Triumph Upgrades Speed Twins for 2025, 1200 RS Takes Center Stage

What two machines would that be? The Speed Twin 1200 and the Speed Twin 1200 RS, of course, the bikes Triumph is selling as part of the Modern Classics lineup. And they both received not only styling upgrades, but also performance ones.

I'll start with the things the two bikes share by telling you that they use the same engine. That's a liquid-cooled parallel twin SOHC powerplant from the Bonneville range. Unlike what the engine offered before, the new version adds an extra five horsepower.

That may not seem all that much, but it brings to total power levels to 104 horsepower. Torque levels are impressive as well, and they stand at 112 Nm of torque. To match the increased power, both two-wheelers are equipped as standard with optimized cornering ABS and traction control.

Design-wise, the two motorcycles share a lot of things, many of them new to the range. The British bike maker revised the side panels to make them simpler and to better integrate with the throttle body covers.

The engine cases, more angular than before, are new and they come in powder-coated black. The round headlight at the front of the two-wheelers is now of the LED variety and comes with its own daytime running light (DRL) signature.

The seat on the Speed Twins has been revised as well, and it now presents itself as shallower and better defined, and comes with a napped finish with stitching details. The narrower front end of the seat is there to make the stand over position of the riders easier.

Triumph also devised new LCD and TFT screens for the bikes, which now adopt a circular dial design. The screens support turn-by-turn navigation and phone connectivity, for which they rely on a USB-C charging socket.

2025 Triumph Speed Twin 1200
The bike known in the world as the Speed Twin 1200 has been around for quite some time now, and slowly cemented its position as a fan favorite. For the new model year, the upgrades target everything from the chassis to the way the bike looks and feels.

First up, the ride got 43 mm Marzocchi forks at the front and a twin rear suspension from the same brand. All the suspension gear now rocks remote reservoirs, and the shocks come with adjustable preload.

Compared to the version that came before, the new Speed Twin 1200 provides handlebars that are higher and moved further forward. Braking power is ensured by means of Triumph-branded radial calipers and 320 mm discs, while Metzeler Sportec M9RR tires make the connection to the ground.

The styling of the bike brings a well-deserved refresh. The bike flaunts a two split-color graphic on the tank, spelling out the number 1200, with the tank itself painted Crystal White or Carnival Red on the upper side and a Sapphire black bottom. This approach makes the tank look shallower and longer, just like the new raked lines and deep front cutouts do. A new flip-up filler cap has been installed up there as well.

2025 Triumph Speed Twin 1200 RS
This version of the bike is the more sport-oriented member of the family, and as such one of the main things that separates it from the simpler version is the riding position. Also, its rear end is a bit more raised than in the standard version, and the seat height is slightly higher as well.

The handlebars on this model remain the same as before, but the footpegs have been raised as well and moved further back.

This bike rests on Ohlins rear suspension gear and uses Brembo calipers instead of Triumph ones. The tires that wrap around the new cast aluminum wheels (in a seven slim spoke design with a turbine pattern) are of the Metzeler Racetec RR K3 variety.

The Speed Twin 1200 comes as standard with two riding modes, Road and Rain, but the RS adds a third one, the Sport, which once engaged “sharpens the throttle response and optimizes the traction control settings.”

One of the most important things this bike brings to the table is the availability of the Triumph Shift Assist. This tech is used thus for the first time on a Modern Classic, and it will only be offered on this version. The system is there, as the name says, to allow quickshifting when such a thing is needed.

Triumph is offering the 1200 RS in two color choices, namely Baja Orange and Sapphire Black. Regardless of the choice made, customers will get RS decals in gold to match the anodized suspension components.

Triumph says the two new Speed Twin 1200 models will become available at dealers across the world starting in December 2024. But we already know for how much each of them will go: the Speed Twin 1200 will sell in the U.S. for $13,595, while the more potent RS version will retain for $15,995.