TRIUMPH STREETS & SPEEDS

How much difference does 285cc, 32bhp and 26 kilos make? And can you feel the difference made by fancy suspension? We asked Gary Johnson…

TT hero Gary Johnson gets to grips with Triumph’s Street and Speed Triples.

WE’RE AT MALLORY Park race circuit, seven miles from Triumph’s Hinckley factory, with two Triumph Street Triples, two Speed Triples, a TT winner and datalogger. The talents of rider Gary Johnson (Supersport TT wins in 2011 and 2014) have been noted by some of the other trackday riders as the Triumphs, box stock with mirrors fitted, slice respectfully past the more usual Mallory traffic. ‘Who’s riding these?’ asks a fellow rider, pointing at the parked up Triumphs, while we download data after one session. ‘Cos I don’t think he’s in the right group.’ Apparently it was the smoking rear tyre and sideways entry into the hairpin that gave it away. Street and Speed Triples are massively important bikes for Triumph. Speed Triples have been evolving since 1994 and have a cult following. The smaller Street Triples were introduced in 2007 and have been praised for entertainment and ability ever since. Picking between the two ranges is about choosing between the power of the Speed versus the agility of the Street. It’s made more complicated by the fact that there are several variants of both models. The bigger bike is available in an S version and a better equipped and more expensive RS model. While the 765cc Street comes in three spec packages, S (cheapest), R and RS. But there’s also an A2 licence compatible S, and a low seat version of the R. Confused? Us too. That’s why we’re at Mallory with Gary and the datalogger. What’s the difference between the bikes, and which one do you want? Gary knows Triumphs. His 2014 TT win was aboard a Daytona 675 and the factory get him along to new model launches. He’s straight into the electronics menu on every bike. ‘Let’s set them all to Sport power delivery, ABS off and TC on minimum.’ The reasoning? ‘I want them all the same for comparison, I don’t want the ABS triggering, but I want to see how far we can push before the traction control intrudes.’