Long term update: Triumph triple-header

‘Here Come the Girls!’ Charlie Lester, MCN contributor and 2011 Street Triple R owner, admitted at a fuel stop that she had been singing the song (think Boots’ telly adverts) to herself for the last hour – and it fitted our damp but fun rideout perfectly.

I’d met up with Charlie and Keitha Bryce-Smith, another owner of a Triumph Street Triple R, to give them a chance to try out my Rx. I wanted to see if natty little updates like the single seat, quickshifter and more angular look could tempt them to trade-in their much loved bikes.

Keitha had fallen for the Rx’s sharper styling and tidier look on first sight. Charlie liked the angular front end but thought the back looked stunted.

All three of us felt the riding positions were different, with the newer model’s seat seeming higher – but on investigation both seat heights are 805mm. It can only be that the older bike has a more sculpted seat, giving the impression of being lower.

The official Triumph accessory exhaust can by Arrow met with both ladies’ approval for giving the throaty triple even more character – but the £550 price tag was seen as a bit steep.

One of the biggest points for discussion on the Rx was the quickshifter. Keitha, who’s been riding for just six months and hadn’t attempted a clutchless gear shift before, was surprised by how easy the quickshifter was to use. Charlie loved using it, but felt that losing the satisfaction of a manual gear shift would be a shame.

So, time for the big question – would either lady stump up the £4500 they’d need to upgrade to the Rx? Keitha’s chequebook was on the table in a flash, whereas Charlie’s money was safe in the bank, save for a little cash to splash on an aftermarket pipe to give her Triple more of a throaty twang.