New Speed Triple

Went to a motorcycle show on Sunday..sat on the new Speed Triple...that may have been a mistake...

Don't do it man...

It's very ugly. Unfortunately they have ruined the Speed Triple concept and now it's becoming more like a Japanese copy of a naked fighter. Shame on you Triumph - it might be a better bike but it looks like shit. Plastic shit at that. And what's with those awful radiator covers???? OMG!

And..... It isn't quick enough. Had a nice little ride out Sunday and found one out for a bit of trouble. We swapped a bit of paint on the twisties but he couldn't get ahead. Traffic, couldn't get through, traffic lights - smoked him, and on the highway he couldn't get a wheel in front either. Good fun though. I think it was straight out of the showroom coz he was a bit wobbly, wide lines etc. finding his way I think. Well he waved me off after a half hour of chasing around the streets of downtown Singapore. It was fun, but on that day at least, the SDR set the pace.

Another important thing to consider is that it's very likely the people on the Triple and/or Streetfighter forums aren't as nice as you'll find here...

I think they're nice, and if KTM hadn't built the Superduke I'd probably buy one...

But they did. And it's better in most respects.

Never mind comparing the performance, just look at the cheap plastics around the headlight and aftermarkets bits, the horrible sparkle in the black paint... Next to the KTM it looks a bit bland.

However, KTM need to pull their finger out, and move the Superduke on, lose the niggles that some people just can't get over (snatchy fuelling) cos if they don't they'll lose people to the STrip.


As for the Triumph Forums, - I cruised around there for a while when the missus wanted a Street Triple, and they're a bit boring...

Having owned a 2005 one, I do have a soft spot, specially for that peach of an engine. But I have not seen the latest one in the flesh yet and am worried it will look as ugly as it does in the photo's. As for slow, it aint cos when I had my old one, a mate had a 2005 SD, and the Triumph would smoke it up to 100mph. But the sum of the SD's parts make it a more fun bike.

Before buying the SD, I was between the SD and the ST...The SD is more unique and in my case tall (I am 6' 4").
The ST looked like a toy under me. The engine is very good but I love the VTwin.
Whatever makes you happy

Of course, I also sat on that new Ducati Dievel (or whatever its called)...and I don't want one of those...even though it felt fine and looked a lot better in reality than it did in the mag photos...

I had a 08 S3 and was not happy! I just wasn't confident with the handling and it didn't matter what I tried it didn't get much better.
Also built quality was crap. Sorry Mr Triumph but it was.

Saw a couple in the flesh today they look alot better than in photos although from the front they do look a little unfinished, side plastic covers are not as hideous as previously thought. Staff too self absorbed to help me out with a test ride.

Took one for a test ride today, very nice road bike suspension is very compliant compared with the sd immediately felt comfortable on the thing, engine has great low down torque although I was surprised it didnt have more top end it only had 600 odd kms on it so was probably still very tight engine wise fueling is so much better than the ktm which is no surprise to anyone. Handling wise i would say it is not as agile as my 05 but more confidence inspiring I would immediately be much faster on the road I would say then again I have never found a sd suspension setup I like for the road, as far as the track goes I would say the sd would be all over it funnily enough you would think the vtwin would have less power up top and more down low than the triple although this seems totally the opposite from what I experienced. Worst thing about the bike is that the seat seems to lock you in position and it is hard to move around on the thing foot pegs are also much higher. I am in the process of turning the sd into a track bike and am seriously considering the speed 3 as a road bike alternative.