Quick Ride: 2008 Triumph Speed Triple

Getting Better All The Time

The Beatles Said It Best

By Steve Lita, Photos by Bob Feather

The Speed Triple deserves another look. We reviewed the 2007 model just last year, and to the untrained eye it appears to be unchanged for 2008; however, if you assumed that, you would be disappointed in your eyes and what they missed. Now in its 14th year of production, there are a host of styling refinements to refresh what many consider the granddaddy of factory streetfighters.

But first, what didn’t change? The 1050cc DOHC 12-valve, fuel-injected, three-cylinder engine that powers the Speed Triple remains unchanged for 2008. Whew, thank goodness. The namesake engine provides great bottom-end torque and a strong midrange surge, all of which is delivered to the rear wheel via a smooth-shifting six-speed transmission. Peak power is 131 bhp at 9250 rpm while peak torque of 77 ft-lbs. arrives at 7550 rpm (crankshaft measurements). Triumph’s Keihin ECU offers what I like to call intuitive throttle response.

A rigid, aluminium frame wraps around the engine and provides rigid strength with geometry that offers quick and nimble steering. The suspension is comprised of fully adjustable, upside-down 43mm forks and a rear monoshock at the single-sided swingarm rear. The oval-shaped twin silencers are stubby and mean-looking.

Better Bits

The first things I noticed in the 2008 upgrade were in the brake department. The front brakes now use a Nissin radial master cylinder with a 19mm piston lifted from the Daytona 675 sportbike. Brembo radial calipers, with four 34mm pistons and four sintered pads, clamp onto new 320mm discs that have a lower, unswept area and a new hole pattern to improve heat dissipation. Compared to the old Speed Triple system, the braking power has been increased by 14 percent, with initial bite increased by 12 percent. There are no changes to the rear brake system.

You’ll note the wheels are a new design, seven-spoke alloy unit. The new wheel has 5-percent reduced inertia, which helps bike agility. Depending on the production run, either Dunlop Qualifier or Metzeler Sportec M3 tires will be on those new wheels. The forks sport a new black-anodized finish with new lower castings for the radial brake calipers, but there is no change to the fork innards. Up on top of those forks is a Magura tapered aluminium handlebar, with a stout 4mm wall thickness, shaped specifically for the Speed Triple. Riding position is exactly the same as the 2007 model Speed Triple. The bars are shot-peened for strength, shot-blasted, then silver-anodized. Also, new risers are burnished and clear-anodized.

Body Building

Up front, the headlights were recontoured with new shape bowls. New radiator shrouds clean up the appearance of the bike a bit from last year’s model, and the engine area in front of sprocket cover has been groomed with the addition of a cable guide to cover up fuel tank breather/drain hoses and some electrical cables. Some trim parts were lifted from the Speed’s little brother Street Triple. For example, the instrument cluster case and signal lights are the same arrowhead design.

The rear end of the Speed Triple has quite a few changes: a brand-new sub-frame and battery box, polished stainless steel heat shields, and ball-burnished-aluminum passenger footrests to give the pillion rider 50mm more legroom. The plastic body panels are new, and the LED taillight is taken from the Daytona 675 sportbike, but with a clear lens. The rider gets newly designed heelguards and seat. The shape of the rider’s section is flatter, making movement forward and backward easier, and the shape of the pillion section is also flatter and slightly longer to give the passenger more comfort.

The Triumph accessory list is over 40 items long for the Speed Triple and includes an Arrow full-race exhaust system (for, ahem, off-road use only), fat handlebars, belly pan, rear hugger, and a host of carbon-fiber goodies and bolt-ons.

As you may have gathered (and will soon learn from the next sidebar) the Triumph Speed Triple is a longtime RoadBike staff favorite. I’ve always liked the Speed, and long for one of my own. Everyone on staff who rode our black beast fell in love with it, and why not? The Speed Triple is one of the best naked standards on the market today. Now with improvements for 2008, it keeps getting better all the time (and I’ll bet you have that song in your head right now). RB

Triumph Accessories

Fly Screen Kit

Fly Screen Kit Carbon fiber

Sprocket Cover Carbon fiber

Upper Chain Guard Carbon fiber

Lower Chain Guard Carbon fiber

Knee Panels Carbon fiber

Tank Pad Carbon fiber

Oversized Handlebar Gold or black

Riser Kit

Arrow 3-Into-1 Race Exhaust System

Arrow Slip-On Silencers Pair

98 dB Restrictor

Frame Finisher Footrest mountings

Frame Finisher Silencer mountings

Frame Protectors Carbon effect

Anodized Axle Nut Covers Black

Anodized Brake Reservoir Front and rear

Grab Rail Kit

Gel Seat

Magnetic Tankbag

Tailpack

Heel Guards Anodized black or carbon fiber

Rear Hugger Kit Textured black or carbon fiber

Hose Guide Kit Carbon fiber

Front Mudguard Carbon fiber

Cush Drive Cover Carbon fiber

Dust Cover or All-Weather Cover

Alarm System

Chain and Sprocket Kit

Service Manual

Radiator Cowls Anodized black or gold, carbon fiber or color coordinated

Bar End Mirror Anodized clear or black

Silencer Heatshields Carbon fiber

Seat Cowl Kit Color coordinated or carbon fiber

Belly Pan Kit Color coordinated

Trish’s Turn

After riding thousands of miles and having my coworkers chase me down a dark alley to pry my steel grip from our tester 2008 Speed Triple, I realized that the time had come to let the others ride my monster machine. I’d finally found it. The motorcycle of my dreams, and now it was being taken away.

You may remember my somewhat sketchy review of last year’s model in our Oct. ’07 issue. Partly due to lack of time in the saddle, but mostly because of some obviously necessary upgrades to it, I didn’t immediately fall in love with the bike. I saw the potential in a wonderful package — trademark, hooligan, streetfighter looks; comfortable seating position, threatening exhaust note, and a mighty powerful engine — everything one looks for in a naked road bike. The biggest fault I found with the Speed Triple was what had plagued it for many of the 14 years of its existence: a too-light, vague-feeling front end. Well, squash that thought in your memories. The 2008 Triumph sports some new components that will make your heart thump for joy, firmly plant this powerhouse, and give the rider some much-needed stability.

The improvements for the 2008 model begin with black-anodized Showa 43mm upside-down forks with dual-rate springs, adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping, and 120mm of travel. Fitted with a tapered, anodized-aluminum Magura handlebar, the front end is further complemented with twin high-spec Brembo four-piston front brake calipers and a radial master cylinder. Rubber meets the road on restyled alloy multispoke wheels. Other styling changes include a redesigned radiator shroud, new rear sub-frame and bodywork, clear-lens LED taillight, repositioned pillion footpegs, and a reshaped seat.

Besides the everyday, 64-mile commute to work, I chose the Triple to take on my five-day journey to Americade in Lake George, New York, this year. Packing was tricky, as traveling on this naked Triple doesn’t give you many luggage options. The heat shields on the exhaust don’t cover the hot pipes fully, and I was leery of using soft saddlebags for fear they would burn through. When I removed the seat, I found four tabs that can be positioned to stick out from the rear portion of the seat for use as bungee points. (I also discovered a small toolkit and the manual tucked away neatly in an underseat compartment.) So, using a tailpack and tankbag, I made do.

I was quite happy with my choice of ride for the trip. After long days in the saddle, my rear end was sore, and my legs needed some stretching. But the real euphoria is carving the twisties on the new Speed Triple. As the corners approached, I found sliding over on the saddle, lowering my head and body, and sticking my knee out all came pretty naturally.

I truly fell madly in love with this black stallion; the thick matte frame cradling that powerful 1050cc engine; the forward stance of the muscular bodywork atop the bulging front fork tubes. It’s the ultimate dream ride for street-riding speed freaks like me. Hey, Triumph, sign me up for the next Speed Triple promotional plan. —Tricia Szulewski

2008 Triumph Speed Triple

List Price $10,299

Engine Liquid-cooled, three-cylinder

Valvetrain DOHC 12 valve

Displacement 1050cc

Bore x Stroke 79 x 71.4mm

Compression Ratio 12.0:1

Fuel System EFI

Mfr Horsepower 131 @ 9250 rpm (crank)

Mfr Torque Rating 77 ft-lbs. @ 7500 rpm (crank)

Transmission Six-speed

Final Drive Chain

Overall Length 83.3"

Wheelbase 56.2"

Rake/Trail 23.5 degrees/3.3"

Seat height 32.1"

Fuel Capacity 4.6 gallons

Dry Weight 416 pounds

Warranty 24 months

2008 Colors Jet Black, Fusion White, Roulette Green, Sapphire Blue