Triumph has launched the Street Triple RS at Rs 10.55 lakhs (ex-showroom, India). The bike competes with the Ducati Monster 797, Kawasaki Z900, Aprilia Shiver 900 and the MV Agusta Brutale 800. We check out how the RS keeps up in the street fight.
Features
The Triumph Street Triple RS is the upgraded and more powerful version of recently launched Street Triple S. Design of the bike remains the same, although the RS gets an upgrade in its technology and minor cosmetic changes like the matt silver paint finish sub-frame, body-coloured belly pan and seat cowl to differentiate it from the Street Triple S. Technologically, it features Brembo M50 brake callipers with 310mm discs at the front and 220mm disc at the rear. Suspension duties are taken care of by fully-adjustable Showa 41mm forks upfront and fully-adjustable Ohlins at the back. The Street Triple RS is also equipped with atraction control system, switchable ABS, a quickshifter and five riding modes- Sport, Road, Rain, Rider, and Track. The Triumph is also the only bike here which features a full colour TFT screen.
Like all Italian designs, the MV Agusta Brutale 800 is a beautifully designed machine. The Brutale 800’s uniquely designed seat, LED daytime running lights and the triple exhaust pipes which expose the single sided swingarm add to the raw appeal of the motorcycle. The bike gets eight level traction controls, three-way switchable ABS, two-way quickshifter and a hydraulic slipper clutch. Thanks to a tech upgrade, MV Agusta’s streetfighter also gets four riding modes - Rain, Normal, Sport and Custom.
The Ducati Monster 797 is the smaller version of the Monster 821. Apart from the design, the bike also shares the LCD instrument panel from its elder sibling. Its oval headlamp and beefy fuel tank give the Monster a brawny streetfighter look. It sports 43mm Kayaba forks at the front and a Sachs monoshock at the rear. The Monster 797 does not feature much of new age electronic tech. Although braking power comes from twin 320mm Brembo brakes and a single 245mm Brembo disc at the rear with ABS as standard.
The Aprilia Shiver 900’s styling is basic as compared to the other Italians, although the underseat exhaust makes the bike standout. The electronics package includes features like a traction control system, a two-channel ABS, ride by wire technology with three ride modes - sport, touring and rain.The suspension setup on the bike includes 41mm Kayaba inverted front forks and an adjustable mono shock at the rear. Braking duties are taken care of by twin 320mm discs with four-piston Brembo calipers at the front and a single 240mm disc with a single-piston Brembo caliper at the rear.
The only Japanese in this competition check is the Kawasaki Z900. The design is similar to the Z800 and the Z1000. Although the styling is futuristic, it does not feature many electronics, except for optional ABS and a slipper clutch with assist technology. The bike features a semi-digital instrument cluster with an analogue tachometer unlike the other bikes which sport an LCD unit. The Z900 halts with the help of 300mm discs in the front and a 250mm disc at the rear.
Engine
The Street Triple RS uses the 765cc inline three cylinder engine as the standard bike, although tweaked to produce more power at 121bhp at 11700rpm and 77Nm of maximum torque at 10800rpm. This unit is mated to a six-speed gearbox.
Powering the Ducati Monster 797 is a fuel injected 803cc L-twin air-cooled engine. This unit produces 74bhp of power at 8,250rpm and 68Nm of torque at 5,750rpm. This is sent to the rear wheel through a six-speed gearbox.The MV Agusta Brutale 800 sports a 798cc in-line three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed gearbox with an output of 108bhp at 11,500rpm and 83Nm of torque at 7,600rpm.
The Kawasaki Z900 uses a 948cc engine which is a smaller bored version of the Z1000’s block. The engine produces 123bhp at 9,500rpm and 98Nmof torque at 7,700rpm. The Aprilia Shiver 900 is powered by an 896cc, V-twin power plant that belts out 94bhp of power at 8,750rpm and 90Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. This mill comes mated to a six-speed gearbox.
On paper, the Z900 seems faster than the RS because of the additional 2bhp, although the Triumph is considerably lighter and would have an advantage in the power-to-weight ratio. The Ducati Monster 797, on the other hand, is under powered when compared to the other bikes.
Pricing
The Kawasaki Z900 has the most aggressive price tag of Rs 7.68 lakhs followed by the Ducati Monster 797 that costs Rs 8.28 lakhs. The Triumph Street Triple RS sits in between the competition at Rs 10.55 lakhs. The Aprilia Shiver 900 is priced at Rs 12.95 lakhs while the MV Agusta Brutale is the most expensive at Rs 15.59 lakhs.
(All prices ex-showroom, Mumbai)
