Euro Cycles of Daytona sends me out on their 2020 Triumph Speed Triple RS.
Every relationship has its share of "rockiness", right? If you spend real time together, and your lives are intertwined enough, then you're sure to have to deal with a bit of grief from time to time. Well, just like with a spouse of many years (I'm speaking figuratively here, because of course my wife is perfect. Hear that, honey?), my relationship with Euro Cycles of Daytona has had a lot of good days peppered with the occasional rough road. I have done a lot of business with them over the years, including having work done to many of my bikes and my father's bike, having purchased parts and gear, and even having consigned a couple of bikes through them. Most of the time, our interactions have gone quite well, but I have had cause to get a little pissed off on occasion. We won't get into the details here, so let's just say nothing was egregious enough to keep me from going back there.
It always boils down to that they mean well, and management does its best to keep you happy. Not only that, the place is like Cheers ( For you youngins, Cheers was a TV show about a bar where everyone knows everyone else and it is amicable and familiar.), every time I walk in there I get a warm "hey Norm!" vibe from all of the long-time employees.
Such was the way it went on this one particular day when I brought my 2015 Ducati Diavel in for installation of a fresh new Perelli Rosso III front tire. I had brought the bike to service and then wandered around the shop, waiting for the job to be completed. I am neurotic about scratches and about having my bike returned to me blemish-free, so I always stress "take your time" to the service department as I walk away from the bike. I expected to be there for a while. So there I was grabbing a complimentary diet Coke when Huel, the GM came out of his office. We exchange the obligatory "how's things" and "what's new these days?", and then Huel drops an offer on the table.
"Hey... How'd you like to test ride an RS?", he askes. "Uh...yeah..OK!" Why the hell not? Any opportunity to test ride a bike I have never ridden is an opportunity that I will gladly take.
He says to compare it to my Monster 1200 R. Both bikes sit squarely in the naked bike category, so it makes sense to keep the Monster in mind while I head out on the Speed Triple. Huel adds... "Good... this way no one will get in a rush working on your bike and go scratching anything." He topped that off with a sideways smirk. Huel then sends me over to Mike, the sales guy, to get the papers signed.
Mike preps the 2020 1050 Speed Triple RS... this one has an Arrow full exhuast system factory installed.
Mike gets the bike all squared up, and we go over the details. How to start it, how to stop it, and how to navigate the dash and riding modes. Then Mike hands me the keys.
"Don't come back too soon," he says.
II'll tell you, if I've ever been annoyed with this place, it hasn't been for long. What more can you ask from a motorcycle dealership? First, the unsolicited offer of a test ride (even when he knows I'm not currently in the market for a new bike), and then the offer to take it out as long as I want! I have been buying motorcycles for decades now, and I have never experienced a dealership as willing to let you actually test what you want to buy the way Euro Cycles does. I have had the pleasure of test riding a few bikes out of there, and as long as they have a demo version of the bike you want, you can take it out for half the day if it suits you. Another great aspect of how this dealership does things is that they don't feel the need to chaperon you while you test ride the bike. They say "Go have fun!". There is no better way to experience a bike you are considering buying short of getting to ride a friend's.
Strange looking, but definitely a beast. As my friend Cheryl said, it reminds me of Jeff Goldbloom and the movie the Fly. Not quite as mean and nasty looking as a Monster 1200R or particularly the new Superduke 1290 R. Probably a little love it, or hate it.
So, Anyway, on to the experience. As Mike walked back into the dealership, I thumbed the ignition and prepared to get going. The first thing I noticed was the very special deep and guttural exhaust note. Those Arrows sing to you, and they make you want to start moving, for sure. As I settled into the seat and took a handful of the bar set up, I was quickly comforted by the mostly upright and relaxed seating position. It was not as upright as the Diavel I rode in on, but very much like my Moster 1200 R. A Quite comfortable, but still a tad aggressive naked stance.
The Speed Triple has been a legend in the naked arena for years now. I don't know the history exactly, and that's not so much what this review is about, but I can tell you that I have long heard of the Speed Triple when talking shop with anyone about the modern naked bike options. I have always avoided trying it just because looks are a big part of the motorcycle experience for me. I've never liked the "bug-eye" look of the Speed Triple. However, I can say that I like the updated look of the Street Triple for 2021, so if Triumph was to do that to the Speed Triple, it would make the bike look a lot meaner to me.
The baby sister of the Speed Triple... the 2021 Street Triple. Love these bug eyes. Kinda reminds me of this guy:
So, I rolled off and headed across the bridge to A1A. The bike felt very good right off the bat. Throttle response felt precise. It felt surgical, really; not at all sloppy or slow to respond, but also not too aggressive. I'd say it was just right. As I crossed the bridge, as anyone from the area will tell you, all you can expect is traffic. As you go from Main Street onto A1A, there is nothing but congestion. Between the slow-moving cars and pedestrian beachgoers all over the place, there is nowhere to go fast. As I merged onto A1A Northbound, I had to just feather the clutch and keep my eye on the prize. I was headed for the Tuskawilla Preserve, otherwise known as the Ormond Loop. The "Loop" is a section of road that carves through some of the most beautiful wilderness in Central Florida... Marshland preserved for fishing, wildlife watching, and great riding. So, I chugged on in eager anticipation.
The bike was great in traffic, honestly. Some powerful bikes are always begging for that higher rev range, and punish you by lugging you to death in low RPMs. This bike did not do that. Much like my Ducati Monster 1200 R, it behaved quite well at low RPMs and did not make me feel like I needed her to go faster. She just took it easy, and I spent most of the time hanging out in second gear... with the occasional short trip to third.
Finally, traffic opened up, and I had a chance to whack the throttle open. Man, was that sucker responsive! She just took off. That claimed 86 ft-lbs of torque felt a whole lot like my Monster's 95 ft-lbs as her tire took mighty hold of the asphalt. That dual overhead cam in-line triple motor was smooth as silk as well, and the factory quick shifter was flawless in its action. After just a short stint, I had to slow down as I prepared for a left-hander into the preserve.
As I executed that left turn, I was immediately met by a raised bridge. That thing has to go up from time to time to allow boats to cross via the Intracoastal Waterway. So, I took the opportunity to adjust my mirrors a little better and examine the dash and ride modes. One gripe I have with the bike is that the ride modes are only designated by pictures, so I had no idea what I was doing while trying to navigate them. It did cross my mind that I probably should have asked about that while getting my pre-ride instructions, but alas. I guess I was too excited to think about it at the time. Also, this would not be an issue if I was buying the bike because if I was I would be privy to an owner's manual. However, it was annoying at the time.
Pretty pictures make up the ride mode menu...
Finally, the bridge returned to the ground, and it was time to proceed. After having the privilege of riding behind Miss Daisy at ten miles per hour under the speed limit, I got clear by making the first left. Having sacrificed some nice tight twisties behind the convertible encapsulated octogenarian, I was excited to see some clear road ahead of me. Darting down the road under the beautiful canopy of lush, verdant, Tuskawilla preserve, I had the chance to feel how nimble the RS was designed to be. This bike is a tour de force in balance and seeming weightlessness challenging that of a true modern sportbike. For a naked, this sucker is quite surprising. I have to say that my Ducati Monster 1200 R is also quite nimble and has impressed me on many occasions, but I might have to submit that the Speed Triple feels lighter and simply a little more agile
The Ormond Loop... can't argue with this!
Reluctantly, I stopped to take some pics for this review. I just did not want to get off of the thing. By the time I got back on, and started moving, I got the call via my Cardo Packtalk communicator that my bike was ready. So, I had to head back to Euro Cycles of Daytona to return the Speed Triple RS, and collect my Diavel. As soon as I ended the call, I realized that the half a tank I had left with, was now down to empty, and the fuel light was on. That was fast, I thought.
I did what I could to get out of the loop as fast I could without losing my license or ending up in the marsh. Boy, did I have a good time finding my way out. I just really marveled at the weightlessness of the RS.
When I got back onto A1A, I looked down and realized that there were some droplets all over the top of the tank. I immediately understood that they were coming from the front brake reservoir, and so I ran my hand around the edge of the cap. Lo and behold, the cap was leaking. Not good... mainly because the paint on the tank is matte, and you can't buff out brake fluid corrosion from matte black paint. Oh well, I wiped it off as best as I could and kept moving.
You can see the smears from the brake fluid in this pic, but I also noticed this paint cracking around this bolt. That's a bad sign considering this bike has less than 1100 miles on it.
I got to the gas station and proceeded to fill up the tank. The thing filled very fast, making me think that maybe the fuel sensor was not working correctly. Maybe it was reading low when it wasn't. That would also explain why I seemed to run down so fast in the first place. It would not be the first time I've seen a fuel sensor not working correctly. I have had to replace the fuel sensor on my 2015 Ducati Diavel twice, had to replace the fuel sensor on my 2017 Ducati XDiavel inside 1000 miles, and my buddy's Aprilia Caponard's fuel sensor failed as well. I've also heard countless tales of faulty sensors on Facebook groups aplenty.
I filled up and started up the bike. The fuel gauge was still reading low with the light on. So, I completely shut the bike off and turned it on again—same thing. Dash reads low fuel with the fuel light on. I finally said, "fuck it" and rode off knowing that I had a full tank. It took about four to five miles before the fuel gauge started to register more fuel. It crept up to about a quarter of a tank at first, then to just under full about another mile down the road.
All-in-all, dang; I was impressed with this 2020 Triumph Speed Triple RS. Whether you like the looks or not, there is no misunderstanding the mythos surrounding Triumph's flagship naked bike. Huel tells me that for 2021 Triumph built a 175 hp 1200cc Speed Triple to upstage this 145 hp 1050. He also said he'd call me when he gets a demo. All I can say is that I sure hope he does. That thing will be a game-changer.
Thanks, Huel, for the opportunity.