Beefed-up suspension for Triumph Speed Triple

Triumph's new Rocket III Roadster makes its public debut at the annual EICMA show in Milan today, and the British company will also announce two new special edition bikes - the Bonneville Sixty and Speed Triple SE.

The gargantuan Rocket III Roadster, which received its world press launch in the UK last month and will go on sale in Australia early next year, is the latest version of the cult 2.3lt motorcycle which created such a stir when it was first introduced in 2004.

This latest version positions the Rocket away from the cruiser world and into streetfighter territory, smack bang up against the likes of Yamaha's muscular VMAX and the ballsy Suzuki B-King. The new machine features ABS, blacked-out styling and revised ergonomics. New exhaust systems have been introduced and account for an improved aural experience and increased power and torque. The Rocket III Roadster pumps out a mighty 221Nm, more than any other volume production motorcycle.

In addition to the Rocket III Roadster, Triumph has unveiled the Bonneville Sixty at EICMA. Inspired by the classic colour scheme of the 1960 incarnation of Triumph's most famous model, the Bonneville Sixty is a limited run of 650 T100s featuring a unique two-tone Meriden Blue/Caspian Blue combination with hand-painted pinstripes.

The Bonneville was first introduced in 1959, although the 1960 Bonneville T120 was commonly regarded as a more handsome creation than the earliest models thanks to its classic blue and grey colour scheme, blade-style mudguard and the move away from an integrated headlamp/instrument nacelle to the classic twin-clock set-up with chromed headlight that carries on today's T100.

The Bonneville Sixty maintains the 865cc 65hp parallel twin engine, and each motorcycle comes with a numbered plaque on the handlebar clamp and an individual certificate of authenticity.

Australia has been allocated sixty of the Bonneville Sixty machines (pure coincidence), which will go on sale from next April. Price is still to be announced.

Another special edition is the Speed Triple SE, which sees the most famous model of the modern Triumph era get updated suspension and two-tone paint for the first time in its 15-year history.

The Tornado Red colour scheme features a sporting Crystal White centre stripe and black pinstripe, with a colour-matched fly screen and seat cowl.

The Speed Triple SE also debuts upgraded suspension, which will be introduced to all Speed Triple models.  There are modified internal components for improved damping, and the rear spring is five per cent softer. Triumph claims the changes offer better comfort and reduced dive under heavy braking.

Mechanically the Speed Triple SE identical to the standard model, featuring a 128ps version of Triumph's 1050cc three-cylinder engine.

At this stage, it's unclear how many Speed Triple SEs will be shipped to Australia, but we do know it will be available from next February for $17,990.

Meanwhile, Triumph is also showcasing two new premium colour options for the Thunderbird cruiser at EICMA: hand-painted Phantom Blue Haze and Phantom Red Haze with a high 'sparkle' content that creates an impression of incredible depth in sunlight, transforming from near black to a vibrant blue or red.

The new colour options will be made available on a limited run of Thunderbirds from April next year.

And finally, Triumph announced two new collaborations at EICMA: with Ohlins for arrange of accessory rear suspension units for the Urban Sports range (Daytona 675, Street Triple, Street Triple R, Speed Triple and Tiger); and with lubricant specialist Castrol to develop a range of specialist products.