Since its inception in 1994, the Speed Triple has been revered as the pinnacle of naked sport bikes. Itʼs this bike that coined the term ʻstreetfighterʼ to describe fairing-less sport bikes. The Speed Triple has had the perfect formula from day one: massive amounts of torque, steep, flick-able steering, amazing brakes and bare knuckled looks. This recipe has made the SpeedTriple a great seller for Triumph the past fifteen plus years. So when news came that Triumph was going to be making an ʻall newʼ Speed for 2011, everyone was excited, albeit nervous.

We talk a lot about track days, and there are quite a few people who ask us, "what are track days all about?". Track days are like any other motorcycle or scooter event that brings people together around one common interest, enjoying bikes! One common misconception is that track days are races. Well they are not.... Track days are the opportunity to ride a motorcycle in a controlled environment. It allows you to let go of all of the worries of cars not paying attention to you, or speed traps and redlight cameras while you improve your riding techiques. Imagine being able to ride your bike like it was designed to be ridden.

As we set out early Sunday morning, the temperature is lower than expected; 31* says my iPhone. The big Sprint is instantly comfortable for the first 75 mile stretch. The frigid weather however, is only amplified by the three or so inch too short windscreen that comes standard on the Sprint GT. The big Triumph’s ergonomics are what I consider a perfect blend between sporty and comfortable for long distances. Blasting down LA18 the bike was amazingly confidence inspiring even given the horrible century old pavement. The telescopic forks may not be high tech, but they are certainly sprung and damped very well and do an excellent job of disguising the 550 plus pounders’ weight. Same goes for the new GT’s brakes. ABS gives you a great mental safety net, but considering their axial mounting I was truly stunned by their power and feel. The levers for both clutch and brake are 4 point adjustable, and even with my XXL hands, they had to be adjusted to their closest position for my fingers to even reach. While the rearsets are in great position for athletic, yet relaxed riding, the passenger pegs seemed to want the same real estate my heels did.