The First Speed Triple was released in 1994 with an 885cc engine borrowed from the first Daytona 900, mounted in a steel tube spine frame, wearing a single round headlight. The bike had a brisk performance with 98 hp on tap and offered nimble handling.
In 1997, after the T309 Triples, the British maker launched a new generation of fuel-injected machines named the T509 Speed Triple. The bike was entirely redesigned from its predecessor and packed an 885cc engine with a SAGEM management system.
The T509 model was built on a new lightweight aluminum perimeter frame with a single-sided swingarm and an upgraded suspension system. In addition, the bike was designed by John Mockett and Rod Scivyer.
In the visual department, the bike had standard features, such as a twin round headlight system, a two-piece dual seat with an optional passenger cover, a three-into-one exhaust system with a silencer mounted on the right side, and three-spoke lightweight aluminum wheels.
Underneath its fuel tank, the 1997 Triumph Speed Triple T509 had installed an 885cc four-stroke three-cylinder liquid-cooled engine fed by an electronically controlled fuel injection system, delivering 98 hp at 9,000 rpm and 85 Nm (63 lb-ft) torque at 6,700 rpm.
The bike's wheels were fitted with two 320 mm discs coupled to four-piston calipers on the front and a 220 mm disc with a dual-piston caliper on the rear, offering excellent stopping power.