Ups
- More power from updated 765cc triple
- Wider model range in 2023 includes sportier Moto2 Edition
- Improved chassis and electronics
Downs
- Styling changes are perhaps too subtle
- Moto2 Edition is only available in limited numbers
- Fuel tank is smaller than last year’s version
- Still no fully faired version
Verdict
Triumph combines its proven naked-bike recipe with recent race experience to build a bike that’s fun, comfortable, and capable at real-world speeds. If you like the performance and handling of a supersport machine but don’t want to pay for your chiropractor’s next Caribbean holiday, the Street Triple might be the bike for you.
Overview
It’s been more than a decade and a half since the Street Triple appeared in Triumph’s lineup as a surprisingly affordable naked spinoff from the Daytona 675. Its success surprised even its makers, and while the Daytona is now merely a memory, the Street Triple is a mainstay of Triumph’s range.
For 2023, the changes are substantial but simultaneously subtle. Visually the latest Street Triple could be mistaken for its predecessor, and while the specs look similar, the engine, chassis, and electronics are all improved.
Perhaps the most notable news for the lineup is the addition of the limited-run Moto2 Edition, which sharpens the sporting edge of the Street Triple, adding Öhlins suspension, dropped bars, and steeper geometry to the mix. The lower-spec R and RS models remain in the range, also upgraded for 2023.
Updates for 2023
All versions of the 2023 Street Triple get a revised engine with higher compression and new internals, pushing peak power up to 118 hp for the R and 128 hp for the RS and Moto2 versions and fattening the torque curve.
On the chassis side, the rear is raised and the wheelbase is shortened on all three Street Triple models. The signature headlights are the same as before, but there’s a new tank, side panels, and exhaust, and even the base R model has IMU-assisted cornering ABS and traction control with multiple modes.
Pricing and Variants
The Street Triple range starts with Street Triple 765 R, which is available in more muted color options including Silver Ice ($9,995) and Crystal White ($10,245). It features IMU-based rider aids, wider bars than before, and the same bodywork changes seen on the rest of the range. It uses a Showa SFF-BP fully adjustable USD fork and Showa shock, 23.7 degrees of rake, and a 55.2-inch wheelbase.
A step up to $12,595 brings the Street Triple 765 RS with the 128-hp engine, again making 59 lb.-ft. of torque. It gets improved suspension over the R, with an Öhlins shock at the back, plus full-color TFT instruments and a steeper 23.2-degree head angle and shorter 55.1-inch wheelbase. The Brembo M4.32 calipers of the R are swapped for Brembo Stylema Monoblocks.
At the top of the line comes the limited Moto2 Edition. With only 1,530 to be sold worldwide—that’s 765 in each of the two color options—it has the same engine spec as the RS, but gains a different stance thanks to an Öhlins fork to match the same shock as the RS, plus clip-on bars that are 3.1 inches lower and 2 inches farther forward. The bodywork is carbon and the wheelbase is shorter still at 55 inches exactly. There’s a hefty premium for all this, with a price tag of $15,395.
Competition
No shortage of options in the middleweight naked-bike category, with a variety of engine types to choose from. The other three-cylinder option is the Yamaha MT-09 ($9,799) and Öhlins-equipped MT-09 SP ($11,499). Multiple twin-cylinder options are available, including the new Suzuki GSX-8S ($8,849), Aprilia Tuono 660 ($10,499), plus KTM’s 790 Duke ($9,199) and 890 Duke R ($12,949). Options from Ducati include the Monster Plus ($12,995), up-spec Monster SP ($15,595), and the Streetfighter V2 ($17,995), the latter coming with a significantly higher cost of admission.
Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The basics of the 765cc three-cylinder engine are familiar but the 2023 Street Triple 765 models all have updates learned from Triumph’s competition program, with the three-cylinder powerplant as the spec engine for the Moto2 championship.
Compression is up from 12.65:1 to 13.25:1, with revised combustion chambers and new pistons and rods. Updated cam profiles give more valve lift than before, acting on new valves, and the intake velocity stacks are shorter to improve airflow into the engine. At the exhaust side, a single, free-flowing catalytic converter helps the updated engine breathe. The crankshaft, balancer, and gearbox are also all uprated for 2023.
Despite all using essentially the same engine, the base Street Triple 765 R peaks at 118 hp and 11,500 rpm, while the RS and Moto2 Edition versions have 10 hp more at 128 hp, peaking 500 rpm higher at 12,000 rpm. All models have 59 lb.-ft. of torque, coming at 9,500 rpm.
The updated transmission has shorter ratios, promising an increase in acceleration that goes beyond the bare power and torque numbers, and an up/down quickshifter is standard on all versions of the bike.
Chassis/Handling
While the basics of the frame are unchanged—with an identical cast aluminum main frame and essentially the same suspension components as in previous years—all versions of the Street Triple have a raised rear end for 2023 and a shorter wheelbase.
The R uses Showa suspension at both ends, with 41mm BPF fork and a piggyback shock, while the RS pairs an Öhlins STX 40 shock with the Showa fork. The range-topping Moto2 model goes full Öhlins by adding an NIX 30 fork to the mix, but all versions are fully adjustable for compression, rebound, and preload at both ends.
Despite its carbon bodywork, the Moto2 weighs the same as the RS at 414 pounds (wet), while the R is fractionally heavier at 417 pounds.
Brakes
Triumph doesn’t skimp on the Street Triple’s brakes, with even the base R model using Brembo M4.32 four-piston radial calipers at the front, on dual 310mm rotors, and a single-piston Brembo on a 220mm disc at the back.
The RS and Moto2 versions swap the front calipers for four-pot Brembo Stylema Monoblocks, with a radial Brembo MCS master cylinder. All versions have IMU-controlled cornering ABS.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
At the moment, Triumph hasn’t confirmed fuel consumption figures for the 2023 Street Triple, but it’s worth noting the fuel tank size is reduced from 4.6 gallons to 4.0 gallons, so range will inevitably be reduced compared to previous versions.
Ergonomics: Comfort and Utility
Both the R and RS models have bars 12mm wider than their predecessors, adding more leverage and comfort. On the base model, there’s essentially no change to the seat height at 32.5 inches, but the RS’s seat height is increased by 0.4 inch to 32.9 inches.
The Moto2 version is taller still at 33 inches, but there are kits to reduce seat height and lower the rear suspension, cutting up to 1.5 inches from the seat height. The Moto2′s clip-on bars, 80mm lower and 50mm farther forward than the other models’ one-piece design, sacrifice comfort for on-track performance and a sportier stance.
Electronics
As well as IMU-operated cornering ABS, all versions of the Street Triple have a quickshifter and cornering traction control with four switchable levels of intervention. The R has a lower-spec monochrome instrument pack while the RS and Moto2 have a 5-inch full-color TFT display.
The riding modes include Rain, restricting power to 100 hp, as well as Road, Sport, and a rider-configurable setting, while the RS and Moto2 also have a Track mode with sharper throttle response and less intrusive traction control.
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
All Triumphs have a 24-month, unlimited-mileage warranty.
Claimed Specs
| 2023 Triumph Street Triple 765 R | 2023 Triumph Street Triple 765 RS | 2023 Triumph Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP: | $9,995–$10,245 | $12,595–$12,845 | $15,395 |
| Engine: | DOHC, liquid-cooled, inline 3-cylinder; 4 valves/cyl. | DOHC, liquid-cooled, inline 3-cylinder; 4 valves/cyl. | DOHC, liquid-cooled, inline 3-cylinder; 4 valves/cyl. |
| Displacement: | 765cc | 765cc | 765cc |
| Bore x Stroke: | 78.0 x 53.4mm | 78.0 x 53.4mm | 78.0 x 53.4mm |
| Compression Ratio: | 13.3:1 | 13.3:1 | 13.3:1 |
| Transmission/Final Drive: | 6-speed/chain, up/down quickshifter | 6-speed/chain, up/down quickshifter | 6-speed/chain, up/down quickshifter |
| Claimed horsepower: | 118.4 hp @ 11,500 rpm | 128.2 hp @ 12,000 rpm | 128.2 hp @ 12,000 rpm |
| Claimed torque: | 59 lb.-ft. @ 9,500 rpm | 59 lb.-ft. @ 9,500 rpm | 59 lb.-ft. @ 9,500 rpm |
| Fuel System: | Fuel injection; electronic throttle control | Fuel injection; electronic throttle control | Fuel injection; electronic throttle control |
| Clutch: | Wet, multiplate slip-and-assist | Wet, multiplate slip-and-assist | Wet, multiplate slip-and-assist |
| Frame: | Aluminum twin-spar | Aluminum twin-spar | Aluminum twin-spar |
| Front Suspension: | 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork, fully adjustable; 4.5 in. travel | 41mm Showa inverted BPF fork, fully adjustable; 4.5 in. travel | 41mm Öhlins NIX 30 fork, fully adjustable; 4.5 in. travel |
| Rear Suspension: | Showa piggyback monoshock, fully adjustable; 5.3 in. travel | Öhlins STX 40 monoshock, fully adjustable; 5.2 in. travel | Öhlins STX 40 monoshock, fully adjustable; 5.2 in. travel |
| Front Brake: | Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial calipers, dual 310mm discs w/ switchable ABS | Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial calipers, dual floating 310mm discs w/ switchable ABS | Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial calipers, dual 310mm discs w/ switchable ABS |
| Rear Brake: | Brembo 1-piston caliper, 210mm disc w/ switchable ABS | Brembo 1-piston caliper, 210mm disc w/ switchable ABS | Brembo 1-piston caliper, 210mm disc w/ switchable ABS |
| Wheels, Front/Rear: | Alloy; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in. | Alloy; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in. | Alloy; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in. |
| Tires, Front/Rear: | 120/70ZR-17 / 180/55ZR-17 | 120/70ZR-17 / 180/55ZR-17 | 120/70ZR-17; 180/55ZR-17 |
| Rake/Trail: | 23.7°/3.9 in. | 23.2°/3.8 in. | 23.0°/3.8 in. |
| Wheelbase: | 55.2 in. | 55.1 in. | 55.0 in. |
| Seat Height: | 32.5 in. | 32.9 in. | 33.0 in. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 4.0 gal. | 4.0 gal. | 4.0 gal. |
| Claimed Wet Weight: | 417 lb. | 414 lb. | 414 lb. |
| Contact: | triumphmotorcycles.com |
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com