Triumph 900 Speed Triple

If it hadn't been so serious it would've been hilariously funny. The source of my mirth was a certain Mr Guy Allen, Triumph Australia's marketing man. And the reason for the hilarity was the aforementioned Mr Allen's somewhat interesting cornering technique on one of his own marque's motorcycles. We were on a two-day launch of the '96-model Trophy 900 and Speed Triple, with the route encompassing part of Victoria's famed Great Ocean Road. I knew straight away that Guy was in for a surprise, so my eyes quickly darted from the road ahead to my Triumph's mirrors, and I wasn't disappointed. What I saw was a black 1995 Speed Triple sliding both front and rear wheels across the polished tarmac, with Guy using plenty of body English (and he's certainly got plenty of body to use!) to minimise his anticipated impact with the armco guardrail which bordered the downhill righthander.

ELBOWS AND THIGHS

That he didn't caress the armco with his flailing elbow or substantial thigh was more due to arse than class, but it certainly gave us plenty to talk about later that evening. As for my sudden perusal of my own steed's mirrors, well there's a simple explanation for that. I too had hit the slippery patch of polished bitumen in our spirited ride over the magical (wet) roads between Lavers Hill and Apollo Bay, and like Guy I'd two-wheel drifted towards the armco. "When I saw what happened to you I slowed right down," explained a wide-eyed Allen moments later, cigarette trembling from his lower lip. "But I couldn't take my eyes off of where you were going, and I ended up doing the same and following your tyre tracks". Boy, talk about target fixation...

AN OFFICE FAVOURITE

I won't shirk the fact that Triumph's Speed Triple has always been a favourite of mine. It's won the Best Nakedbike gong in the annual Motorcycle News awards for the past two years, so when the opportunity came to sample the '96 version there was little chance I was going to let anyone else from Horror HQ grab the invite, even if the new bike's claim to new-model status is really only an additional gear. Priced at $15,950, the latest Speed Triple has risen by only $350 over the bike we last tested in Vol 45 No 13 in our 1995 Tour of Duty comparo. For your extra bucks you score that extra cog, with first through to fifth gears remaining exactly the same as on the superseded five-speed model. However, although the final-drive sprocket sizes remain the same (17/43), the six-speed Speed Triple (phew, try saying that 10 times quickly with a tummy full of spumante...) doesn't end up with an 'overdrive' top gear. That's because the internal primary reduction ratio has been changed, and the result is that the '95 and '96 models tick over at similar revs at 100kmh in top gear (approx 4300rpm). The six-speeder thus has slightly lower gearing in its five other speeds relative to the '95 model. Do a roll-on with both bikes in fourth or fifth and the '96 model will therefore accelerate harder. Got all that.

TO ALL INTENTS...

As for other comparisons, there aren't (m)any. Well, with the '96 model to all intents the same as last year, it's only natural to expect the same pluses and minuses. Changes on the '96 Speed Triple are limited to gold-coloured brake calipers (rather than black), a lighter alloy-bodied rear shock (same supsension rates) and slightly shorter fork legs which don't stick through the triple clamp as far. In the plus basket there's still the hunking good looks, the impressive midrange stomp and that fantastic exhaust note, but still the hard-to-see idiot lights and long reach to the bars (if you're a shorty) on the negative side. Like all the other modular Triumphs, the Speed Triple is quite a tall (read top heavy) motorcycle, and to hustle it quickly you need to take it by the scruff of the neck and muscle it. It thrives on being shown who's boss, and responds admirably. Helping the testbike respond even better were a number of 'enhancements' carried out by Triumph Australia, which surprisingly mirrored a number of the 'fixes' carried out to the bikes used in the Transatlantic Trophy. With not much to 'test' in the way of the new model, Triumph Oz had wisely up-spec'd the testbike with a number of the options popular with Speed Triple owners. I won't deny that they made riding the bike even more enjoyable...

NOISY GOOSEBUMPS?

Most obvious is the Sebring exhaust system, which at $1321.67 emits a sound that would even give a 916SP owner goosebumps. If you've got a Speed Triple, crunch your local Triumph dealer for that $1.67 discount and lash out with $1320 you'll spend every night in the garage playing with the throttle! To complement the exhaust there was a Dynojet Stage 1 carb kit ($252.03), making the mild performance upgrade a simple bolt-on job. Cosmetically, the testbike sported a rear seat cowl ($343.33), carbon-fibre front guard ($460.48) and combination carbon-fibre rear hugger guard and chainguard ($855.77). The suspension had also copped a workover, with WP fork springs ($199) and a WP rear unit ($850). Combined with dropping the forks (revised for '96 by being slightly shorter) 15mm through the legs, the orange test unit felt surprisingly nimble compared to the black '95 model we had along for comparison. The firmer suspension and quicker steering made it easier to hustle rapidly through the twisty stuff, although I doubt if anything would have helped on the mirror-like black bits past Apollo Bay, eh Mr Allen?

GRAB A HANDFUL

One thing which certainly wouldn't have helped is the six-piston Triumph caliper upgrade up front. The caliper and master-cylinder kit adds $1489.62 to the bill and are s-u-p-e-r powerful, but the lever needs a delicate and experienced hand in marginal going. I'm sure they'd be superb on the racetrack, but for road use I'd like something with a less sudden bite on initial application. A panic grab on a greasy suburban road could prove interesting...However, as no-one stepped off on some rather treacherous patches around the deceptive GOR, perhaps familiarity breeds respect. While on the topic of hitting the road, all up with the optional add-ons the testbike's sticker price had risen from $15,950 to $21,721.90 (plus fitting, plus ORCs)! I guess you'd want a pretty impressive nakedbike for that sort of outlay. The gearbox on the testbike was a pleasant surprise, not being as notchy as other low mileage Triumph units I've sampled. It seems Triumphs need a long loosening-up period to give their best, both in the engine and gearbox departments. The accompanying '95 Speed Triple 'trade-in' testbike was testimony to that.

CRASH PRONE?

Along with the Thunderbird, the Speed Triple is Triumph Australia's top-selling model. It's got looks, charisma, 'the' sound, and one of the best engines in the world of motorcycling, the 900cc triple really is a gem. It's just a pity that true appreciation of a Speed Triple seems to come only after you've stared your maker in the eye, and lived to tell the tale. For example, despite head-butting a sandy embankment on a Speed Triple a year and a half ago (boy, doesn't time fly), AMCN staffer Greg Leech still ranks the Speed Triple in his top three bikes. I love it, says Leech. I'm sure Guy Allen has similar thoughts, even after his little escapade on our two-day launch ride. In fact, a recent fax from the great man summed up his thoughts perfectly. And that's the last bloody time I follow you into a corner...