Naked Again, Naturally

Triumph expands and improves its popular 765cc Street Triple line with top-shelf tech — and a little help from Moto2

BY REED WRIGHT

It’s humorous, and a little bit ironic, too. From the early 1900s to the very early 1980s — call it a full century — all motorcycles were “naked bikes,” the exceptions being some early touring and sport-touring rigs, and most road-racing and speed-record machines looking for an aerodynamic advantage.

But that didn’t stop many motorcyclists (editors of this magazine included) from showing surprise (and some delight) during the last few decades at the resurgence of the so-called “naked bike”…as if an unclothed motorcycle were some sort of new and different thing on the motorcycling landscape.

Of course, many of today’s naked bikes are far different than yesterday’s Suzuki GSs or HarleyDavidson Sportsters, or even an early 1990s-spec Ducati Monster or mid-2000s Kawasaki ZRX1200R; mid- or higher-spec examples (non-entry-level machines, in other words) are typically pretty current in a tech sense, and often as fast and functional as the pure sportbikes parked in the same showroom. That was not the case back in the day.

More and more with changing demographics and tastes, naked bikes are serious performance motorcycles, with some companies offering them as their top-shelf performance bikes. Triumph is one such company, as its thoroughly updated Street Triple lineup — recently unveiled at the final MotoGP event of 2022 in Valencia, Spain — clearly shows.

Flying a handful of journalists to Spain for the new Street Triple’s debut was far from random. Triumph is not only the official engine supplier for Dorna’s Moto2 division, but the Hinckley firm has used the lessons learned from that world-class competition to significantly upgrade its production-spec 765cc triple — which now powers all three iterations of the 2024 Street Triple line: Street Triple R (base model, at $9,995),

Street Triple RS ($12,595), and the limited-edition Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition ($15,395).

Changes to the updated triple include new pistons and revised combustion chambers for 5 percent more compression. Updated valves and more aggressive cams add to the mix for peak horsepower numbers of 118 (for the base R model) and 128 for the RS and Moto2 Edition.

New bodywork and a smallercapacity fuel tank surround an as-before alloy frame featuring a mix of Showa and Öhlins suspension componentry; Showa exclusively on the R, an Öhlins shock and Showa Big Piston fork on the RS, and Öhlins all around on the Moto2 Edition. The RS and Moto2 Edition feature slightly upgraded Brembo calipers and master cylinders vs. the R, too. Where the Moto2 Edition really stands out is with its carbon-fiber bodywork, top-spec Öhlins NIX30 fork, lower clip-ons and exquisitely machined top triple clamp, which displays the bike’s Moto2 designation and build number.

In person, the Moto2 Edition is an aesthetic stunner, so much so that after hopping off one of the display bikes at Valencia I asked one of the Triumph folks if I could order one that very day — and got an affirmative nod. I’ve been looking for a new trackday bike recently, and it looks as if I’ll soon have one!

Aside from its upgraded naked bikes, Triumph is definitely a company on the move these days. Look for more on that in next month’s edition.