Is the S3 still the naked of choice?

[mjfields_228]

When I purchased my 2011 S3 in Feb-2012 I thought that I would never need anymore power and that I would only ride that bike occasionally.

Now I find myself wanting to ride the bike ALL the time and wanting more power!!!! As for the Speed Triples stunning good looks, that remains unchanged for me--it is an extremely beautiful bike.

Unlike some others on this forum, I would LOVE a SP3 1200+ that had crazy HP and was lighter.

Until something MUCH MUCH better comes along, I am still 100% content with my mine and do not plan on changing it out.

[Oops!]

Maybe the question should read - "WILL the next S3 be the naked bike of choice"?

If it is lighter and has a bigger engine (with even more grunt) and a great looking/sounding exhaust system and an aggresive stance and a lack of fragile electronic gadgets that go wrong two days after the warranty expires ....... oh and some more imaginative colour options and a better quality of gear change ................ then please form an orderly queue behind me.

p.s. If Triumph would also add a decent tail tidy option, then that would also be appreciated.

[Ferris]

Perhaps the question should be posted in the Tuono forum? I'm sure the answer would then be NO!

[Ben_]

How much power are we expecting? 20+HP & 15+NM?

Personally I would LOVE to see an additional 30-35hp & 15-20% more torque. This would get it close to the Streetfighter S/Tuono with a bit of a torque advantage.

If it meant a price increase would this still be OK? Should Triumph keep the standard model as-is and turn the flagship R into a maniacal monster?

KTM is also launching the new 1290 SuperDuke R this year which is pegged to be the lightest, most hardcore naked experience of 2013...

[DavidS3]

Originally Posted by rubber biscuit

Gadjets and wizardry. Hell no, I know I'm old fashioned but I don't even like the new dashboards/information centers. Just give two proper round dials and a coolant temp gage and I'm happy!

I second that! bring back the round analogue speedo and rev counter...oh, and a fuel guage - what more do we need?!

[Bones1970]

Originally Posted by Ben_

How much power are we expecting? 20+HP & 15+NM?

Personally I would LOVE to see an additional 30-35hp & 15-20% more torque. This would get it close to the Streetfighter S/Tuono with a bit of a torque advantage.

If it meant a price increase would this still be OK? Should Triumph keep the standard model as-is and turn the flagship R into a maniacal monster?

KTM is also launching the new 1290 SuperDuke R this year which is pegged to be the lightest, most hardcore naked experience of 2013...

Im with you on this one......more grunt would be good!

[Oops!]

Originally Posted by DavidS3

I second that! bring back the round analogue speedo and rev counter...oh, and a fuel guage - what more do we need?!

Indeed ...... maybe less is indeed more ........... who actually wants or uses all those electro-trickery novelty items ........ let's get back to minimalism and focus on functionality and fun.

[mjfields_228]

Originally Posted by Ben_

How much power are we expecting? 20+HP & 15+NM?

Personally I would LOVE to see an additional 30-35hp & 15-20% more torque. This would get it close to the Streetfighter S/Tuono with a bit of a torque advantage.

If it meant a price increase would this still be OK? Should Triumph keep the standard model as-is and turn the flagship R into a maniacal monster?

KTM is also launching the new 1290 SuperDuke R this year which is pegged to be the lightest, most hardcore naked experience of 2013...

I would want to see enough H.P. and Torque increase to allow taller gearing without giving up the delightful pull the triple cranks out. Also, as crazy as it sounds, I want to be able to overcome the aerodynamic drag that comes along with the naked and achieve really sick speeds with the taller gearing. The taller gearing would also be a positive for long haul slab rolling at 85mph!

And I would pay for that and it still would not be nearly as expensive as the Street Fighter S.

I think the Aprilia has a ugly front end and too clean of a look from the sides. The SuperDukes look way angry and militant which is good on one hand but they lack the perfect balance of being totally bad ass yet wonderfully beautiful as the Speed Triple does.

ARE YOU LISTENING HINCKLEY?!?!?!?

[mvoutour]

I recently sold my 2010 Streetfighter S and came back to Triumph with a 2013 S3-R. I can tell you the Ducati was more powerful and just pulled forever but the S3 is SO MUCH easier to ride and so much simpler. Much less things to go wrong with the S3 and I love having the confidence to take the bike on long trips, not worrying about some electronic gizmo going bad and stranding me.

I'd love to see the S3 lose about 75+ lbs and put down about 170hp at the crank. Realistically, it's the perfect bike for me, I can get crazy on it and still control it but I do like to be able to scare myself with acceleration once in a while and the S3 isn't quite there. Then again, in the corners, I'm light-years faster now than on the Duc.

The Tuono is amazing but not for me till they put a metal gas tank on it. The KTM is currently the bad-ass scary beast I'm dreaming about. V-Twin like the Duc but without the douche factor and even more performance? Count me in.

[Tire Torcher]

I agree with pretty much all. I love my Triumph.
Watch any T.V. program, if they are making it about a biker it's a Harley, if it's about an athlete, it's some kind of dirt bike, but if it's based on a character that's cool, it's always...always a Triumph. The odd Tom Cruise on a Ducati, but that speaks for itself. If i wanted a high horsepower streetfighter, I would have kept my 1127 Gixxer and fightered it. That's what the Tuono is, a fightered sportbike. Might as well pull the plastics off an R1 and put a pie plate sprocket on the back. If power and naked is all someone is looking for, that's easy. If character, beauty, rideability and the true definition of naked is what you are looking for, there is no other choice. I think the only way the Speed could even possibly get bumped from the perch is if someone makes a better triple. The triple is the key.