Triumph Speed Triple

Triumph’s best-selling Speed Triple range is set for a hefty makeover.

The new bike features a raft of changes the British firm will be hoping will be enough to keep the Speed Triple and higher-specification Speed Triple R able to fend off the competition in the naked bike class. The Speed Triple range can be directly traced back to 2005 when a slightly different bike was launched.

Since then the bike has seen mild tweaks and changes while all around it the naked bike class has been evolving. MCN’s road testers still rate the Speed Triple as one of the best road bikes in the class; its lack of power when compared to 160bhp bikes like the class-leading BMW S1000R. The three-cylinder engine has fantastic road manners and an engine note that still finds fans and for many the lack of electronic riders aids (apart from switchable ABS) appeals to many.

What we can see is a bike that has been given a set of styling and engineering tweaks to freshen up the design of a bike that can be traced in almost every regard back to the bike that was launched in 2005 and has barely been changed since. It appears this bike is the standard Speed Triple model but has been given a specification upgrade in terms of the brakes with the fitment of the Brembo brakes from the current R model to replace the lower specification Brembo radial calipers. The Showa forks from the standard bike are still in place.

We don’t really know the exact details of the specification changes we can see here because this bike is still 18 months away from being officially revealed MCN understands. This gives Triumph plenty of time to work on the smaller details and motorcycle firms often use a mish-mash of parts while bikes are testing as they are simply the ones that are at hand and fit.

One of the biggest changes to the bike remains one of the most mysterious in the form of the centrally-mounted air intake above the twin front lights. We can definitely see Triumph has added a ram-air system to the 1050cc three-cylinder engine and this would only have been done to boost power and overall efficiency. The ram-air scoop can be seen to run from above the front lights and then into a new headstock casting section which then attaches to the existing frame design. This is a cost-effective way of boosting power to the engine and only making the minimum of changes to the bike to allow the routing of the ram-air scoops.

Triumph never comments officially on spy shots taken of bikes before official launches so we can only estimate what improvements to power and torque can be expected but we reckon on power going up to around 140bhp from the current 133bhp with a corresponding lift to around 85ft lbs from 82ft lb currently.

The importance of any changes to the Speed Triple cannot be overstated for the British firm because the bike remains a big seller. In light of this it’s not hard to see why Triumph is apparently not making huge changes to the bike but the conservative nature of the tweaks to the bike may disappoint some who have been hoping for a much more radical overhaul.

Triumph insiders have told MCN this bike is an interim machine to tide the firm over while it works on a completely new bike which is many years away from showrooms as it has only just been started. Triumph has recently moved to refocus the work it is doing on the core of motorcycles which have come to be so integral to the modern history of the firm owned by John Bloor. Triumph has officially stopped work on a new single-cylinder 250cc range of bikes and has also recently closed a separate off-shoot called Trident Powersports which, after years of work, had now ceased to exist and all work in setting up a leisure sports division has been canned.

MCN understands a lot of work is underway at Triumph to give the current range of motorcycles a complete modernizing overhaul and the Speed Triple, along with the smaller Street Triple is going to be integral to that but we understand this bike will be revealed in finished form towards the end of 2016 for a 2017 model year release.

Before this bike comes along there will be an anniversary model launched called the Speed Triple 94 which will celebrate the 20 years since the bike was first launched. For now, Pete's Cycle is proud to carry this bike!

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2015 Ducati Superbikes

The 2015 ducati ‘panigale’ range adds four new models to its superbike family; the 1299, the S and R, and 899 panigale. the bologna-based motorcycle firm’s ’1299 panigale’ builds upon the engineering and design solutions introduced with the compasso d’oro award winning 1199. for starters, it is more forceful and responsive than the previous model, boasting a torque value of 144.6 Nm at 8,750 rpm and a maximum power of 205 hp at 10,500 rpm. this is all possible with the 1285 cm3 superquadro engine which has 116mm pistons that are being used for the very first time on a supersports road bike.

Pete's Cycle is excited to be a Ducati dealer. Starting this year, Pete's Cycle will be carrying a great selection of Ducati models. We hope to see you soon in one of our locations once we roll out these new Ducati bikes.


3/4 view of the 1299 panigale
image © designboom

The ducati ’1299 panigale’ has a dry weight of 166.5kg and even with this high power to weight ratio, the latest generation motorcycle is easier and safer to ride thanks to the company’s corse department’s innovative solutions. with the monocoque chassis that has a steering head angle of 24° to guarantee increased cornering agility and how the fork pivot is 4mm lower to allow increased rear traction, exemplifies how safety has been improved.


side view of the ducati 1299
image © designboom

These are not the only features that benefits the red with black wheel rims bike’s performance, so too do; the ducati quick shift that now also works during down-changing, the engine brake control and the ducati wheelie control. the design improves aerodynamic penetration and thus the overall riding statistics with a wider nose fairing and more protective windshield, and the divided-in-two tail fairing.


image © designboom

Introduced with the ducati ’1299 panigale’ and ‘panigale S’, was also the ‘panigale R’ which is the homologated base for its world superbike machine – essentially making it a road-legal race motorbike with indicators and lights. it is fitted with the 1198cm3 superquadro motor that boasts titanium intake and exhaust valves and rods, two-ring pistons and an extremely lightweight crankshaft which is balanced with tungsten inserts. this makes the ‘R’ capable of a torque value of 136.2 Nm at 10,250 rpm and a max power of 205 hp at 11,500 revs/minute.


3/4 front view of the panigale R
  
The 2015 collection is completed with the supermid version ’899 panigale’ that creates a product for those desiring a part within the exclusive world of high performance ducati racing. with this said, the two-wheeler is not just for supersports and engineered for the track, it is also a sophisticated streetbike. the ’899 panigale’ is available in two color schemes; the red with black cycle rims and the arctic white with red disk rims. designboom was present at the live launch of the ducati ‘panigale’ range that corresponded with the 2014 EICMA in milan.




the ducati panigale S




the 899 panigale whilst racing




the ducati CEO claudio domenicali (center in gray) surrounded by the design team, motoGP drivers and show dancers
image © designboom

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