Fast Bikes Magazine November issue 20 page FREE PREVIEW!

THR

THEKNOWLEDGE

UsedBikeGuide..............................54

Ifyoulike‘embigandfast,chancesareyou’ll loveSuzuki’ssecond-generationHayabusa. Wedo,whichiswhywe’vedoneabuyer’s guideonthem.

TESTS

TriumphStreetTripleMoto2..........18 Triumph’sMoto2-inspiredStreetTripleisits answertotheabsentDaytona.Thequestion is,hasitfilledthesupersportgapinour heartsandminds?Here’swhatwethink.

Winningattwinning.......................34 WecheckoutthreeverydifferentDucatis thatsharethesamev-twinmotor.

COLUMNISTS

TomNeave......................................94

AfterasolidhomeroundatCadwell,here’s Tom’sthoughtsontherestoftheyear.

ChristianIddon...............................96 Iddon’sbeenclockingsomesolidresultsof late,buthe’swantingmore.

SteveParrish...................................98 HearfromParrishaheadofhisfinal motorcyclerace.

FEATURES

Supersportisback.......................... 26 Ratherthangettingdownanddepressed, we’resharingourthoughts,hopesand dreamsonaresurgenceofsupersport machinery.

BMW’sGPstory..............................60 EverwonderedwhyBMWnevermadeitonto theGrandPrixgrid?Well,itgotcloserthan youmightthink.

MichelePirro–Themanbehindthe motorcycle......................................68 Ducati’ssuccessontheracetrackowes muchtothisguyrighthere.Wecatchup withMichele.

What’scomingnext?

We’reatthattimeofyear again,whenrumoursstart flyingallovertheshopabout newmodelsfornextseason.Some manufacturersarelikelytolitteruswith freshmetal,whilethewordisfromothers thatit’llbeslimpickings.Ihopethey’re bluffing,butonlytimewilltell.

Fromasupersportperspective,Ireckon we’remorethandueanewZX-10R,R1 andGSX-R.It’salsothreeyearssincethe BladeRR-Rhitthescene,withonlyafew minorchangessince,sowhoknowsif Hondawillgotweakingitinanyway?

Thenthere’stheAprilia,whichisstillan awesomebike,butit’sprettyagedand under-gunnedcomparedtosomeofthe latestofferingsonthemarket.Thisisn’t

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mehavingapopatbrands,butmore hopingthatweseesomerenewedgenius joiningtheranksfor2024.

Indaysgoneby,youcouldexpecta modelupdateeverytwotothreeyears, withfreshmetaleveryfourtofive.Ithink it’sonlyrighttoacceptthatthosedays aregone,atleastforsomesportsbikes, butthat’snottosaybrandsaren’tsetto goalittleoff-piste,developingbikeswe simplydidn’tseecoming.

Asfarastrendsgo,there’sbeenahuge increaseinthelikesofmiddleweight sportytwins,andIdon’tseethatflowof entrantsdryingupanytimesoon.It’s logicaltolookatplatformsthatcanbe easilybastardisedintonewmodelruns, muchinthesamewayYamahamadethe

MT-07anddevelopedtheR7offtheback offit.Withthatbeingthecase,what’s stoppingitfromwheelingoutafaired versionoftheMT-09thiswinter?Ireckon that’dbeprettypopulartheworldover.

Iguesstherealquestionis:whatwould youliketosee?Kawasakithinksweare aftermoreofwhatweknowbest,asis beinghammeredhomebythereleaseof itsnewNinja400RRandthe reintroductionoftheZX-6R.Let’shope thisencouragesafewotherstofollow suit.Johnnythinksthat’llbethecase,as youcanreadinafewpagestime,andI’m optimistictoo.Let’swaitandseehow luckyweget.

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...andepicwheeliepuller

Somethingsarebetterleftbehind,but FastBikes isn’toneofthem...trust us.Forastart,we’dmissyou,butit’dalsomeanyou’dmissoutonawhole loadofnews,reviews,tech,talksandinsightintopioneeringprotagonists. Justthinkabouttheroadtrips,theprojectbikebuilds–andalltheexcuses wethrowinwiththem.Wewantyouonthisride,andwewantyourstories, yourinputandguidance,sodon’tbeastranger!Checkoutthecrackingdeals we’vegothereandlet’sgetyousettledintoanotherseasonofthegoodstuff fromtheUK’sleadingsportsbikemagazine.

BRUCEWILSON,EDITOR

Yes,folks–it’sthattimeagain:newbikeseason! Thenightsaredrawingin,theschoolsareback, it’llbeChristmasbeforeweknowit,andtheonlythingto cheerusupisthehotnewmetalbeingsprayedalloverthe place.TheMilanshowisacoupleofmonthsaway,butthere areafewtastygoodiesoutalready.Here’swhatwe’regetting allhotandbotheredabout...

APRILIARS457

Well,wedidNOTseethiscoming.The mini-superbikesectorhasbeenbangingaway inrecentyears,hittingthepeakwith Kawasaki’sZX-4RR,whichdroppedearlierthis year.AndnowAprilia’scomeoutwithanother sweet-lookingmachine,theRS457.It’sa twin-cylindersportsbikeaimedatnovicesand fansoflightweightmachines,withsomeofthe bestspecinthe400cctwinclasssofar.

ApriliareleasedtheRS457asweweregoing topress,justbeforetheSanMarinoMotoGP, withfactoryriderMaverickVinalesfeaturedin thepromopics.It’saproperminirace-replica, withanall-newparalleltwin457ccengine boltedintoapropertwin-beamaluminium frame,withfullRSV-stylefairing,decentsporty suspensionandacomprehensiveelectronic ridingaidspackage–switchablethree-way tractioncontrol,threeridingmodes,colour LCDdash,backlitswitchgearandoptional quickshifter.

Theengineisthecrucialfactor,ofcourse, andwhileitwon’tmatchthefour-cylinder Kawasakiunitforpower,it’sasoliddesignon paper.There’slimitedinfoatthemoment,but wedoknowitisadohcunitwithfourvalves percylinder,ride-by-wirethrottle,anditmakes 47bhp–rightonthelimitforA2licence holders.Willtherebeaneasywaytogeteven moreponiesoutofit?You’dliketothinkso. Dryweightisjust159kgdryor175kgwet, whichislight,butnotstunninglyso.Yamaha’s 42bhpR3is6kglighterwet,whiletheZX-4RRis 189kgwet,with77bhp,puttingitwellaheadon peakpowerandbhp/kg–buttheRRisn’tan A2-compliantbike.

Butjustlookatit.TheRS457istheonlybike intheclasswithaproperaluminiumframe, andwhiletheforksandshockareonly adjustableforpreload,theylooklikedecentkit, asdoesthegull-armswingarm,though disappointinglyit’smadefromsteel,not aluminium.That’sprobablydowntotheA2 weightlimits–there’smaybenopointsaving massbeyondacertainpointifyou’llrulethe bikeoutfortoomanycustomers.

TheradialfrontbrakecaliperisbyBrembo’s Indianarm,ByBre,andithassporty-sized rubber,too–thoughtheAprilia-brandedstock rubberinthepicturesalsoseemstobeIndian homemarketkitmadebyTVS.Thatpointsto productioninIndia;thoughApriliainsiststhe RS457hasbeendesignedinNoale,itwould makealotofsensetobuildasmall-capacity machineoutsideItalytotakeadvantageof lowercosts.Thefirmitselfhasn’tsaidwhere productionwillbe,andthere’snowordon priceoravailabilityeither.We’llbringyoumore ontheRS457assoonaswecan.

MVAGUSTAASSENEDITIONBRUTALE

WeareexpectinggreatthingsfromMVAgustaoverthenextfew seasons.Itgotaninjectionofcapitalandexpertiselastyearfrom PiererMobility,theparentcompanyofKTM,Husqvarnaand GASGAS,andtheAustrianmoto-gnomesnowown25%ofthe Varese-basedexoticamaker.HereintheUK,KTMUKistakingon thedistributionofMV,andisworkingtosortadealernetwork. Meanwhile,MVitselfisduetocomeoutwithsomenewmachinery andisinvestingheavilyinthefactoryandR&Dfacilities.

Fingerscrossed,then.Inthemeantime,ithastoproduce somethingnew–andit’sthelimited-editionspecial versionsofcurrentmodelsdoingthejobrightnow.This monthwegotanAssenversionofthemightyBrutale 1000RRtocelebratethefactthatMVAgustawona heapofracesattheDutchtrack,backwhenitwasa GPcolossus;35,infact,withthelastonecomingin 1976,a350GPclasswinunderGiacomoAgostini. Amazing.

HowwouldAgogetonwrestlingthisbeastie aroundAssentoday?It’sgotnearlythreetimesthe power(207bhpfromtheBrutale,77bhpforthe350 racebike),butweighs60-oddkilosmore(183kgvs 122kg).Backthen,thefour-strokeMVAgustawas desperatelytryingtokeepitsweightdownto keepupwithYamaha’swildtwo-strokes–soit gotatricktitaniumframeandsuper-lightwheelsandbrakes.And whaddyaknow,theAsseneditionBrutalealsohassomeposh lightweightrunninggearintheformofRotoboxcarbonfibrewheels

There’salsoatitaniumMotoGP-styleArrowracepipeand custom-mappedECUinthebox,andplentyofcarbonfibrebody parts,plusaflashblueandsilverpaintjob.That’sallontopofthe incrediblespecofthe‘base’Brutale1000RR:electricÖhlinsall round,BremboStylemabrakes,180kgdrymassand212bhpwith theracepipefitted.There’snoprice–butconsideringthatthe stockBrutale1000RRcosts£32k,you’llnotbegettingmuch changeoutof40bigones,weimagine.

ROYALENFIELDBULLET350

Froma£40klimitededitionhyper-nakedbike toa£4600Indianrunaround–don’tsaywe don’tcoveritallinthesepages.Thenew RoyalEnfieldBulletisthelatesthomeforthe firm’scurrent350single-cylindermotor,and itwillbebuiltinitsmillions,carryingonfrom thefirst-everBullet,launchedbeforethe SecondWorldWar.It’sabulletproof(sorry) pieceofkit,withabeefysteelframethatwill

takeontheHimalayaswithanentirefamily andtheirsheeponthebackandrunforever, servicedonlyusingapenknifeandsomechip fat.HereintheUK,theveryniceRoyalEnfield folkswillsellthembythetruckloadto pleasantelderlygentlemenwhowilltrundle sedatelyaroundthecountryside,havinga ball.GetonetoparkbesidetheFirebladein thegarage–youknowyouwantto…

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BMWF900GSF800GSF900GSADVENTURE

TheboysandgirlsatBMWhavealottoshowoffthis newbikeseasonbyallaccounts,sincetheyare celebrating100yearsofmotorbikemanufacturingthis September.AndtheBavarianfirmwarmedthingsup nicelywiththreenewupper-middleweightadventure touringtoolsforustocheckout.There’sanewtop-line F900GS,withanAdventureversionandalower-spec F800GS,allsharingthesamebasic895ccenginefirst seenin2020ontheF900XRandF900R.Theseare updatesontheoldF850and750GSmodels,andfillthe gapbelowthemega-sellingR1250GSmodels.

Thebiggestchangeistotheweight.TheoldF850GS wasachunkybugger,andnolessthan14kghasbeen shavedoffthedryweightthisyearthankstoanew plasticfueltank,askinnierrearsubframeandlighter swingarm.They’renolightweightsstill,mind;the900 Adventureis246kgandthestandard900tipsthe scalesat219kgwet,whilethe800sitsinbetweenat 227kg.Thosefiguresareabitofahandicapforanyone lookingforaneasily-handled,middleweight,dirtfriendlybikeandlookslightlymadcomparedwiththe 205kgwetTénéré700.WehaveheardthatBMWis goingtoreleasesomethingnewtoslipinbetweenthe 900GSandthemini310GS,though:perhapsanew

650-classADVmachinewithgenuinedirtskillz.Watch thisspace.

That895ccenginegivesthe900modelsanextra 10bhp,nowupto105bhp,whileontheentry-levelF800 GS,theparalleltwindohc8vlumpmakesjust87bhp. BMW’salsototallyrevampedthesuspensionset-up, givingthe900sanewShowafrontforkandZFrear shock,withoptionalelectronicrearsuspensiononthe GSAdventureandthe800GS.The900alsohasan EnduroProsuspensionupgradeoption,whichuses higher-specShowaforks,withfulladjustabilityand titaniumnitridecoatedstanchions,plusafully adjustablerearshock.

Asever,thebestthingaboutBMWistheavailable bolt-onoptions,andyoucanturnyour800or900GS intoaluxurysuper-trickadventuretourer,givenenough PCP-dealrope…Keylessignition,enhancedridingaids, luggage,heatedluxury,navigation,higherorlowered seatsandscreens,cruisecontrol,MEndurancechain, tyrepressuremonitoring:allthatandmuchmoreis available.Thenew900and800GSrangewillbein shopsafterthenewyear,withtheF800GSpricedfrom £9995,theF900GSfrom£11,995andtheF900GS Adventurefrom£12,350.

KTMDUKE125AND390

Weallwishwewereyoungagainherein Fast Bikes towers,andnothingmakesuslongfor yootmorethanthissortofthing.KTMhas revampeditssmallerDukemodelsfor2024–the 125and390(there’salsoa250buttheUKdon’t getit,mate,sorry).Bothofthenattylittlenobles getanewframeandswingarm,mostlytoallow foranewside-mountedrearshock,itseems. Thatletsthemhaveabiggerairboxandlower seat–bothgoodthings,wehear.

The125motorisall-new,butofcoursegets nomorepowersinceit’sa15bhpA1learner legalbike,sowe’renottoosureofthepoint

there.Dittothe390engine;althoughitcould haveabitmorepower,we’reintotheA2licence nonsense,soit’sonlygotanextra1.5bhp,now upto44.3bhp,andhasmorecapacity,nowat 399ccfrom373cc.Kerbweightisasaucy165kg, suspensionisupratedWPkit,andthemini-Duke keepsthepremiumBoschenginemanagement, corneringtractionandABSset-up,allcontrolled viaaslick5infullcolourdashboard.

NotatotalrevolutionfromKTMhere,then –butwhatcanyouexpectwhenDukesare involved?ThenewbikeswillbeoutinJanuary, pricestobeconfirmed.

KTMADVENTURE890RRALLY ANDKTM450RALLY

KTMalsoreleasedsomewilddirt/road crossovertoolsattheendofsummertoo:the Adventure890RRallyand450RallyReplica. The890isaspecialversionoftheAdventure 890Rroadbike,limitedtojust700bikesworld wide,withDakar-specsuspension:WPXPLOR PRO7548forksystem,featuringConeValve technology,andaWPXPLORPRO6746rear shock.Theygiveabout16feetofsuspension travel(okay,270mm),anditalsocomeswitha specialseat,heavy-dutywheels,racepipeand muchmore.Itcosts£20,899andis availabletoorderNOW!

Toosoftforye?Wellcheckthisbad boy:theKTM450RallyReplica.It’sa closecopyofthefirm’s450ccDakar racebike,withallthegoodness, includinganeffingPanklsix-speed transmissionasusedbythefactory raceteam.It’sgot48mmWPXACT PROforksandrearshock,race Akrapovicpipe,SOHC450ccrace motor,thelot.Priceisonapplication, andjust80willbebuilt.

MOTULREFRESHESITSBIKEOILRANGE

Motulhasrebrandedandrepackageditstopbike engineoiltobemoresustainable.TheNGEN5 andNGEN7oilsareequivalenttotheold5100 and7100oils,butuse75and50percent regeneratedengineoilrespectively.NGEN5isa high-performanceengineoilforeverydayuse, withafocusonoptimisedstartingandshifting behaviour,aswellasbestfuelefficiency.NGEN5 usesanadditiveandesterformulationlikethe conventionalMOTUL5100engineoil,butitrelies onupto75percentregeneratedengineoil.

NGEN7isahigh-performanceoilwhichoffers improvedresponseforpowerfulenginesaswell ashightemperatureresistanceandstrongclutch grip.NGEN7isidenticaltoMOTUL7100interms ofadditiveandesterformulation,butitusesup to50percentregeneratedmotoroil.Both productsmeetthecurrentAPIstandards,andare alsoJASOMA2certified.

ALLTHE L AT ES T, COOL ES T&TRICK ES TPERFORMANC EPRODUCTS

AKRAPOVIC CANFORHONDA HORNET750

ALPINESTARS HALODRYSTARJACKET

TheAlpinestarsHaloDrystaradventure touringjackethasmuchmorestylethan theusual‘blackwithblackdetails’winter gear–andispackedwithfeatures.There’s extensiveventedsectionsforwarmer weather,withremovablesleeves,andan asymmetricalfrontsection.Whenthe weatherturns,there’saDrystar waterproofsectionthatcangoonthe outsideortheinsideofthejacket,andit

rollsuptostoreinapocket.TheHalo jacketisdesignedtogowiththe AlpinestarsTech-Air5orTech-Air3airbag jackets,andcomeswithNucleonFlexPro CEarmourforelbowsandshoulders.A softcollarandstretchwristsadds comfort,anditcomesinfourcolourways (includingblackfortheintroverts…)

RRP:£450www.alpinestars.com

KOVIX KNX15ALARMEDDISCLOCK

Disclocksareagreatfirstlineofdefence,butthey’re easilyattackedbyscrotes–and,ofcourse,don’tstopa bikebeingliftedawaybyafewbeefybad‘uns.Addinga 120dBalarmhelpsonboththesefronts(assumingyou’re nearby),sotheKovixunitisevenmoreuseful.Astrong stainlesssteelbodywitha14mmcarbide-reinforced lockingpinmakesitatoughnuttotryandbreakoff,while thealarmwillgooffifit’sknockedormoved.Thatalsostops youtryingtorideawaywithitinplace–whichwe’vealldone atleastonce…

RRP:£135

www.thekeycollection.co.uk

RUROC ATLAS4.0CARBONSTARWARSHELMETS

Ifyoucan’ttellMrSpockfromAdmiral Ackbar,thentheseprobablyaren’tforyou. ThenewRurocAtlas4.0helmetis availableintheseslicknewStarWars replicadesigns.TheycomeinBobbaFett, DarthVaderandStormtrooperschemes,

andundertheneatgraphicsthere’sthe RurocAtlas4.0carbonfibreshell,with RHEONPolymerprotectionmaterialinthe headliner,andECE22.06safetyapproval.

RRP:£450www.ruroc.com

Thismakeusfeellikewe’re backinthegoodolddays…A sweetslip-onAkrapovicend canforaHondaHornetcould havecomeoutofa FastBikes productsectionfrom20years ago,butthistimeit’sforthe latest750twinHornet.The Akracandoeswhatitalways does:savesabitofweightand addsa(little)bitofnoiseand power.It’sECEapprovedso stillroadlegal,butAkrapovic saysitaddsadeepertone.You save1.8kginmass,withthe stainless/carbonsilencertippingthe scalesatjust2.15kg,andthere’s three-quartersofahorsepowermore throughthemidrange.

RRP:£845www.performanceparts-ltd.com

YAMAHA MORO07EMTB

Whattheeffinghellisthis?Apushbikeonthe FastBikes productpages?Sacrilege!Butthisisnoordinarybike,it’s Yamaha’snewMOROelectricMTB–andit’sjustthejobfor gettinginsomemuddymilesoff-road.Mountainbikingisace forimprovingfitness,andisalsotopfun,aswellasbuilding balanceandcontrolskillz.TheYamahaMOROaddsagrunty littleelectricmotorunitthatmeansyoucandoevenmore milesbeforeyourkneesgiveout.SilenteMTBsalsoletyou haveabitofenduro-likefuninplaceswhereaKX500would getyouarrested.TheMorohasaPW-X3driveunitand500Wh battery,RockShoxsuspensionatbothendsandMaxxisrubber –alltop-endkit.Asitshouldbeconsideringtheprice…check toseeifyouremployerdoesCycleToWorkschemefortax discounts.

RRP:£4,150

www.yamaha-motor.eu

HJC RPHA1JEREZREDBULLHELMET

Atremendouslycolourfulpaintschemefor theHJCRPHA1lid,thistimecelebratingthe SpanishMotoGPatJerez.It’soneofthebest tracksinEurope,withacultfollowing,and thishelmetfitsrightin.It’sthefirm’s high-endracedesign,withthesamespecas WSBKandMotoGPracers,accordingtoHJC.

ThatmeansECER22.06FIMapproval,locking visorclosure,extensivevents,racingspoiler andtear-offssupplied,togetherwitha Pinlockanti-mistinsert.Availableinsizes XS-XXL.

RRP:£799.99https://hjchelmets.eu

OXFORD USBSOCKETS

MostnewbikescomewithaUSBcharging socketnow–butifyouroldermachinedoesn’t, thenhere’saneasyoption.OxfordProductshas producedtheseUSB-AandUSB-Cpowersockets thatfiteffortlesslytoanybike,with3Apower output,directbatteryconnection,simplesticky padorcabletieinstallation,andwaterresistant siliconrubbercaps.Keepyourkitchargedupon themovewithminimalgrief.

RRP£25www.oxfordproducts.com

FURYGAN HEATX KEVLARGLOVES

Noheatedgripsonyourbike?

ChecktheseFuryganHeatX glovesforwinterrides.They havesmallbatteriesthatsit inpocketsonthecuffs,and there’salsoanoptional cabletowirethemintoyour bike.Theheatingelements keepyourpinkieswarmas toast,andthegloveitselfis madefromgoatleatherand Kevlar,withawaterproof breathablemembrane.They havebuilt-incontrols,and there’salsoasmartphoneapp tocheckpowerandheatsettings.

RRP:£279www.furygan.com

DAINESE RACING4 JACKET

DainesehasbroughtitsRacing4leather jacketoutfor2023withthiscrackingwhite andblackcolourway.It’sasportyriding jacket,withpremiumDaineseTutucowhide outershell,atightracefit,andCEarmourin elbowsandshoulders.Theoutershoulder protectorshavereplaceablealuminium sliderplates,andthereare pocketsfor chestand back protectors. Thedesign incorporates fourclosable ventsfor summerrides, andDainese hasadded comfort stretchpanels onthearms, hipsandback areas.

RRP:£499.95www.dainese.com

GIVI ST607BTAILPACK

Ausefultailbagthatattachestothepillionseat ofmostnakedandsportsbikes,givingyouspace forkitwithoutthegriefofarucksackortankbag. It’sathermo-formedbag,withPUinsertsfora semi-rigid(!)shell,andanexpandingsectiontogo from22litresto26litres.Universalfittingwith foursuppliedbucklestraps,fullywaterproof outercoverandapaddedshoulderstrapforoff thebike.

RRP£125 www.givi.co.uk

GB RACINGTÉNÉRÉGOPRO MOUNT

GBRacinghasexpandeditsremitfromtheusual enginecrashprotectorstocomeupwiththis neatlittleGoPromountfortheYamahaTénéré 700.Itboltsdirectlyintoanexistingframepoint, andgivesasuper-solidmountforyouraction camera.

RRP:£48 www.gbracing.eu

BEST OFBOTH WORLDS?

TRIUMPHSTREET TRIPLE765MOTO2

Morefocusedthanyourtypicalnaked, butnotquiteasportsbike…isthis halfwayhousewe’vebeenhopingfor?

WORDS:BIGMAC PICS:DOUBLERED

BackinFebruary,whenTriumph launcheditsheavilyupdatedStreet Triple765tothemedia,italso announcedabling‘Moto2’edition,butdidn’t bringittoJerez,inSpain,forustoride.At thetimeIwilladmittonotreally understandingwhyyouwoulddothat, especiallywhenyou’vegonetotheexpense ofhiringJerezracecircuit.Whywouldn’twe allbeletlooseonatrackwherearoundof theMoto2worldchampionshipisheld,on oneofitsbikebearingtheMoto2logo,on accountofTriumphbeingtheenginesupplier totheclass,andtieitallintogether?Having justgotinfrommy rsthourorsoridingthe Moto2,Inowknowwhy…

It'sactuallyprettyobvious–andalsotells youmoreorlesseverythingyouneedto knowabouttheMoto2.Iftheydidletusride theMoto2alongsidetheRSandRversions,it wouldcertainlyhavedilutedthefocuson whatareactuallymoreimportantbikesfor Triumph,thebig-sellingRandRS.Plus, giventhere’sonlygoingtobe1530Moto2s ontheplanet–765ofeachcolour–andthey prettymuchallsoldoutassoonasTriumph

madetheannouncement,theyrightlygotus tofocusontheRandRSbackinthewinter anddeliverthegoodnewsaboutthosetoour respectiveaudiences.

However,wewerestillleftwithquestions thatneededanswering,themainonebeing, ‘What’sitlike?’Allthoseupgradesthatreally sharpenedtheStreetTriplefor2023,plus clip-onsandÖhlinsall-round,areamouthwateringprospect.Obviously,thereareother thingstheMoto2getsthattheotherStreet Triplesdon’t,butthey’reallcosmetic.Stuff likethepaintjob,obligatorybuildnumber plaque,somesnazzycarbon brehereand thereand,ofcourse,theaforementioned of cialMoto2logosdottedaround,too.

Atthispointit’sworthaquickreminderof whatthe2023StreetTriplegotbywayof upgradesfor2023.Thelatestversionofthe three-cylinder765ccmotorgetsshorterinlet trumpetstoincreaseinletvelocity,re-pro led inletports,higherliftcamstoopenthe valvesmore,whichmeanslongervalves,a re-pro ledcombustionchamberandpiston crowntoincreasethecompressionratioto 13.25:1,andanewhigher owingexhaust

withlessangularbendsandonlyone catalyticconverter.Theresultisan impressive7bhpincreaseovertheprevious motor.It’ssuchabigjumpinpowerthatthe motoralsogetsnew,strongercon-rodsand gudgeonpinstocope.

Triumphalsowentabitmadinthe gearboxonnewbike.Theratiosarealllower thanbefore,except rstgear,whichisatiny bittaller.Thenthereisthe naldrive,which hasonetoothlessonthefrontsprocketand twoteethmoreontherearsprocket.Putall thatlowergearingtogetherwiththebigboost inpowerandyoureallyshouldn’tneedmeto tellyouthatthe2023StreetTripleismuch livelierthanthepreviousone.Theshorter gearingmeansthatthewheelbaseis6mm shorter–asigni cantamount,plustherear rideheighthasbeenraisedby10mm,which isalsoalargechange.Raisingtherideheight createsthebyproductofalsoreducingthe rakeofthesteeringveryslightly,sothe

THEBURNINGQUESTIONIS:DOESTHESTREET TRIPLEMOTO2FILLTHESPACELEFTBEHINDBYTHE DAYTONA?

You’llwantapairof sunglassestogowithit.