TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 765 MOTO2 EDITION (2023 - on) Review

You’d be forgiven for thinking a ‘Moto2 Edition’ Street Triple 765 naked bike would look like, well…a Moto2 bike. Wishful thinking for those who still lament the demise of the Triumph Daytona 675.

There is a strong Grand Prix connection, of course. Its 765cc inline three-cylinder engine also powers a gridful of sideways-slewing wannabe MotoGP racers. And why shouldn’t Triumph shout about it? Their rasping, robust three-cylinder engine is a triumvirate of noise, grunt and just the right amount of power.

A standard Triumph Street Triple 765 RS will be easier to live with its higher bars, more supple suspension and calmer chassis geometry. It’s £2500 less, which still makes it the Street Triple to go for, but there’s no escaping the Moto2 Edition’s specialness and its ability to retain its impeccable road manners.

Its sharper and more direct, but new clip-ons aren’t too low, the ride isn’t overly harsh and it’s always stable. Despite its extra cornering performance, it’s still a naked and hard to hang on to at speed, which begs the obvious question: why Triumph didn’t go the full Moto2 hog and fit a fairing?

Think of the Moto2 Edition as a half-way house between the superb new Street Triple 765 RS and a race rep. Only 765 will be made in each of the two colours available: white or the yellow. It might not have a fairing, but it’s more track focussed with clip-ons, Öhlins NIX30 forks and sharper chassis geometry. The rake goes from 23.2°, 23.0°, trail reduced 1.6mm to 95.3mm, wheelbase from 1399mm to 1397mm and seat height up 3mm to 839mm. Kerb weight stays at 188kg.

Although its 128bhp engine and electronics are identical to the RS’s, the chassis upgrades and more aggressive riding position are designed to help it handle with even more poise. But like any naked, it’s hard to hang on at full pelt and barely a moment goes by when you ask yourself why it doesn’t have a fairing.

The changes give the Moto2 Edition a sportier feel, but it remains composed and exciting on the road. Suspension is firm, but not as harsh as the latest Triumph Speed Triple 1200RS’s Öhlins set-up and the lower bars aren’t tortuous, like the Speed Triple 1200RR’s. It isn’t as relaxed as the standard Street Triple, but for what small amount of comfort you forgo, you get back with a more plugged-in front end feel that lets you roll into the corners harder and with more confidence.

There’s still lots of legroom, the seat is comfy and thanks to its stubby 15.2-litre tank (2.4-litres smaller for all Street Triples this year) it isn’t a stretch to reach the bars. The steering is faster than the RS’s, but the Triumph is always stable and the bars never flap in your hands, even on bumpy roads.

But smooth tarmac is where it’s at and the harder you push, the better the Triumph feels and the more you can explore the grip of the  Pirelli Super Corsa SP fast road/trackday tyres. It’s impossible to get anywhere the limit of the standard Street Triple, even on track and Moto2 is more capable still.

Brembo Stylemas are equally impressive and like the RS, have more feel and power than ever, especially as the Moto2 Edition puts more weight over the front to squash the tyre into the road. But the front brake lever can’t be adjusted close enough to the bar, which is a problem for small hands.

Cruise control, which would be useful on a bike with clip-ons is a £325 optional extra and there’s a slight buzz from the bars at motorway speeds. It blurs the bar end mirrors and some owners have reported numb hands on long journeys.

The star of any Street Triple show is the engine. It’s unchanged from the RS, so gets an extra 7bhp and a closer ratio gearbox, among other Moto2-inspired tweaks for 2023. Performance is riotous and it’ll power wheelie off the throttle in second, but the power delivery is refined and buttery smooth, especially in top gear at motorway speeds.

Happily it’s screwed together far more neatly than the 2020 limited-edition Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition. Attention to detail and build quality is top draw and as it’s essentially a Street Triple 765 with some fancy bits you’ll have no issues with reliability.

Its closest competitor in terms of spec is Ducati’s full Öhlins-clad Monster SP, which costs £200 more. But the Triumph Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition is a lot more expensive than similar performing bikes like the Yamaha MT-09SP and KTM 890 Duke R.

The Street Triple Moto2 Edition costs £2500 more than the already top spec RS. As well as it Öhlins NIX30 forks and clip-ons it comes with a milled top yoke and handlebar risers and a carbon mudguard, bellypan, clock shroud, tank infill panels and exhaust can end. The lurid lumo yellow version would make Rossi reach for his sunnies.

Like the RS it has a 5in colour dash with new graphics and plethora of rider aids and an up/down quickshifter to make life easier on the road and track. There are five riding modes. Road, Sport, Track and a customisable Rider. All modes have racier throttle maps and in Rain power is cut to 99bhp.