Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR - A Modern Café Racer

After a fair bit of teasing, the wait is finally over, and we can see the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR for what it is – and what it is, is not that surprising.

Early on, we pegged the new “RR” model as a half-fairing, café racer inspired, variant of the Speed Triple RS – and that is exactly how one suscinctly describes the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR.

Built off Triumph’s new Speed Triple platform, the RR shares the same engine, chassis, and components as its RS sibling, but with a more retro-modern aesthetic.

This means a 178hp (132.4 kW) 1,160cc engine with a plucky 92.2 lbs•ft (125 Nm) of torque on tap at 9,000 rpm.

It also means that dual Brembo 320 discs with Stylema calipers will handle the duty of stopping the the 439 lbs (wet) motorcycle and rider.

Of course, the most obvious differences come in the form of the half-fairing aesthetic, which includes a round LED headlight at the front – doing away with the iconic bugeyes of the RS model.

More minor changes include a more tucked-in and sportier riding position, thanks to a set of clip-ons (135mm lower, 50mm forward) and a rearset position that is set slightly higher and farther back than on the RS model.

All of this makes the Speed Triple 1200 RR the more on-track and sport-focused variant in the three-cylinder lineup, leaving the Speed Triple 1200 RS to be the British brand’s premium-focused roadster model, with its more relaxed ergonomics.

Helping justify the $2,450 premium over the Speed Triple RS roadster, Triumph deemed it fit to put semi-active Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension on the Speed Triple 1200 RR – a nice upgrade over the RS bike’s mechanical Öhlins NIX30 forks and TTRX36 shock.

Electronics continue in the form of a beautiful 5″ color TFT dash, IMU-assisted traction control and wheelie control, cornering ABS, keyless ignition, and an up/down quickshifter.

While unsurprising in its offering, the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR nails the modern café racer look, and comes with plenty of burly grunt and high-sophistication. Not too shabby from the folks in Hinckley.

All told, the 2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR will hit dealers in January 2022 with a $20,950 MSRP, which is quite a pretty penny. Then again, the new Speed Triple RR is quite the handsome machine.