Triumph’s Street Triple RS offers an impressive chassis, electronics and engine package. However, the RS is not exactly affordable and falls in a price bracket that might be too big a hurdle for many. This is where the R comes in, giving buyers a taste of the accomplished RS.
The first thing you will observe about the R is that the ergonomics are quite aggressive for a naked, and it will take a few minutes to get used to how high your feet sit. Something else you will notice is that the seat is narrow near the fuel tank and it also slopes upwards at the back, so you constantly have to readjust yourself.
Like every other Street Triple, the R continues to be welcoming, and it feels light on the move and not very intimidating. The bike does not shoot ahead at low revs and the bi-directional quickshifter works as expected.
The R makes the same torque figure as the RS, and at 118hp — it is down by just 5hp. Its engine runs a slightly lower compression ratio and Triumph also says that it uses a different crank shaft.
What also remains the same is that it is missing that low-end urgency you would want from a bike in this segment. The bike is pretty quick, but it feels quite mellow below 6,000rpm. Things are far more exciting when you keep the bike in the hotspot of its powerband. It is at this point that you also get the best soundtrack, where the engine hum gets a bit louder, but the mean intake howl overpowers it.
- Engine 765cc, 3-cyls, Liquid-cooled
- Max Power - 118hp at 12,000rpm
- Max Torque - 79Nm at 9350rpm
- No of Gears - 6
- Weight - 168kg (dry)
- Wheel base - 1405mm
- Ground Clearance - 160mm
- Seat height- 825mm
- Fuel Tank capacity - 17.4 litres
- Front Suspension - 41mm USD fork
- Rear Suspension - Monoshock
- Front wheel (inch) - 17
- Front Tyre - 120/70
- Rear wheel (inch) - 17
- Rear Tyre - 180/55
Despite having one of the lightest kerb weights and shortest wheelbases in the segment, the Street Triple R feels exceptionally stable on the highway. The fully adjustable Showa SFBP fork and monoshock did feel firmer than the old Street Triple S, and more like the suspension you will find on the RS.
The suspension is also one of the best setups at its price point, from a sport-riding point of view. While it is firm, the adjustability will give the rider the ability to fine-tune it to their weight and liking.
As for the brakes, the Brembo M4.32 monobloc calipers are not as mighty as the M50s on the RS, but they do offer a wonderfully powerful, immediate and sensitive feel. As for the four riding modes, there is not a huge difference to be felt.
The Street Triple’s design has become iconic. Over the years, the headlights went from being round to what has become an almost triangular shape. As for the bodywork, it is still quite scanty, but a lot more aggressive.
In typical Triumph fashion, the bike is put together really well: there are no abnormal panel gaps, the welding beads on the frame are near perfect and there are no exposed wires. The new rear-view mirrors look like works of art.
The most obvious visual differences between the R and the RS are the lack of a belly pan and the digi-analogue gauge in place of the fully-digital display. The former is something the bike could have done with, but the latter is not bad. The digi-analogue gauge shows you all you need to know.
Triumph has to be given credit for the Street Triple R’s price tag of ₹8.84 lakh, almost ₹2.5 lakh cheaper than the top-spec RS. It is more expensive than the new BS6 Z900, but costs significantly less than the BMW F 900 R. This sport-naked is for you if you want something refined and versatile, yet incredibly quick.
