Triumph Speed ​​Triple S against Suzuki GSX-S 1000 in comparison test

Posted on by admin

Triumph Speed ​​Triple S against Suzuki GSX-S 1000 in comparison test

Ruffians

Content of

The Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, the cult roadster from Great Britain, enters the show stage and encounters Japanese resistance in the form of the Suzuki GSX-S 1000. Let the games begin!

I.In the nineties there was a lot of junk on TV. But that one cartoon series was really really cool! It was about some kind of family clan full of bullies. Each of them had their own special skills. One guy was called "Kamikaze" and his favorite saying was: "Adrenaline – the best cure for boredom!" Then there were explosions and action-packed stunts. When this hero showed up, things went round. It would have fit like a fist in the eye if the guy had rushed to his adventures on a powerful bike every now and then. Maybe with a Triumph Speed ​​Triple, the epitome of a strong machine, symbol and mother of all street fighters.

Triumph Speed ​​Triple S against Suzuki GSX-S 1000 in comparison test

Ruffians

GSX-S 1000 on the "Mission Adrenalin". Which machine would suit the hero better? The Suzuki is conceptually close to the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S and makes a wonderful bully. On to the fight against boredom, Kamikaze would probably say now!

Old hill climb the ideal place for this test

When you arrive at the test site, you can already taste the gasoline aroma in the air. We are on an old hill climb. The black stripes on the asphalt give it away. Quickly put on the knee slider and straighten the wild skull leather jacket – off you go! As the newer motorcycle, the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S first sets the pace. She quickly will go up the winding route. With its large-volume three-cylinder, it pulls strongly from the rev basement after the bends and accompanies the whole thing with hoarse barking from the two mufflers. It sounds robust and yet fine, but is perhaps a little quieter than the previous model. British reluctance? More like Euro 4.

The revised Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, which in this case stands for the standard model, has got a narrower radiator and a larger catalytic converter. Your raised rear silencers look more filigree than before and should even be a bit lighter. The engine, which was eleven years old in its basic design, received extensive changes – a total of 104 modifications. New cylinder head, piston, crankshaft and camshafts included. In addition, revised combustion chambers, more compact throttle bodies, new injection nozzles and a redesigned airbox. On top of that, an e-gas with various driving modes and traction control was installed. Triumph specifies a stable 140 horses, which corresponds to an additional output of five hp compared to the previous model. The test run, however, does not produce more than 134 hp, which seems realistic. So brutal power is not the hobbyhorse of the old three-cylinder, even after the modernization. Nevertheless, with the torque of the big triple, it thunders out of every corner on the rear wheel without any problems. It doesn’t look like boredom!

Four against three of a kind

The Suzuki GSX-S 1000 is still running as a Euro 3 model. Your four-cylinder sounds more aggressive and louder than the triple of the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, which also reflects the essence of the Suzuki. The engine revs up quickly and easily, the drive is really lively. However, the four-in-line needs speeds beyond 8000 rpm to really stand up to the Triumph engine. Above this mark, the engine from the old GSX-R 1000 K7 gives its all and marches angrily. Officially, Suzuki speaks of 145 hp, our test bench even finds 157 little horses. The difference in performance compared to the Speed ​​Triple is huge there.

Consequently, Kamikaze would have to resort to the Suzuki GSX-S 1000. But it’s not all evening yet. The Triumph Speed ​​Triple S scores points in terms of handling and can set additional accents. Keyword seating position. The ergonomic triangle made up of a wide handlebar, seat padding and the arrangement of the footrests is perfect for the sporty driver. You can feel the front wheel very clearly and find solid lateral support on the tank when cornering. The lean angle fits, at least here on the mountain nothing grinds and nothing keys. You could mill up and down the pass for hours, the grippy Pirellis literally bite into the asphalt.

Arturo Rivas

Of course, no tray was stolen from a branch of a well-known fast food restaurant for this recording.

One of the strengths of the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S is its balance. The machine does not drive as precisely as a super sports car, and it is also not a miracle in terms of handiness. But when the pilot thirsts for increased adrenaline supply and cocks the tap, the Triumph does it without any problem. You don’t have to force it into a bend, nor does it stand up when braking, and despite the lack of a steering damper, it hardly ever twitches with the wide sail rod.

The throttle response is quite gentle, and load change reactions are within limits. Atypical for Triumph, the transmission can be shifted smoothly, but with a clean detent. You have to change gears often due to their short gradation. In the course of the model revision, the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S got a new shift mechanism, gear wheels and a new anti-hopping clutch. OK then. The rear wheel normally stays on track – but the adrenaline drifts on a mission!

Suzuki GSX-S 1000 places its pilot lower

The Triumph Speed ​​Triple S would not have deserved the name bully if the Suzuki did not come in exactly at this point. Despite the courageous effort, she can’t prevent the Speedy from receiving more praise. You don’t sit very sportily on the Suzuki GSX-S 1000. It places its pilot lower, and the lean angle is less than with the Triumph. Due to the high and slightly too short handlebars, you don’t get a lot of pressure on the front wheel, everything seems less active. When braking in a curve, the Suzi braces itself slightly towards the driver via the front wheel. Overall, it does not behave as neutral as the Speedy, is less full and tends to be nervous.

The special specification tires, with an outdated 50 mm cross-section at the rear, will play a role in this. Your spring elements respond quite insensitively, although the fork is still okay. On the other hand, the shock strut reaches its limit under tension on rough roads and passes hard blows to the driver’s trousers. The fully adjustable Showa chassis of the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S works well as a compromise between sport and comfort, cushions a lot more than the shock absorbers of the Suzuki GSX-S 1000. In the upcoming model revision, hands should definitely be given . In this overall concept, the GSX-R motor is almost too powerful for the naked bike when the power of the drive is exhausted. On the drive, the hard throttle response in the lower speed range is still a problem, especially when coasting.

ABS and traction control can be switched off on the Speedy

A weakness is equally apparent on the hill climb in both ruffians. If you anchor heavily with the front brake, it is better not to brake with the rear. It can happen that the ABS systems then incorrectly assess the situation and open the brakes. With the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, the ABS and the new traction control can be completely switched off, the Suzuki GSX-S 1000 only allows the latter.

Triumph offers four different electronic programs (Rain / Road / Sport / Track), selectable via a button on the left end of the handlebar. The settings for ABS (Off / Road / Track), traction control (Off / Rain / Road / Track) and engine mapping (Rain / Road / Sport) are preset in these programs. In addition, there is a "Rider" program in which all parameters can be freely combined with one another. The PS tip falls on the "Track" program, which allows wheelies and drifts with late control ABS. Caution, rollover is possible! The traction control of the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S can hardly be intervened at this level on the public road. In sport or road mode, it intervenes much earlier and pleases with fine control quality. But wheelies are prevented. The pure function of the Speedy electronics is well thought out, it works flawlessly. By the time you check the setting options and their operation, you will have gray hair.

Three-stage traction control on the Suzuki

The Suzuki GSX-S 1000 is simplicity. There is a three-stage traction control. Level one regulates sporty (PS tip!), Two offers a nice safety backup and three takes away all power when the gas is pulled up. Almost a rain mode. Control quality of the system? Fine. Wheelies? Only possible with deactivated TC. Service? Very easily via a switch on the left end of the handlebar.

We will probably never find out which machine Kamikaze decides on in the end. The cartoon series was discontinued ages ago. We are of the opinion "TV sucks" anyway and stick with the advice "Ride your Big Bike!"

Technical specifications

Arturo Rivas

The universally popular biker greeting is gaining acceptance even among ruffians.

Here you can see an extract of the technical data. If you would like the complete measurement values ​​determined by us, including all consumption, torque and acceleration values, you can buy the article as a PDF for download.

Test result

Arturo Rivas

Fits straight away. In the saddle of the Triumph, the pilots can expect a top workplace with a clean knee on the tank, which has shrunk to 15.5 liters.

Max. Points

Suzuki GSX-S 1000

Triumph Speed ​​Triple S.

drive 100 73 80 landing gear 100 71 81 Everyday life and driving fun 50 30th 33 Total 250 174 194 placement   2. 1.

Here you can see an excerpt from the MOTORCYCLE rating. If you want the complete evaluation, including all criteria, you can buy the article as a PDF for download.

Conclusion

Arturo Rivas

Cult roadster from Great Britain: Triumph Speed ​​Triple S..

1. Triumph Speed ​​Triple S.

Speedy isn’t on one because she’d be the worse bully. Rather, it brings victory on points. The facelift marks the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S a little sharper, gives it a finer polish. The greatest virtue is its enormous balance, and the overall package is convincing.

2. Suzuki GSX-S 1000

At Suzuki there is a lot of power for relatively little money. However, this engine deserves to do its job in an overall more sophisticated concept. The Suzuki GSX-S 1000 loses the driving behavior and the rather poor equipment.

Related articles

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *