Rennie Scaysbrook | January 26, 2021
The bike that started the streetfighter segment back in 1994—the venerable Triumph Speed Triple—is getting a full blown makeover for the 2021 model year.
In the face of the continued performance onslaught by European rivals KTM, Ducati, Aprilia and BMW, and Japan’s Kawasaki and Yamaha, Triumph’s hand has been forced and the British boys and girls have produced a new Speed Triple that’s lighter, and significantly more powerful than before.
Triumph is joining the era of supernakeds with the new Speed Triple.
Starting with the motor, the capacity has seen a 110 cc hike and now stands at 1160 cc. Power up a stout 29 horsepower to a claimed 177, while the torque from the glorious inline three-cylinder engine is up six pounds-feet to 92 lb-ft. That’s an almost 25 percent increase in the power-to-weight ratio over the outgoing Speed triple, and almost twice that of the 1994 model.
There’s a new clutch and gearbox, and the model now comes with Triumph’s Shift Assist up and down quickshifter as standard.
As for the chassis, 22 lb have been shaved off during the construction. Triumph is claiming the new Speed triple will weigh 437 lb ready to ride with a tank of gas, making it one of the lightest super-nakeds in the category. The riding position is more aggressive, the bodywork has changed, and there are new Brembo Styema brake calipers, Ohlins suspension, and Metzeler Racetec RR rubber fitted as standard.
As for the electronics, Triumph’s used a new five-inch TFT dash, five riding modes, up and down quickshifter as standard, redesigned LED lighting, keyless ride, Cornering ABS and traction control (feted by a six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit) and the Triumph Connectivity System is fitted as standard for navigation and phone duties.
And best of all, the new Speed Triple will come with an MSRP of $18,300, making it one of the most affordable machines in the class. Units will be available by the end of March this year.
