Bike Files: Triumph Street Triple

What started out as a budget roadster has become a legend of the Triumph range. 

What’s the story of the Triumph Street Triple?

The story of the Street Triple arguably goes all the way back to 1994, when Triumph launched the first Speed Triple. Perhaps just a hotch potch of other models from the Triumph range, the café racer was an instant hit. It morphed into a streetfighter styled machine in 1997, with a distinctive pair of bug eye headlamps and high handlebars.

When the middleweight TT600 came out a few years later, Triumph’s engineers ripped off the fairings to create the Speed Four (as it had four cylinders) and this was replaced by the first Street Triple in 2007. It was a stripped down version of the Daytona 675 sportsbike and has actually outlived the model upon which it was based.

Tell us more…

The first Street Triple 675 was a pretty low budget bike, as was the case with naked middleweights of the time (think Bandits and Hornets).

The Daytona engine was detuned and had some cheaper internal components; the steel handlebars, basic brakes and non-adjustable suspension were all a bit low rent, but it took the styling cues from the Speed Triple and looked distinctive at a time when most middleweights were a bit bland.

It was competitively priced and was a proper hoot to ride, thanks in no small part to being based on the seminal Daytona 675. It was a massive success and led to a host of new derivatives.

Like?

The first Street Triple R arrived the year after the standard model, with alloy ‘bars and better brakes and suspension from the Daytona. The model continued to evolve alongside the Daytona for a decade, until 2018, when a brand new Street Triple became a standalone model and the Daytona 675 started to get phased out.

^{Street Triple 765 is a wheelie good bike.}

And this takes us to the Street Triple 765?

Yes, the third generation Street Triple, which was introduced in 2018, is the basis of current version. It’s now got a bigger, 765cc, engine with more power and multiple spec levels. The top spec RS was absolutely dripping in all the latest technology and rider aids, and even donated its engine to the racers in the Moto2 World Championship.

So they’ve got the same engines as Moto2 bikes?

Yes. The Moto2 engines have some modifications from standard but aren’t significantly different to the ones you can buy from a Triumph showroom. Moto2 rules mean the teams buy their own race chassis and then are randomly allocated one of the sealed Street Triple engines.

They make around 140bhp in race trim and can lap just a few seconds off a full blown MotoGP bike at most circuits. It’s an impressive power plant.

^{RS is a track bike minus the fairing.}

So what’s the Street Triple like as a road bike?

Street Triples have always been massive fun. The three cylinder engine is full of character and has been the bike’s signature right from the beginning. It’s feisty, but not as intimidating as a super naked like a Yamaha MT-10 or even Triumph’s own 1200cc Speed Triple.

The accessibility of the Street Triple is one of its greatest strengths. It’s affordability, lowish weight and a not-too-tall seat height. The entry level S model dropped out of the range, with the lower spec Trident 660 taking over the budget roadster role, and (at the time of writing) the range consists of the R and RS levels of specification.

Both have high levels of equipment, with the RS running the kind of Brembo brakes you’d normally find on a superbike. Triumph run this bike in the World Supersport racing championship (clad with the fairing of a Daytona 675, it’s complicated…) and it is fairly competitive alongside bikes like the Ducati Panigale V2 and Yamaha R6. That shows you the kind of level of performance of the 765.

So is the Triumph Street Triple a sports bike?

The world of motorcycling has changed a lot in recent years and sporty nakeds have taken over from faired supersport bikes as the sporty bikes of choice and we’d definitely describe the Street Triple 765 as a sports bike – albeit one which is very usable and manageable on a day-to-day basis.

The engine is still legendary and the electronics are a level beyond what you’d expect, but it’s the chassis which really exceeds expectation. Fully adjustable suspension, sporty geometry, high grade stoppers and super sticky tyres combine to put a massive smile on your face when scratching around but around town it makes sense too.

The upright riding position is relatively comfortable while tech like cornering ABS and rider modes make it a machine for all conditions.

^{Ohlins rear shock is among the RS upgrades.}

What’s the difference between the Street Triple R and the Street Triple RS?

They’re quite similar, but the modifications to the RS make it more sporting. The RS has an extra 10bhp (128 v 118bhp) over the R, and more aggressive geometry (slightly taller seat, shorter wheelbase…), better suspension and better brakes. It also gets stickier tyres and a bigger TFT dashboard. They might look the same, but there are quite a few differences. The R is a sporting road bike, while the RS is essentially a supersport machine sans fairing.

^{The R is a near perfect naked.}

What other bikes should I consider as alternatives to the Street Triple?

It’s a very competitive marketplace and the Street Triple is up against some serious rivals, like the Ducati Monster, KTM 890 Duke and Yamaha MT-09. All have their own distinct characteristics and charms, and the Street Triple can hold its own against any of them.

A British bike that’s best in class!

It’s certainly a bike that can hold its own against anything else out there. It doesn’t scream ‘Brit bike’ like Triumph’s modern classic models (like the Bonneville and Scrambler) but as a motorbike flying the flag for UK engineering on the roads and tracks of the world, it really is a machine which makes us proud to be British.