Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/783081
2017 TRIUMPH STREET CUP FIRST RIDE P84 big deal on this bike. The front end is unadjustable and set quite soft—this bike doesn't like being thrown hard into corners and isn't going to give you Daytona 675R levels of confidence inspiring feel when you do. It's an old-school riding style (think Mike Hailwood) that gets the most from a Street Cup. Be gentle in your move- ments and the Street Cup will follow your commands—get vio- lent and ride it like a superbike and you'll have a horrible time at best, at worst you'll taste some of that tarmac that's fast disappearing below you. The rear shocks do a good job of keeping the ride comfort- able and on line—I went looking for potholes to see how hard the kick from the back was but at slow-to-medium speed, the Street Cup behaved well and took out much of the shock that would otherwise be transferred to my ass. One glaring problem is the front brakes are not what I would consider adequate. The single disc, Nissin two-piston caliper and master-cylinder setup doesn't have enough bite, and high-speed stops are best thought about fairly far in advance. The ABS system that Triumph says has no visual impact on the bike works fine, although we'd have to argue the visual impact quote when looking at the ABS ring on the inside of the disc. Rockers For The New Millennium Regardless of these shortcom- ings, Triumph has done a good job with the new Street Cup. My prediction is it will not sell as well as the Street Twin, a bike that Triumph claims outsold every other Bonneville bike two-to-one last year, but it's a solid addition to the lineup that is completed by the Street Scrambler. There are over 120 individual accessories for the Street Cup (over 450 for the Street range), so you'll easily be able to create a Street Cup all your own without having to venture too far out of the official Triumph accessory range. The Street Cup has been launched right at a time when factory built café racers are now in vogue. BMW will enter the game this year with the R nineT Racer, Ducati has the Scrambler Café Racer, Moto Guzzi has had the V7 II Café Racer for some time and on the other side of the financial scale is Norton with its 961 Café Racer MKII. Competi- tion is fierce but with heritage on their side, I have a sneaking suspicion Triumph will get their fair share of the café racer pie, simply because the brand is syn- onymous with the segment. But that means nothing if the bike is no good—thankfully Tri- umph doesn't have to worry about that because the Street Cup not only embodies the style and piz- zaz of the Ton-Up boys but deliv- ers on the promise of an excellent café racing experience. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S T R I U M P H S T R E E T C U P ENGINE: ........Liquid cooled, 8 valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel-twin DISPLACEMENT: ....................................900cc BORE X STROKE: ......................84.6 x 80mm HORSEPOWER: ...............55 hp @ 5900 rpm TORQUE: ........................ 59 lb-ft @ 3230rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: .........................10.55:1 FUEL INJECTION: ........ Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection EXHAUST: ............. Brushed 2-into-2 exhaust system with twin brushed silencers TRANSMISSION: ..................................5-speed CHASSIS: ........................ Tubular steel cradle FRONT SUSPENSION: ....... KYB 41mm forks, un-adjustable; 4.7 in. travel REAR SUSPENSION: ..........KYB twin shocks with adjustable preload. 4.7 in. travel FRONT BRAKE: .........Single 310mm floating disc, 2-piston Nissin floating caliper, ABS REAR BRAKE: ....Single 255mm disc, Nissin two-piston floating caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: .......100/90-18 Pirelli Phantom SportsComp REAR TIRE: ........150/70 R17 Pirelli Phantom SportsComp RAKE: .........................................................24.3° TRAIL: ......................................................3.9 in. WHEELBASE: .........................................56.5 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .......................................30.7 in. OVERALL HEIGHT:............... 43.5 in. (without mirrors) OVERALL LENGTH: ............................. 82.3 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ...................................3.2 gal. WEIGHT: ..............................441 lbs (claimed). COLOR: .................Racing Yellow/Silver Ice, Jet Black/Silver Ice MSRP: ..................................................$10,500