Triumph Thunderbird Motorcycles in Monticello, page #26

Moto blog

2011 Triumph Speed Triple / Daytona 675R Review – First Impressions

It’s moments like these that remind me how awesome my job is. These past two days I’ve had the pleasure of riding Triumph’s new Speed Triple and Daytona 675R through some of Southern California’s greatest roads and the region’s newest racetrack, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. Get a taste for my first ride impressions after the jump.

Get your suspension set up, do it now!

Things are coming along nicely in the Speed Triple camp. I’ve finally removed my gaffa tapped heated jacket controls from the tank, and fitted a pair of Bridgestones sticky but durable BT-16’s. Last week a huge box full of R&G crash protection stuff arrived so that will be fitted at the weekend for peace of mind, just as well really because the Triumph now feels like a finely tuned scratcher thanks to a recent new discovery.

New Stuff: Bridgestone BT-016 Pro's

Well it was inevitable really, the gloriously sticky and not very durable Metzler Racetec K3's had seen their last mile on the Triumph. After being ripped through 2500 miles by the Speeds thumping 1050 Triple motor the rear had all but squared off. To replace them I’ve opted for Bridgestones new BT-16 Pro's because their previous incarnation had proved to offer supersport grip in the corners but also offer high mileage rates.

Big magnetic bags

Gone are the days of tank bags held down with flapping Velcro straps and frayed bungee ropes. This is Triumph’s official expandable 30ltr tank bag. It’s designed specifically to fit the 2011 Speed Triple and attaches by a simple strong integrated magnetic base.

Create My Triumph

As you would expect we rarely get a minute to ourselves at Visordown HQ but at lunch time we had a quick play with Triumph's virtual bike creator. You can choose your desired model and colour, then load it to the hilt with all the accessories your heart desires. At the end you can view your masterpiece, print or email it or save it as your desk top image.

2011 Triumph Speed Triple - Long term test bike

The 2011 Speed Triple is Triumph's latest overhaul of this iconic bike. It has a new frame, new suspension, new swingarm, wheels, bodywork, tank, new clocks, new headlights, in fact pretty much everything is new, everything except the engine that is! Many look at a bike's engine as its heart and soul.

Nicked by a horse

I've done some pretty strange things on motorcycles over the years. The less said the better, really. But getting nicked by a horse mounted copper was a first for me.

Street Triple gets a Yoshi boost

Yoshimura, the purveyors of fine aftermarket exhausts have put the heads together for these fine looking high-level cans for the Triumph Street Triple. According to the PR; the exhausts offer a considerable gain in performance over the stock items (dyno results below), with a significant weight reduction. The stock exhausts top the scales at 7.2kg and with the top-of-the-range carbon slip-ons, the weight is shaved down to 3.5kg.

New Triumph Touring Bike Spied!

The lucrative touring segment will soon get a jolt when Triumph enters the market with a flourish. Spy photos from England’s Motor Cycle News show what looks to be a replacement for the Trophy touring model that bit the dust back in 2003. The bike is much larger than Triumph’s Sprint GT sport-tourer, promising a bigger, more powerful three-cylinder engine.

How well does a Triumph Tiger 800 crash?

I've just come back to the hotel after our first day riding the Tiger 800 with the other Brit journos. One of the journos (who shall remain nameless, but alas, it wasn't me) crashed at low speed. Pictured here is his bike.