CHARLIE TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “Sharing my toys.”
It was not without some hesitation that I headed back to Hinckley to re-acquaint myself with the RS this month. The Street Triple R had been some servant and though lacking in a couple of areas in comparison to the RS, most prominently a quick-shifter, the second best offering in the range had presented itself as a very real player within the Street Triple family.
The RS had had a week off Fast Bikes duties as Triumph had fitted numerous accessories from their catalogue and lent me the R to play with while the work was carried out. This had given me a chance to run the R on the dyno and look at the two directly in comparison giving interesting results in delivery; the R being better in the midrange but lacking at the top end. What is for sure is that the additional grand you invest in the RS gives you a far wider package than the R, but even if you don’t drop that additional wedge you still get a superb machine complete with a stunning 765 engine.
On arrival at Hinckley I swapped in one set of keys for another and they wheeled out the RS pristinely presented in a state of showroom sparkle that ironed out any wrinkle from the 3,000+ miles achieved to that point. I had dropped in the RS with a number of requests, firstly was the obvious need for crash protection.
Something I should have done numerous miles ago and at a cost of just £128 isa mere drop in the ocean for what damage can be done without them. As past experiences have proved, the manufacturer’s own aftermarket protection is perfect, built to complement the design of the bike in question. The sleek and aerodynamic frame protectors in particular add to the styling and give a solid base for any potential mishap on the road or track.
The small screen adds a little more aero-dynamism to the front bikini fairing and you do feel an amount of benefit from the wind being forced a few more degrees upward. In the end though this is still a naked and you have to accept being buffeted about at speed. Then there’s the new tail-tidy that just needs the middle section taken out to really do the job and finally the exhaust can, which is by far the most expensive add on at £615 and one that I am still undecided on. As the RS came out in its immaculate state it emphasized the size of the stainless steel collection box on the Arrow addition, something that maybe the road dirt had hidden on the OE fitment. This distracted from the titanium wrapped silencer with carbon fibre end cap which is stunning (damned Euro 4).
I need to re-dyno the RS with this new pipe though and that will come in the next issue. Then I can really ‘judge’ the new pipe. Suffice to say it does add a pleasing rasp to the engine which is nice to have. The unanswered question is on the potential enhancement of performance in the midrange as demonstrated by the R. This will be addressed when Al returns the RS from its adventures (in this month’s core test – Naked attraction (p24). Full marks for the RS with little criticism, though I know the top end test chaps will have tried hard to find fault to balance the verdict. The fact they haven’t speaks volumes, the bar end mirrors and dipped beam being the only recorded foibles, and I can live with that. Pretty sure that you could too.