The great British Triumph

Dec 8 2008 Harriet Ridley

The great British Triumph

BRITAIN'S economy may be in meltdown, but the British motorcycle industry is back at its best.

Manufacturers from Italy, Japan and China all had a presence at this year's International Motorcycle and Scooter show at Birmingham's NEC. Yet the star of the show was unquestionably Triumph with its two revamped jewels on display. Both the Street Triple R and the 675 are rocking the motorcycle world.

I've just returned the Street Triple R to Triumph after a prolonged test and I can safely say it's the best motorcycle I've ridden in a long time. I couldn't get enough of it and ended up begging Triumph to extend the loan.

The Street Triple naked middleweight machine was launched last year. It's powered by the 675's stunning three-cylinder engine, wrapped in a naked chassis moulded on the Speed Triple's iconic looks. It became an instant best-seller with brilliant performance, and the Street Triple R's even better.

The new R version gets fully-adjustable high quality suspension, and stunning radial-mounted brakes straight off the 675. These are parts usually found on a supersport machine hence the 'R' in the denomination, usually associated with 'Racing'. It also gets a more comfortable gel seat and Magura tapered handlebars.

The minute I clambered on board the Street Triple R I knew I'd found my new love in life. The upright riding position is super-comfortable for long hours in the saddle, and the bike's more agile than anything I've ever ridden.

The geometry has been tweaked for better turn-in and combined with the better-controlled suspension and brakes, the Street Triple R is a rider's dream. It slices through heavy traffic like a hot knife through butter and devours the twists, flopping onto its side and changing direction effortlessly.

Low and mid-range power is staggeringly good for the class - you'd never believe the bike has just 75cc more than your average 600. Those three cylinders are the perfect compromise between a lumpy V-twin and a screaming four-cylinder. The 675's engine has been slightly detuned for the Street Triple to produce better low-down power at the expense of top-end - redundant on a naked bike - and it's spot-on.

This Triumph oozes creamy smooth power and plenty of it at the mere twist of a wrist, from as low as 2,000rpm. There's none of that need to wring the bike's neck to maintain the powerband, as you normally have to with middleweights. And you can't help turning into a bit of a hooligan as the nimble little chassis's front end lifts delightfully under power.

Oh, and if you ever reckoned Triumph produced notchy gearboxes, well it's a thing of the past on the Street Triple. It nips through the gears smoothly and quietly, with no need for the clutch on upshifts. And wait till you try those new brakes - progressive, powerful, with so much feel rushing through the fingertips of your right hand. Perfection.

The Street Triple R even looks incredibly cool with its twin headlamps and unmistakable, completely unique Triumph styling. The black anodised upside-down forks compliment the stunning matt graphite paint job with its orange graphics.

Whether you're a complete novice or an expert, this is without question the best middleweight naked bike out there. And it costs just £6,220. That's £500 more than the standard model and boy is it worth the extra wedge. I loved every minute spent with this motorcycle.

Meanwhile almost three years to the day, Triumph has released the latest version of the Triumph Daytona 675. The 675 is a breath of fresh air in the supersport category, where all bikes look and perform the same. But not the 675, with its sexy trellis frame and unusual engine layout.

Most interestingly, improvements to the 2009 have been carried out entirely on the racetrack. The 675 won this year's British supersport championship with Glen Richards on board and developments from the racetrack have made their way onto the 2009 production model.

The 675's chassis is now lighter and an engine overhaul has gifted the bike an extra 3bhp. The new high-quality Kayaba suspension now features high and low speed compression damping front and rear and it gets new Nissin mono-block callipers and discs.

Cosmetic changes only include the cockpit lay out with a revised upper fairing and headlight but that's enough to sharpen it up. I haven't tested the 675 yet. But I loved the first version and an improved 675 would no doubt send this Triumph back to the top of its ultra-competitive production supersport class.

Watch out Italy and Japan - the Triumph of Britain is back with a vengeance.