Roadster – Triumph Speed ​​Triple R 2016 test: 3 new reasons to crack – Dynamics: the English punch

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Triumph Speed ​​Triple R 2016 test: 3 new reasons to crack

Roadster - Triumph Speed ​​Triple R 2016 test: 3 new reasons to crack - Dynamics: the English punch

The 2016 Speed ​​Triple, sexier with its redesigned double optics, better equipped and still as exciting mechanically, is a ” triple blow ” via a relevant upgrade. A success ? No: a Triumph! Test drive of the luxurious R version.

Dynamic: the English punch

Due to the particularly inhospitable conditions encountered at the start of our test (temperature barely above 0 ° C and freezing fog: even in Spain, it can curdle in January!), The Speed ​​Triple R is hardly to its advantage. … The biting cold underlines its regression in terms of protection – the fork crown is placed lower – and seems to completely freeze the oil of its Ohlins suspensions…

Add to that a rather firm saddle and you get the first turns of the wheels marked with circumspection … The ergonomics, without being too radical, take care of making us (re) comfortable: being placed closer to the handlebars is appreciable, just like having the legs less apart. Without equaling the smoothness of a Street Triple, the Speed ​​Triple has clearly gained in compactness !

Feedback from the front axle also gains a lot, with an improved feeling of control via the wide handlebars, attached to the upper crown by means of a perforated machined aluminum trigger guard specific to this R version. allowing to appreciate the excellent balance of the motorcycle and its very correct handling with regard to its weight and its displacement of 1050 cc.

The footrests – placed in the same location as in 2015 – don’t bend the legs excessively, while the slimmed-down saddle up front effectively improves accessibility: a 1.75m rider easily touches the ground. The 2016 Speed ​​Triple remains an easy roadster to handle, whose driving position preserves a certain form of comfort despite its sportiness..

So good things, alas marred by the turning radius unchanged from 2015, or more or less equivalent to that of a barge … In addition, the rear part of the redesigned saddle forms an unpleasant and very slippery slope . By the way, note that the volume of the trunk under the passenger seat decreases, making it impossible to carry a U-shaped lock (even specific).

A disc lock will find its place there, but it’s a little light to secure such a jewel in the city center … The practical aspects are however far from being neglected since the rim valves are bent, the warnings easily operated from a stylish button on the right stalk and the instrumentation information scrolls from the handlebars ("i" and "Mode" buttons on the left).

Readable – with the exception of the time at the top left, in characters too small to be easily distinguished when driving -, in 2016 this on-board console includes a gear indicator light engaged – for the first time on a Speed ​​Triple -, in addition to providing information on average and instantaneous consumption, range or fuel level.

The Speed ​​makes its place in the sun !

Change of scenery following the return of the sun: the mercury increases and the asphalt dries up, finally offering conditions favorable to the operation of a roadster with a sporty temperament! The excellent Pirelli Supercorsa SP heat up enough to reach their usual, extremely high level of grip.

The intervention of the new anti-skating – quite sensitive in "Rain" mode – can therefore be postponed: the "Road" mode is activated for this purpose by flicking the left stalk. The distribution of power immediately becomes more lively, while the action of the ABS, very efficient, diminishes. Despite this increased responsiveness, the ride-by-wire is free from jolts when going around: a real success !

In Sport and Track (the sportiest modes), the response to the throttle, on the other hand, becomes extremely lively, requiring progressiveness in the movement of the wrist to maintain optimal driving comfort. At the same time, these configurations are not designed for the cushy ride in the wind, but to send big gas without asking any questions. !

In the winding, the Speed ​​Triple 2016 delivers a real recital: hyper stable despite the lack of steering damper, it swallows the large curves approached at high speed with a confusing naturalness. Its first-class traction allows muscular outings, under the discreet benevolence of the traction control in the event of excess optimism or sudden change in grip.

Easy to place, very precise, lively but not nervous, the Triumph has retained all its dynamic qualities: nothing more logical in the end, insofar as its cycle part is renewed almost identically. Braking is in unison: biting and powerful in the front and manageable in the rear.

Thanks to relevant work carried out with Brembo, the front calipers avoid falling into the trap of excessive attack at the start of the race, common on "hyper sports" devices. Here, the platelets bite the 320 mm discs with a progression that allows precise dosing. On the other hand, taking the right lever back in a curve causes a sensitive locking of the front axle..

In terms of (small) defects, MNC also regrets the rather firm setting of Ohlins suspensions: even at "good temperature", the damping does not shine by its soft absorption. Too bad, because their responsiveness and cohesion are however very convincing: the front and rear work in perfect coordination..

A few less preload notches and a freer trigger should however solve the "problem" on these quality suspensions, in any case for those who want smoother operation on the road.

Because on the track, on the other hand, the suspensions proved to be flawless during our three sessions on the Calafat circuit, near Barcelona. This well-paved track has a straight line allowing you to exceed 230 km / h in fifth gear, before cutting the throttle to dive into a technical and tight sequence..

The precision of the accelerator hits the mark during this phase, as does the engine with so many qualities that an 18-volume encyclopedia would not be enough to list! Here are the main ones: confusing flexibility, the 3-legged first descends without batting an eyelid at 50 km / h in 6th gear, the needle of its visible tachometer indicating 1800 rpm. A "4-legged" does not do much better !

A simple rotation of the wrist and the three pistons start again, without the slightest sign of mechanical disapproval, until reaching 3200 rpm at 90 km / h and 4800 rpm at 130 km / h. In this, the English block has absolutely not changed: it is still a tasty mixture of softness and muscles, capable of pushing with a Herculean force of 3000 rpm at 10 200 rpm of the switch.

If it is difficult to measure the real impact of the 5 additional horses and the ladle of torque, its inertia, on the other hand, appeared to us to be significantly lower: the "tripeul" 2016 takes its turns with an additional greed which positively counterbalances its character. linear.

Because this is one of the rare faults of this exceptional engine: its relative lack of explosiveness resulting from the optimal filling of its torque curve. Almost too "smooth", its power distribution does not know this furious mechanical surge at the approach of the perceptible red zone on certain rivals, like the S1000R or the Tuono V4 1100.

Although attenuated, the hiss coming from its primary straight-toothed drivetrain also somewhat spoils its magical soundtrack, muffled and roaring at will. Very slight tremors are also felt when accelerating to mid-range, then at high speeds between 7,000 and 10,200 rpm, where the Triple breaks smoothly.

However, it remains very bearable, far from the unpleasant high-frequency crackling distilled by certain sports 4-cylinders like that of the Z1000. On the other hand, the clutch and the selection remain firm, despite the progress announced by Triumph in this area (see page 3).

The locking is straightforward but dry, and the passage of gears without disengaging requires to perfectly decompose its gesture and to return the gas. Some boxes tolerate the passage "on the fly" much better. The new anti-dribble fulfills its functions perfectly, but its entry into action results in slight returns of force in the lever..

And apart from these very minor inconveniences? Well, uh … Not much: the 3-cylinder still has all the advantages expected of a good motorcycle engine, to which Triumph adds remarkable sobriety since consumption is announced at "5.4 l / 100 km". At the end of our road test, the on-board computer indicated 5.6 l / 100 km: this moderate appetite therefore seems to be a reality.

Verdict: a perfectly controlled mutation

Offered at € 12,100 in the S version, the 2016 Speed ​​Triple does not charge much for its effective improvements since previously, the Hinckley reference roadster was exchanged for € 11,760, without traction control or driving modes and with a few less horsepower and newton-meters of torque !

On this subject, let us salute the work of the British engine manufacturers because increasing – even slightly – the performance of an engine while switching it to Euro4 is far from easy: most of the time, compliance with this new standard results in rather by a small decrease in mechanical vigor.

On the other hand, taking into account the quality of the equipment and the finish of the Speed ​​Triple, its price appears frankly reasonable: to compare for example with a Z1000 and a GSX-S1000 at 12 499 € (with ABS) or with € 13,060 claimed by Ducati for its Monster 1200…

At 13,800 €, the R version of the Speed ​​Triple 2016, with its splendid Ohlins suspensions, obviously plays in another court, the one where the S1000R (€ 13,500 without options), the Monster 1200 S (16,490 €), the Tuono V4RR 1100 (€ 14,650 and up to € 16,949 for the Factory version) and the monstrous SuperDuke R (€ 16,100).

Faced with these real "superbikes in thong", the beautiful Englishwoman will undoubtedly still lack a little "peps", the fault of her 30 hp, even 40 hp difference with the most (on) powerful. But the Speed ​​Triple will continue to oppose its natural class and its mechanical smoothness to them: so many advantages likely to seduce the pragmatic "gentleman rider", aware that 140 hp is more than enough….

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