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MCN’s got a series of test shots showing Triumph’s Speed Triple RS is leaning harder toward those weekend apex projects.
Our favorite Hinckley-based bike builder will soon be celebrating three years of their iconic roadster, the Speed Triple and, in fine form, the bike appears to be undergoing a slew of updates.
A number of these updates point to a more race-happy machine for the new model year.
Intrigued? So are we – and we’re lucky MCN’s Dan Sutherland was able to catch a glimpse of the thing.
Note to the reader: We don’t believe in publishing photos that may have been purchased by another platform for the privilege of exposure; as such, we will be using Triumph’s photos of their current Speed Triple for this article. We recommend you head over to the original article at MCN to get a good look at the spy shots in question, then come back so we can argue over your findings.
Thank you for helping us maintain integrity in this space.
Okay, back to the bike.
What the spy shots reveal
According to Dan Sutherland over at MCN, Triumph’s Speed Triple RS shows new 17” spoked wheels (seven-spoke rear and five-spoke front), shod in Pirelli Supercorsa tires instead of the current Speed Triple’s Metzeler Racetecs.
Some alterations at the rear of the bike’s frame join an engine that remains the same by all outward appearances, though there is still potential for Triumph to uprate the thing by a few ticks.
What about that electronic suspension?
Of course, a more race-ready machine would carry big changes to the Speed Triple’s suspension, and that’s exactly what we see here.
Instead of the typical Öhlins system (manually-adjustable), Triumph has begun tinkering with semi-active electoronic suspension, with wires poking out from the bike’s springs further suggesting damping options.
Add to this the appearance of new clip-ons where we usually see flat bars, and we’ve got a bike with a racy set of ergonomics, racy tyres, race-inclined suspension and a typical pillion setup to complete the package.
Do you think this bike is a more sport-focused Speed Triple 1200 RS for Triumph’s upcoming model lineup?