology, styling, and running gear, but that wonderful triple cylinder donk is still there.

The last Speed Triple I rode was the ‘R’ spec model a few years ago. I couldn’t fault the bike other than the suspension, which was very harsh. Yes, I was on crap roads some of the time, but in the pursuit of handling, Triumph’s boffins had seemingly thrown away some suspension compliance.

It’s a bit of a personal bugbear, and my belief is a bike cannot handle at its best if it’s bouncing off every bump in the road. Is the 2018 beast better in this department? Very much so.

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Launch: 2016 Triumph Speed Triple

There’s loads of Triumph marketing speak in the updates for 2018, but the main ones that jump off the page are it has more power and torque and it is lighter. It has also received a major technical update to bring it on par with some of the other new Triumphs. We’re talking multiple power modes, TFT dash display, keyless ignition and cornering ABS and traction control.

Australia will be getting one Speed Triple model, the RS. Less equipped models are available overseas but we will be getting the full fruit so to speak, including Arrow silencers.

Starting with the engine, there’s 150hp and 117Nm of torque. The mill has raft of changes – some which increase power and some, others which improve longevity. The alloy cylinders are now Nikasil-plated, and other updates include high-compression pistons and a new head design with a different combustion chamber shape.

There are new and tougher valve springs to keep up with the higher lift camshaft, and the engine now redlines a full 1000rpm higher than the previous model.

There are some updates you’d never notice – but the updated gearbox you will! Re-profiled selectors make changing gears a little sweeter than before, while a lighter balance shaft and drive gear certainly make the engine feel ultra-smooth and spin up quicker than before.

Every little bit helps. Other newbies worth noting are the smaller starter motor, new airbox shape and a revised oil system, with an increase in oil pumped underneath the pistons to help keep them cool.

Triumph has come up with a nifty new clutch arrangement – not just for the new Speed Triple but others in the range – which it calls a Slip Assist Clutch. No, this isn’t just a fancy rewording of a slipper clutch: it actually works both ways. As you accelerate, the clutch mechanism pushes the clutch plates harder together to negate and slippage. This has the handy by-product of producing a light feel to the clutch as you take off or tootle around town.

Those used to riding big bore nakeds from 30 years ago might remember aftermarket sport-style clutch packs which were often hard work around town, biting too quick from a standstill and not wanting to release when you came to a stop. Don’t mind me, I’m just reminiscing…

All this work has given a seven per cent increase in peak power but an overall stronger power curve than before. However, not all the changes are to increase power.

For me, the two biggest and worthwhile technology updates are the TFT dash display and the five riding modes. Don’t forget the cornering ABS and traction control, too. It’s pretty cool. Yes, it’s all been done before, I know. Besides the usual Rain, Road, and Sport, there are now Track and Rider modes. The first four are fairly self-explanatory, but Rider Mode allows you to tailor exactly what you want. For example, you can have Rain mode throttle response with Track mode ABS and traction control settings. Rain Mode restricts power to 100hp but all other modes have the full monty.

I sampled Triumph’s TFT display for the first time a couple of months ago on the new 1200 and 800 Tigers.

I loved it. Very easy to negotiate, all the controls are backlit – blinkers, lights, everything. The modes sit at the bottom of the dash, and you can toggle through them easy as. You can only change modes on the fly if it doesn’t involve turning off ABS and traction control. For that you need to be stationary. Also when you turn the bike off, the bike will default to Road mode when you fire it back up again.

Also recently introduced on the new Tigers is the keyless setup. I’m not fussed either way really but this time around I found myself more at home with it. I don’t know why, and it isn't a bad thing really. I just tucked it into an internal pocket in my jacket and that was that, bringing the key out for refuelling. One handy action the key fob has is it can be turned off, so it doesn’t go flat if you haven’t ridden the bike for months.

As you would expect, the brakes are top-notch gear. Radial Brembos up front, a single Nissin at the rear. All bikes like this have great brakes so don’t be doing backflips yet. What it does have is a three-position piston actuator. It changes the angle of the actuator, which in turn changes the position of the piston, which is in itself angled at the bottom.

What this does is increase or decrease the amount of fluid in the master cylinder, which is designed to alter the ‘feel’ of the brake lever. At one angle the feel is increased but power decreased, and at the other end of the scale it’s the opposite. That’s the theory and it actually works. I also played around with the lever distance adjuster to get it to work best for me, but once I had that sorted I was sold. Great for the road or track.

On paper the rest of the bike is similar to what’s been around on the Speed Triple for some time now. The frame is much the same as before, as is the suspension. There are some styling changes, nothing major, and thankfully it retains its signature single-sided swingarm.

Day one of the launch was a 250km road ride through the Gold Coast hinterland, and finally out to Warwick in south-west Queensland. Nothing too strenuous, and the weather was glorious. Straight away I felt at home on the bike. With a slightly lean forward riding position, comfy seat and reasonable footpeg height it’s so easy to ride. Having such a lovely tractable engine also helps. The standard Arrow mufflers look and sound fantastic, and they are not going to send you to EPA jail if you’re giving the bike a good old thrashing.

Gearing has been lowered for 2018, one tooth on the front, and it’s a better bike for it. Bikes are often geared too high to pass emissions but Triumph has been able to get around this. Gearing is sweet and top speed is almost irrelevant. You’ll be concentrating on hanging on at top end speeds rather than trying to eke out every last kilometre. If you buy one, make sure you opt for the accessory carbon deflector on the instruments. It’s small but actually works. The lower gearing probably increases fuel usage but who cares. There’s a 15.5-litre tank, and you’ll be looking for fuel around the 200km mark.

An accessory quickshifter is available too, and like most of them can be a bit harsh around town unless you’re cracking on. When you are cracking on a bit, it works brilliantly, up and down.

Triumph has fitted the quickshifter ($553.65) to its Speed Triple 1050RS press fleet, as well as the following: rubber tank pad ($45.55), frame protector kit ($246.50) and CNC-machined fork protectors ($73.25).

To be honest, this bike is one of the easiest nakeds I’ve ridden in some time. Everything about it just fits me: the riding position, the engine, the technology. I actually own a Yamaha MT-10 and find it requires a bit more input from the rider. I love my MT-10 but I can’t be as lazy on it as I could the Speed Triple. That said, the MT-10 is an outrageous naked bike.

Hitting the track for the first time in a year or so can be daunting, but not on the Speed Triple 1050RS. Starting out in Road mode for the sake of it had me instantly in raptures. It’s no sports bike as such but for a road bike that was so easy to use on the road, it was sure making a good job on the track in that first session. I had softened up the suspension for the road ride the day before and didn’t even bother firming it up. It was that good, even at track day pace. On that note, the forks are 43mm NIX30 Ohlins, the shock a TTX36 Ohlins. Both fully adjustable.

I tried Sport mode and quickly ditched that for Track mode to see how intrusive, or not, the ABS and traction control would be. Not very it turned out, so you could say that Track mode is well sorted for most riders. I didn’t feel traction control kicking in when accelerating out of corners, like I did in Road and Sport modes, but it did kick in when trying to pull wheelstands out of corners or over the Morgan Park hump on the main straight. What’s the use of being on the latest hooligan Triumph if you can’t be a bit of a… hooligan?

Rider mode sorted that, with ABS and traction control turned off, and throttle set on Road mode, I felt the most at home. Here I could wheelstand with ease and the throttle was smooth enough at initial openings to suit my riding style. The bike’s light weight made it a breeze. I loved it.

On the track I couldn’t fault the Speed Triple. It never did anything wrong, or out of the blue, the brakes were fantastic, the power strong without being crazy, and the handling sublime – as you would expect from fully adjustable Ohlins fare. Yes, faster riders could push this bike into an area it might not be too comfortable, but I think most track day riders would find this bike very rewarding. And on full noise that engine screams like a banshee.

There are some great nakeds on the market these days, and the 2018 Speed Triple 1050 RS is right up there. It’s definitely better than the 2015 model I last rode, and while you might think that’s a natural thing, it’s not always.

There are over 50 accessories available, from luggage to bling, and they are reasonably priced. Being an RS, Australian-spec Speed Triples are highly equipped from the get-go – but there’s always something more isn't there?

And the price? $22,700 plus on-road costs. That’s on the money for most of the top end nakeds out there.

SPECS: 2018 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1050 RS SPECS
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 12-valve in-line three-cylinder
Capacity: 1050cc
Bore x stroke: 79mm x 71.4mm
Compression ratio: 12.9:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection
Emissions: Euro 4

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 150hp (110kW) at 10,500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 117Nm at 7150rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Aluminium twin-spar
Front suspension: 43mm Ohlins NIX30  upside-down forks, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: ÖhlinsTTX36  twin-tube monoshock, fully adjustable
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with Brembo M4.34 four-piston radial calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 255mm disc, with Nissin twin-piston caliper, ABS
Wheels: Multi-spoke cast aluminium-alloy, front 3.50 x 17, rear 6.00 x 17
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa, front 120/70-17, rear 190/55-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 22.9 degrees
Trail: 91.3mm
Claimed dry weight: 189kg
Seat height: 825mm
Wheelbase: 1445mm
Fuel capacity: 15.5 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $22,700 plus on-road costs
Colours: Crystal White or Matte Jet Black
Bike supplied by: Triumph Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres