TRIUMPH Street Triple R ABS
This month i have mostly been… “Rejoicing in the return of the bike we know and love!”
The last time I rode this bike, it really didn’t conform to the normal natural ability of what we’ve come to expect from the Street Triple R. A problem with the steering head bearings reared its ugly head, along with a few other issues, making the bike a of a shadow of what it should be.
But after taking it back to the Triumph HQ for a coat of looking at, it’s returned full of beans with its faults remedied. It turns out that the steering head bearings were indeed tight, so they’ve been sorted and now the bike steers as beautifully as intended.
The chicken strips that the bike once had are now on their way out. Chicken strips aren’t just a sign of a nervous rider, if a bike isn’t happy on its ear then these telltale signs will always emerge on the tyre’s shoulder. That’s what happened before, and with over 2,000 miles on the clock the ST-R should have shed them by then. At least now the steering has had its fluidity returned it won’t take long to destroy them.
I also questioned the bike’s power, as the bike was reticent to perform stunts with its usual enthusiasm. Now I know the bike has a smart new Arrow can on that’s been plucked from the Triumph catalogue and prised straight on, but the way in which the front wheel rose on demand was sweet – almost too sweet as I had to resort to the back brake for only about the second time in my wheelieing career. It was if the bike was taking its frustrations out on me! The Arrow can isn’t the cause of this verve, but it certainly looks and sounds a treat.
The dyno doesn’t lie, and this bike is punting out the power it should. So it was me at fault, being too shy with the throttle rather than the bike being lacking. It’s true that the MT-09 is more enthusiastic in this endeavour at lower revs, but once the knack has been found it really is hard to fault the ST-R on one wheel. Its balance is amazing and once you pop, you can’t stop!
On the flip side of this, so to speak, the functionality to turn the ABS off has now been allowed. We’re slowly growing to ABS’s charms in the cold and wet, but modern tyres these days really don’t need any electronic help at this time of year.
Triumph also added a flyscreen and some crash protection, which both work as you’d expect. The Street looks as if it was born with this all on, such is the
All told, the Street Triple R is back with a bang from Triumph...”
integration with these official parts. If you’re looking to buy a bike, then these little extras should also go on – and are a neat little negotiating tool for you to do a deal and feel like you’re getting something out of it.
All told, the bike is back with a bang for me. It’s only because we have such high expectations of the ST-R that we were so critical of the small faults found. Given I have to ride 120-miles a day, there are few bikes that I’d rather ride than this. Now it’s sorted it can’t fail to put a smile on my face. The ZX-6R is quicker cross country, no doubt, but it’s the Triumph that provides the entertainment. Like Al, I am worried for my licence at times on this bike, but once everything is back on two wheels and travelling at a legal speed it looks as if butter wouldn’t melt in this bike’s combustion chambers. Result!