Engine architecture
Inline triple throughout
Every Speed Triple has been an inline three. Capacity has grown 885 → 1050 → 1200 in 30 years, but the layout and Triumph signature triple sound have stayed constant.
Power gain
+72bhp
108bhp T509 → 180bhp Speed Triple 1200 RS. 67% more power. The 2021 1200 redesign was the biggest jump — 15bhp gain over the 1050 R AND a totally new platform. Triumph entering the proper hyper-naked era.
Real cost change
+£3.1k
T509 was £7,200 in 1996 (£14,400 today). The 2026 Speed Triple 1200 RS is £17,495 — about 22% more in real terms. Premium reflects the move from 90s naked to flagship hyper-naked with Öhlins suspension and IMU electronics.
Twin round headlights
Killed in 2021
For 25+ years, every Speed Triple had twin round headlights — Triumph signature. The 2021 1200 RS killed them, replaced with a single LED stack. Many fans hated it; many others moved on. Visual DNA changed for the first time since 1994.
Weight similar
+0kg
198kg dry T509 → 198kg wet 1200 RS. Modern bike basically the same weight as the original despite huge capacity gain (885 → 1160cc) and full electronics. Modern engineering doing the job.
Rider aids count
1 → 9
1996: fuel injection only. 2026: cornering ABS Pro, traction control (5 modes), slide control, wheelie control, ride modes (5), quickshifter, IMU electronics, smartphone, GP-mode track adjustability. Triumph electronics now class-competitive.
Cheapest way in
£3k
A clean Speed Triple T509 from the late 90s. The bike that defined the modern naked category. Hinckley Triumph at its best — characterful triple, twin headlights, no electronics. Becoming sought-after as Triumph history pieces.
