Some of you will have been with us for a while. And if you have you may remember that we overall (and I in particular) had a soft spot for a very small American motorbike with a comically large engine. Hold that thought, because we'll be revisiting it later.

Triumph have had a Speed Triple of one sort or another in their range forever. Well, for longer than this magazine has been going anyway, and considering we started in 2003... well, you get my drift. They've always had a three cylinder engine (there's a clue in the name) and have always been naked. Apart from the glorious, but oddly short-lived Speed Triple RR, but that's a review for another time. Anyway, apart from the first generation of bikes they've had twin headlights and a distinct "You lookin' at me?" attitude. Based on the brilliant T595 (or T955 - same bike, different name) Daytona, they were essentially factory streetfighters, and probably the first of their kind. The original low clip-on bars gradually got a little higher and the pegs a little more relaxed. Until what you ended up with was a full-fat sportsbike with sportsbike geometry, sportsbike power and a riding position that...well let's just say it was easy to save tyre wear on the front.

Nowadays such hooliganism is frowned upon, and the 2025 Speed Triple is blessed with some very clever electronics that curtail unintended wheelies. That's probably A Good Thing, because this current generation of Speed Triple is tiny. Apart from the engine. Which is both large and strikingly muscular. It's deceptive, because from not much distance at all this looks like a big bike. It has that stance, that presence. It's only when you get close that you realise it will have to stand on tippy toes to chin you. But you kind of know that it will, given half a chance.

First impressions count. And they say this bike means business. It is beautifully detailed and is actually bloody good looking. Swing a leg over and once the shock of its diminutive stature has worn off, you'll notice the minimalist but still informative dash, the chunky forks and the fact that you could tuck it under your arm and walk off with it. Prod the starter once and it comes to life. Keyless ignition is great. This is a good time to put in your vital statistics. Well, your weight at least. Because the Ohlins SmartEC3 suspension uses that to work out the correct preload. Makes a difference too - I messed around with it and you can really feel if you lie to it.

The dash is, like the rest of the bike, tiny but beautifully presented. All the information you need is there in front of you, clear as you like. There is also mercifully little of the information you don't need to confuse things. Which is nice.

Start the engine, pulling the pleasantly light clutch in as is normal with Triumphs, and it immediately settles into an aggressive, raspy tickover. Actually that's unfair. It is raspy and it is purposeful. But it's not really aggressive in a slightly too much Stella on Saturday night way. More aggressive in a very controlled, very polite, very British way.

Flip up the stand, engage first and pull away. The immense torque means you can pretty much do this at tickover. Let's get that out of the way, actually. It's a 1200cc engine and it's a triple. That means you get a really fat dollop of low to mid range torque at the very minor expense of screaming top end power. And to be honest, in the last twenty two years of writing reviews here I can count on one hand the number of times I've wished for more top-end power. And none of them were on the road. Actually that's not true - I did find myself wishing that a thoroughly entertaining 125 was more like a 200 instead, because that would have been even more fun.

Anyway. The Speed Triple RS is sufficiently hairy chested that you will never find yourself wanting for more oomph. As revs build the raspy snarl gets replaced by a deliciously smooth growl. It's very addictive. The standard bi-directional quick shifter means that once you're moving the clutch is genuinely redundant. Mirrors are wide and clear, and remain surprisingly blur-free. Controls are easy to use and logically placed. Switchgear is backlit, which is nice and one of those things you don't miss until you try it and then go back to something that doesn't have that apparently simple feature.

Riding in town is a doddle. The bike is tiny and that makes traffic very easy. The short wheelbase makes slipping between lanes a breeze, while the fantastic balance makes low speed nadgery stuff similarly easy. Throttle response is quick but not sharp, which makes life easier, and that quickshift means you needn't bother your left hand if you don't want to.

Get out of town, though, and things really come alive. That sharp steering chassis transforms into something which manages to be both rock stable and super quick turnng. And that's where my comparison with an earlier bike comes in. Because this feels exactly like the Buell Firebolt should have felt. If it had had the power the brilliant handling deserved. The Triumph turns almost before you've done any more than think about it, it'll nail every apex and it will drive put of corners as hard as anything this side of a full factory superbike. Handling is truly as good as the best superbike out there. I know, because my usual ride is the best superbike out there. While I didn't feel that I had to climb all over the thing (mainly because it's so small), I definitely felt that some commitment in cornering. some body movement, gave the bike the encouragement to join in and make you look good.

It might even save your licence at the same time. Because naked bikes are great up to mandatory ban speeds, then they get a bit... tiring. But here's the thing. Get yourself on a modern thoroughbred supersports bike and yes, you'll cover ground at a phenomenal pace. But you won't actually be having very much fun until the speeds get properly naughty - it's just too easy until then and the sheer efficiency iof the machine sucks some of the joy out at anything like sensible speeds. Now get on a brilliantly capable naked bike and the story changes slightly. You revel in the noise, the precision, the sheer exuberence of the thing. You're still covering ground at a prodigious rate. Just as quickly as on the supersports in most places. But while your average speed will be similar, your peaks will be notably less. You'll be cornering faster, accelerating harder, braking later, laughing more. It's a little bit of magic.

So let's get the rest of it out of the way. Braking is as good as you'd expect, and there's nothing really I can say about it. Because it just happens - no drama, nothing. If you mess around with the electronics then I believe you can lift the back wheel or get it to help you back into a corner. Similarly the traction control does an admirable job of stopping 1160cc of Hinkley's finest from converting expensive rear tyres into similarly expensive smoke. The same box also prevents you from converting yourself into a greasy smear on the road when you loop the bike and end up sliding along with 200kg of Triumph on top of you after being ham-fisted with the throttle. Both of these useful safety features can be turned down, or off, as your skill, attiitude to risk and circumstances dictate.

I didn't get to try the Triumph with a pillion. It has the seat and pegs, but I suspect anyone on the back would need to be bendy, brave and maybe slightly bonkers. Or really in need of a lift.

A couple of hours in the saddle gave me no aches or pains. The seat is comfortable and supportive, the riding position is upright but not too upright and while the nakedness of the bike didn't provide anything more than the most scant protection from the slightly chilly Spring day, I wasn't cold or particularly battered. If I'd been in a true steaming rush then I suspect my neck might have had something to say about it, but as it was, at the speeds I'm prepared to admit to on open NSL roads with no cameras, I felt relaxed and comfortable. And I was having an absolute blast. My cheeks were aching inside my helmet from the grin. Oh, and overtakes? Yeah, they're despatched with brutal efficiency and laugh out loud ease.

So. A conclusion is in order I suppose. And it's easy. The Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS is, quite simply, a brilliant bike. Possibly the best bike I've ridden all year. It's fast, comfortable, handles brilliantly and gives the impression at least of being very easy to live with. I think I may be just a little bit in love.

SB

Thanks to Nik at Carl Rosner Triumph in Croydon for the test ride. Give him, or Rob, a shout. Nice guys who know what they're doing and also make excellent coffee.