As requested I’ll write a review of my Street Triple R, it does need to be understood that this is my first big bike so will be very much from a novice rider’s perspective.
I started riding in July last year when I did my CBT, I then rode a good few thousand miles on two 125s (not both at once - that would be rollerskating!!) and trained and passed Mod 1 on a Suzuki Gladius in December and passed Mod 2 on a Suzuki SV650 in January this year that I had only got on the morning of the test - infinitely preferable to the Gladius was my impression for the two hours I rode it until my test and on the test itself.
My bike is the Street Triple R LRH (low ride height - bought as I am not particularly tall and I wanted to be able to flat - foot my first bike for confidence. The LRH has a seat height of 780mm which is the standard seat height of many middleweight bikes, so it is not especially low as bikes go).
I chose the Street Triple on advice from @HelmutVisor (my first thought had been an SV650) and from reading reviews and then going to Fowlers to sit on a number of bikes to see how they felt. The three main reasons for my choice were as follows:
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The riding position is one of my primary considerations as I broke my back in an accident and am unable to tolerate certain seating positions for long at all, both as they can cause pain, but also because related damage means that I can get numbness that extends into my feet and sensations caused by nerve damage. As soon as I sat on a Street Triple I knew that the angles were correct for me.
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The looks - I love how this bike looks, like an angry insect!!
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The performance - I wanted a bike that I would grow into and not be tired of in short order, but also not be completely “over biked” and intimidated straight off the bat. The rider aids and different modes plus smooth power delivery meant that I (and others who know me) believed that I would be safe starting on the Striple as long as I was sensible.
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The size - the Striple is light and small, not an intimidating machine to move around the garage and park etc.
I passed my test at the end of January, managed about 700 miles up until the end of April as the weather was so horrible at times and then in the past month or so have done about 1400 more.
I will struggle to document the main positives as I want to say almost all of it, but I’ll try:
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The versatility. For me I find the Striple so easy and smooth at low speeds, it’s confidence - inspiring and easy to execute a u - turn if I go the wrong way or to control slowly in traffic at walking speed. It feels stable and utterly planted, the clutch is light (another positive - the levers adjust in really close; I have small hands) and the feedback from the bike very good. When I feel like a quick blast (a novice blast!!) the power delivery is smooth, no surprises, it gets very fast in very short order and again gives the rider confidence.
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The handling - it was a surprise after the SV650 / Gladius initially that so little needs to be done in terms of input with this bike to get it around roundabouts / bends etc - the inputs are so tiny that I sometimes feel like I only have to think about going somewhere and the bike does it. The difference in weight distribution was disconcerting for my first one or two rides as it felt like it just wanted to tip compared to the twins (which of course, it does!). The bike seems to provide the rider so much feedback and it also stops as well as it goes; I did have to test this when a deer ran out in front of me!
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The character - the looks and the noise, especially the induction howl higher in the rev range. I find it a very involving / immersive experience.
The negatives (small ones):
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The suspension is pretty hard but I have not yet had it adjusted and am a pretty light rider so I am sure it can be improved. It does feel like it would like to eject you from your seat over harsh bumps!!
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Very minor - the short tail means that anything on the road is thrown up the rider’s back.
Changes I have made / things I have added:
- Bar end mirrors - better visibility (and looks, to me).
- Belly pan and radiator guard.
- Heated grips (I have Raynaud’s) - these will be an essential now on any bike I have, I love them!
- Tail tidy.
- Scorpion Red Power exhaust - sounds and looks beautiful.
- Powerbronze screen - it makes the bike look “finished” to me and does redirect the buffeting slightly.
In conclusion I am beyond pleased that I bought the Street Triple - it seems like the perfect fit for me and, as I build my experience, I appreciate more and more exactly what it is that I have. I have had two people voice their concerns over having it as a first big bike (not people who know me well) but I think it’s an absolute cracker of a first one, treated with respect, and I am sure my skill level will never outgrow it. Mainly though I just want to be out on it all the time which is surely all that I could ever want!!