InfoMotori has grabbed the first images of an undisguised 2013 Triumph Street Triple. Changes? Well the frame, motor, suspension and controversially attractive headlights all appear to remain unaltered while big changes come to the exhaust, swingarm and tail. That pretty much addresses what scant criticism we were able to conjure up on the 2012 Triumph Street Triple R. :continue:
Out here in LA, we’ve got a lot of bikes coming through our respective garages. Fancy stuff too. Grant’s riding a Diavel this week, Sean’s on an Aprilia and I just got my hands back on the Daytona 675R. But even with that kind of dream garage, there’s very few motorcycles that we wish would stick around permanently. It’s always surprising which bikes those are too. The 2012 Triumph Street Triple R doesn’t make nearly 200bhp, doesn’t have traction control and doesn’t even wear Ohlins badges on its suspension. But, even without all that, it’s still the closest thing to a perfect motorcycle we’ve ridden.
Photos: Grant Ray :continue:
You hear them, on Sundays, before you see them. Stomp Grip, frame sliders, DOT race tires and open exhausts. Locked away six days a week while their riders suffer through workaday routines in ties and SUVs. Purpose built race bikes used on the roads as dedicated canyon carvers, their lifetimes often limited to a few laps of a single road, the way there and back, and maybe a cafe before or after. It is what they’re made for, these race replicas — replicating racing on the road — and it is fun, as taking risks, breaking laws and going fast always will be. But need your kicks be reserved for that one day out of seven and need your bike be capable of only a single task? Could this latest generation of naked sportsbikes, exemplified by the Honda CB1000R and 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, present a third way?
Photos: Grant Ray :continue:
Our friend JonB pinged us yesterday — “New job, new season, time for a new bike. What should I buy? HFL should do a buyer’s guide.” Good idea. Here’s 11 motorcycles you can afford that will make 2011 a summer to remember. :continue:
The first shots we brought you of the 2012 Triumph Street Triple and 2012 Triumph Street Triple R weren’t terribly large and were a little fuzzy. Took us a while to find someone at Triumph capable of sharing larger, better shots, but here you go. Like nearly every gallery image published on HFL, these are more than large enough to be saved as wallpapers. :continue:
The big story with the 2012 Triumph Street Triple isn’t the new headlights or the fact that Triumph’s making a big deal about the non-R getting the R’s aluminum handlebars (the only “mechanical” upgrade). No, the big deal is the color purple. Not only will it please Whoopie Goldberg fans, but it marks a return to the bold, brash, fruity Triumph that last tried to convince us Nuclear Red was something other than pink. :continue:
This leaked parts diagram reveals that the 2012 Triumph Street Triple will be adopting the 2011 Triumph Speed Triple’s controversial slanty headlights. MCN, which uncovered the document, suggests the facelifted model will be officially unveiled next week, but won’t feature significant mechanical upgrades. It doesn’t really need to, making 105bhp and weight 419lbs (wet) it’s already lighter, more powerful and better handling than anything else at its $8,899 price and in its naked middleweight class. :continue:
Triumph Che Passione envisages what a Triumph Street Triple would look like fitted with the controversially not-round headlights from the 2011 Triumph Speed Triple. We actually kind of like it.
Can you tell we’re in a recession yet? There’s a serious dearth of new models for 2010 with new paint schemes standing in for actual development. Case in point: the 2010 Triumph Street Triple R. It’s the same as before, except there’s now the option of black paint with gold wheels and decals (matte orange and matte grey are also available). That’s not necessarily a bad thing; the Street Triple R adds what is essentially the suspension setup from the Daytona to the 105bhp, 189kg (wet) non-R to create a naked that’s seriously capable, yet still fun at reasonable speeds.
Thanks for the tip, David.
And that’s about it. Actually, we really like the Street Triple, so by adding the suspension and brakes from the current Daytona 675, Triumph can only make it better. The Triumph Street Triple R gains fully adjustable 41mm USD forks, a fully adjustable piggyback shock and radial brakes that grab 308mm rotors. To differentiate it from the standard model, which will continue to be sold alongside its sportier brother, the R will be available in matte grey with orange graphics, or vice versa. Other changes include the 5mm higher seat and flatter Magura bars for a revised riding position. Visually, the R uses black anodized fork stanchions for added badassness, and a two-tone black and grey seat that adds some much needed poor taste to an otherwise classy bike. The Street Triple R will cost a little more than the bike it’s based on, but a little less than the revised 2009 Triumph Daytona 675. Another image follows the jump.> :continue:
