2016 Triumph Speed Triple S
Earlier today, Triumph unveiled all new Triumph Speed Triples, including the Speed Triple R and the Speed Triple S. The details are in the following press material, but highlights include a substantially revised 1,050 cc 3-cylinder engine (Triumph claims 104 changes), several new electronic rider aides, new styling and standard Brembo monoblock calipers on both models.
Here is the press release from Triumph, followed by a promotional video:
- All new Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R
- NEW 1050cc triple engine with 104 new developments with increased torque throughout the rev range
- NEW rider-focused technology including riding modes, switchable ABS and switchable Traction Control
- NEW styling including all new twin headlamps and all new bodywork
- Significantly narrower engine/radiator package giving 20mm narrower stand-over
- Brembo monoblock calipers as standard across S and R models
- R features bellypan, carbon bodywork inserts and front mudguard, billet finishers and Öhlins suspension front and rear
- Four NEW colorways – Phantom Black and Diablo Red on the Speed Triple S, Crystal White and Matt Graphite on the Speed Triple R
- Designed to be true to the Speed Triple DNA – Delivering the perfect balance of performance, handling, capability and character
ATLANTA (November 10, 2015) – The NEW Triumph Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R take the legacy of the first factory street fighter to a completely new level in terms of performance, agility, power, handling and capability.
Centered around a new 1050cc triple engine, the new Speed Triple S and R redefine the naked performance roadster. The new engine features 104 new developments that combine to deliver more power and, more importantly, more torque across the whole rev range whilst still delivering an increase of up to 10% fuel efficiency. These developments include a new combustion chamber, new cylinder head, new machined crank, new piston design and new ‘Ride-by-Wire’ throttle bodies. Additional developments also include a slip assist clutch, smaller, more efficient radiator and a new free-flowing exhaust that has a 70% increase in flow rate.
The NEW Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R also feature a suite of rider-focused technology. Among the features that add to the Speed Triple’s performance and capability are a new ECU coupled to a new adjustable Ride-by-Wire throttle with selectable throttle maps that increase the feel, responsiveness and control. There are now five distinct riding modes to choose from: Road, Rain, Sport, Track and a new Rider Configurable mode, that all allows the rider to set-up the motorcycle to the optimum performance relative to road conditions or environment.
Key to the new Speed Triple S and R is the aggressive, athletic styling and a narrow, focused design. A low, lithe stance is accentuated by sleek new bodywork and a completely new, Daytona 675R-inspired, tailpiece. All of which has been achieved without losing any of the naked minimalist beauty that is synonymous with the Speed Triple.
The new Triumph Speed Triple S and Speed Triple R redefine the Speed Triple legend – delivering the perfect balance of power, handling, capability and character in two new performance roadsters designed for maximum fun and maximum thrills with maximum attitude.
2016 Triumph Speed Triple R
| Speed Triple S | Speed Triple R |
| Spec highlights include: | In addition to the Triple S spec: |
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See more of MD’s great photography:
The design team really made a big mistake when they stuffed up what was the most iconic thing about the speed triple; the twin round headlights. I believe the earlier models look far better & have a lot more personality
If you hate the headlights so much, just change them! It is simple (less than an hour), and it cost me $500 using all Triumph parts. The best part is that I have the round black headlights from the Storm on my bike now, which makes it different from almost everyone else’s Speed Triple.
I had to look at the pictures again to see the headlights I was badly distracted by the 5gal water bottle hanging out on the side and called an exhaust.
I get it – I really do – and I fully admit to having never ridden a ST (or any Triumph for that matter, despite Bonneville lust).
That said:
maybe do the S with a more conventional-ish single headlight and do the homage-to-the-original-de-fairinged-sportbike look for the R.
Choices.
I love the SpeedTriple. Always been a fan…but those headlights. How can they design something that looks so relatively good from the front, yet so enormously bad from the side?
Nice Strret Fightee. BTW, whatever happened to MOTUS? Things seem awful quiet over there…
Motus seems to be going strong. Check out their Facebook page.
They are selling bikes and the owners are reporting thrilling rides!
via the Facebook page
Everybody is going strong on their facebook page. When they ask us to check out their go-fund-me page, then we’ll know how they are really doing.
Think it’s anything like the pre paid excellent reviews on Amazon?
The ONLY thing you can trust these days is your own seat of the pants and MAYBE the word of your best friend… Unless he’s driving a new car he couldn’t afford before.
Haha. Well, I suspect the reviews are probably honest. I’m sure they are delivering the pre-orders right now to those that put down their deposits long ago.
I’ve seen a Motus in person and wasn’t very impressed frankly (though I’ve never ridden one), but I am sure it is a nice motorcycle. I just can’t imagine a lot of people are going to line up to pay premium money for a sport touring bike that doesn’t really do anything better than competing machines already on the market for almost half the price. It doesn’t have a lot of the features that have become the norm over the past few years, so I suspect it would be a tough sell even with a competitive price.
Jeremy in TX
Lets not fight.
Motus has added a lot of “lightness” which NONE of the other STs have. None. Porky Ponderous Pigs all of them…
I agree they have a ways to go to become a success as a company, but the first bike is impressive IMHO…of course.
waiting to see my first Motus and first new Norton. With regards to Motus and their lack of “stuff”, there are those among us who actually don’t need or particularly WANT all the latest and greatest that makes new bikes so complicated and expensive. I don’t need 3 riding modes, I don’t need switch on the fly suspension, I don’t need 6 axis systems telling me what my bike is doing, and I can live without a lot of other stuff. I have grown fond of heated grips, and I would like a real cruise control (but it’s not a deal breaker for me). I LOVE my Honda ST 1300. Sure, it could weigh less, it could have the afformentioned cruise and heated grips (I added the grips after market) and it could have a gear indicator, beyond that it is perfect for me. However guys on the ST forum have a whole laundry list of things they’d like Honda to do to it to make it into the next BMW beater lol, all of most of which would make it unaffordable for guys like me.
If the ST would be unaffordable, Imagine what that makes the Motus in my eyes.
Blackcayman, I never fight! I exchange ideas and opinions!
I think it is an impressive effort, so I don’t mean to take anything away from what they have accomplished. The Motus is an attractive bike, and my only real criticism (besides the asking price) stems from the fit and finish which was definitely sub-par. But that might have been a pre-production unit on display, so perhaps my judgement is premature.
At 585 lbs, I don’t really consider it to be light – most of the 17-inch wheel shod “adventure” sport tourers are lighter. But the Motus is a very powerful machine and should produce very impressive forward motion regardless of the heft. I wish them well, but I think I’ve read this novel before.
Mickey, I know that there are a lot of luddites like you rolling around perilously on two wheels without electronics nannies to keep you safe, and everyone of them probably thinks it is great the Motus doesn’t have any of that stuff. 🙂 They also think for that reason that the Motus should probably cost no more than $12K. And therein lies the rub.
Lol well maybe $16k..after that you are getting into the range of bikes that do have all the fancy stuff.
I guess this is another bike to buy used. I don’t need electronics, okay, electronic fuel injection. If you need traction, wheelie, brake aids, buy a smaller less powerful bike. I wonder how much the price would come down without all the electronic nannies?
Not much of a video. I don’t consider a 500lb street bike an extreme sport. Must not be much of a bike, they showed everything but the bike.
If cost was not a consideration the Speed Triple and the Ducati Monster are my favorite naked bikes. They are both high performance rolling sculptures. Yes the S3 is shy on the top end but without a fairing that is basically a non issue. The reported 140 HP that this new model puts out is adequate to have fun.
The first thing I would do however is remove that massive under tail exhaust system and replace it with the Arrow 3 into 1 race system.
The gusseted frame spars are kinda ugly and cheap looking…
UGLY! Crumple up the drawing and start over. Making a naked bike is so easy. It’s wheels, bars and a motor with something to sit on. I sat on a Ducati Monster 821 this past weekend and it was great.
Still ugly to my eyes, and WTF is a “colorway”? Doesn’t pait get the job done or are the marketing folks working too hard?
Welcome to the “marketing doesn’t make sense” club, nice catch.
Haha. It is an actual word, though I am not so sure they used it correctly in this context.
I loved both of my Speed Triples , but these newer ones don’t do it for me. Ugly headlights and too pricey now are my main complaints. I’m getting older and I’ll just concede these to the younger guys.
But , I’ll always be a huge Triumph fan …..on Bonnevilles now !
Indeed!!! My 2007 Speed Triple has better looks 🙂 May be they could offer the round headlights as an option.
Agree the new bonnies look splendid unlike the new avatars of other models/bikes looking not as appealing as the old ones…
UGLY!
I think they put that useless scrap of plastic “swoosh” below the tank so people think they customized their bike when they remove it.
If you stuck a full fairing on this would it even keep the other Super Sports in sight? No. It’s not a street-fighter, it’s a standard.
Boot heels under your ass and the PPP, not a standard.
This is what the 2011 model should have been. And the 2016 model should have been a Tuono V4 / KTM Superduke killer. Maybe in 2020 they will catch up with the them.
On another note…the marketing people must sit in their office when working on these videos and say (in Christopher Walken’s voice) “BABY…WE NEED MORE DUBSTEP!!!”
Meanwhile at Socialist Triumph marketing department…
I’m not sure… it doesn’t have enough dubstep…
“And the 2016 model should have been a Tuono V4 / KTM Superduke killer.”
That seems like a tall order, as these are pretty potent bikes.
“That seems like a tall order, as these are pretty potent bikes.”
It is a tall order, but the Speed Triple has traditionally competed with the Tuono and SuperDuke. Those two bikes, along with the Ducati Monster have undergone a pretty radical evolution these past years and have been joined by the BMW. It seems that Triumph is just saying “no” to that under performance market. That is fine by me, but I wonder how many people just pass by the Speed Triple in favor of something more potent.
Oops. I meant “uber performance market”.
Re; “I wonder how many people just pass by the Speed Triple in favor of something more potent.”
I wonder that too, mainly because I am doubtful that many riders buy super high performance naked bikes at all. If Triumph threw their hat in that ring, how many sales could they realistically expect to capture amongst all of those choices?
I think they and more recently, Yamaha are doing it right by leaving the established categories behind and focusing on what they think results in the best experience and let the other guys compete on the spec sheet race.
I don’t know how well the super nakeds are selling, but I am starting to see them more frequently, particularly the Tuono. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen a late-model Speed Triple in quite a while.
Personally, I think the current Speed Triple is plenty of bike and a good overall package as it is. It doesn’t need another 40 hp to impress me, though the Speed3 has started losing some luster over the past few years in my book when the only real bar getting raised is the sticker price.
Is it any lighter?
This bike is long overdue for a major overhaul. I guess the Bonneville line got all the R&D money.
I have always thought they (the Speed and Street) were great looking bikes, especially the R versions. Unfortunately, I was not so impressed when I test rode recent versions of each of them. I ended up concluding that there were many other better naked bike options. I really wanted to like the Speed Triple……maybe this new config will light my fire. Hopefully someone will offer me a demo.
There are better naked bikes in terms of outright performance, however not in terms of the whole package if you consider reliability, manufacturing quality or dealer support as important.
If I were considering reliability, manufacturing quality, and dealer support I would head straight to the FZ-09 dealer.
Speaking as a former Missoula resident, “North of Missoula” would enjoy the same really good dealer for both the Speed Triple and the FZ09.
In my opinion, the GSX-S completely blows it out of the water by every measure except suspension. And suspension can be tuned.
Maybe it’s one of those nostalgia bikes? my father talks about Triumphs and Nortons… those old times when you had the spark advance on one hand, maybe he would love a modern retro with “soul”.
Given that out-and-out performance isn’t the issue here, the Triumph is alot cooler, which is an important factor in this sector.
This second tier down from the Big Boys will be an interesting comparo
Love the concept of a light weight, good handling, performance bike. Probably a great ride but not for me, it’s about comfort. Too much knee bend and pressure on my hands below 50 mph. All the above with the ergos of the Tiger… Now we are talking.
I would be willing to put up with some pain in the case of this bike so long as it was not my daily ride or a long distance tourer. Bikes are like women that way.
Sometimes I think these small very honest comments on the internet hold those precious truths…
Not a fan of the PPP either, but this ain’t bad lookin’……well. ‘cept for the goofy lookin’ headlights.
Where’s the plastic[faring], goofy looking plus its a Triumph-no British iron for me.
Are you an official spokesperson for a recognized Anglophobe group or are you just a lone wolf Anglophobe? But seriously is your problem with Great Briton that you are laboring (pun intended) under the complete and total misconception that the UK is a socialist commonwealth.
Socialism is the communist way of wealth distribution, Triumph is dictating how the profit is made by demanding the dealer buy unwanted accessiores and clothing, demanding the dealer buy unwanted showroom displays, demanding the dealer buy motorcycles that is not marketable in there area, changing the floorplan that the dealer receives to only 7 days making the cost of stocking the models that sell for that dealer to high. Requiring the dealer to buy a certain brand of flooring and slatwall for there bikes to sit on. Requiring the dealer to send in there profit and loss statement every 90 days and i am told there are other things. That is there business model and that is the reason that dealers are dropping the brand. I ask why my dealer was dropping the brand and that is what was said. Honda-Suzuki-Yamaha-Kawasaki does not do that. Its a free market and dealers are independant business people. They will loose sales and more dealers, just watch and see. The sad thing is that i still own one.
Sounds like Triumph is keeping all the profits to themselves while demanding oppressive burdensome work to those who bring them the profits. Wait, that’s capitolism.
capitalism
re: “Wait, that’s capitolism.”
that’s “privatizing the gains while socializing the losses” and yes, teelee sounds quite familiar with the realities of being a Triumph franchisee.
Judging from his other posts, I’ll venture to say that his animosity is aimed squarely at Triumph, not the UK.
Not a problem with the UK, its just Triumph. Never buying that stuff again
The video depicts a very long list of no-no-no’s, someone could say infer from the video the bike is as dangerous as all those other activities, on the other hand; thinking to myself I can’t think of a better video or idea or images/history to convey the idea of thrill, performance and adrenaline.
Now to the bike… aren’t those the most controversial headlights on bike industry? I guess Triumph loyalists swear by them.
I’ve always liked the bug eyes, especially when they were round.
I’m relatively loyal to Triumph, and I don’t like them as much as the original concept, which were awesome. These are sort of less wonky looking which was the appeal of the old round ones to me.
Just saw pic. Needs VFR plastic.
Hi;
Great looking bike. Love to have one.
I have FZ09 yamaha.
Think it looks somewhat like it only much improved with
high dollar suspension and other nice fittings.
Don
I still think my 05 looks killer.
The best of the breed.
The updated styling looks a little dated. I still dig it, though.
Probably a great motorcycle. I could not buy a bike with as polarizing looks as this.. headlight, exhaust, stubby rear end, weird little fairing piece.. especially the headlights. I know some people think this looks awesome (know my nephew does)but nope, not for me.
Bet it runs good and handles like a razor though and that’s the true measure of a good motorcycle. If I did buy one of these after a ride I would have to turn off the lights in the garage without looking back at it admiringly.
getting old I guess.
I really feel like a bikini fairing that wrapped up the lights and offered more wind protection would finish this bike nicely, and go a long way in improving it’s looks.
The bug-eye lights worked with they were round, these just look like they forgot to put the cover on a bike that was supposed to have one.
I rode a 2006 Speed TRiple and it was indeed an awesome bike to ride.
“these just look like they forgot to put the cover on a bike that was supposed to have one.”
You know what a streetfighter is, right? 😉
Re: “You know what a streetfighter is, right?”
A sportbike that had it’s body work destroyed in a crash?
In seriousness, yes, I know what they’re after, I just don’t think this headlight package looks like it was designed to be what it is. It looks like it was designed to be part of a finished fairing. The 1st and largest problem I have with it’s looks is that it protrudes too far ahead of the fork. I realize that it’s because they want the lights and console independent of the fork, it just looks bad..
“It looks like it was designed to be part of a finished fairing”
Exactly….except that the imaginary fairing has been removed. I like the look.