Triumph Moto2 debuts – and we can't wait for 2019

We had lots of exclusives and debuts of the world’s newest bits of kit at the 2018 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, and one exciting UK first look that made its way up the hill with the bikes is the stealthy all-black Triumph Moto2.

Perhaps the biggest bit of news coming from the world of two-wheeled fever doesn’t relate to the premier class of MotoGP, but instead the intermediate big-leagues feeder class of Moto2. It’s a class which is braced for a new dawn, with the bigger, nastier sounding three-cylinder 765cc Triumph engines set to replace Honda’s CBR600RR platform.

The news broke earlier in the year and got the bike world talking big time, firstly because it’s the biggest shake up in Moto2 since the class turned its back on the 250cc two-strokes in 2010. And secondly, because the early reviews of the Triumph Moto2 and its 765cc triple have been resoundingly positive.

Having watched the bike make its way up the hill during the weekend, we can confirm that the British triple sounds phenomenal. The idea of having a full grid of Moto2 boys with their throttles pinned back heading towards turn one fills us with a warm fuzzy feeling. 

The race specification Triumph 765cc Moto2 engine, based on the powerplant that fuels the 2017 Triumph Street Triple RS, has been developed to allow the engine to breathe more freely and rev harder than the production bike, increasing overall performance, along with a host of other tweaks and tweaks which explains the angry snarl we’ve fallen in love with.

Added to the beautiful acoustics, increased power and a bucket full of added torque – which riders will feel as a marked improvement from the departing Hondas – for the first time ever, the new platform will also see Moto2 running traction control and autoblippers. All very good stuff.

Taking the Triumph up the hill at the weekend on its debut UK outing were four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty and two-time Isle of Man TT winner Gary Johnson. If these two heavyweights of the bike world are having a blast on it – which they most definitely are – we’re pretty confident the Moto2 world is in for one hell of a treat in the 2019 season.

See you at the start straight come round one of next year’s FIM Moto2 World Championship. 

Photography by James Lynch.