Triumph have just taken the covers off their updated Street Triple range for 2023, which most eye catchingly includes a new very special Moto2 Edition, alongside the R and RS.
Notably they all get a face-lift with updated styling, which to me delivers the best looking Street Triples yet, but I may be a little biased.
So first up let’s cover the 2023 Street Triple Moto2 exclusives, with the bike coming in a Triumph Racing Yellow or Crystal White colour scheme with carbon-fibre bodywork and Moto2 branding. That covers the front guard, headlight surround, side panels and belly-pan.
Granted it’s a lot harder to do the Moto2 livery on a nakedbike than something fully faired like a Daytona, but it still looks the business. I’m not so sure about their colour choices for the sub-frame, as I always liked the red for the top-spec models.
Aligning with that Moto2 theme this version of the bike also receives a set of clip-on handlebars, which will offer a much more aggressive seating position as a result, which blurs the line between nakedbike and sportsbike somewhat.
The other big ticket item is the inclusion of a set of Ohlins forks, to join the Ohlins STX40 shock that’s standard on the RS. Those will be a set of NIX30 forks, mirroring what we saw on the earlier Daytona Moto2, and in fact, on the much earlier Daytona 675R. Having owned the latter, I think we’re in for a treat with this suspension setup on the Moto2.
The RS has to make do with Showa BPF fully adjustable forks in comparison, where the R just gets Separate Function Showa BPF forks.
Naturally the Ohlins forks are full adjustable – although all Street Triples run fully adjustable suspension in 2023. There’ll also be a special Moto2 graphic on the start up screen too, while Triumph tell us there will be 765 of each Moto2 scheme, which I assume means colour, so 1530 available in total. Considering they’ve sold 125,000 Street Triples since their introduction in 2007, it’s safe to say there’s strong demand.
The top yoke will also be numbered on each bike too, as we expect on these special editions in 2023.
Of course the Street Triple RS which the Moto2 is based on, also receives a host of updates for 2023, with performance bumped up to 130 horsepower, gaining seven, with those gains seen above 7500 rpm primarily.
The performance bump is care of higher compression, a higher flow inlet port, optimised combustion chamber, new pistons, new conrod and gudgeon pin, shorter intake trumpets, new valves and camshafts allowing more lift, and a modified clutch, all of which comes from Moto2 racing. Revised shorter gearing and final drive further aims to deliver power and torque where and when you want it most, and could be to help off-set peakier performance.
Joining those improvements is also a new freer flowing exhaust, with single cat that ensures better performance and reduced mass and certainly the collector is well hidden away, with Triumph promising a great induction roar, and distinctive triple soundtrack, while still meeting the 95 dB limit out of Austria.
Alongside engine updates are improvements to the electronics, with the cornering ABS standard on all models and further optimised with a new ABS modulator. That’s joined by tweaked cornering traction control, with Road, Rain, Sport and Rider modes joined by a Track mode on the RS and Moto2, with the throttle maps apparently more dynamic. I’m going to take that to mean better.
Also featured is the Triumph Shift Assist, which does up and downshifts, and is standard on all models, alongside a slip and assist clutch, and lift control, with full LED lighting and self cancelling indicators.
There’s also ergonomic updates, with wider handlebars on the R and RS adding 12 mm on each side, while geometry is sharpened up for the RS to 23.3 degrees rake and 96.9 mm trail, and 23 degres and 95.3 mm on the Moto2.
Seat heights start at 826 mm on the R, jump to 836 mm on the RS, and land on 839 mm on the Moto2, with an accessory low seat option able to drop those figures by a fairly substantial 28 mm. That can be further lowered with a Suspension Lowing kit by 10 mm, however that’s only on the RS and Moto2.
Brakes are also impressive regardless where you look, with the RS and Moto2 running Stylema calipers, with Brembo MCS master-cylinder. The R runs M4.32 four-pot calipers in comparison, which should still offer impressive stopping performance, with all models running a single-pot Brembo rear caliper. All models run the 310 mm floating rotors, with 220 mm rear.