New Triumph 1200 RS Is a Speed Triple on Steroids, Most Powerful Ever

The company describes the new two-wheeler as “an absolute revolution in terms of Speed Triple power, performance, handling and technology,” and it's not far from the truth: this thing is, by all accounts, “the most powerful and fastest accelerating Speed Triple ever.”

And it’s all due to the powerplant making the thing tick, a 1,160cc engine that when in full-angry mode, develops 180 PS (177 hp) and 125 Nm (92 lb-ft) of torque. That would be 30 PS and 8 Nm more than ever before, pushing along a bike that is 10 kg (22 pounds) lighter, tipping the scales at 198 kg (436 pounds) wet.

And it is supposed to sound amazing. You can have a taste of that in the video below and hear the powerplant screaming through a new free-breathing intake and exhaust system as the two-wheeler goes around the track.

Speaking of which, the new 1200 RS is more than capable of holding its ground against opponents on the track, being fitted with track-bred hardware like fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, Metzeler tires, and Brembo Stylema brakes.

What else do we get new on this bike? Well, the list is long, and you can review it in full in the press release section below, but we can’t help mentioning a few, like the chassis, 5-inch TFT instruments, or the keyless system.

Safety-wise, it gets the full complement of available technologies, including a new lighting system, cruise control as standard, and of course, ABS.

Triumph will make the new Speed Triple 1200 RS available at the end of February in its home country. Prices there start from £15,100 which, for reference, is about $20,680 at today’s rates.