TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1200 RS

TRIUMPHS SPEED TRIPLE HAS always had a reputation for being a hooligan’s ‘bike to have’ and while this latest model feels much smoother than previous generations the increase in capacity, power and torque means it is still well and truly a motorcycle that will bring out that inner hooligan in you.

The sporty naked/factory streetfighter/hyper naked/super roadsters class – call it what you like – is where most of the factories are flexing their development muscles these days. Sports and touring bike sales have been in decline for a long time as riders look to bikes they can get more use from and justify the purchase of. And for most of us, a set of ‘high’ bars beats a pair of clip-ons and/or a fat, large cumbersome bike nine times out of ten.

The point I’m dragging out is that naked bikes are booming – most manufacturers have offerings across multiple cubic capacities and often there’s a hero bike, festooned with technology. They