2013 Triumph Street Triple R: owner update two

When last we spoke, the Street Triple R was working its way through initial run-in, and was starting to free-up just nicely. Now, with the first service just a fuzzy memory, and a few thousand kays on the clock, it was decided the Stripler had been run-in sufficiently to tackle my annual pilgrimage to Tasmania.

Strapping my new baby to the deck I admit to being a little more cautious than I had been this time last year. I stayed with the stevedores until the job had been done, the Spirit of Tasmania crew proving I shouldn’t have been so concerned (I couldn’t have done a better job myself).

Getting off the boat in Tassie we made a beeline for some ‘proper’ coffee, a bit of warm caffeination proving just the perfect antidote to a chilly Devonport morning. It’s a shame the tyres (Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa as OEM) couldn’t have shared a cup. Waved around a slow-moving semi-trailer by a ‘thoughtful’ driver I was shocked to see a sharp off-camber left-hander as I’d hit full-noise in third. Cold tyres and a drizzly surface meant a flat-track approach to cornering saved the day… note to self, don’t trust truckies so implicitly.

Those butterflies now settling back into the warm milky coffee we tacked eastward to the forested twists and turns of the north-east coast, where the 675cc triple’s torque offered not only effective climbing, but ease of overtaking, too.

My old bike (an MY08 Street Triple R) was fitted with aftermarket pads which I admit offered much more positive initial bite than the stock offerings here. A few times I was caught-out braking too late into corners, the Street Triple R feeling so familiar that it was easy to be lulled into thinking you’re in familiar territory. Another item for the list!

But what this did prove was that although the new bike had its differences, it was such a progressive evolution of the old machine you feel immediately comfortable, and the handling differences soon begin to work to your advantage.

The old bike carried a lot of its weight higher and was less committed to turn-in than the MY13. Where the previous bike meant hanging from the front-end to ensure grip, while at the same time scurrying your ass from one side of the seat to the other as you clip from left to right. The new bike is more relaxed, the grip is just ‘there’ and the feedback more positive. The Pirellis really seem to help here, maintaining linear feedback regardless of temperature.

As the trip neared its end I found it pleasing to note that the Stripler felt just as capable through the tight, serpentine roads of the north-west coast as it had through the flowing sections of Tasmania’s central highlands. The road surface (a greasy crushed granite mix) tried its best to shake the tenacity of the KYB adjustable suspension, but with so much communication on offer you’d really have to be a duffer to get it wrong.

With the road narrowing and the corners becoming sharper I was pleased to discover the new Street managed rapid changes in direction with a more positive attitude. The front remained planted while the rear kept track, driving the bike out of the corner with more intent and with less inclination to pick up the front wheel.

We covered just over 1400kms in our four days on the Apple Isle with the Street consuming around 6.0L/100km. It’s a little higher than the average would suggest, but then again, so was the average speed.

Back home in Melbourne a thorough clean of the bike had revealed a peppering of grit had pockmarked the taillight and under-seat trim, and I’d also scored a small stone-chip in the tank and one in the radiator. It’s to be expected, really, and other than the expected levels of tyre wear it was nice to see the bike come back unscathed.

During my absence a few of the parts I’d ordered from Hinckley had arrived, the post-Tassie clean-up allowing all the accessories to clip on without fuss – Triumph’s on-line instructions come in very handy here.

To date, we’ve installed bar-end mirrors, a belly pan, LED indicators, anodised aluminium brake reservoirs, a tank guard, anodised short levers and a quick-shifter. A seat cowl and Arrow exhaust remain on back-order.

It’s early days but the add-ons, especially the quick-shifter, are making for a big change in the bike’s personality, especially when accelerating from a standing start or out of corners. We’ll be back in a few weeks with a full report.

More on the MY13 Street Triple R:
- 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Launch Review