By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Hyper Naked
Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 (ZD4KZ-Factory) vs Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RX (MY2025)
Roll on the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 in Race mode and it's hooked to the gas, yet you're still metering it with your wrist. Full power on the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RX lifts the front, and the steering damper's already reading the throttle. The chassis doesn't squirm; it stays pinned flat.
So which one do you buy?
The Speed Triple 1200 RX has the edge if…
Daily commuting & city riding
Nose ahead: Speed Triple 1200 RX
Your daily ride leans slightly toward the Speed Triple 1200 RX. What tips it: friendlier manners and simpler maintenance. Fit and price can easily outweigh that.
Sporty riding on twisty roads
Inches ahead: Speed Triple 1200 RX
The Speed Triple 1200 RX is a touch more fun when the road starts bending. Just a touch.
Character, looks and sound
Small edge: Speed Triple 1200 RX
On sound and soul, the Speed Triple 1200 RX comes out a touch ahead. Most of that is a purer look and more engine character. Your own eyes and ears outrank this verdict.
What makes each one tick
Tuono V4 1100
Behind its small screen, the Tuono wears more plastic than a naked bike usually carries. If the appeal of a naked bike is seeing the mechanical guts of the thing, the Tuono will frustrate you. Turn-in is immediate, and the front tire keeps talking as it settles onto its line through fast sweepers. There's no wallow in quick transitions. Its exhaust barks a deep V4 note.
Nils rode the Tuono V4 1100 in Hungary and Italy in 2021 (NastyNils Testride).
Speed Triple 1200 RX
The Speed Triple's tiny flyscreen doesn't keep the wind off you. At full throttle on a long straight this is a fistfight with the atmosphere. From the saddle this reads as a motorcycle designed as a naked from the ground up. The bars drop and the pegs rise, yet there's still room for an average-sized rider to shift weight. At the brake lever, the Öhlins fork dives only as far as you've asked it to in the menu, and it keeps recalculating without a twitch. In hairpins, the damper lets the bar swing free.
Nils rode the Speed Triple 1200 RX in Portugal in 2025 (NastyNils Testride).
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The Speed Triple 1200 RX has the lower wet weight: 445 lb (202 kg) vs 461 lb (209 kg).
- The Speed Triple 1200 RX makes more peak torque: 94 lb-ft (128 Nm) vs 89 lb-ft (121 Nm).
- The Speed Triple 1200 RX has the larger engine: 1160 cc vs 1077 cc.
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Not built for this
Both of these get tiring on a long day. A proper tourer will treat you better on big miles.
Look at track days and you'll find two bikes doing the same job equally well. Fit is what breaks the tie.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
Tuono V4 1100
Strengths
- Throttle You Can Actually Feel
- Rear Steers You To The Apex
- Faster Without More Horsepower
- Slim Tank, Real Room
- Planted Through Fast Sweepers
Trade-offs
- Too Loud For Long Days
- More Plastic Than A Naked Wants
- Runs Hot In City Traffic
- Soft, Uneven Low-Rpm Power
- Build quality below class standard
Speed Triple 1200 RX
From Nils' own saddle time
Strengths
- Triple pulls with authority
- Quicker than you expect
- Suspension tuned by feel
- Steering damper reads the road
- Everyone climbs off grinning
Trade-offs
- Clip-ons dull the playfulness
- No wind protection at speed
- Wheelie control stays conservative
- Tight knee room for tall riders
Known problems to check before you buy
Tuono V4 1100
- High coolant temperatures and overheating tendency at low speeds The Euro 5 Tuono runs very hot in slow city traffic and when idling at traffic lights, because the radiator and fan cannot shed enough heat without steady airflow. Coolant temperature climbs into the warning range and stays high until the bike is moving at a sustained pace again. Owners report having to switch the engine off during long stops to keep temperatures under control.
- Dog wear in 3rd and 4th gear with intensive quickshifter use With frequent quickshifter use under full throttle and high rpm, the dogs in 3rd and 4th gear wear faster than normal. False neutrals then occur between 3rd/4th and 4th/5th gear. Aprilia has hardened replacement parts available for 3rd and 4th gear. The problem has been documented since the V4 platform and is also confirmed for Euro 5.
- Valve guide failure requiring cylinder head replacement An exhaust valve guide in the rear cylinder can work loose or detach, resulting in substantial loss of cylinder compression during leak-down testing and severe engine power loss resembling an electronic limp mode.
- Noticeable power deficit and uneven throttle response in the lower rpm range The Euro 5 mapping causes a measurable power gap below 5,500 rpm. Throttle response at 4,000-5,500 rpm feels uneven/pulsating. When transitioning from 5-15% throttle to closed throttle, the engine can react jerkily. An Aprilia Race Map or Rapid Bike tuning kit largely resolves the problem.
- Soft paintwork, scratch-prone surfaces, corroding fasteners The paintwork is described as extremely scratch-prone — without adequate clear coat. Graphics/decals in some areas have no clear coat and are quickly damaged by stone chips. Fasteners and washers (particularly mudguard mountings) are not stainless and show early corrosion. Body panels do not fit precisely and have visible panel gaps.
Speed Triple 1200 RX
No confirmed faults on file yet. That's not the same as fault-free.
What they share
- Cooling
- Liquid-cooled
- Gearbox
- 6-speed
- Final drive
- Chain
- Front tire
- 120/70-17
Where the spec sheets split
| Tuono V4 1100 | Speed Triple 1200 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 32.5 in (825 mm) | 32.5 in (826 mm) |
| Wet weight | 461 lb (209 kg) | 445 lb (202 kg) |
| Tuono V4 1100 | Speed Triple 1200 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 1077 cc | 1160 cc |
| Engine | V4 | Inline-three |
| Power | 175 hp (129 kW) | 180 hp (135 kW) |
| Peak power at | 11,350 rpm | 10,750 rpm |
| Torque | 89 lb-ft (121 Nm) | 94 lb-ft (128 Nm) |
| Peak torque at | 9,000 rpm | 8,750 rpm |
| Top speed | 168 mph (270 km/h) | 162 mph (260 km/h) |
| Tuono V4 1100 | Speed Triple 1200 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel capacity | 4.7 US gal (17.9 L) | 4.1 US gal (15.5 L) |
| Tuono V4 1100 | Speed Triple 1200 RX | |
|---|---|---|
| Rear tire | 200/55-17 | 190/55-17 |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
The full story on each bike
Buyer's Guide
Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 (ZD4KZ-Factory)
The V4 Apex Predator
Buyer's Guide
Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RX (MY2025)
Triple Force, Track-Ready Naked