Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in Mission Impossible 2 chased the villian, a rogue agent Sean Ambrose on a bike that sounded brutal and gave the aural pleasure like no other till then. A lot many of us wanted to become Agent Ethan Hunt and be the suave gentleman like him, getting things done with unmatched sophistication. It not only inspired us to be more Agent-ish but also carved a spot in us, the biker spot. January 2014 just brought those dreams to the Indian shore in the hands of a legendary motorcycle manufacturer from Britain – TRIUMPH. Now, Agent Hunt rode the Triumph’s Speed Triple, naked sports bike, 1050cc street ruler. It was and still is awesome but it had a tiny drawback – it was a full blown 1000cc engine and the bike was BIG. That might be just out of league for most of us in terms of how big it creates holes in the wallet and continue to do so with its drinking habits (read petrol).
Triumph was keen to get the riders something that is easy, nimble and sharp yet maintaining a docile street cred and that led to the birth of The Triumph Street Triple – a 675cc, inline 3 cylinder bike that could smack a ton on the speedo console at the slightest of inputs of the throttle.
Styling:Street is a beautiful bike and carries over similar happy genes from the elder sibling The Speed Triple. The headlight cluster remains distinct with twin bug eyes that look sharp and yet not out of place. Although there will be a few who may find that design a little overwhelming. The bike wears 120 section front and 180 section rear footwear which happen to be Pirelli’s chosen best. The short and stubby, 3-into-1 exhaust has brushed metal touch that looks beautiful, no uneven panel gap or improper welding.
The important parts have been picked up from Triumph’s quality department and none look out of place. The feel and quality of the switchgear, the foot pegs, the handlebar and the palm grips is supreme. These are the parts that are prone to the regular abuse and there have been no quality cuts in this department. The speedo looks cool with plethora of information that packs a digital speed reading, analogue tachometer, trip meter, gear position indicator, clock, gear change indicator, fuel gauge and many more.
However it takes usually a second glance to read the speedo number. The brightness or rather we say the color combo makes it difficult to read the number when the Sun decides to shine as bright as the flood light close to your face. But, who cares when the bike looks stunning and you breeze past the traffic with all eyes on you with jaws dropped.
Ergonomics:Yours truly is 5’6” from ground zero and weighs about 58 kilos. Coming from a Bajaj Pulsar 150 and currently a KTM Duke 200, the Street’s handlebar was a bit of a reach for me but nothing that can bother. It is a fairly big bike for a street bike segment unlike anything that you must have ridden. The posture is sporty but not something that can bother. It actually gives you a feel of control over the bike.
A few minutes on the saddle and a little hunt for the posture and you will end up feeling at home. The tank is chiseled perfectly to help you wrap your legs/thighs which further reduce effort at your wrist. The foot pegs are set perfectly though don’t expect it to give you commuter stance. Long distance travel shouldn’t bother much for a regular rider but a newbie might need to take breaks to do little stretches.
Performance: Thumb the starter after depressing the clutch will make the 675cc, three cylinder engine come to life. The sound even at idling is just awesome – thanks to the ARROWs exhaust pipes fitted on the test ride bike. First gear is a bit hard as expected from a big bike which is common but clutch is on the harder side which I found to be perfect for me, it just gives you the feel. Slot into the first and you need to give a teeny tiny throttle to make it start rolling. It’s a tall first gear but even if you slot it into higher gears at comparatively lower RPMs it won't complain.
Torque and power delivery is smooth till 4K after which it becomes insane though it is a gradual but fast movement. Throttle response is just so smooth and fast. Rev it to 9K and she will sing Beethoven's symphony. Cars, bikes, pedestrians will surely give you a puzzled and jaw dropping look. The max I could go for was something like 75-80 in 3rd gear but it is so forgiving and lovely that you may want to wrap your hands around the bike and give it a hug.
NOTE: Please be aware that the powerplant has a respectable 77.9 BHP of power and 57 Nm torque, an eager 3 cylinder engine that builds up speeds easily. Make sure to have superb control over your right wrist else Street may throw you off the saddle and the results will be painful – for body and soul.
B-S-T (Brakes, Suspension and Tyres):The Street is equipped with twin front 310mm Nissin front floating discs and a 220mm rear Brembo. Suspension is handled by Kayaba’s USD (upside down) big piston forks at front and a monoshock at the rear. The footwear (tyres) of choice is Pirelli’s Diablo Super Corsa – 120 section at front and 180 at rear. All this translates into – Awesomeness. Braking is eye popping. A small dab and you will stop/shed speeds without fuss. Response and bite is just too fast and you'll feel the G forces acting. Overall feel is just heavenly. It may be overwhelming coming from our regular bikes but that is just appropriate for something like a maniac like Street Triple.
The suspension is on the harder side considering that this is a fairly track ready bike. This translates into better and confident handling though broken or rough roads can be felt. The ride doesn’t feel bone jarring but might be a little uncomfortable at first. Please note that this bike isn’t meant to give you a sofa feel, rather it is a track ready street bike that can do both tasks with ease. Combined with the superb brakes, the Pirelli shoes perform so well.
The test ride conditions were dry and cold but being Indian roads it was all sandy and dusty. The bike behaves well under hard braking and there are no signs of fishtailing or loss of balance/braking line. Give the tyres a thorough warm-up and they will help you lean to those angles that you often see on TV being done by Jorge Lorenzo or Valentino Rossi, ok, maybe not that low but pretty close.
Dynamics:The Street weighs roughly 190 kilos fully fueled and that is not a feather weight category. However, swing your legs over the saddle and all the weight suddenly disappears as you remove the bike from side stand. It almost feels magical and astonishing on how mass centralization has helped mask the weight. On the move the bike feels planted and light. You can start playing with it within a few yards of riding. Things go a little tough on tight U-Turns where the weight shows up. It is manageable but for someone who is of mediocre physique might find it surprising.
Make sure you take a well judged turn and have ample practice before you start leaning the bike. The numbers climb on the speedometer fast but without making you feel it. The bike remains stable even at insane speeds. The test ride was within city and staying within the rules, I didn’t push it hard enough to cross 3 digits unsafe speeds but it does you the confidence that it can more and still more than what you first expected.
Verdict:
This review has come in after the detuning saga of Triumph India which leaves many of us with a sour taste in the mouth. The Street is placed at roughly Rs 9.2 Lacs on-road Hyderabad price.
By: Akash Yadav
