• Published On: 24 February 2017
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Triumph’s Street Triple naked gets an update.

How do you make something that’s really good, even better? Now, that’s a question that Triumph Motorcycles would have had to answer when updating the brilliant Speed Triple – pretty much the best middle-weight naked bike you can get your hands on.
The 2017 model is soon to hit Triumph showrooms in India, and it promises to be even better than the bike it replaces. Here are the first impressions on the range-topping 2017 Street Triple RS (the 'RS' stands for Race Sport).
On the outside
For a start, isn’t the new bike tougher and a lot more aggressive in the way it looks? The stance is so much more planted, and the bug-eyed headlights have been replaced by a more serious-looking twin-light setup.
Another highlight is the all-new, and highly customisable, 5.0-inch TFT screen that makes you feel like this is a bigger, more powerful superbike and not a middle-weight naked.
This range-topping RS model comes with a really advanced electronics package that you can adjust as per your preferences. What you get are five riding modes – Road, Rain, Sport, Track and a programmable Rider mode – and an ABS system that can be tuned as per you liking, which should make it suitable for a wide range of bikers.
From the saddle
The bike’s frame is the same as the older model, but is now suspended on a new Ohlins rear shock and top-of-the-line Showa Big Piston Forks. This setup is a treat to ride on good roads, and lets you control the bike really well. However, such a stiff suspension may not be the best configuration for our bad roads.
What’s really nice is that the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres that the bike runs on work marvellously, irrespective of the road conditions. That said, it would be wise to warm up the tyres before you plan on riding the bike hard on damp or wet roads.
The Street Triple RS’s ABS-assisted Brembo brakes work quite wonderfully as well. You can even adjust the levers in a host of ways, and can also set the amount of bite and lever travel.
The bit that really steals the show is the bike’s 765cc in-line three-cylinder motor. It’s a modified version of the Daytona sports bike’s 675cc engine which, thanks to the bigger displacement, makes more power and torque. There’s 123hp on tap, and this is one easy engine to use. Crack the throttle open on an open stretch, and the bike responds in a crisp, especially in Sport and Track mode. The gearbox has been revised to make it easier to able around in city traffic, and also to be more useable when riding hard. Another nifty feature is the quick shifter, which lets you shift gears without using the clutch. Speaking of which, the clutch is nice and light to use, and the slipper clutch cuts in to prevent the rear wheel from locking up when you downshift hard from high speed.
The list of impressive stuff on the bike is quite long, among which, you can’t miss the way the bike steers. It’s the right balance between aggressive and easy-to-ride dynamics. This being a naked, however, wind blast inevitably becomes quite noticeable once you cross 130kph. But it’s nothing that an aftermarket windscreen can’t fix.
Is it worth the money?
If first impressions for this bike could be summed up in one word, the word would be ‘brilliant’. Where the last bike was absolutely lovely, with the latest Street Triple, Triumph has really pulled off a game changer. It’s nimble, and is extremely easy to ride for a wide range of bikers, which makes it a great motorcycle. Also, this time, Triumph will be locally assembling it, which should make the Street Triple range more affordable than before. Expect the S and R versions to hit showrooms first, while the top-end RS version will follow later.