Triumph Street Triple RS vs Tiger 800 XR vs Thruxton R – Sibling rivalry

Triumph has a new motorcycle for those seeking a middleweight hooligan – the Street Triple RS. It is a performance-focussed version of the standard Street Triple, featuring a more powerful engine and upgraded cycle parts. However, the Street Triple RS has to share the price bracket with two other accomplished Triumph motorcycles, the Tiger 800 XR and the Thruxton R. Let’s see how it stacks up against these bike.

Design

Triumph’s Street Triple range received a major overhaul last year to bring it on par with the competition. On the surface, it retains the retains the essence of the old bike’s iconic design with the bug-eye headlamps and the muscular bodywork. It features all the traditional ‘streetfighter’ styling cues which scream of aggression.

The Tiger 800 XR on the other hand, is an adventure touring motorcycle. The ‘R’ in the monicker stands for ‘Road’, which indicates that the Tiger 800 XR is meant to stick to the tarmac more often than wander off it. Nevertheless, it gets all the characteristic ‘adventure’ styling cues like long-travel suspension and high clearance, and rugged and minimalistic bodywork.

The Thruxton R is a modern classic, inspired by the Grand Prix racing motorcycles from the 1960s. The round headlamp, twin-pod clocks, a sculpted fuel tank and the chromed spoke wheels give it a retro look, while the clip-on handlebars and the slightly rear-set foot pegs offer a sporty riding position.

Engine
Both the Street Triple RS and the Tiger 800 XR are powered by inline-three engines. The Street Triple RS engine displaces 765cc, delivering 121bhp and 77Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission with a slipper clutch and quickshifter which allows clutchless upshifts.

At the heart of the Tiger 800XR is an 800cc powertrain. Even with the displacement advantage over the Street Triple RS, the output is relatively lower at 94bhp and 79Nm of torque. However, given that the Tiger 800 XR is an adventure touring bike, straight out performance is never a priority. 

The Thruxton R’s powertrain might fall short of one cylinder, but it makes up for the loss with 1200cc of displacement. Given the retro character of the bike, the output is a humble 96bhp and 112Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission.

Features
The Street Triple RS is loaded to the brim with technology. It gets a five-inch colour TFT instrument console which can be controlled through a five-way joystick on the switchgear. While previous Street Triple had to make do with just ABS, the RS now also gets five riding modes and traction control. It rides on 41mm Showa front forks and an Ohlins monoshock, both of which are adjustable for preload, compression damping and rebound damping. The brake setup has been supplied by Brembo.

The Tiger 800 XR is the entry-level model in the Tiger family, and misses out on the riding modes. Nevertheless, it does get switchable ABS and traction control. The seat height, handlebar position, brake and clutch levers can be tailored according to the rider, and it even gets a 12V power socket for accessories like heated grips and phone charger. It rides on a Showa front and rear suspension setup, while the brake setup has been sourced from Nissin. The instrument cluster consists of a basic LCD unit.

The Thruxton R might be designed to look like a retro motorcycle, but it does get rider aids like ABS, traction control and riding modes. Even the clocks feature a digital display while the headlamp and tail lamp gets LED units. The Thruxton R rides on Showa inverted front forks and Ohlins dual spring rear suspension. The brake setup has been supplied by Brembo.

Price
The Triumph Street Triple RS has been priced at Rs 10.55 lakhs, which is Rs 1.7 lakhs more than the standard bike. However, considering the additional equipment the RS gets, it seems like a good price. The Tiger 800 XR is slightly more expensive at Rs 10.87 lakhs. The Thruxton R is the most expensive of the lot, at Rs 11.27 lakhs. All prices are ex-showroom.