When I got a call from Triumph asking me if I’d like to come down to Jerez and ride the all-new Street Triple RS on a MotoGP track, I’d be daft to decline such a unique opportunity. So without hesitation, I said Yes! And off I was on a 17-hour journey to Spain. For those who don’t know, I own a 2018 Street Triple RS and have done about 30k kilometres on it so far. It’s been nothing but happy miles as I’ve toured across most of South India and Rajasthan on my bike. Needless to say, I was thrilled for this opportunity to take the next iteration of my motorcycle to the track.
Verdict
Both the 2023 Street Triple R & RS are incredible motorcycles with more potential than most riders have the skill to extract. Despite that, I was impressed by how friendly and easygoing they can feel despite being absolute hooligans in the right hands. As much as I was impressed by both motorcycles, I had a few minor gripes to pick from. For starters, the windblast is something one simply cannot get used to, and I’d recommend any rider planning to tour or ride these motorcycles at triple-digit speeds to invest in a good windscreen. Secondly, the suspension on both these motorcycles is competent. Still, one requires the knowledge and dedication to extract the most out of them, whether in terms of comfort or performance.
I’d recommend watching a couple of Dave Moss videos or finding a well-educated mechanic with the knowledge to help you set up the suspension. Otherwise, the high-spec suspension is just wasted potential. Last but not least, if you were planning to buy the RS and ride it on the streets, I’d highly recommend a swap in tyres as the Pirelli’s are just too overqualified for our bad roads and would be a waste for them. Another gripe I have is with the new TFT on the RS. Sure, it’s more sophisticated than before, but it packs a lot more tech than it does functionality to me, and I found myself preferring the more straightforward setup on the R.
Again these aren’t primary deal breakers by any means and just me knit picking at a rather perfect motorcycle. The power is more than sufficient for our roads; in most cases, you’d hardly ever use more than 60% of it. These motorcycles are the best in their class and pose as bigger competition to each other as the rest fall short in some way. The Street Triple R & RS brew a perfect blend of performance and ergonomics, with the RS leaning towards performance and the R a bit more towards ergonomics.
However, after spending two days with these motorcycles, I’ve realised that as good as the RS has become, the R to me has come an even longer way. It exceeded my expectations and performed brilliantly, even when riding alongside the RS. As a Street Triple RS owner, if I had to walk into a Triumph dealership and pick another Street Triple, it would definitely be the R, mainly because I spend more time on the street than on the track. That being said, the R still packs tremendous potential and would very quickly give most litre-class motorcycles a run for their money on the track with a good set of tyres. I cannot wait to ride both these motorcycles once they’re launched back in India, and I intend to make a more detailed comparison between the current generation bike and my RS.
2023 Triumph Street Triple RS
In person, the new Street Triple looked absolutely stunning. I remember the previous iteration being a bit more conservative with its appearance, but this one looked a lot more aggressive. Gone were the curvy lines and the plain appearance. Instead, you had a more angular and sharper overall silhouette. The headlamp was new and looked much more similar to the ones on the current-gen Speed Triple.
No panels have been carried over, and Triumph has even ditched the old metal fuel tank for a plastic one. Triumph has also now raised the tail of the motorcycle to give it better attack ergonomics which could affect ergonomics for shorter riders. Fortunately for you, Triumph provides an accessory lowered seat to make it more accessible.
The Street Triple RS’s overall design looks much more polished and mature. The overall silhouette of the motorcycle remains essentially the same and isn’t a vast departure from the Street Triple that came before it. But hey, if it ain’t broke, then it needs no fixing. There are three new shades available with the new RS: a sexy shade of red, a vibrant shade of yellow and a good old silver. My favourite was the red; coming in close is probably the yellow. Enough about its looks; let me tell you how it performed on the street.
2023 Triumph Street Triple R
The Street Triple R looks just as handsome as the RS, minus a bit of that spit and polish. The only thing that sets it apart from the RS visually is the colours, the lack of a cowl for the pillion seat, the narrower handlebars with the lack of bar end mirrors and the omission of a belly cowl. Apart from the broader handlebars, the rest are things any owner can opt for from the Triumph catalogue in case you fancy the looks of the RS but prefer the ergonomics of the R. The all-new Street Triple R is a handsome-looking motorcycle and now comes better equipped than before.
You get a new speedometer that you can also find on the Tiger Sport and the Trident. Its functionality is minimal, but I preferred it over the RS mainly due to how much more responsive and intelligible it was. I prefer function over form when it comes to a speedometer, and the R, for me, has the perfect blend of tech and tactility over the RS.
2023 Street Triple RS
Engine – 765cc, inline 3-cylinder
Power – 130 bhp @ 12,000 rpm
Torque – 80 Nm @ 9,500 rpm
Clutch – Wet, multi-plate, slip & assist
Gearbox – 6-speed ( Up & Down Quickshifter)
Front Suspension – Showa 41 mm USD Big Piston Forks
Rear Suspension – Ohlins STX40 Monoshock
Wheelbase – 1399 mm
Seat height – 836 mm
Front Brakes – Twin 310 mm, Brembo Stylema Calipers
Rear Brakes – Single 220 mm, Brembo Caliper
Weight – 188 kg
Fuel Tank – 15 litres
Front Wheel – 120/70/17
Rear Wheel – 180/55/17
Tyres – Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP
2023 Street Triple R
Engine – 765cc, inline 3-cylinder
Power – 120 bhp @ 11,500 rpm
Torque – 80 Nm @ 9,500 rpm
Clutch – Wet, multi-plate, slip & assist
Gearbox – 6-speed ( Up & Down Quickshifter)
Front Suspension – Showa 41 mm USD Big Piston Forks
Rear Suspension – Showa Monoshock
Wheelbase – 1402 mm
Seat height – 826 mm
Front Brakes – Twin 310 mm, Brembo M4.32 Calipers
Rear Brakes – Single 220 mm, Brembo Caliper
Weight – 189 kg
Fuel Tank – 15 litres
Front Wheel – 120/70/17
Rear Wheel – 180/55/17
Tyres – Continental ContiRoad
2023 Triumph Street Triple RS
Performance & Handling
The all-new Street Triple RS was clearly an overpowered motorcycle for the narrow countryside streets of Spain. The brilliant handling carried over from the track and continued to impress on the street. Ergonomically the RS wasn’t the most comfortable. Its aggressive geometry was designed a bit more to suit the track than it was to suit the street. After a long day of riding, you’d be left with sore wrists and backache, but I can guarantee it’ll blow your socks off. The handling, despite the discomfort, remained fabulous and cut through corners like a hot knife through butter. Push past the pain, and you’ll notice a track-bred motorcycle with more than adequate comfort for the street.
This was the sort of motorcycle you could ride to your favourite track and then give most litre class motorcycles a run once you arrived. The broader handlebars would prove quite a challenge when it comes to lane splitting on our congested streets, but with some precaution, this should be manageable. The turning radius wasn’t the best and would often require you to tip the motorcycle or take three-pointed turns, which isn’t the easiest thing to do with our impatient traffic.
The performance was adequate for our streets, and the RS packed sufficient mid-range grunt to enjoy tight roads. The throttle wasn’t the friendliest, and the engine always preferred to be kept on the boil, making effortless touring tedious. Triumph offers an optional cruise control system for the RS, making that ordeal reasonably simple. Once you get used to the motorcycle and begin riding it the way it demands, you’ll find the RS quite a treat. With the 2018 RS, I’ve seen fuel efficiency figures go as high as 20 km/l, but with the 2023 RS, I only witnessed it go as high as 16 km/l.
Additionally, the tank capacity on the new RS is now down by 2 litres compared to its predecessor. So expect more frequent fuel stops along your journey. The new exhaust system sounds fantastic and is music to the ears. Infact, Triumph no longer offers an accessory Arrow slip-on; the only way to get a new exhaust is if one opts for an after-market full system. Some basic math tells you that a full system makes little sense once you factor in the costs and benefits. The stock exhaust system is not only lightweight but also of high quality, and it really begs the question if one even needs an after-market unit anymore. I guarantee you’d only save about a kilogram, and at that point, spending nearly a lakh or more makes little to no sense to gain a relatively insignificant increase in power.
Infact, out of the box, I’d make little to no changes to the all-new RS apart from maybe a change in tyres done solely to preserve the overqualified Pirelli’s that come as standard. The only changes I can think of are aesthetic and ergonomic, which are also entirely subjective. It is pretty commendable how Triumph has designed a near-perfect motorcycle, and with each passing generation, it only seems to get better at displaying near-perfection.
Suspension & Braking
The suspension and brakes are somewhat overqualified for the streets and, metaphorically, are like bringing a lightsaber to a knife fight. The suspension needs more travel for our broken roads, and only after a bunch of tinkering would you find an excellent balance to suit your weight and needs. Despite being set up for the track, the suspension does a fairly decent job on the street. Granted, it’ll jolt you up as you ride over undulations on the road, and that communicative suspension only worsens when you factor in the imperfections our roads have to offer. The roads we took weren’t the best, but they were still better than most of our B-roads or highways.
This jarring motion can be upsetting after a point and would only contribute to your overall fatigue from the aggressive riding posture. Unfortunately, India lacks the best suspension tuning expertise, and most mechanics need more intricate knowledge to deliver such a setup. Even Triumph’s service centres follow the manual with pre-tuned setups mentioned for Comfort, Sport & Track. However, none of these setups considers India’s average weight or road conditions and has been set up more for Europeans and their streets.
The brakes, too, performed phenomenally and felt too suitable for most roads. The brakes pack more bite than most would ever need, and it’s never wrong to have additional braking force but remember, this comes at a price. On the track, you’ve got a well-controlled, primarily debris-free environment, but our streets are anything but that. For example, the M50 the 2018 Street Triple RS came with would last about 6k kms and cost you about Rs. 16,000 to replace. I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, the Stylema’s would probably cost a bit more and perhaps need replacing a bit sooner.
This can be quite a pain if you intend to go touring and can be quite the cost for most owners looking to clock four digits on the odometer. Nevertheless, I cannot entirely critique the motorcycle as it was never meant to be a tourer and merely be part of its potential. That being said, the brakes are well worth the money and will deliver stopping force like any other you may have experienced. However, this was merely a word to the wise for anyone intending to get the RS primarily for touring.
2023 Triumph Street Triple R
Performance & Handling
The all-new Street Triple R makes more power and torque marginally than before, but the revised gearing certainly helps it. It feels like the friendlier motorcycle on the street and can easily keep up with the RS. The R is now closer to feeling like the 2018 Street Triple RS in terms of power, and to me, it immediately felt more suited for our roads. The engine felt slightly more at ease but never lethargic and always had as much grunt as I’d want from it. Riding the R on the streets of Spain was a highlight for me as I was thoroughly impressed by just how capable it was despite being down on power compared to the R.
The handling was much better on the street, and thanks to the more relaxed ergonomics, the R to me felt even more capable and controllable on the street. In the right hands, I’m sure the R can outperform the RS on the road due to its near-perfect balance between performance and comfort. Taking tight U-turns was a much easier affair on the R, and the comparatively lowered ground clearance made flat footing much more manageable. I was pretty impressed with how well the R performed on the road and how much potential it showcased for our streets.
Suspension & Braking
The R is equipped with Showa forks and a mono-shock that performs far better than I expected. Comfort is vital, and this suspension did a fantastic job taking on Spain’s undulations and broken roads. Despite being lower in stature, they managed to outperform the setup on RS, and to me, it was the better choice for our streets. The more relaxed rake and softer setup perfectly maintained composure and encouraged me to push the R even further. The Showa on the R to are fully adjustable and relatively composed even in stock. I’m sure one can extract even more from this setup with some tinkering.
The Brembo M4 brakes on the R performed brilliantly and packed more than a sufficient amount of bite to bring it to a sudden halt. Sure, it didn’t pack the immense biting force that the Stylema’s did, but I can guarantee most people on the street would ever miss it since they performed just as well on the road. The electronics on the R, too, performed brilliantly, with ABS and traction control rarely intervening, which only speaks volumes of how capable this motorcycle is without them
