New Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension is the icing on the cake for Triumph’s most powerful bike ever
Can you believe it’s been over 30 years since Triumph launched the first Speed Triple back in 1994? Countless bikes have come and gone over those three decades but the Speed Triple story continues with this heavily revised and fully naked 134.6kW (180.5hp) Street Triple RS – Triumph’s most powerful bike to date. It’s also arguably the Hinckley factory’s most advanced bike to date, with Öhlins Smart EC3 electronic suspension and even more advanced rider aids than ever before, including a very clever front wheel lift control and a new engine brake strategy.
The Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension is the very latest electronic system from the famous Swedish company, only seen before on the considerably more expensive Ducati Panigale V4 S and Honda Fireblade SP. The system uses Objective Based Tuning Interface (OBTi), which allows the rider to electronically tune the behaviour and characteristics of the semi-active suspension, which itself constantly changes compression and rebound damping on the move.
Triumph has also taken the opportunity to play with the styling, with a new seat cowl and exhaust and lighter wheels lending a more agile look. The one-piece handlebar is slightly wider and higher, and there’s a new adjustable steering damper, but now from Marzocchi.
An updated 5-inch TFT dash with Bluetooth connectivity controls the new rider and suspension aids via five riding modes. Cruise control, backlit switchgear, fully keyless ignition and racy Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 tyres come as standard, along with a new Emergency Deceleration Warning system that flashes the rear brake light under hard braking.
At first glance, the RS appears very similar to the previous model, but underneath there is a vast amount of changes, which is why Triumph laid on two days of testing to make sure we could experience the new Speed Triple on both the road and track. The plan was relatively simple: a full day on the road in southern Portugal, which should allow us to evaluate the new Smart EC3 suspension on challenging roads. Then to the famous and demanding Portimao racetrack, where we could safely push the suspension to the limit and try the new rider aids. However, Mother Nature had the final say.
British bulldog?
Triumph are quoting 180.5hp for the Speed Triple 1200 RS, making it the Brit manufacturer’s most powerful bike to date. But with dodgy weather conditions and a ride on some challenging Portuguese roads scheduled for day one of its launch test, the idea was to experience the real-world aspects of the RS first and then sample all those horses, along with the handling limits, new wheelie control and track modes, in relative safety on the closed track on day two.
As we left the hotel, conditions were cold but dry (with the RS’s optional heated grips set to maximum). Instantly, I noticed the difference in the riding position – with the flat, one-piece handlebar 10mm wider and 7mm higher, it’s roomier but still poised and brimming with attitude. As soon as the lighter cast-aluminium wheels were rolling, the quality EC3 Öhlins suspension came alive, too, giving a sumptuously plush ride on poorly surfaced roads. By contrast, the older RS model’s manually adjustable Öhlins suspension feels a tad harsh on dodgy roads. The new EC3 systems can still be manually adjusted if you prefer, electronically changing compression and rebound, and pre-load is mechanical, not electronic.
Initially, I opted for the standard Road mode, which, like Rain mode, automatically selects a comfort setting for the semi-active suspension, and at slow speed and around town it was supremely forgiving. The fuelling was also noticeably soft, the standard Shift Assist quick-shifter was smooth, and those huge 320mm Brembo discs could be brushed with finesse and ease. What, I wondered, became of the angry British bulldog we used to know?
Once into the mountains, the suspension continued to deliver an unflustered ride on crumbling and potholed roads. I knew I was riding a 180hp streetfighter – or hyper naked, if you prefer – but it’s so forgiving and relaxed it feels like you could fit a small screen and some equally small luggage to the minimalist new tail section and go touring. The riding position has room for the tall rider as well as the short; cruise control, operated from the left cluster, is standard… There’s even classy backlit switchgear to ease your brain through the day.
You can certainly ride briskly in the standard Road mode, despite the suspension set to prioritise comfort, as the compression and rebound damping rates are continuously changing in response to the inputs from the rider, the road, plus myriad other parameters. Ride a little more aggressively and the suspension reacts and firms up. No wallow or dive – just understated control when the pace hots up.
With better roads ahead, a quick shift into Sport mode sharpened the throttle map somewhat as rider aids intervention levels reduced. There isn’t a drastic change to throttle response or power (select Rain mode, though, and peak output drops to 100hp) but, with the suspension now in Normal mode, the overall ride isn’t as soft, and there’s less suspension travel, notably when you brake deep.
In the dry conditions and with some heat in the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 rubber, I was having some real fun in what felt like relative safety. The power delivery isn’t aggressive, while the triple’s broad spread of torque is strong without being overpowering.
The chassis takes everything in its stride but, crucially, also transmits what the sporty rubber is doing. That wider handlebar and lighter wheels make the RS feel more chuckable. At a claimed 199kg, it’s no lightweight but is easy to throw around and have fun.
Fun is the key word here. Historically, the Speed Triple has always been a fun bike, and this continues with the 2025 model, but now its class-leading smart suspension and suite of electronic rider aids make its sporting performance more accessible. There’s so much more refinement compared to just a few years ago, and the new suspension especially gives you the confidence to have fun.
As the pace quickened, I had to trim the rider aids slightly. With lift control on setting one of four, it’s a little too low for experienced hands. It works well, hovering the front wheel above the road, but level four is more entertaining, particularly over crests, as it holds the wheel below the balance point but impressively high. I also experimented with the new engine braking rider aid but before I could create my own idiot-stunts mode… it started to rain.
A blend of 180hp, track-focused Supercorsa rubber and slippery Portuguese roads would normally appeal to me as much as listening to a two-hour Donald Trump address. But again, this potentially angry beast was easy to tame, thanks mostly to its new SmartEC3 suspension. Back into the standard Road mode, the suspension reverted to its softer base setting and the lean-sensitive rider aids increased. The RS somehow conjured up grip on the glassy surface and gave all the feedback my confidence needed. In fact, I was enjoying the ride so much that I soon switched back to the Sport mode – despite the damp road conditions.
When rear-wheel traction eventually breaks, the traction control (TC) softly takes over and then, equally softly, reintroduces the power. There are no bangs and no misfires; it’s all calm and measured despite the fact you lost grip. The different riding modes appear to catch a slide at about the same moment but the reintroduction of power is quicker and more abrupt in the sportier modes.
I enjoyed playing with the modes and changing the rider aids on the fly, but the dash is still a little slow in operational speed and not perfectly clear or intuitive. I’ve noted this about previous Triumphs that share the same display: accessing the large quantity of information available or changing the modes is like operating an old laptop with not enough storage. It’s too slow to respond.
By the end of the day, however, I was full of praise for the new Speed Triple RS. It is incredibly easy to ride and enjoy in all conditions, while the new Öhlins Smart EC3 suspension is truly next level in terms of comfort and ease of use.
TO THE TRACK!
Cooking in tyre warmers in the famous Portimao pitlane, the new Speed Triple 1200 RS looked like it meant business. Triumph removed the rear number plate and mirrors for the track and, despite its swept-back look and naked state, it looked race-ready. The new styling looks great in the flesh but I do wish they’d not hidden the lovely single-sided swingarm with a rather ugly exhaust (a factory-commissioned Akrapovic silencer is an option). The only other blemish on the landscape was underneath those warmers: instead of the scheduled Pirelli slicks were race wets, as the weather was against us yet again.
Yes, the Triumph has Rain mode, but that limits power to 100hp and automatically increases the rider aids to maximum. Fine for those who’ve never ridden a track before, but I know Portimao well and therefore opted for the much less restricted Road mode. Conditions were slippery and far from ideal, but again the sheer rider-friendliness and ease of use of the Triumph came to the fore. From the off, I could push a little harder and rely on its rider aids, including cornering ABS, which despite the wet I couldn’t feel intervening during those early laps.
Portimao has huge and spectacular undulations and gradient changes, and with the suspension set to comfort it was a little too soft. Back in the pits I changed the set-up to Normal and then added a little firmness to the rear and acceleration support, again all done electronically. Spring pre-load is still manually adjustable but you can use the recommended settings from the dash to get it spot on. Simply add your – and be honest on this one – weight, and the dash clearly shows the recommended pre-load settings for that weight. The standard setting is 85kg, which is close-ish to my honest weight, and was therefore left alone. It’s a cool feature (and the same as the system used on the new Honda Fireblade SP).
With the new settings plugged in, I felt confident to push a little harder. As the track started to dry, I could now make full use of those 180 ponies. The Triumph may not have the 200hp bragging rights of the competition, but it still feels outrageously quick. It regularly hit 250-260km/h at the end of the straight, punishing my neck and arms as only a big naked can.
At the heart of the Speed Triple experience is that surging glut of torque that makes it as satisfying to drive hard through the midrange, short-shifting as you go, as it is to rev. At Portimao, I became addicted to short-shifting from fourth to fifth as the RS exited the long final turn of the lap, before bracing for a wheelie over the crest and just holding on over the start and finish – exhaust barking as only a Hinckley triple can.
The conditions were changing almost every lap. Some corners were close to dry, while farther around the track the line was soaking wet. Each session was different and as difficult as any track-riding test I can remember, but the RS was my helpful and friendly companion. On days like this, you need to be perfectly in tune with the chassis and tyres. Despite its semi-active suspension, I could forensically feel the grip levels through its wets. I could also feel the ABS working on track in the standard mode, which gives reassurance and allows you to push and generate heat in the wets. Conditions may have been horrendous, but I was having fun behind that black visor.
My only on-track criticism, which probably applies more to the specific nature of Portimao than most circuits, is that you can’t have the front wheel lift (wheelie) control turned off and the TC on. To remove it, you have to turn off the TC too, yet in the wet conditions I wanted some TC (just in case) but also wanted to control the wheelies over the track’s blind crests and undulations. On other bikes in the class you can have TC active and wheelie control deactivated at the same time – but not on the Triumph.
With the track never fully dry, I can’t say for sure what the ground clearance is like, or whether the very strong Brembo stoppers will in any way fade, or even how the suspension reacts on the limit. But if a bike gives this much confidence in the wet, it should translate to the dry.
Verdict
We still have a few unanswered questions as we never got to push the Speed Triple RS’s chassis on track. But we can categorically confirm that Triumph has made a significant improvement over the previous model, and the meat of that improvement is down to the Smart EC3 Öhlins suspension. On the road, it can be friendly, plush to the point of soft and as accommodating as that of a very good sports-tourer. Then head to the track, change the mode, and it transforms the triple into a track-ready streetfighter. It’s like having three bikes in one.
The suspension is so good it somewhat overshadows the other advancements, including the excellent front wheel lift control, which is perfect for those who haven’t perfected wheelies. Neat touches like backlit switchgear, cruise control as standard, keyless ignition and Triumph’s usual high standard of finish only add to its appeal, while seriously strong Brembo Stylema stoppers add edge to an already sharp package. The handful of added hp isn’t overly noticeable, but the engine still has bags of character and sounds fantastic, even though the exhaust might not be the prettiest.
Hugely impressive on both the road and a damp track, the new Speed Triple RS is far more accessible, versatile and easier to ride than before, which is progress indeed, given the quality of its predecessor. But the true test will come in better weather against its high-class competition.
PROS – This long-running super-naked keeps its original DNA but is far more accessible and versatile for a new generation
CONS – Slightly annoying not to be able to keep TC active when you turn off wheelie control. Stock muffler is a bit ugly
rider aids
Triumph has vastly improved the tech on the new Speed Triple 1200 RS. First up is the very latest EC3 Smart Suspension from Öhlins, which reacts faster and has more adjustment than the EC2 system used on the cafe racer-style 1200 RR. We can now change front firmness, rear firmness, brake support, acceleration support, cornering support, and for 2025 initial acceleration and cruising support. The four-level front wheel lift control and four-level engine brake control are both new for 2025. Triumph has also added Brake Slide Assist for 2025, and ABS for the track, allowing more front wheel slip and more rear wheel lift.
Four standard rider modes, plus two personal modes, two levels of cornering ABS, four levels of TC and off are the same as before, but reconfigured to work with the new power, chassis and semi-active suspension.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Capacity 1160cc
Type Water-cooled, 4v per cylinder 3-cylinder four-stroke
Bore/stroke 90mmx60.8mm
Compression ratio 13.2:1
Fuelling Electronic Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control
Transmission Six-speed with up/down quickshift
Clutch Wet multiplate slip and assist
Power 134.6kW (180.5hp) @ 10,750rpm (claimed)
Torque 128Nm @ 8750 rpm (claimed)
Top speed 275km/h (est)
Fuel consumption 5.5l/100km
ELECTRONICS
Rider aids Cornering ABS, 4 x throttle maps, 5 x TC, 4 x engine brake control, 4 x front wheel lift control
Rider Modes Rain, Road, Sport, Track plus two rider modes
Frame Aluminium twin spar frame, bolt-on aluminium rear subframe
Rake 23.9°
Trail 104.7mm
Wheelbase 1445mm
SUSPENSION
Type Öhlins Smart EC3
Front 43mm, USD fork, fully adjustable,120mm travel
Rear Single rear shock, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
WHEELS & BRAKES
Wheels Cast aluminium
Front 3.5 x 17
Rear 6.0 x 17
Tyres Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3
Front 120/70 X 17
Rear 190/55 x17
Brakes Cornering ABS
Front 2 x 320mm discs, radially mounted Brembo stylema caliper
Rear 220mm disc, Brembo twin-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Weight 199kg (wet, 90% fuel)
Seat height 830mm
Width 810mm
Height 1085mm (no mirrors)
Length 2090mm
Fuel capacity 15.5L
SERVICING & WARRANTY
First servicing 16,000km
Warranty 24 months unlimited kilometres
BUSINESS END
Price From $31,490 rideaway
Colour options Jet black, Granite/Diablo Red, Granite/Triumph performance
Contact Triumphmotorcycles.com.au
