New price £6,220
Engine size 675cc
Power 107bhp
Top speed 141mph
Insurance group 14

Triumph’s standard Street Triple mixes Speed Triple style with the tech of a Daytona 675 engine. It’s light, fast, fun, agile, stylish and cool… and it just got even better. The ‘R’ version comes with fully-adjustable suspension and fiercer radial four-pot Nissin front brakes, making it the perfect bike to tempt UK riders away from their sportsbikes. Triumph have been planning this uprated version since the launch of the standard Street Triple, so it’s no after thought. If you’re looking for a high-spec middleweight that blows the competition away, the Street Triple R is in a class of one.

Engine: The 675cc, 12-valve three-cylinder motor is unchanged from the standard Street Triple, with peak output staying at a healthy 107bhp at 11,700rpm. This is 16 ponies less than the Daytona 675, but offers more than enough power to keep most riders entertained. Torque remains the same as the standard model also at 51ftlb, which it makes at 9100rpm. The 675cc lump is a gem and stands up to any task, from town riding to back road thrashing. The problem is that it sounds so good at full throttle it could get you into trouble!

Ride And Handling: The standard Street Triple is a very nice handler, but the R version is even better. 41mm USD forks and piggy-back rear shock are from Kayaba and are both fully adjustable, so you can set the bike up to suit. Compared to the standard Street Triple the forks are shorter and the shock is longer and firmer, pitching you over the front more and giving a more aggressive riding position. It also results in a slightly taller seat height, up 5mm on the standard bike. Steering lock is slightly limited, but at only 167kg the bike is a lightweight and easy to manoeuver.

Equipment: The Street Triple R is a naked bike in the true sense of the word, so there’s not a lot of unnecessary clutter. It comes with Magura handlebars like its big brother the Speed Triple (although the shape is the same as the standard Street Triple). The instrument panel features analogue tacho, digital speedo and clock, lap timer and gear indicator, plus a series of gearchange warning lights.

Quality And Reliability: Some recent Triumphs, including the Daytona 675 have had questionable reliability and durability, which is why we haven’t given it a 5/5 rating, but overall none of this should put you off if you’re considering a Street Triple R. It has some nice touches and good quality parts as standard.

Value: At £6220 you’re paying a premium for the ‘R’ tag, since the already good Standard Street Triple is only £5399 and represents very good value for money. For the extra dosh you get full adjustable suspension, magura handlebars and a new seat cover. It is better, but is it nearly a grand better? If you like to venture on track occasionally and push the limits, then you’ll probably find it is. At nearly £1000 less than a Daytona 675 it sits neatly between the two bikes as a great compromise for those who want to have their cake and eat it.

Insurance: Insurance group: 14

Model History: 2007: Triumph Street Triple launched.
2008: Triumph Street Triple R launched.

Other Versions: Standard Triumph Street Triple, features more basic suspension and brakes, plus lacks Magura handlebars.

This article was taken from: Motorcycle News

This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 8:41 am and is filed under Classic Bikes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.