When we first rode the Triumph Street Triple RS back in 2017, it left us very impressed. For something that can be ridden on a daily basis, this 600cc street-naked bike offers supersport bike-like handling at a very tempting price. It set the benchmark for street-naked motorcycles in the country, thanks to the performance it offers. In 2020, Triumph introduced the Street Triple RS. We take it for a ride to see what it has in store.

Street-fighter looks

Looking at the Triumph Street Triple RS, you can instantly tell its from the Street Triple range from Triumph Bikes. From up-front, you see the signature twin headlights, giving the Triumph Street Triple RS its own unique identity. The bike looks more aggressive and more track-focused. Triumph Bikes have also redesigned a lot of the bodywork, including the bits around the radiator shroud, the tail section and the belly pan. The new Triumph Street Triple RS looks a lot better than before and the quality seems to have improved a lot too. It gets a lovely glossy silver paint theme, carbon-fibre-tipped exhausts and a lot of other premium bits. And we can't think of another bike in this segment that looks and feels this good. The RS also features a huge TFT display with various layouts and colour options. The screen provides lots of information, plus you can sync your phone to the screen via Bluetooth. But an accessory will have to be purchased to make this possible. After getting it installed, turn-by-turn navigation is seen on the instrument cluster; you have access to the phone, music and even your GoPro through a five-way joystick.

In-line Triple magic

Once you start up the in-line triple engine, the 765cc unit begins to shows us its talents, and Triumph have worked hard to make this engine deliver, and how. The unit develops 121bhp and 79Nm of torque, available at a lower rpm. Even overall power and torque have been improved and it shows. We found it easy to stay in the higher gears at slow speeds while making the most of the mid-range to overtake in traffic. The engine is tractable alright, but it's the midrange that helps you dart out of corners in a jiffy.

For the street?

The twin-spar aluminium frame hasn't been touched, neither has the fully adjustable Showa fork and the Ohlins STX40 monoshock. All of these bits make the bike a very involving ride, particularly around corners. Even on tarmac, the RS offers a soft ride, making it a great motorcycle for ambling around in the city. The ride is still a bit firm on bad roads, but I guess that's what makes it such a great handling machine. On a track, the RS handles brilliantly, especially with the suspension dialled-in well; this is a motorcycle that loves being tipped into corners and it maintains its line remarkably well. The bike simply flows from one corner into the other; the bike's handling makes it a very rewarding machine and the rider feels confident pushing it to its limit. We can partly thank the amount of grip provided by the Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa SP tyres, and the Brembo M50 Monobloc brakes only further add to the reassurance.

Rounding it up

The Triumph Street Triple RS is a wonderful all-rounder. It can deal with the daily grind, to and back from work. It's also comfortable, offers fantastic build quality and features too. The pricing is very competitive, and for what this Triumph offer, it is great value for the money. And let's not forget those enticing looks.