Triumph's lone entry in the middleweight, do-it-all sector, the Street Triple, has passed us by since its debut in early 2008. Having ridden it, though, I now realise what I've been missing. It is one little gem of a motorcycle.
The original Street Triple was the unfaired, streetfighter version of the fabulous Daytona supersports machine, using the same frame and an engine very similar to the Daytona's 675cc triple. Changes to the camshafts, exhaust and intake systems reduced peak horsepower to 105bhp, while torque at lower revs was boosted to suit its less focused role.
The styling was closely based on that of the 1,050cc Speed Triple, meaning a lean, aggressive look distinguished by twin headlights. That's unchanged for the 2009 Street Triple R, which has two rather cool, matt colour options – grey or orange – but it does feature adjustable suspension (the base version has to make do with only rear spring pre-load adjustment), higher spec brakes and slightly sharper steering geometry.
It's the motor you'll remember most, though. Quite simply, this engine sets standards by which the rest of the class must judge itself and, so far, nothing I've tried has matched it.
In purely clinical performance terms it's right at the top end of the sector, pushing out that healthy horsepower peak and backing it up with quite astonishing levels of torque for an engine of this capacity. There's more than 44lb ft available all the way from 3,500rpm to 12,300rpm – that's identical to the peak torque output of the excellent Yamaha XJ6 we tested two weeks ago, for example, and you have to rev the Japanese bike to 8,500rpm to find it.
Only the large turning circle blots its overall ability, making U-turns and snarled-up jam manoeuvres more difficult than they need to be. The compact chassis can make taller riders feel rather large, while shorter ones might find the seat is too high from the ground. But once on the comfortable seat and rolling, your legs fit very snugly against the bodywork, an area often neglected by designers.
Let's not forget, it's home-produced, too. Wave the flag and buy British, because in this case it's the best.
THE FACTS
PRICE/AVAILABILITY From £6,649/now
POWER/TORQUE 105bhp@11,700rpm/51lb ft@9,100rpm
TOP SPEED 140mph (est)
FUEL TANK/RANGE 3.8 gallons/150 miles
ALTERNATIVES Ducati Monster 696, £6,195. Honda Hornet, £5,903. Kawasaki ER-6n, £5,075. Suzuki GSR600, £5,350. Yamaha FZ6, £6,299
VERDICT Animated, communicative, enthralling and dripping with character.
TELEGRAPH RATING Five out of five
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