Negative Review

[Hiltz]

This morning I read the first slam of the Street Triple.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...ck=1&cset=true

Today's Los Angeles Times, Throttle Jockey column, by Susan Carpenter.

I read her column every week. She is an accomplished rider.

The Times is the only major paper I know that has a weekly motorcycle column

[Shakey]

It's the Los Angeles Times... what more does one need to say? Riders go to it for motorcycle reviews as quickly as one goes to MCN for their horoscope.

[Jamie]

Oooops... Seems that logging requires prior registration. Could you instead volunteer a short summary of the dame's misgivings?

I sense that could become one of the most popular threads on this forum

Jamie

[Tbirdnz]

The company's middleweight bike is ready for a wild time; it's no commuter
By SUSAN CARPENTER (L.A. Times) December 26, 2007

(excerpt)

...there's something off about this bike that I can't quite figure out. In its attempt to make an affordable and fierce middleweight naked bike, Triumph has made a motorcycle that's light, powerful -- and unrefined.

Looks-wise, the Street Triple takes much of its style from its hulking big brother, the 1,050 cc Speed Triple. But pop the hood and it's pure Daytona.... it's just been retuned for more grunt off the bottom end and a smooth progression of power that will satisfy riders' need for speed well before they hit the red. What that means on the street is quick and brutish performance. The throttle is unusually sensitive, which was great when I was accelerating but annoying when I was trying to hold it steady.

(It) didn't just respond to my twisting of the grip but to whatever imperfections I happened to be rolling over on the road; it made for a frustratingly jerky ride on less than pristine pavement.

For straight-up sport riding, the throttle wasn't an issue because all you do is ride like a lunatic and brake hard, both of which the bike does well. But for casual riding and commuting on streets and freeways, the Street Triple wasn't as impressive as I wanted it to be.

There was something vaguely cheap feeling about it. The transmission felt a little clunky and the finish wasn't, well, finished. On a naked bike, it can be difficult to hide and/or route the cables in a way that's aesthetically appealing. I found the rat's nest of cables to be particularly unartful on the Street Triple -- especially the front brake cable, which ran over the top of the front fender.

Priced at a low $7,999 -- the same price as Triumph's carbureted, retro models -- the Street Triple seems to have cut corners with less-than-finessed engineering so Triumph could keep the price low and lure entry-level buyers of exotics away from Ducati and KTM, both of which offer steep competition.

susan.carpenter-at-latimes.com

[Shakey]

Is Susan riding the same bike I am?

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Tbirdnz

...there's something off about this bike that I can't quite figure out...

Yes, its L.A. Times rider.

[Diego]

Originally Posted by Shakey

Is Susan riding the same bike I am?

.
Apparently she has quite different expectations of it. Early in the article she called it "light, powerful -- and unrefined."

Well, I wonder what she thought it was supposed to be with that heritage. Light and quick?--courtesy of the Daytona. Brutish and unrefined? Why, that's the essence of the Speed Triple. Most of what she views as the Street's shortcomings are the very things that tell me Triumph succeeded.

Her example of "less-than-finessed engineering" seems more about styling than actual engineering. So we see some of the working parts. Fine with me!

It's NOT an entry-level exotic. It's a thoroughly British motorcycle in the classic vein, just pure motorcycle with no ambitions to be anything except lots of fun. That's what I waited a quarter of a century to experience once again!

[Shakey]

"What that means on the street is quick and brutish performance. The throttle is unusually sensitive, which was great when I was accelerating but annoying when I was trying to hold it steady.

(It) didn't just respond to my twisting of the grip but to whatever imperfections I happened to be rolling over on the road; it made for a frustratingly jerky ride on less than pristine pavement.

For straight-up sport riding, the throttle wasn't an issue because all you do is ride like a lunatic and brake hard, both of which the bike does well. But for casual riding and commuting on streets and freeways, the Street Triple wasn't as impressive as I wanted it to be."


The girl needs a Honda Silver Wing for her smooth refined casual riding commuter. As for the throttle she must be gripping it as tight a her visa card in a posh Hollywood shop. The unrefined works well for me. Muffy... I mean Susan needs to stick to her beloved exotics and leave the street fighters to the real world. The Street Triple is what it is. No pretenses, and no bobbles. Evidently way over Susan's head in purpose and ability.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Shakey

The girl needs a Honda Silver Wing for her smooth refined casual riding commuter. As for the throttle she must be gripping it as tight a her visa card in a posh Hollywood shop. The unrefined works well for me. Muffy... I mean Susan needs to stick to her beloved exotics and leave the street fighters to the real world. The Street Triple is what it is. No pretenses, and no bobbles. Evidently way over Susan's head in purpose and ability.

"Does everything always have to be about sex?"

(Sorry, Mr Moderator: I am merely quoting HD's "Rocker" one-pager advertisement in current US bike monthlies)

Jamie

[Luxamor]

It's almost like she based her review on the YouTube Raptorama on-board video instead of an actual experience. The whole rock music analogy thing was eventually lost on me too....could have been based on inspiration, a misdirected excuse to complain about something unrelated, and a dose of writer's bipolar brain fart.
Trust me... I work with writers. They don't always file honest observations with their readers in mind.
Whatever.