2019 Triumph Street Triple S/R/RS

Do you remember Triumph’s four-cylinder sportbike, the TT600? Aimed at a category traditionally dom­inated by Japanese manufacturers, the fully faired machine was produced in the early 2000s and superseded by the more powerful Daytona 650. After one year, Triumph returned to its roots, introducing a gem of a three-cylinder platform. The middleweight shootout-winning Daytona 675 led in 2007 to the Street Triple naked bike patterned after the liter-class Speed Triple. Today’s sub-$10K Street Triple S and its siblings, the even more powerful R and RS, are fun, highly refined performance bikes with loads of character capable of commuting, trackdays, and even long weekend rides.

On the Cycle World dyno, a 2018 Street Triple R—the middle of the three power choices available from the DOHC 765cc triple, now the spec powerplant for the Moto2 world championship—made 111 hp and 55 pound-feet of torque. Most importantly, the engine produced 87 percent of that torque at just 3,000 rpm and more than 50 pound-feet from 7,000 to 11,750 rpm. Factor in ride modes and traction control and you have a motorcycle for a broad range of street conditions.

Likes: TFT dash is easy to navigate; smorgasbord of ride modes and other settings

Dislikes: Sometimes left wishing for a bit more protection from the elements

Verdict: An exciting naked bike that in tippy-top trim can be pricey for its displacement

In 2018, the Triumph Street Triple won Best Middleweight. "Cycle World chose the $11,200 Street Triple R model for its upgrades from the $9,900 S model and its savings over the top-of-line $12,500 RS," Editor-in-Chief Mark Hoyer explained. "Call the R the most balanced of the balanced."

Best Middleweight—2018 Triumph Street Triple R

“All three Street Triples—the S, the R, and the RS—feature a ride-by-wire throttle system with different riding modes that adjust the throttle response, ABS, and traction control, although the electronics suites vary between the trio from that point,” wrote Sport Rider editor-in-Chief Kent Kunitsugu about the then-brand-new 2017 model.

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There are less expensive middleweight standards and more expensive middleweight sportbikes, but few motorcycles offer such a well-balanced a combination of performance, ease of use, and personality in one package. Got champagne tastes? Consider the $18,498 MV Agusta Brutale 800RR. More price conscious? Yamaha offers the $8,999 MT-09.

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Triumph offers three levels of Street Triple: S (Showa suspension, gullwing-style swingarm, higher-spec rubber); R (four riding modes, 5-inch TFT display, fully adjustable Showa suspension, Brembo M4.32 calipers); and RS (Brembo M50 calipers, Showa BPF fork, Öhlins STX40 shock, track mode, lap timer, quickshifter, Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tires).