The year was 2007. I picked up an issue of MCN and, within 20 minutes, I fell in love with the Triumph Street Triple, even before I could legally ride it. That year I made a promise to myself that when I could afford a Street Triple, I would buy one.
It took an embarrassingly long time, but I kept my promise. And to this day, it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from a motorcycle. So when I saw that Triumph was making a limited-edition Street Triple 765 RX, I did a double take.
The idea that Triumph would create a high-spec, limited-edition model of a motorcycle I didn’t dare consider how to improve upon awakened the childlike imagination in me that had lain dormant for the past months.
The questions started swirling: “Would a racier Street Triple really be any good? Would people want it? Would I want it?” At Barber Motorsport Park, I got my answer: yes.
If it looks like a Street Triple, feels like a Street Triple, and smells like a Street Triple, but handles even more precisely, with more feel, then it must be the Street Triple RX.
With the RX, you still get the silky smooth 765cc triple that strikes a near-perfect balance of torque and high-end poke, Brembo Stylema calipers that always urge you to hit the throttle a moment later at the end of each straight, and stellar electronic rider aids to save your bacon when you do. Sure, it’s fair to argue that the RX is less practical than the RS version due to its clip-ons, but it’s also fair to say that the seating position takes the weight off your buttocks by enabling you to prop up your legs. For people with a moderate commute, I think the RX offers more than it takes.
The Street Triple RX takes practically everything I love about the Street Triple RS and improves it. But to do this, Triumph really only needed to make two changes: the forks and the handlebar.
Photo by: Triumph
The Öhlins NIX30 Fork is the most transformative part of the Street Triple RX when it comes to track riding. From the moment I set off around Barber, I never thought about losing the lead. It was so organized that I just needed to concentrate on adapting to a new-to-me track. As I picked up my speed and started pushing, the benefit of the new front end became undeniable: ridiculous confidence.
I had almost infinite confidence in the guy in front, but that wasn’t because he didn’t move around – it’s not magic. This confidence came from knowing what the other person was doing, and the feeling was transmitted through the hooks to my hands. It also didn’t hurt that the front tire felt stuck to the asphalt most of the time, thanks to the beautifully constant moisture.
Whether I was dropping anchor a meter later than usual in Turn One and going back to make the apex or peeling away around Turn 3, trying to get my elbows closer to the ground, the fork was so progressive, while still remaining stiff. On each lap, the front-end feel encouraged me to push harder, but I made my biggest improvements under braking.
Photo by: Triumph
I went full force, coming close to finishing the suspension, but never did. I felt connected to the fork through the Brembo MCS lever. Each successive release of the lever was mirrored by millimeter-perfect decompression of the suspension, and it’s hard to quantify just how much confidence that gives when backing into a corner. But the fork didn’t do the trick alone in telling me what the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 were doing. Without the Street Triple RX’s clip-on bars, I’m sure my connection to the front tire would be unclear.
The Street Triple RX’s clip-on kept me well and truly in front of the bike, at no cost to my wrist pain for the pleasure. It’s not a full-on supersport riding position, as the bars sit above the top yoke, but they still put your hands about 70mm lower and 50mm forward compared to the standard bars on the Street Triple 765 RS.
Clip-on two things. First, they put more of my weight over the front wheel, which increased the feel of the Ohlins NIX30 fork and gave me the confidence to see if I could ride anywhere close to the bike’s potential—I couldn’t. Secondly, the clip-ons put my arms in a more natural position when cornering, and this was especially noticeable around some of Barber’s long sweeping corners. My body naturally settled into position, and I felt encouraged to hang onto the bike more. These straps meant I didn’t have to suffer from slightly awkward wrist positions when achieving high lean angles, as I used to do on my Triumph Street Triple R.
This model would have been great if Triumph had upgraded the front fork, but the addition of the clip-on lets you enjoy the NIX30s even more, and takes the Street Triple RX from great to exceptional. If Triumph had simply given the Street Triple RX a new Öhlins front end and clip-ons, I still think it would have been worth the $950 price increase. But the Hinckley brand has given the Street Triple RX a lot to cement its position as a truly special kit.
The clip-on handlebar and Ohlins fork make the Street Triple RX perform better on the track, but what makes it special and exclusive are its limited-edition features that you’ll only get on this model.
The show-stealer is the billet-machined upper yoke, which serves to immediately let onlookers know you’re doing something special. Every time I glanced at the controls or the dash, the triple clamp stole my glance for longer than expected; It made me feel like I was riding something extraordinary before the bike even got a chance to prove itself.
The seat of the Street Triple RX is a part that sits between a performance upgrade and an aesthetic upgrade. The suede-like material kept my bush sticking to the bike more than the standard 765 RS’s seat, but it also adds to the feeling that the Street Triple RX is a cut above, thanks to the RX branding in the seat.
Triumph splashed the RX moniker all over the bike, laser-etched it on the exhaust and finished the bike off the model with a silver/red paint scheme, as well as the red subframe and wheel combination that Triumph fans will recognize from the original 2015 Street Triple RX.
The feeling that this model was something special, not just an improved 765 RS, never left me, whether riding or lost in the details. The fact that the RX costs only $950 more than the RS, which comes in at $14,495, is crazy. For some, the 765 Street Triple RS was already the best in class, but the Street Triple RX steps up significantly in terms of supersport-like performance capabilities.
Photo by: Triumph
Take a step back, look at the range as a whole, and the Street Triple RX is still a value option. Yes, it’s one of the most expensive bikes in the range, but it’s arguably the best-handling on the track and is a limited-edition model, not just a sort of street Triple RS SP.
I bet those who buy the Street Triple RX won’t feel compelled to upgrade when the next version of Triumph’s Street Triple hits the market. Going forward, when the RX ceases to compete in terms of performance, this will still be the bike that feels special, because it is.
I also bet things will never progress far enough that someone can get on this bike, experience how it handles, and feel like selling out. Right now, I’m looking for a bike that’s comfortable enough for everyday use, but doesn’t make me feel short on track days. For me, no other motorcycle meets this criteria better than the Street Triple RX, and I would buy it if I could.
