An Animal for the Urban Jungle (Triumph Speed Triple)

Member Name: Imrhien

Product:	Triumph Speed Triple
Date:	03/04/06 (4038 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast acceleration, comfortable on long journeys, wild to look at, sounds fantastic, Home grown

Disadvantages: No wind protection, useless mirrors, poor back brake, can't be pressure washed

I've wanted a british bike since I was a kid, as my Dad had several. I took the Triumph factory tour because I thought I wanted a Sprint ST. But when I saw the Speed Triple I knew it was the bike for me.

I love the bug-eyed street fighter look. It looks like it should be a real handful, and it can be...if you want it to. But it is also a great commuter, and very comfortable on longer journeys...for the pilot. The pillion seat, however, is cramped, and my kids refuse to ride with me since I changed bikes.

The bike would make a good tourer, except for one small problem - luggage. The tank is plastic, so I can't use my magnetic tank bag, which is a nuisance. There is a small storage area under the seat, and I use a tail pack...but soft panniers touch the exhaust pipe, so I don't use them. If you travel light you wouldn't find it too much of a problem...but I'm a girl. Enough said.

The bike is light, not too tall. At 5' 8" I can get both feet flat on the floor. It's well balanced and easy to manoevere in traffic. The clutch is light, although the gearbox is a bit 'clonky' and it can be hard to find neutral if you're not used to it. The front brake is great, but the rear is less positive.

The mirrors are useless, many people change to bar-ends; although I prefer to keep the bike as narrow as possible to weave through queues of traffic.

The bike must be hand washed as the alternator on one side isn't waterproof. I'm told that you can get a watertight side cover to overcome this problem, but I don't know for sure. All said, it's not hard to get clean, and all the plastic means your not a slave to the wax polish.

My bike is in Nuclear Red (a sort of Day-glo pink) which makes it highly visible to car drivers and, I hope, less at risk of SMIDSY accidents. It can also be found in Day-glo green, yellow...or more normal colours for the less adventurous. In any colour, it's not a bike to be ignored and gets admiration from all and sundry.

My advice is to take one on a test drive. If, like me, you can't give the keys back...then you know it's the bike for you. Just be careful that, unlike me, you were planning to buy a new bike. I warn you....it gets under your skin.

Summary: A New British Classic

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