Triumph Speed Triple review, test ride

The electric blue naked motorcycle you see here is the Triumph Speed Triple. You could think of it as the angst-ridden (and larger-hearted) sibling of the gentlemanly Street Triple. Or you could simply think of it as a tool to help you keep pace with the FZ-1s, CB1000Rs and Z1000s of the world. Whichever way you look at it, this is, in essence, a very fast and focused naked bike.

It looks it too. Sure, the bug-eyed headlamp may not catch your fancy, but there’s little else to take away from what is such a well turned out motorcycle. The Speed’s got an aggressive tipped-forward stance, and details such as the sculpted tank, exposed sections of the twin-spar frame and stubby, dual underseat exhausts only add further muscle to the design. Another highlight on the Speed is its single-sided swingarm that gives you a clear view of the smart 10-spoke rear wheel. If there’s a big spoiler here, it’s the ungainly sari guard that our test bike came with.

Swing a leg over the Speed and you’ll find the seating position to be a touch on the aggressive side. You sit higher up than you would on a Street Triple and also lean more aggressively into the handlebar. It’s not uncomfortable but it can get tiring over long stints. For their part, the soft palm grips make a great point of contact for your hands while the good quality switchgear is also logically placed. Instrumentation on the Speed is a combination of an analogue tachometer and a digital screen for the speedo, fuel gauge, trip meters and service due indicator. What’s nice is that you can also program the gearshift indicator lights to your preference.