Speed Triple is kind of a legacy moniker for Triumph, considering the bike first showed up in 1994 with an 885cc, 109bhp engine. Since then, it has undergone precious few changes, with a bump up in displacement first to 955cc in 2000 and then 1050cc in 2005. Since then, it seems Triumph started focussing more on the middleweight capacity bikes, with the 675 (and later 765) Street Triple and Daytona models. But now, there is a new Speed Triple on the block (or the road, ideally) which, along with the long-due aesthetic overhaul, will also get a mechanical update.
Starting from the nose, the new Speed Triple gets a more aggressive twin headlight setup, with the LED ‘eyebrows’ resembling those on the new Street Triple 765. However, the centrally mounted intake seems to have been repositioned (considering the increase in displacement, there is little chance of it being omitted). Next, the small front cowl also seems to be missing, though the visibly coarse appearance of the mounting frame for the instrument cluster hints at the fact it has not been attached to this particular pre-production example.
Moving now to the side, and the first big change is the exhaust is no longer a dual under-seat unit, replaced by a sleek, underslung can exiting the cat-con (a necessity considering the Euro-5 regs). Additionally, the entire tail unit now looks sleeker, with the rear sub-frame being redesigned as well.
In terms of the powertrain, the jury is still out on the exact displacement. However, most rumours online point towards the new Speed Triple now getting a 1160cc engine, with a power output of around 160-180bhp, bringing it on par with the KTM 1290 Superduke R. With electronics in mind, the new Speed Triple is sure to get the usual complement of goodies, including traction control with rider modes, cornering ABS and a quickshifter. Adjustable suspension will also most likely be on offer, with all the mechanical and electronic goodies most likely distributed across possible S, R and RS variants.
Now, since we are already seeing pre-production bikes undergoing testing, the finished product could be on sale, at least overseas, by the start of 2021. And when the Speed Triple makes it to our shores, it will go up against the Kawasaki Z 1000 R, BMW R 1250 R (and the upcoming S 1000R), Ducati Monster 1200, Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 and Honda CB1000R.