We finally had a great ride together today after someone had knee surgery last November (the man). The weather was perfect, and traffic was light. We managed to get in 200 miles to Deer Lake, PA... nothing fancy :)
Bike Review 2012 Triumph Street Triple R
Goldie in front of sunflowers, somewhere in Maryland. Thanks Maryland!
4/29/2020: Updated with a few more thoughts!
As you may have noticed from my most recent social media posts, I am in LOVE with my new-to-me motorbike. It's the best one I've owned and ridden so far.
Background
Before I start, I want to give you background info. It's good to know where the reviewer is coming from, so you can get a handle on what his/her experience is on bikes in general:
5'3", 130lbs. 28.5" true inseam
Most recent rides: '06 SV650, '03 SV650S (both stock)
My bike ownership history; none of my bikes have been lowered because I value my ground clearance and lean angle
All the bikes I've ever ridden but not necessarily owned
So as you can see, this isn't a first bike for me. I would also NEVER recommend this is as a first bike. I'm not saying it can't be done, because some of you are reading this and have already purchased one as your first. What you didn't realize is this bike is not just a 675cc, it's a 675cc triple with 105 hp! That's 30+ horsepower over other 650cc bikes (ninja 650, sv650, fz6, etc).
The curb weight is 416lbs (likely 400, since I changed the exhaust which weighed 17lbs), and the center gravity is quite low (but the height isn’t) since the tank is rather skinny on top. This was my beef with the husband's sPeed Triple. Although I really love that bike it's too topheavy for my taste and as a result I was on my tiptoes and one flat left which even for me doesn't make me feel as good as I do on mine.
Tiptoed on the Speed Triple. Not that I couldn’t ride one all the time, it’s just super annoying to deal with something at the extreme level of height.
I purchased this beauty from good ole' Craigslist with just 4,995 miles on it, which is where I purchased my last SV. Although I was looking at various dealerships, I never saw one that I could afford. I guess it was just meant to be, because I found this one in early February. However, I didn't have the money to pay for it until late March! Lucky me.
Past vs. Present
I often see the question of comparison between this bike and the ever popular SV650/SV650S. Having been a previous owner of both models, I can absolutely tell you without a doubt that this bike triumphs anything the SV line ever offered for me.
The additional cost of which took me about 6 months to save up for. But it was worth every.stinking.penny.
I certainly enjoyed the 6 years I spent on both of my last SVs, but I'm sooooo much happier on this beast. Many folks will tell you that an upgraded suspension on the SV makes it a worthy ride.
True, I could've spent ~$1,500 and upgraded the stock suspension.
But, after spending ~1,000 miles on my husband's Triumph (including an overnight ride to Port Jervis) I knew I wanted one of my own!
Here are a few of the things that I have gained from upgrading to my Triumph:
More power (30% increase from ~70hp to ~100hp) at the same weight as an SV! I can feel it mostly when getting on the freeway, at approximately 50-60mph, acceleration up to 70-80mph is quicker and faster
Smoother throttle response especially when rolling off the throttle. The SV throttle is twitchy as hell when you roll on or off, since it lunges quickly if you don't roll off softly.
Suspension. Fully adjustable, although it's set up for a heavier man, it still feels much smoother and more stable going over bumps. The rebound is far slower, so it doesn't bounce up and down so much. (I’ve since upgraded Goldie with a custom Ohlins TTX Shock with a softer spring to accommodate a better range of adjustment for my weight of 130lbs)
Seat and Height. Much better for long distance, my flat butt is much happier after a 300+ mile day of riding. My version came with the optional sport seat, which is slightly more elevated and raises my butt a little higher which does make the bike a bit taller than standard Street Triples with the regular seat (which is flatter and not angled as much)
Goldie in 2020 with upgraded Ohlins Shock and lighter, smaller Competition Werkes Exhaust
Going from a V-Twin to a 3-Cylinder engine is definitely different as well. This bike needs to rev at higher rpm's so I need to work on delayed shifting since I'm still used to shifting at lower rpm's. Since it redlines at 14,000, it's definitely an adjustment for me to wait a little longer before the upshift. One cool feature is the gear shift indicator lights. Since I can't take a picture of this while riding, I drew a yellow arrow where the gear shift indicator lights (green, yellow, red) will show up depending on how you program them. I find this to be tremendously helpful as I get used to the way this engine powers up. I can also program them to light up at specific rpms for each color.
Height
I know many of you may be wondering about height. Well if you've read any of my past articles in the Too Short To Ride section of my blog, you know that I just don't care that the seat height on this bike is 31.7". For me, it's a lightweight bike at ~400lbs so it doesn't feel as tall (but I’m also not a beginner, so this is where the line will be drawn for you if you’re shorter).
The nice thing is that it doesn't feel top heavy to me, and the tank isn't very wide on top. No wider than where the turn signal and engine cut off switch sit on the handlebars. I have to emphasize that I've been through really annoying top heavy bikes like the Z750s and am completely used to this feeling.
But it feels just like the SV in terms of weight. I can't really tell the difference. The biggest difference is the Ohlins Shock. Since it’s a softer spring weight, depending on how I change the rebound and compression, my height can change from ~0.25-0.5”. (For track days, I try to adjust it so it’s as stiff as possible.)
Since my husband bought his sPeed Triple last summer, I had been taking it for day rides and even a quick overnight to NY. That bike has the same seat height as mine, but since the seat is sloped a bit, it forces me up on my tiptoes. Whereas my bike lets me plant two balls of my feet where I'm most comfortable. The engine is also larger too, so the overall weight is ~470lbs.
It's amazing how light a bike can feel after you've been riding something heavier and taller.
lifted insoles from Amazon
Since then, I've also added these insoles from Amazon to my Boots. Luckily my boots are a half size too big, so they fit in really well. As you can see the full insole comes with 2 add'l pieces for the heel. You don't have to wear all of them. In fact I only wear the main insole and one of the extensions. Although they don't make both of my feet flat they simply allow me to put my left foot down flat without shifting my butt off the side, a little more convenient. Click here to read my short tips.
Twisties
As far as throwing her into corners, it definitely feels more solid and planted. One thing that really drove me to get this bike was that I didn't want to sacrifice the flickability of getting the SV650S into a corner. I feel like the STR drops quickly without me having to do very much work. I definitely need to spend more time with her in the twisties to improve my timing when it comes to entry speed and leaning but it feels so familiar and easy to work with.
Goldie and I have done 5? track days together. Most recently in Fall 2018 with CLASS.
I upgraded the stock tires to Michelin Power RS and couldn’t be happier. The first time I did a track day with them was with Superbike School and they were absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend those for a mix of street riding, track and sport touring.
Long Distance
This is Not a touring bike. But, some of us aren't ready to call it a day and buy an F700Gs. Frankly, I don't know if I'll ever be ready for that. I'm still in love with twisty riding, and I can't imagine being as happy on a touring bike in my size. I also would be sad to lose the *power*. Once again my husband is right, it's very hard to drop back down to something less powerful when you're used to 100+ hp.
For now I'm making it work for me. The biggest impact for me is the lack of windscreen. Although to be fair, the SV650S barely had one anyhow. As with any bike lacking a windscreen or fairing, prepare to be whipped around a bit and with a strong headwind.
It was especially tiring when I rode for 3 hours on the highway in the pouring rain (150 miles) in 2015. That was NOT fun. I was exhausted when I got to my hotel that afternoon, it felt like I'd ridden all day in 100 degree heat.
At least my booty is more comfortable. The seat is a vast improvement over the SV stock seats. Holy smokes, I can ride a good half day (~200miles) without going numb. Granted, I have a very flat one so that definitely doesn't help. But, this seat is noticeably more comfortable most likely because of how much wider it is. Overall I can do about 350miles a day and feel pretty good on the stock seat.
Our first time together on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2015. Kriega US 10-20 Packs. I don’t camp, so if you do enjoy that type of riding then these aren’t going to give you that kind of storage. I like comfy beds and hot showers at the end of a long day. :D
With the Kriega Packs loaded on the rear, I've got 40 liters of space. This is plenty of room for me on a 4-6 day trip. But I try to pack light and never camp. I love big, comfy beds and hot showers, what can I say?If you're planning on camping, you'll probably need a Givi top box as well. And I never travel far without a tankbag to give me just that extra bit of storage space.
I would also add that overall mileage on this bike isn't that much less than the SV650. I think my record on the SV was 200miles on a tank before it was fully dry. On this one, I can do about 180. I haven't pushed it to the edge but I got 170 miles with ~3/4 gallon left. The tank size is virtually the same, but sadly fuel economy goes down with the extra power.
For even more comfort in colder temps, I've used Oxford Heaterz Premium Grips and Koso Heated Grips a lead to wear my WarmnSafe 65W Heated liner. A quick warning about changing handgrips . You'll have to shave down the throttle tube (it's plastic) so the grips can fit over the handgrip. You only have to do this on the throttle side. There's plenty of power for these two accessories, but I'm not sure how much additional power is available for fancier headlights or turn signals which might be future upgrades.
UPGRADES
The following is a list of upgrades that I’ve added so far:
Ram Fork Stem Mount; I’ve used a Garmin Zumo 390 (using the included cradle) and my iPhone X (using the small and large x-grips)
Rizoma Veloce Mirrors (sold each); these also required the Side Mount Mirror Adapters SKU 1278562
Rizoma Action Turn Signals (sold each)
SW Motech Crash Bars - unfortunately these are discontinued; I had to order mine directly from Twisted Throttle and they don’t carry them anymore.
WISHLIST
And here are the ones I still want to add:
Sargent seat or similar comfort seat
Rear Axle Sliders
Rizoma Turn Signal Fork Mount Adapter + Action Turn Signals for the Front
I love my new bike, I can't express that enough. If you're looking for an upgrade from a sub500cc bike prepare for something that isn't quite what you're expecting with the additional power from this deceptive "middleweight".
But if you've decided to end your relationship with your SV650 / Ninja 650 / FZ6, then it might just be exactly what you're looking for.
Update!
Unfortunately, a month after I wrote my review, I totaled Goldie 1.0. But the really really good news is that I was able to acquire an identical Goldie 2.0 which is the exact same bike, same year, same color. The pictures of me on the Dragon above and doing my track day is with Goldie 2.0.
I wanted to mention that in August 2015, I was able to drop 18lbs of weight from the bike by adding a Competition Werkes low mount exhaust:
2012_triumph_streettriple_competitionwerkes gp cobra black
I also removed the rear footpeg mounts and subsequently have a lighter bike along with a much cooler butt! Those high mount exhausts were blowing so much hot air on my thighs/butt, they were killing me. After just 5 minutes of engine warmup, they would be blowing so much height underneath my seat. Not so bad in the Fall/Winter but miserable in the Summer. I felt a huge difference in warmer weather and it's far more comfortable to ride with especially on longer trips. I highly recommend it!
Ride Report to West Virginia
A couple weeks ago I took a nice 4 day, 965 mile trip to West Virginia and back. It was shorter than I expected, but I had a great time anyway. All I can say is I LOVEEEEE my bike! (and WV)
Sunday
So my plan was leave Sunday early afternoon, ride for 3 glorious days in W. VA and then come home Thursday. I knew that there was going to be a very rainy day, possibly Wednesday so I of course wore my Rev'it Legacy Gore-Tex suit for the trip. I decided to wear my Gear 2' pants down there since it was pretty nice out and I packed my Legacy pants into one of the US-10 packs.
In preparation for the trip, I actually purchased 2 fantastic upgrades. The first one was the Sena SMH-10R Bluetooth Headset. I wanted a better unit than my SMH5, but not a bigger one. I love the slim look and feel of the unit and am still in the process of finishing my review. Check out what I have so far here and stay tuned for an update on my social feeds and a blog post when it's ready.
The second upgrade was a pair of Rukka Apollo Gore-Tex Xtrafit gloves. I've never owned a pair of Gore-Tex gloves, because I could never find anything that fits me right. These are especially amazing because they're not winter gloves, they're simply leather street gloves with a bonded Gore-Tex membrane! That's right, they completely bond the membrane to the leather so you have a clean, lightweight glove that isn't bulky or heavy. It's the perfect arrangement for wet, hot, summer riding. Both performed beautifully, especially when I got caught in a heavy downpour for 150 miles on the freeway.
sena_smh10R
rukka_apollo_goretex_gloves
Now let's talk about the fun stuff. The Riding!
Oh My God. West Virginia feels like home for me; my long lost motorcycle home. So many twists and turns, curves, uphill/downhill, everything I want and need when I go riding. I CAN'T wait to go back so I've already planned another trip for mid June. I was supposed to meet my good friend Tamela Rich Sunday night at a beautiful bed and breakfast in the mountains of the Monongahela National Forest. It's located right in the middle of the most heavenly roads I've seen on the East coast.
highway 250 west virginia from philly
250 is downright heavenly. It's too bad I had to ride in pitch black darkness. I left so late (1pm) that by the time I got to 250 it was ~8pm. :-( Nothing like riding twisties in total darkness. So it took me a couple hours to ride what would've been an hour in daylight. I tried to grab a couple pics along the way when I could. I believe this is right before I turned onto 84.
triumph street triple west veirgini
It was still a great ride and I enjoyed every minute. I even dodged a possum that decided to visit the middle of my lane. I rolled in to a lovely white building with bright lights (which was great given how remote and dark it was). Gotta love a hotel that has perfect motorcycle parking.
The Inn at Mountain Quest in Marlinton, VA
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va (1)
I had no idea what I would be getting to until I woke up that morning to this glorious view from my room:
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va (1)
It was so quiet, calm and downright peaceful. We were the only ones there that night since everyone had left earlier that day. It just worked out that previous visitors had left and no one else was checking in until the later in the week. If you and your moto-loving partner are looking for a relaxing riding weekend, my friend Tamela is hosting a moto retreat in the 2nd week of June called Ride to Reboot. My hubby and I will be there, hopefully we'll see you there! Here are a few pics of the ranch I snapped before I left.
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va 4
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va 2
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va 1
The next morning my friend Tamela and I headed South.
Following Tamela on the short gravel road as we leave Mountain Quest. There's a small bridge just past where she stopped, it's a little creaky so I found standing on my pegs helped make that bumpy section feel a little smoother.
inn_mountain_quest_marlinton_va 3
Monday
On Monday afternoon Tamela and I headed out towards Oak Hill, WV. She's on her BMW F650GS and of course I'm on my Street Triple R. From the Inn, we headed North on 92, East on 66, then South on 219/55 to Slaty Fork. There's a really cool spot called Sharp's Country Store that we had to stop at and check out. I guess it used to be a service station so there are cool old gas pumps, and some knick knacks in the window. During business hours you can walk through the store and buy a few souvenirs. Unfortunately they're closed on Mondays!
slatyfork_westvirginia 5
slatyfork_westvirginia 3
slatyfork_westvirginia 2
gastation_slatyfork
slatyfork_westvirginia
Sadly, this is where my report gets a little sad. After this, we headed towards lunch in Marlinton, WV. It was in town that my bike died at a stop light. Everything just shut off. I thought I dumped my clutch but in fact, my bike turned off. Luckily it was right in front of the gas station so I pulled in and tried to troubleshoot. I didn't see anything visibly wrong on the battery so I put my luggage and seat back on and then tried to start it again. Nothing was turning on, no lights, nothing. After about 10 minutes, she started up again. I let it run for about 5 minutes and it didn't die so I figured it wasn't too major. So off we went to our final destination, Oak Hill WV.
I believe this is the ride route we took. "G" is Marlinton. "H" is the hotel. I believe we stopped somewhere along 41 to take some cute pictures of ourselves and our bikes.
Screen Shot 2015-04-25 at 11.49.57 PM
me_triumph_street_tripleR
I can't help it, I love selfies. Especially when my friends are in them! If you don't know Tamela, read her story. She's an incredible woman who's ridden across the country more than a few times. Travel is her middle name, so check her out.
me_tamela_rich
tamela_rich_bmw_f650gs
We booked a room at the Holiday Lodge Oak Hill. Thanks to the lodge for allowing us to park right outside the front door :)
Tuesday
Sadly, Monday was the best riding I was able to get in all week. The next morning, I was spooked out from the electrical issue so I decided to head home Wednesday :-(. I tried calling a local dealer but they were too busy to see me so I decided to leave a day early. Tamela headed home that morning, and I decided to head to Harrisonburg, WV for the night. Then it would only be a ~6 hour journey home on Wednesday.
I booked a room at the Country Inn & Suites (my favorite hotel chain) and headed that way in the pouring rain. It rained like crazy but only on Tuesday! I've never ridden that long in the rain before: 150 miles, 3.5 hours. Since it was pouring I averaged about 55-60mph. The temperature wasn't too chilly (high 50s, low 60s) but I didn't want to risk another electrical issue so I didn't use my heated liner.
I did get a little wet sadly, even though I was decked out in head to toe Gore-Tex. Here's what I wore:
I've always said that wearing anything Gore-Tex is the only way to truly stay dry. And even if you don't stay dry you have that lifetime guarantee! The only caveat is that you must be the original owner of the product, for them to verify the history of the item. It makes sense, if you bought something secondhand how do they know the original owner didn't screw something up? So I wasn't able to warranty my Ladystars, because I scored them on eBay hardly worn a few years ago. But since I only paid ~$90 for them, I'm not going to worry about it. I may just have to buy a brand new pair at some point. :D
I also get a little wet on my left sleeve because I wore my sleeve over my gloves instead of inside. I thought the velcro was snug enough to keep water out, but I guess not going 65mph on the freeway. The other spot I got wet was right above my left butt cheek. I was wearing my heated jacket liner and I think the bottom of the liner got wet and seeped up inside. I'm going to try and ride in the pouring rain again soon so I can test this theory out. Otherwise, I will definitely be contacting Gore-Tex for a warranty claim.
I forgot to mention of course, that all of my Kriega packs came with me as they work beautifully on naked bikes like mine. They also performed perfectly in the pouring rain.
The Sena headset is NOT waterproof. It's water resistant so if you get stuck in the rain it'll be okay. Turns out the unit is far more robust than Sena says because it actually held up for 3 hours in the pouring rain, on the freeway! But the battery died on me the next day. So both parts survived the journey but the next day when I rode home, it shut off without warning and wouldn't stay on for more than a few seconds. Luckily, I bought a dual pack so my husband could upgrade his unit as well. So I stole his battery for the time being and replaced it. The unit has worked perfectly since then.
Thank you Sena for making a unit that is practically waterproof! I was scared that I ruined the main unit, but the battery was a small sacrifice :D
Wednesday
2012_triumph_streettripleR (1)
The next morning, when I went to start up the bike it wouldn't start. So I took the seat off and tightened the battery terminal, it was a tiny bit loose. After that she started right up! The rest of my ride home was uneventful, as I slabbed it home on the Interstates to get back before dark.
Long Distance on a Street Triple
I have to say that although the STR isn't a long distance tourer, I definitely enjoyed the ride. Since I'm used to touring on the SV's, this is a welcome upgrade. It's definitely not something that works as well as say, an FZ1 or F800GS. But in comparison to my SV's, it's fabulous. The added horsepower is nice, and certainly noticeable especially while jumping on the freeway. But I really appreciate the suspension and handling. It's smooth, responsive and not too twitchy at the throttle. One thing I read in many reviews of this bike is that in 2012 they adjusted the throttle response so it's a smoother transition when rolling off and on.
The stock seat is great and far more comfortable. I can go a solid hour before my booty starts to complain and I have to pull over. But as with any naked bike with a minimal windscreen, any substantial riding in high winds is tiring. When I was riding in the rain it was terribly windy. I was exhausted as if I'd ridden all day in 100 degree heat. I pulled over about 3-4 times to keep up with the added fatigue along with being wet and chilly. No fun.
As I've always recommended in the past, I definitely appreciated my Techspec Gripster Pads for a little extra grip and stability against the tank. Other than that, I had nothing else to help me along. I logged a little under 1,000 miles and would've happily ridden another 500-600 if everything went the way I'd planned. Originally, I was going to spend Wednesday riding in the mountains and then take the slow route home Thursday. Oh well. I've already started planning routes for June!
2012_triumph_streettripleR (2)
Thanks for reading, look for a full ride review of the STR soon.
me_triumph_wv
Also check out Moterrific for Episode 64, for an audio version of this ride report!
Reviews TBD:
Street Triple R
