2020 Triumph Street Triple RS Launch Review

I'm not sure what came first, the wave of heat or the wall of smoke, but either way the national media launch for the 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS found itself smack bang in the middle of a grass fire, as we skirted south-east Queensland's Somerset Dam on a scorching 37-degree day.

Two minutes earlier, the puff of light smoke on the horizon had seemed innocuous enough, but a few bends and crests later and our cavalcade was rolling past charred paddocks and spot-fires. Ashen, smoldering ground encircled several nearby houses, and it was just as I spotted the Rural Fire Service tanker that the world went white with billowing grey smoke, as the undergrowth burned either side of the road.

"Cripes," I thought (although that may not have been the exact wording). "I'm pretty sure this wasn't in the ride briefing!"

For a few alarming seconds the Street Trip in front me vanished, my only remaining directional guide the road's centreline, while the heat reached a sudden and intense peak. And then, just like that, we were out the other side.

This wasn't a raging bushfire by any stretch (though worrying enough for the locals, I'm sure), and the fireys had saved the homes previously at risk, but it was a stark reminder of how one spark can trigger a potential disaster – no parking the bikes up anywhere remotely near any grass today…

The brief episode was but one exceptional aspect among many over a comprehensive two-day introduction to the new Triumph Street Triple RS. Day one served up a smorgasbord of twisties in the Sunshine Coast hinterland followed by Somerset Dam and Mount Glorious, while the next morning we headed to Lakeside Park to join a Triumph customer track day.

So, let's get down it…

The Triumph Street Triple RS is the flagship of the British brand's naked middleweight range. With its Moto2-inspired 765cc in-line three-cylinder, it has a little less clout than its big brother, the Speed Triple, but it's appreciably lighter too, and arguably just as much of a riot to ride.

The new Triumph Street Triple RS sits alongside its (also updated) LAMS-approved stablemate, the Street Triple S, while Triumph says an announcement on an updated mid-spec Street Triple R is coming in early 2020.

Related reading:
2020 Triumph Street Triple S
Triumph hands over 2019 Moto2 engines
Triumph Street Triple RS ready for launch

Twelve years after its debut, the 2020 Street Triple RS delivers more performance and a major tech update. Triumph's Moto2 engine boffins have upped peak torque by 2Nm (to 79Nm) while peak power remains at 121hp, but the big news is a claimed nine per cent boost to mid-range power and torque, the latter now arriving at 9350rpm instead of 11,750rpm.

Then there's new suspension, Brembo M50 brakes, adjustable front brake and clutch levers, bi-directional quick-shifter, a slipper clutch, refreshed styling (with full LED lighting, including new twin headlights and DRLs), a new exhaust, new TFT instrumentation, recalibrated ride modes (Rain, Road, Sport, Track and Rider), a new seat and a choice of two new colours: Matte Jet Black or Silver Ice.

The alloy beam frame and gullwing swingarm carry over and the weight and steering geometry remain unchanged, but just about every other aspect of this bike has come in for attention. And despite all the upgrades pricing remains unchanged at $18,050 plus on-roads (or $19,800 ride away).

That's a premium price tag in the naked middleweight niche, for sure, but this is the top-spec model and it comes with plenty of good gear – and a quality finish too.

If you're into sports riding, the Triumph Street Triple RS is just magic – the whole package is beautifully refined and the fueling is spot on, yet that lusty in-line triple has a raspy edge to its note that really stirs the senses.

A quick squirt on the outgoing model was telling – it's a good thing in its own right but in comparison it feels a bit peaky, while the newcomer's extra grunt delivers more performance, right where you want it – or at the very least right where I want it. The 2020 model has a noticeably chunkier midrange but it still blends seamlessly into an exhilarating top-end.

There's not much down low but good, useable power from around 5000rpm and the scenery really starts moving from 7000rpm. From then on it's all howling-like-a-deranged-loon territory – when banging up or down through the slick six-speed gearbox with the quick-shifter is thoroughly addictive, while the compact underslung exhaust wails like only a triple can.

That quick-shifter is standard, by the way, but it's really only for when you're on the gas – manual shifts are smoother for relaxed riding.

The massaged (now Euro 5) engine is super smooth until about 8000rpm, when a few vibes creep in through the bars. But they don’t annoy and in any case they smooth out as the donk spins closer to its redline somewhere north of 12,500rpm, although they do blur those otherwise sweet bar-end mirrors a bit.

Suspension now comprises a Showa BPF (Big Piston Fork) and an Öhlins STX40 piggyback monoshock, both fully adjustable. It's a sporty set-up and I found it a little harsh over bigger hits on some of the goat tracks we encountered – the road past Somerset Dam, for example – but that's the trade-off you make for sporting ability. On better roads and of course on the track, it's bliss – it turns via telepathy and steers with religious conviction, and it's so light and nimble that it flicks through tight chicanes with very little effort.

Those front Brembos – four-piston, radial-mount, monobloc jobs – offer all the power and feel this svelte roadster needs and plenty more, backed by an unobtrusive ABS system. The rear single-piston stopper offers reasonable power too.

Of course, you don’t have to ride it like you flogged it, and when you simply want to cruise, the Triumph Street Triple RS will happily oblige. The ride position is relaxed, with a just a bit forward lean, and there's good legroom.

The new seat is more compliant; it's a manageable-for-most 825mm off the deck and while the bike comes standard with a seat cowl and a pillion seat. Pillion grab rails are available as accessories, as are over 50 other additional factory items.

The extra midrange means you can be a touch lazier with the throttle than on the predecessor, although make no mistake – this is a bike that loves to be revved. At 100km/h in top the engine is spinning at 5000rpm. That's roughly the same for the old bike, but first and second gear are a little shorter on the newie.

Lakeside Park is a neat little track with a good mix of corners and elevation changes, and the Street Trip ate it up. Love track days as much as road riding? You're gonna love this bike. Oh, it now comes fitted with latest-gen Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres, which at Lakeside Park found my limits well before I could ever hope to find theirs.

Drawbacks? Nothing earth-shattering. I've mentioned the mirrors blurring a little at higher revs but that's not uncommon, and access to the rebound and compression adjustment on the tops of the Showa fork leg is obstructed by the handlebar (not that removing the bar is a major operation).

As for economy, at the end of the road ride the trip computer showed 6.3lt/100km, which spells a safe working range of somewhere approaching 250km from the 17.4-litre tank.

The Triumph Street Triple RS is beautifully finished, and the new-look graphics for the TFT instrumentation are a solid progression. The toggle switch on the left switchblock is easy to use, once you learn not to hit the indicator stalk by mistake, and you can select most ride mode settings on the fly (anything that tweaks the ABS settings, like Track and potentially the customisable Rider mode, must be selected at a standstill).

Bluetooth connectivity is (still) coming, Triumph tells us. So is the MyTriumph app, which will allow turn-by-turn navigation, phone, music – all the usual stuff – plus a neat feature where you can start or stop a GoPro using the handlebar toggle switch. When available, you'll need to purchase an accessory connectivity module.

As for rivals, the Triumph Street Triple faces off against models like Ducati's Monster 821 ($17,500 ride away), BMW's F 800 R (from $15,265 ride away), Kawasaki's Z900 ($13,130 ride away), Yamaha's MT-09 ($15,849 ride away) and KTM's 790 Duke ($17,295 plus on-road costs).

Triumph has made an already good bike even better with its 2020 Street Triple RS. Sure, it's pricey, but it's a class act and so much fun to ride. It's a sporty, refined, and soulful machine – the sort of bike that, no matter how long you've been riding, reminds you why you picked up a helmet in the first place.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 12-valve inline triple
Capacity: 765cc
Bore x stroke: 78.0mm x 53.4mm
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 121hp (90.5kW) at 11,750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 79Nm at 9350rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Twin-spa aluminium beam with two-piece die-cast subframe
Front suspension: 41mm Showa inverted Big Piston Fork (BPF), fully adjustable
Rear suspension: Monoshock, Öhlins STX40 piggyback, fully adjustable
Front brakes: Dual 310mm discs with Brembo M50 four-piston radial monobloc calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc with Brembo single-piston caliper, switchable ABS
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 – 120/70 ZR17 front, 180/55 ZR17120/70-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 166kg
Seat height: 825mm
Wheelbase: 1405mm
Fuel capacity: 17.4 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: From $19,800 ride away
Colours: Matte Jet Black/Yellow or Silver Ice/Red
Bike supplied by: Triumph Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres