2017 TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS
FIRST TEST
P84
own racetrack of the Circuit de
Catalunya—yes, that racetrack—
I really didn't want it to end (I
could have ridden a Honda Cub
around there and never wanted
to leave).
The RS combines all the great
things about riding and very few
of the bad ones. At 6'1" I fit on
the RS nicely, but if I have one
complaint it's that I'd have liked
the bars maybe half an inch wid-
er and higher for a touch more
cockpit room. That said, overall
comfort is not an issue—the pegs
are nicely positioned and the
seat ultra-comfortable—and the
fitment of the trademark screen
does more to alleviate the chest
pounding you get from oncom-
ing wind than its size would have
you believe.
There are many stars of the
Street Triple RS show but it's
hard to go past the new motor.
At a claimed 121 horsepower
(123 horsepower in Euro guise)
it's not going to terrify you in
terms of outright power, but it's
got more than enough to keep
you entertained on the road and
the track. The throttle response
from closed is vastly improved
(the throttle response becomes
more direct the more you scroll
through the available modes
with Track giving close to a 1-1
throttle/rear wheel ratio) and
the beefed up low-to-mid-range
torque means you can leave it a
gear higher and surf the wave up
to 8000 rpm. That's where the
Getting stuck into
it on track: The
Street Triple loves
this sort of thing.
