Drive test – Triumph Speed Triple

Drive test – Triumph Speed Triple

February 20th, 2010

Russell

The Triumph Speed Triple is a street fighter without compromise. It’s fast and agile. It rewards competent riders but doesn’t suffer fools gladly. And that’s a good thing, exactly what a street fighter should be. And it’s not just my opinion, the buying public seem to agree. Truimph has sold them by the bucket load and it’s been a mojor contributer to the success story of the company.

Styling

The styling is certainly unique and it divides opinions. Onlookers either love it or hate it, there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. The bike does look very British with its chrome headlights and that’s excatly what attracts buyer. Why would you buy a British bike if it looked Japenese? Triumph has managed to keep the Speed Triple looking fairly similar since its introduction in the mid 90s. The so called “Bug Eye” twin headlights with retro feel chrome surrounds and the single sided swing arm have remained throughout the life of bike. The most significant change was of course adding nearly 100cc in 2005 taking the engine from a 955 to a 1050. Our test bike is the second generation of the 1050, which looks exactly like the older model and really only careful examination will reveal the differences.

One of the most common complaints relating to the earlier model was the way that the brakes faded particularly when stringing together a series of high-speed corners. The problem was actually rectified but you know the old saying, “give a dog a bad name” so the criticism has been addressed by fitting Brembo callipers. Other than that there are some minor styling changes.

Our test bike was painted matte black which of course is all the rage these days. I am so old though that matte black reminds me of bikes painted by hand in a shed so I’m not really a fan. The bike was fitted with a stylish pair of Arrow slip-ons, and they sound fantastic, although not too loud.

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On The Road

Modern bikes seem to be getting smaller all the time even though people in general are getting bigger. Riders that are used to being squeezed onto an oriental machine will aprreciate the roominess of the Triumph. Tall and wide riders, of which I am one, sit in comfort and yet the bike still feels agile on the road. A pleasant change from either having your knees around your ears or riding a bike that feels like a river barge.

The Speed Triple is exactly what a naked bike should be, a real street fighter. It has real power offering an exciting ride. Too many modern nakeds have been softened to the extent that they are boring. Not so with the Triumph. Its sporting intentions are clear when you look at the upside down forks, radial brakes and Magura handlebar. What you don’t get is braided brake hoses that are often a feature on more sports orientated Triumphs. That said, the Brembo stoppers do an excellent job and offer good feel.

Performance

On a high speed run at Gauteng altitude the Speed topped out at 237 km/h when it hit the rev limiter – in 5^th gear. Changing up to top saw the speed drop off to 230 so the gearing is fairly long and that’s not a bad thing. This is not the sort of bike that will be used flat out much of the time. The longer gearing offers a more relaxed ride particularly when cruising the open road. And the big triple 1050 motor has so much torque that it can pull the longer gear with ease. Surprisingly at max chat windblast was not really an issue, it certainly never leaves you feeling like you are clinging on for dear life. The bikeIt feels stable on the road and isn’t easily affected by cross winds. Even when riding the bike as if you were on fire, there is always the confidence that the Brebo’s will scrub off ecxess speed at the slightest tug on the brake lever.

Show it some corners and the bike will show you that in the twisties is where it really feels at home. Obviously the fact that Triumph have fitted good quality suspension components is a factor but the chasis is a real gem. If anything the front end feels a little bit light. It doesn’t compromise the excellent cornering ability, just the feel. Moving your body further forward solves the problem and if that’s not enough, the suspension is fully adjustable.

Commuting is a real pleasure. In common with most of the Triumph range, the three cylinder mill is one of the easist engines to use. It has torque right from the bottom of the rev range up to the top. The motor revs freely and there always seems to be power on tap. The riding position is upright enough to see a long way ahead and the wide bars make the bike agile enough to go for smaller gaps.

Desirability

Triumph has done a brilliant job of establishing the brand and has developed a loyal following. Triumph riders tend to be a passionate bunch and are not easily swayed towards other manufacturers. So if a Triumph rider wants a big power street fighter, chances are it will be the Street triple. That said, it is atractive and distinclty different from the competition. It is a bike that by its self has attracted several buyers into the Triumph fold.

Economy

Not the most fuel efficient model in the range, the Street Triple managed to consmue a little bit more than 8 litres per 100Km when pushed hard, although the optimistic fuel computer sugested 6. While the computer may be optimistic, the fuel warning light is decidily pesemistic. It lights up after using 13 of the availble 18 litres. Still, it gives you a resonable margin and it’s better than some bikes I have ridden that run out 10 k’s after the light come on.

Conclusion

Nakeds are the best choice for someone that wants a do it all bike. They work well on the track, the daily comute, the breakast run and even as a long distance tourer. The problem is that some are too much of a compromise and are a bit limp wristed. Not so with the Street Triple. It’s fast fun and a bit of a wild child. And yet when you want to ride to work it’s well behaved and easy to ride. The problem is that it’s so much fun that even on the way to the shops you won’t want to keep the front wheel on the ground.

Steve

Likes

Wonderful Torque from the triple motor

Noise

Performance

Dislikes

The matte black paintjob