Triumphant Revision

Can you believe it has 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 183-hp Street Triple RS, Triumph's most powerful bike to date. Here is how our first ride went off in Portugal, inclement weather notwithstanding

- Adam Child 'Chad'

THE OHLINS 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) that 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 have also taken the opportunity to play with the styling, with a new seat cowl and exhaust and lighter wheels lending a lighter and more agile look. The one-piece 'bars are slightly wider and higher and there is a new adjustable steering damper, but now from Marzocchi.

An updated five-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 come as standard, along with a new Emergency Deceleration Warning system that flashes the rear brake light under hard braking.

At first glance, the £17,495 (Rs 19.77 lakh) RS appears very similar to the previous model, but underneath there are 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 the 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 Portimão racetrack, where we could safely push the suspension to the limit and try the new rider aids. However, Mother Nature had the final say.