Technical Review - Ben Purvis - Mar 25
Riding Review - Martin Fitz-Gibbons - Jul 25
£17,495
180.5bhp
199kg
TBA
Upgrades for the 2025 model year mean Triumph’s Speed Triple 1200 RS has reestablished itself as Triumph’s most powerful production bike – edging the Rocket 3 out of that spot.
With 180.5bhp (183PS/134.6kW), the new Speed Triple 1200 RS has 3hp more than the bike it replaces. Along with more torque and uprated technology including Öhlins SmartEC3 suspension, the changes promise to make the Speed Triple an even more accomplished all-rounder, even if developments from other brands mean it can no longer vie to be among the most powerful of all the naked streetfighters on the market.
Pros & Cons
New Öhlins SmartEC3 suspension gives a much comfier ride on the road
Most powerful Speed Triple (and Triumph) ever, but with manners and usability
Cutting-edge rider aids include new ultra-sophisticated wheelie control
Minimal visual changes mean there’s little to show you have the latest model
Big price increase over its predecessor
Titchy tank sees fuel light on in under 100 miles
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Price & PCP Deals
The higher-spec suspension of the 2025 Speed Triple 1200 RS doesn’t come cheap, so it’s no surprise that the new model is more expensive than the machine it replaces – with prices starting at £17,495 compared to £15,795 for its predecessor. Putting it in some context though, the new RS is still less-expensive than the now-discontinued Speed Triple 1200 RR (£17,950), despite the RS’s suspension being a generation smarter.
That headline price applies to just one of the Speed Triple’s three colour schemes: Jet Black (with red decals). The other two options – Granite/Red and the Granite/Yellow version tested here – raise the price by £400 to £17,895.
If you’re considering a PCP finance plan, then putting down a typical 20% deposit (£3499) on a Jet Black model leaves 36 monthly payments of £234.19. That’s assuming you ride 4000 miles a year, with an APR of 7.9%, and leaves an optional final payment (to keep the bike) of £8193.75. Go for a Granite colour scheme and the monthlies rise to £244.32, while the final payment becomes £8288.75. All figures correct as of mid-July 2025.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Engine & Performance
Triumph’s 1160cc three-cylinder engine doesn’t need much introduction – it’s essentially the same motor used on the previous Speed Triple 1200 RS – but it’s tweaked for 2025 with revisions including a new exhaust system, claimed to be freer-flowing than the old one, and revised crankshaft balancing to make it more refined.
The three additional horsepower gained from the changes, taking it from 177.5hp to 180.5hp, have an important side-effect of leapfrogging the 180hp Rocket 3, albeit by a fraction, to reclaim the position as Triumph’s most powerful production bike, at least for the moment.
That peak power arrives at 10,750rpm, the same as the previous model, but the new version’s extra torque – 94.4lb-ft instead of 92.2lbft – arrives 250rpm lower than the 2024 model at 8,750rpm, promising a slightly broader, more accessible spread of performance.
An optional Akrapovič silencer, finished in titanium and carbon fibre, is also available, although there’s no word whether it adds to the bike’s performance as well as its appearance.
Riding impressions
More power and more torque at lower revs sounds like a promising start for any updated engine. In the Speed Triple’s case, bear in mind these are relatively tiny tweaks to an already ferociously fast powerplant. If you can honestly discern a 2% difference in claimed peak figures on an engine this outrageously potent, there’s a good chance you’re actually a dynamometer.
From its saddle the Speed Triple’s 1160cc motor has the same gravelly growl, the same faultless fuelling and delivers drive in the same way as before. The torque ‘curve’ is actually a long, smooth, shallow slope that increases in intensity from tickover all the way to just shy of 9000rpm – surprisingly close to the 11,150rpm limiter. It’s not a revvy engine, but that peak is served much higher in the revs than you might initially expect, or indeed find yourself actually using. Even in first gear maximum torque is only delivered above the speed limit; in third you’re already at three-figure speeds.
Point is, this is a motor packing so much performance it’s practically impossible to use it all. Leisurely road riding needs just 5000rpm (60mph in third), while even seriously spirited scratching rarely requires the motor to stray beyond 6000-8000rpm before you naturally feed it another gear. It’s an absolute beast, delivering a responsive, rampant and rasping linear rush of speed. The Speed Triple surges along on a wave of well-mannered violence, part-throttle power in the first three gears more than enough to trigger the new IMU-informed wheelie control. Spec-sheet obsessives who imagine a Speed Triple to be in some way lacking next to a Ducati Streetfighter or a BMW M1000R would do well to look beyond the headline power figures and actually ride the things. It’s ballistic – just like the previous Speed Triple was.
More importantly, the engine remains obedient, intuitive and accessible. Throttle response is perfectly polite in Road, Sport and even Track riding modes, without the slightest suggestion of a stutter or hiccup in the delivery when you wind power on. The two-way quickshifter is phenomenally slick too, delivering near-seamless gearchanges with a pleasingly positive snick through the pedal. If anything, the quickshifter is so well-integrated with the gearbox that it somehow feels clumsier and clunkier when you use the clutch to change.
The only evidence of any roughness is found in the tiny bar-end mirrors, which are susceptible to blurring. Otherwise the motor doesn’t seem excessively vibey – there are no issues with tingly fingers – but there is a slight gruffness to the latest 1160 lump that the old 1050 engine lacked. The exhaust note has a pleasing edge too: it’s not offensively loud and lairy, but you certainly couldn’t accuse it of being a silky-smooth sewing machine either.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)
Öhlins’ third-generation SmartEC electronic suspension is already to be found on some of the Speed Triple 1200 RS’s rivals, notably the significantly more expensive, £25k Ducati Streetfighter V4 S, and evolves from the second-generation version of the kit that’s fitted to the existing Speed Triple 1200 RR.
As on other bikes featuring the same kit, the SmartEC3 semi-active suspension uses Öhlins’ ‘Objective Based Tuning Interface’ (OBTi) system that monitors the bike and constantly alters the compression and rebound damping to suit the road conditions, the situation and the way the bike is being ridden. The setup can be altered from the TFT dash, allowing riders to adjust seven aspects of the suspension and the system’s responses to different situations: front firmness, rear firmness, braking support, acceleration support, initial acceleration support, cornering support and cruising support. Behind the electronics lie 43mm USD forks a rear monoshock, each with 120mm of travel.
Öhlins also supplies the Speed Triple 1200 RS’s new, adjustable steering damper, and the big name-brand kit continues onto the brakes with Brembo Stylema front calipers and a Brembo MCS radial master cylinder.
The wheels are also new, with slanted spokes – five at the front, seven at the rear – instead of the previous Y-shaped spoke design. Triumph claims they’re lighter, reducing gyroscopic forces for sharper handling and perhaps prompting the addition of that steering damper as a result.
Weight, complete with fuel, is 199kg, which is a scant 1kg more than the 2024 version of the bike – whatever weight savings made by the new wheels are clearly more than offset by the additional electronics of the SmartEC suspension.
Riding impressions
Electronic Öhlins turns out to be nothing short of transformative. The previous Speed Triple’s suspension was stiff and unyielding, seemingly a setup designed by a team of ultra-rapid track demons for other ultra-rapid track demons. Those who weren’t ultra-rapid track demons often found themselves being booted out of the seat down bumpy backroads, shortly before dialling down the damping in search of a more forgiving ride. The new Speed Triple RS does all that for you at the push of a button – and, crucially, without compromising its sporty side one bit.
In Road riding mode the suspension defaults to a Comfort setting. The resulting ride quality is incredible: the sharp bumps and deep dips of subsided Fenland backroads get swallowed up without fuss, without any wallowing or bouncing around afterwards, and without your spine ending up lodged in the base of your brainstem. A bike this sporty shouldn’t be able to ride broken B-roads this well.
Switching to Sport mode shifts the suspension out of its Comfort zone and into an understated ‘Normal’ setting. The difference is subtle but discernible. The amount and speed of fork dive on the initial squeeze of brakes is reduced. Shock movement feels tauter and tighter too, giving a step up in steering precision and accuracy. The ride’s still good though – it’s certainly not harsh – and so for 90% of leisure riding on reasonable roads, this is the place to be.
The Speed Triple rails through corners with inspiring ease and addictive eagerness. A sporty riding position, sharp steering geometry and front-biased weight distribution all play their part. Turn-in is light and speedy, but without feeling frantic or flighty. Mid-corner there’s never any sense of resistance to being leant over, with zero inside-bar pressure needed to stay on the side of the tyre – if anything, it’s just as willing to fall further over onto its side. Ground clearance is never in doubt, nor is grip (at least on a warm, sunny mid-summer’s day) thanks to the Pirelli Supercorsa SP V3 tyres.
Brakes are stupendous too, as you’d expect given the quality of the components. You can even adjust the ratio of the master cylinder through three positions, tailoring how sharply they bite and how much lever travel is needed. If we’re being picky, the rear brake is perhaps a bit overly keen with a slightly dead feel – it only takes a small amount of foot pressure before it bites hard enough for the ABS to jump in.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Comfort & Economy
While the main chassis, seat and tank of the Speed Triple 1200 RS are carried-over from the previous generation, with no change to the footpegs, the riding position is tweaked for 2025 with a new set of bars.
Mounted slightly higher than the previous design, they’re also wider to add more leverage, and the result should be a small but significant improvement in comfort.
The yokes are new, too, thanks to the addition of a steering damper under the bottom yoke, and get a black finish instead of the previous bare aluminium.
At the back a redesigned cowl covers the pillion seat, and there’s a redesigned exhaust cowl as well as that stubby new silencer and new wheels to help distinguish the 2025 model from the 2024 version.
A surprising side-effect of the retuned 2025 engine is a big improvement in terms of the bike’s EU-tested fuel consumption. Where the old model managed 44.8mpg, the new version hits 51.4mpg. With an unchanged, 15.5-litre fuel tank, that equates to a 175-mile range instead of 152 miles from brimmed to empty, and even if you’re never going to achieve quite that distance (after all, you don’t really want to run the tank completely dry) it still means the new model should be able to achieve something in the region of 20 more miles between fill-ups than the old one did if you’re riding economically.
As with most of Triumph’s latest bikes, there’s a focus on keeping servicing work to a minimum, too, with intervals of 10,000 miles or 12 months between dealer visits.
Riding impressions
The Speed Triple might have a higher and wider handlebar for 2025, but for a naked bike the riding position is still quite sporty, encouraging you to lean over the tank and focus on the front wheel. It’s a long way short of full-on café-racer torture rack – the Speed Triple RS is more upright than the discontinued half-faired RR and the new track-focused RX – but it doesn’t feel quite as chilled or relaxed as, say, a Speed Triple 1050 from 20 years ago. In overall attitude it shares the same sporting intent as the current Street Triple 765 RS, and in scale it’s only a shade more spacious. Imagine someone’s enlarged a Street Triple in a photocopier, but by just 10%.
For just beetling around town there are plenty of other roadsters offering a more upright stance, more low-speed agility and more generous steering lock. And when it comes to doing long-haul distance, the absence of any wind protection makes for an exposed, blustery ride. That said, the wind pressure on your chest can actually feel quite supportive at motorway speeds, the standard-fit cruise control is intuitive and effective, and the seat’s comfortable for a tankful. Though that’s not saying much…
Riding the way Speed Triples were meant to be ridden, in our testing the fuel warning flashes up on the dash at just 98 miles, leaving a claimed reserve range of 33 more miles. At the pump, that works out to just 38mpg – a long way short of the 51mpg claim. A less-frenetic pace sees tested economy lift to 45mpg, but we couldn’t match Triumph’s official figure. The thirst is compounded by the tank’s small usable volume: of its 15.5-litre total capacity, 3.6 litres is reserve, leaving less than 12 litres from full to fuel light. That’s plenty if your riding is mostly short blasts for pleasure and leisure, but not a huge amount to work with if you want to head further afield.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Equipment
Rider assistance tech abounds in modern bikes and the Speed Triple 1200 RS is no exception, with the latest version getting a new front wheel lift control system that uses inputs from the inertial measurement unit to monitor not only whether the wheel is off the ground, but how high it’s risen.
The adjustability matches the existing engine brake control, which can also be set up to suit the rider’s whims, and a selection of throttle maps. These are all integrated into five riding modes – Rain, Road, Sport, Track and a rider-configurable one – as well as being individually-adjustable. Other aids include brake slide assist, only in the Track mode, which lets the front wheel slide and the rear wheel lift more than in the road-biased settings.
As before, there’s cornering traction control and cornering ABS, as well as an up/down quickshifter, and all the functions are accessed via a 5-inch TFT dash and a five-way, bar-mounted joystick. The MyTriumph connectivity pack is standard, allowing Bluetooth phone connection for calls, music and turn-by-turn navigation.
Other features include cruise control and, new for 2025, an emergency deceleration warning system that flashes the brake lights when you’re hard on the anchors, alerting drivers behind.
There’s keyless ignition as well as keyless operation of the steering lock and fuel cap, with a one-button system to disable the wireless function for added security.
Riding impressions
The Speed Triple’s TFT seems smaller than its claimed 5 inches (ooh-err missus etc) – the numbers on the circular rev counter are pretty tiny, and there’s not much info displayed aside from revs, speed, mode and gear position. You can choose to dial up trip data or remaining fuel range by digging into the menus, but then the rev counter gets squidged up into the left half of the display. It’s not a disaster, but you do feel that a premium bike like this deserves either a slightly larger dash, a slightly better use of space, or both.
That said, most of the Speed Triple’s myriad features are intuitive to use. The riding modes are all labelled and packaged up clearly and obviously for riders who don’t care about such things – Rain, Road, Sport and Track all do what they say on the tin. For riders who enjoy a ferret around through various settings, they’re all tweakable too. Want to sharpen up the throttle in Road? You can. Want to adjust engine braking in Sport? No problem. Want to combine sporty suspension, a soft throttle and unintrusive anti-wheelie? There’s a customisable Rider mode for that.
If you want to go even deeper, the suspension options are dazzling. If you don’t like the default Comfort, Normal and Dynamic presets you can fine-tune them for overall firmness, anti-dive on the brakes, anti-squat on the power, steady-state cruising and loads more besides. If you don’t like semi-active wizardry, you can switch it off and instead run the suspension with fixed damping rates – which you can then adjust through 20-something steps of compression and rebound at both ends.
Or, you can just leave it all as it comes. Point is, the Speed Triple works for all riders: those who want to keep life simple can set and forget, while compulsive fiddlers are kept happy too.
Keyless ignition is fine – you turn the bike on and switch it off with the three-way kill switch, then set the steering lock with a dedicated button; all fairly obvious. The only downside is the keyless filler cap, which proves somewhat sticky and reluctant to open at times. Cruise control lets you set, trim and resume your target speed, unlike some of Triumph’s simpler one-button setups. The switchgear’s nice to use, mostly where you expect it to be (though you occasionally mistake the indicators for the four-way joystick), and is backlit too.
Given the Speed Triple comes with such a high spec list, there isn’t a huge amount to add on the accessories side. Heated grips add £220, while tyre pressure monitors are £280. If you want better wind protection then a flyscreen is £152, while a see-through visor that fits on top of the flyscreen is a further £112. And if you really want to push the boat all the way out, a road-legal Akrapovic titanium silencer is a whopping £1440.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Rivals
While £17,495 is significantly more than the 2024 version of the Speed Triple, it’s still something of a bargain when compared to other bikes with similar performance and equipment levels. KTM’s 1390 Super Duke R EVO, for example, also has semi-active suspension and roughly matches the Speed Triple for power and weight, but it’s more than £2000 pricier. Meanwhile the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S, while a higher-tech, higher-performance bike, is only a fraction under £25 grand.
Aprilia’s Tuono V4 might be the closest equivalent to the Speed Triple 1200 RS, coming in at £17,200 for the 2024 version, but it’s down on power at 175hp and only gets the second-gen version of Öhlins’ SmartEC suspension against Triumph’s third-gen setup.
Ducati Streetfighter V4 S | Price: £24,995
214bhp / 88.5lb-ft
189kg
Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory | Price: £17,200
175bhp / 89lb-ft
209kg
KTM 1390 Super Duke R EVO | Price: £19,599
188bhp / 110lb-ft
200kg
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Verdict
The 2025 Speed Triple 1200 RS is, without doubt, a better road bike than the 2024 model. It’s better not because it has a sliver more peak power, nor a fancy four-height wheelie-control widget, nor its new wheels, handlebar and Bold New Graphics. It’s better all thanks to the vastly improved ride quality delivered by its new suspension. The previous Speed Triple had the air of a track bike that you could just about live with on the road. This RS now feels like a bike built for the street, which can also hold its own in the fast group. The balance between road and track has been put back where it should be for a Speed Triple.
There is, however, one substantial downside to this update: the £1700 price increase, which pushes the Speed Triple even deeper into the realms of premium flagship. You can absolutely argue that even at £17,495 the Speed Triple remains substantially more affordable than other high-end supernakeds like Ducati’s Streetfighter V4S, BMW’s M1000R or KTM’s 1390 Super Duke R Evo. And you’d be entirely correct to note that every other bike wearing this spec of Öhlins suspension costs well north of £20k, perhaps making the Speed Triple actually something of a relative bargain in that context. But it’s still a lot of money, even if it buys you lot of bike.
And it’s definitely a lot of money when it lands in the same year Honda is redefining expectations of big-naked value with their Hornet 1000, a bike that’s flying out of showrooms. The Triumph, clearly, is a substantial cut above it in every regard: more performance, more character, more technology, more dynamic potential, and a stratospherically higher level of fit, finish and component quality. But it’s also getting on for nearly twice the price of a Hornet.
The Speed Triple 1200 RS is an ultra-polished, deeply sophisticated, astonishingly capable supernaked. Visually it’s perhaps a little understated, but these clean, simple, mature lines are surely preferable to the chintzy, vulgar concoctions of pointless plastic and worthless winglets found on so many of its rivals. To ride, it is simply phenomenal. Surely there can be no question then that this is the most complete and compelling version of Triumph’s most important, iconic and definitive model. The only shame is that shifting further from everyman to elite will inevitably shrink the potential pool of riders who’ll get to experience what is the best Speed Triple yet.
If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.
Do you own this bike’s predecessor, or even the RR version? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.
2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS - Technical Specification
| New price | From £17,495 |
| Capacity | 1160cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 90 x 60.8mm |
| Engine layout | Inline triple |
| Engine details | Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC |
| Power | 180.5bhp (134.6kW) @ 10,750 rpm |
| Torque | 94.4lbft (128Nm) @ 8,750 rpm |
| Transmission | 6 speed, chain final drive, assist/slipper clutch, up/down quickshifter |
| Average fuel consumption | 51.4mpg claimed |
| Tank size | 15.5 litre |
| Max range to empty | 175 miles |
| Rider aids | Cornering ABS, cornering traction control, engine brake control, slide control, front wheel lift control, five riding modes, shift assist up/down |
| Frame | Aluminium twin spar frame, bolt-on aluminium rear subframe |
| Front suspension | Öhlins 43mm fully adjustable USD forks, 120mm travel, SmartEC3 OBTi system |
| Front suspension adjustment | Electronic compression / rebound damping |
| Rear suspension | Aluminium, single-sided swingarm, Öhlins monoshock RSU with linkage, 120mm rear wheel travel, SmartEC3 OBTi system |
| Rear suspension adjustment | Electronic compression / rebound damping |
| Front brake | Twin 320mm floating discs. Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers, OC-ABS, Brembo MCS radial master cylinder |
| Rear brake | Single 220mm disc. Brembo twin piston caliper, OC-ABS |
| Front wheel / tyre | Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 - 120/70ZR17 58W |
| Rear wheel / tyre | Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 - 190/55ZR17 75W |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 2090mm x 810mm x 1085mm |
| Wheelbase | 1445mm |
| Seat height | 830mm |
| Weight | 199kg (wet) |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Servicing | 10,000 miles/12 months |
| MCIA Secured Rating | Not yet rated |
| Website | www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk |
What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
An ignition immobiliser system
A vehicle marking system
An alarm system
A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
Getting a motorbike insurance quote with Bennetts is easy.
We compare prices from our panel of top-tier insurers, to find riders our best price for the cover they need. With common modifications covered as standard, our policies are rated Excellent on Trustpilot and 5 stars by Defaqto. We are an award-winning UK broker, with a UK-based contact centre and 24/7 claims support.
Buy direct or renew at bennetts.co.uk, or via our contact centre, to gain access to a free BikeSocial Membership - unlocking discounts on kit, tyres, training, and exclusive customer-only VIP experiences.
