Triumph Street Triple RS Test Ride Review

Riding Dynamics – This is an extremely agile motorcycle, right from the time you throw your leg over the saddle, you’ll notice how light it feels between your legs. With a dry weight of 166 kgs, this is an extremely light bike, to say the least. This grants it such tremendous agility and it absolutely loves being flicked from side to side, without it ever feeling like a task. Stability is at its best with this machine. It doesn’t feel heavy in slow-moving traffic and through sharp/tight corners. The chassis on the motorcycle is really tight and has the ability to communicate exactly what the wheels and suspension are up to. The Ohlins suspension that is a standard only on the RS does an outstanding job at letting you feel even the slightest undulations present on the road but never in a way that is bothersome. They are fully adjustable and specially designed for the Street Triple RS. They do a great job at maintaining a balance between comfort and composure.

I cannot stress enough on how agile this motorycle is, it feels like a quarter-litre

The Triumph Street Triple RS has a new Gullwing swing-arm. It increases longitudinal torsional stiffness while maintaining a decrease in lateral stiffness. This allows more high-speed stability as it grants a more natural resistance to compression of the rear suspension under hard acceleration. Coming to the front suspension, the RS comes with Showa’s Big Piston front-forks that unlike on the S, are adjustable for preload, rebound and compression damping. This makes the front on the RS feel a lot stiffer and rigid as compared to on the S. The RS trades full-out agility for some stability because as the front does feel stiff, it has improved greatly in terms of composure and high-speed stability. The riding posture on this machine grants you a fine balance between comfort on an everyday riding basis and those weekends you spend at the twisties or the track. There’s plenty of room on the bike to manoeuvre your body from side to side while cornering. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres are extremely sticky, the rubber we had on our test bike was a little worn out but that doesn’t stop these slicks from offering great grip.

Verdict – This is a great motorcycle, it fits my riding style perfectly and it’s a bike that even a laid-back rider can enjoy. In my opinion, almost every middle-weight motorcycle beyond 200 km/hr feels the same. The amount of windblast doesn’t let you enjoy this bike at high speeds, however, one thing I can promise you is that this is an absolute boon to ride, and the whole experience with this machine is nothing short of pleasurable. Is it worth the Rs. 3 lakh extra asking price over the S? Yes and no. For a rider that’s looking for just the weekend stint and daily commute, the extra Rs. 3 lakh asking price does not make a lot of sense, because, in that scenario, the Triumph Street Triple S will manage to deliver everything you expect from it. It’s only the seasoned rider or someone that really finds the additions found on the RS appealing enough to shell out that kind of money. The RS is fully loaded and is a very desirable machine. Its minimalist design makes it quite stealthy and lets it blend in traffic. This really is a capable machine and can give most higher capacity motorcycles a run for their money. For what it’s worth, I think the RS is totally worth the money and a wonderful all-rounder.

What’s Cool

* Good build quality and attention to detail
* Best brakes in the segment
* One of, if not, the best triple engine
* Level of electronics and safety nets
* Superb ride quality and handling
* Service and dealership network
* TFT screen is beautiful to look at!
* Headlamp illumination is great

What’s Not So Cool

* Does not have proper wind protection, too much windblast
* Price! Especially given the existence of the Street Triple S

Triumph Street Triple RS Specifications

* Engine: 765cc, Liquid-Cooled, 12-Valve, DOHC, Inline-3
* Power: 121 BHP @ 11,700 RPM
* Torque: 77.5 Nm @ 10,800 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed, Wet, Multi-Plate with Slipper Assist
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Frame: Aluminium Beam Twin Spar (Front), 2 Piece High Pressure Die Cast (Rear)
* Suspension: Showa 41 mm USD Big Piston Forks (Front), Ohlins STX40 (Rear), Adjustable Preload and Rebound
* Tyres: 120/70/17 (Front), 180/55/17 (Rear)
* Brakes: 310 mm Dual Discs (Front), 220 mm Disc (Rear), ABS

Triumph Street Triple RS Dimensions

* Length x Width x Height: 2065 mm x mm x 1085 mm
* Wheelbase: 1410 mm
* Ground Clearance: mm
* Seat Height: 825 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 17.4-litres
* Kerb weight: 166 kgs

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