The Speed Triple is the original British streetfighter and the R is the version worth having. The 1050cc inline triple produces 138bhp and 82lb-ft, and the 2016 update was a proper engineering job rather than a facelift, with over a hundred changes inside the engine including new cylinder head, pistons, combustion chambers and a revised gearbox. The result is more midrange, cleaner fuelling and that distinctive triple howl, part twin and part four, which nothing else sounds like.
The R specification is where the money went. Fully adjustable Öhlins NIX30 forks and an Öhlins TTX36 rear shock, Brembo monobloc radial calipers on twin 320mm discs, and a red subframe with carbon detailing. MCN rated the engine a full 5 out of 5 and value against rivals a full 5 out of 5, which is rare for a bike with suspension and brakes of this quality.
The 2016 bike also brought a proper electronics package for the first time. Ride-by-wire with five riding modes, switchable traction control and switchable ABS, cruise control. That makes it far more usable day to day than the earlier bikes while losing none of the character. This R variant on top of its standard high spec features Twin Arrow exhaust, R&G tail tidy, CNC levers, owners manual and service book with four stamps on record and two keys present.