When Triumph reintroduced the Speed Triple in 2021, fans of naked sportbikes around the world were treated to a new generation hyper-naked machine that carried the refinement of the British brand, while dishing out an extensive amount of power. Although the previous generation of Speed Triples, with its 1,050cc triple, was already an impressive machine, it's clear that Triumph outdid itself with the new 1200.
Not long after the release of the Speed Triple 1200 RS, Triumph dropped a bombshell with the launch of the Speed Triple RR. This bike not only signalled Triumph's return to the world of sportbikes, but was. also a one-of-a-kind machine in a sense that no other neo-retro sportbike exists in its displacement category. With all that being said, it's clear why the new Speed Triple series is experiencing success in multiple markets, and why so many aftermarket and tuning companies have made these bikes the subject of their products.
Indeed, just like most other bikes in Triumph's lineup, there exists an extensive aftermarket for the Speed Triple 1200, with a variety of performance-oriented upgrades on sale from various manufacturers. We've talked about Italian exhaust specialist Zard's offerings for this bike before, but this time, Zard is bringing the bike's performance to the next level with an aftermarket ECU designed specifically for the Speed Triple 1200 running a Zard full-system exhaust.
The launch of the new Zard ECU upgrade for the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS and RR was reported by our friends over at Italian motorcycling publication Motociclismo. Further digging into Zard's official website and product range for the Speed Triple reveals that the product has yet to be listed on their official website. According to Motociclismo's article, however, the ECU upgrade, or Impulse Control Unit, is designed to unleash the full potential of the Zard racing exhaust systems.
Out of the box, Triumph's 1,160cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, three-cylinder engine already produces an impressive 177.5 horsepower and 88 lb-ft of torque. Chances are these numbers increase slightly with the ECU upgrade, with power and torque being optimized across the rev range. Naturally, Zard hasn't released the entire spec-sheet of the ECU upgrade just yet, so we'll have to wait and see exactly what Zard has to offer.
