First Ride
2008 Triumph Speed Triple
There is an argument to be made for stripping a sportbike of its bodywork, adding straight bars and calling it a day. After all, it's more comfortable for real world riding and arguably more aggressive looking. But the downside is that it's still a rather soulless sportbike that's simply had its pants pulled down.
Triumph's Speed Triple, on the other hand, offers an absolutely unique alternative for the aggressive sport rider looking to go his own way-both in looks and performance.
A streetfighter should look, sound and feel a certain way, and a high-pitched inline four cylinder engine just doesn't suit. Instead, the droning and almost digital decibels emanating from the Speed Triple fit the bill, and its torquey grunt brings out the best (or worst, depending how you view it) of any right hand wheelie attempts.
The model I horded during the press intro came fitted with Arrow slip-on pipes that are available as a Triumph accessory. While we would never take a PR spokesperson's word for it they might add a few horses, but they definitely cut about 20 pounds of weight, look amazing and sound fantastic (while remaining street legal with the removable baffles left in).
The most characteristic aspect of the Speed Triple remains unchanged for 2008, but that's simply because it's plenty good as it stands. Instead, Triumph looked to improve the rest of the package around the 1050cc motor. The bike's strong point has always been its characteristic engine, but plaguing the Speed Triple were the parts responsible for keeping the monster under control-the brakes.
A gnarly street fighter should be capable of getting on its front wheel as easily as its rear, but until this year the Speed Triple suffered. This isn't to say it wants to roll stoppies up to every traffic light, but it's nice to know that when you need some serious stopping power it's there. And now it is. Borrowed from the impeccable Daytona 675 is the master cylinder upstairs, while in the basement a set of Brembo calipers do the dirty work-a damn fine job of it too.
Adding more confidence and style to the front end is a magura fat handlebar to replace the somewhat silly looking bars on the '07. Not only do they look more aggressive, but they offer more leverage thanks to a fatter diameter.
The cosmetic upgrades are immediately obvious over last year's bike and as dramatic as the performance upgrades. The forks now come from the factory anodized black. Though a seemingly subtle adjustment from the previous version's gold legs it ultimately adds to the bike's aggressiveness and character. Plus it saves owners the time and money that is usually spent on the popular mod. Moving back the radiator shrouds have been redesigned as well to clean up the flow, while new side bodywork fills in the typically awkward tank-to-frame transitional space.
A completely new subframe holds a new license plate bracket (that will hopefully be removed immediately upon purchase) as well as an updated clear-lens taillight arrangement.
The striking new wheel design adds an extra bit of character to the complete package, which is really what the new Speed Triple is all about. The only "fixing" it really needed has been addressed in fantastic fashion with blingy Brembos. Along with the major brake upgrade, the tweaks across the board clean it up and help take the 2008 Speed Triple from an urban assaulter to a worthy canyon killer and bike night cruiser.
Aftermarket Accessories
Owning a Speed Triple is all about being unique, and Triumph's aftermarket accessory line runs plenty deep to help further separate your ride from the rest of the pack. From carbon fiber pieces to exhaust systems you can essentially build a custom bolt-on bike straight from Triumph's accessory page.
The model we rode during the press intro was modified with a belly pan, Arrow slip-on exhausts and flyscreen, and the improvements over stock are obvious at a glance.
Buyer's Box
2008 Triumph Speed Triple
MSRP: $10,299
Motor: - 1050cc, three-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC-bore x
stroke: 79 x 71.4mm- Compression Ratio: 12.0:1
Suspension:
Front: 43mm USD forks with dual rate springs and adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping
Rear: fully adjustable shock
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 56.2in
Weight: 416lbs dry
Tank capacity: 4.7 gal