Video: 2013 Triumph Street Triple R first ride

The current Triumph Street Triple, the British firm’s best selling machine in the past five years (they’ve sold 50,000), weighs just 189kg, full of fuel and ready-to-go, which is bugger-all.

This new version, available in dealers in the middle of November is lighter still. Weighing a piffling 183kg it’s going to strike fear into its main rival: the 211kg Suzuki GSR750, which makes exactly the same 105bhp.

Kawasaki’s new Z800, which I’ll be riding next month, weighs 229kg, but has 7bhp more. Triumph could have it beat already…

This world launch of the new £7699 Street Triple R took place in southern Spain. The roads are twisty, the sky is blue and the roads are warm – perfect conditions to give the snarling three-cylinder 675cc Triumph a damn good thrashing.

As before, the Street Triple R has fully-adjustable KYB suspension, Nissin four-pot radial front brakes and a hugger as standard.

It doesn’t have the new £350 optional ABS system, but has the £149.99 fly screen and the £160.00 bellypan, among other natty little trinkets.