Introduction:
An updated version of Triumph’s street Triple RS has been tested at the company’s Spanish R&D facility, indicating that the motorbike is poised to become a new model in the company’s 2023 lineup. To ensure that the UK’s notoriously unpredictable weather does not impede development progress. Triumph has long been in permanent development on the edge of the famous Applus+ IDIADA proving ground near Barcelona, Spain. In an area with low rainfall and year-round warmth, it provides easy access to sparsely populated roads and is where the company’s next-generation street triple system is caught on camera.
The motorbike is clearly an evolution of the current machine rather than a clean design. It retains the aluminium twin-beam frame and die-cast alloy subframe of the existing STReet Triple, and inherits the current swingarm design and even the five-spoke wheels of the 2022 RS. The engine remains the same 765cc three-cylinder engine from the 2022 model year, and the fact that the exhaust system appears to be unchanged suggests that there are minimal internal changes to the engine. Significantly, the prototype also lacks the sensor wiring and monitoring kit often fitted to test motorbikes – an indication that Triumph is not focusing on engine or motorbike electronics modifications.
Instead, the changes being made are in the areas of styling, ergonomics and handling, where feedback from test riders is more valuable than data. Starting at the front, the most obvious update is the addition of an Orinx fork. It appears to be the same NIX 30 unit that has been fitted to the larger speed Triple 1200 RS, replacing the Showa 41mm BPF fork on the current Street Triple RS and confirming that this machine is definitely at the top end of the Street Triple range. Printed labels on the forks indicate that suspension is the focus of current testing; Triumph may be experimenting with spring stiffness, air gap and damper settings, details of which may be written on the labels.
Moving upwards, the triple clamp at the top is an alloy billet, suggesting it is a prototype suitable for conversion from Showa to Olinx; unusually, although still mounted above the triple clamp, these bars are clip-on rather than the one-piece design of the triple clamp common on the street. This change results in a markedly different riding position, with the lower bars sloping downwards rather than upwards, and giving a more sport-like stance.
Further back, there is an Ollins rear shock, and although this was already standard on street triple RS’s, it appears that Triumph has added a larger rear sprocket – a move that will change the overall gearing, assuming the other ratios remain the same, and increase acceleration at the cost of top speed.
Features:
The TRIUMPH Street Triple 765RS has not yet been released for the 2020 model year. Recently, the media has captured a few spy shots of the test car, which reveal that the car is extremely well finished and may be launched with even higher specifications than the RS version, which also makes us look forward to the release of the real car!
The forks, handlebars and shell are different from the current version.
The Triumph Street Triple 2022 replaces the original Showa 41mm (SF-BPF) adjustable inverted fork with a shiny gold Öhlins fork. Judging by the low-looking original triangular table, the fork is the Öhlins 43mm fully adjustable fork fitted as standard on the Speed Triple RS. The handlebar has been changed to a split handlebar, which gives the bike a sportier riding position compared to the flat handlebar used previously.
There are also significant changes to the rest of the bike. The headlamp at the front has been given more streamlined lines, and a small wing has been added to the radiator side of the tank. On the sides of the tank, there is a wing-like design.
Will it surpass the 765RS?
The next question is whether this super-spec model will replace the RS version of the 765, or whether it will become a higher specification (Triumph Factory Custom) and be sold in limited numbers? If it replaces the RS version, the media estimate the price to be in the region of £11,500, while if it becomes part of the TFC range, it could cost over £15,000.
