GRR

Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS 2024 review | First Ride

A bike to pluck the heartstrings and stir the soul…

10th December 2024
Dan Trent

Overview

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Where the likes of Royal Enfield and Norton go all out for rose-tinted nostalgia, Triumph plays a cleverer game with Modern Classics like the Speed Twin 1200, the combination of trad styling with modern riding manners and tech as attractive to a younger hipster crowd as it is to those of a certain age looking to celebrate an idealised golden age.

The less generous may consider that somewhat contrived but, given motorcycles are more often bought with the heart than the head, Triumph has struck a neat balance celebrating the best of old bikes with the convenience and capabilities of modern ones. The Speed Twin 1200 RS is more to the latter compared with the Bonnevilles, Bobbers and Scramblers elsewhere in the line-up, this 2025 update taking it further with updated rider assistance electronics, a phone connectable display, the first quickshifter on a Triumph Modern Classic and the tyres, suspension and brakes to keep on terms with much more modern looking bikes.

We like

  • Gorgeous looks
  • Burbling, charismatic engine
  • Great fun to ride

We don't like

  • Cheesy graphics
  • Some spec downgrades on standard model
  • Price

Design

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Little seems to have changed outwardly since the Speed Twin 1200 put the modern into Modern Classic with its switch to upside-down forks, sports bike-worthy Brembo brakes and slightly more assertive riding position in its 2021 update. Evolution rather than revolution for this latest model, a reshaped tank gaining some rather garish graphics while the range now offers two distinct options, the regular Speed Twin 1200 joined by a more focused RS version taking advantage of the space left by the departing Thruxton. As before, modernising touches like emissions gear, electronics and hoses for the disguised liquid cooling have been skilfully tucked away to free up space around the ribbed cylinder heads for a beautifully uncluttered appearance, the heat-stained exhaust headers seemingly running uninterrupted to the cannon-like silencers with the catalytic converters cunningly hidden under the engine.

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Burly upside-down forks and modern brakes can’t be disguised, though, the RS running with it and celebrating their existence through gold anodised finish for the adjustable Marzocchi forks and paired Öhlins shocks out back. The non-adjustable equivalents on the regular bike are a little more understated in their plain black finish if bling isn’t your thing. Neat bar-end mirrors meanwhile, are typical of the attention to detail, an optional Café Racer pack including lower clip-on bars and a cowl over the pillion seat to cater to those who missed out on a Thruxton but want a taste of its sportier looks. If not totally sold on the new colour options, the overall look absolutely nails the balance of classic style and promise of a more modern riding experience. A Norton Commando offers a more authentic twist on the same for a bit more money but is a more demanding ownership proposition, the Triumph’s mix of style and usability appealing to heart and head in equal measure. 

Performance and Handling

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Accepted wisdom has it that modern parallel-twins are generally workmanlike but lacking in character. Triumph clearly doesn’t subscribe to this idea, the deliciously throbby engine note through the twin silencers matched with a rich, torquey power delivery as happy to haul from the tall gears as it is snick down a couple and assert itself more vocally. 105PS (77kW) against the 216kg kerb weight may not sound all that spectacular, but is on a par with rivals and feels exploitable enough – the fact you can run it out to the throttle stop while still at vaguely sensible speeds more fun than frustrating.

Combine that with a deliciously friendly yet exploitable chassis and you have a bike that rewards whatever your level of experience or enthusiasm, and is as happy chugging along enjoying the scenery as it is biting at the heels of supposedly much sportier machines. That this broad bandwidth of character depends simply on your mood and how hard you twist the right grip rather than what combination of throttle map, traction control or anti-wheelie you’ve configured into the settings is a refreshing change from some of its more tech-obsessed modern equivalents. Not to mention a reassurance for anyone worried the Speed Twin might have forgotten the ‘classic’ bit of its brief with its adoption of extra electronics and the like.

Comfort

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With nothing to spare you from weather, wind or other discomforts, there’s a limit to how far or fast you’ll want to go. But that’s fine, you know what you’re getting into and if you do have ambitions to ride beyond sunny summer Sundays you can get things like heated grips to take the sting off those colder days. Fundamentally, the Speed Twin 1200 strikes a lovely balance between sportiness and all-day comfort, though, feeling pleasantly manageable for all its ‘big bike’ intent and accommodating of riders of all experience levels. The riding position has been tweaked to stretch you out just a fraction without feeling too ‘wristy’, the RS taking things up a notch with pegs moved back by 40mm and up by a nadge to get you more in the mood, the fractionally longer rear shocks putting you in a slightly more bum up, head down posture. But still comfortable.

The standard suspension leaves preload at the rear as the only adjustment option, but Triumph knows how to set a bike up and the Speed Twin combines comfort and a sense of playfulness in one. Which is neat. While sportier, the RS is also more comfortable still, the posh rear shocks and fancier adjustable forks tracking the road with increased sophistication and precision. We didn’t get to try the clip-on set-up on the road but there was a static bike to sit on, Triumph saying even with the 90mm drop in bar height the riding position is still less extreme than a Thruxton.

Technology and Features

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This update introduces a lot more tech, more sophisticated cornering ABS and traction control included. But like everything else, it’s been incorporated sympathetically. The RS gets an additional Sport ride mode but, having tried it, we defaulted the less snatchy Road setting for its more natural throttle response. The switch from trad twin clocks to a more modern single display hasn’t been entirely well received by fans, Triumph folk somewhat defensively asserting that, no, you can’t switch back as a retrofit. It’s seemingly been done to cater to those who crave phone connectivity, navigation and the like, but is still relatively basic in delivery and, to our eyes, less intrusive on the aesthetics or riding experience than shoutier folk on the internet may have suggested.

Verdict

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As great to ride as it is gorgeous to look at, the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS is a welcome twist on a proven theme and a feelgood bike you’ll want to ride for the sake of it any time the sun is out and the roads are dry. Or even if they’re not, the addition of modern rider aids meaning you can enjoy the bike’s abilities whatever the weather, even if the Metzler Racetec tyres on the RS might be a bit racy for greasy winter roads. The engine’s charismatic power delivery is the icing on the cake, the flexibility of that fat torque band offering endless options for any given road, mood or moment.

Specifications

Engine

1,200cc two-cylinder petrol

Power

105PS (77.2kW) @ 7,750rpm

Torque

112Nm (82lb ft) @ 4,250rpm

Transmission

Six-speed manual, chain drive

Top Speed

N/A

CO2 emissions

TBC

Price

£12,495/£14,495 (RS)