Deciding which bike to buy between the
Triumph Street Triple RS & Speed Triple RS is
no easy decision. I’ve been going backwards
and forwards based on what they look like, and
my own ingrained preferences. However, being
given the opportunity to test both bikes back to
back this week has been a godsend in making
that choice. My initial thoughts before riding
both bikes were that I would probably prefer
the agile nature of the Street, but that I would
probably end up gravitating towards the
gruntier engine and power of the Speed Triple.
STREET TRIPLE 765RS
Sitting side by side, I prefer the look of the
Street. It’s slightly narrower, lower to the ground,
is more aesthetically pleasing and, for someone
who hasn’t ridden in almost 12 months, it looks
slightly easier to handle.
As I hadn’t ridden for a while, I took the Street
Triple out first... and I was impressed. Not only
is the bike agile, well-balanced and easy to
manoeuvre, the engine is really smooth
(smoother than I remember its predecessor
being) and has a stronger mid-range and gear
ratios, great for the likes of me ambling about
town. The old Street Triple 675 was an incredibly
playful wheelie machine (for some) but this new
version just feels much more serious and well
thought out.
For the type of riding I will be doing this machine
really is perfect, being narrow it’s easy to squeeze
between traffic when commuting to work and
the better gear ratio and mid range gives a
smoother ride. The Street is agile, fun and fast
– flicking the bike through the twisty backroads
around Kumeu and Riverhead just felt absolutely
effortless. I could almost feel it goading me,
asking me to give it more!
At 5’ 7” the seating position was perfect for me,
and it has definitely not lost any comfort in the
upgrade process since I rode one last. This bike
really is a great all rounder and you could use it
on the track, for touring or commuting with
absolutely no issues at all.
SPEED TRIPLE 1050RS
OK, time for the 1050 big brother. On my maiden
ride, I fell in love with the gruntier engine, and the
exhaust just sounds amazing. The acceleration is
stunning and in any gear it’s just willing you to
twist the throttle more. However, the ride
KIWI RIDER 61