Triumph R Versions...

[ScaredyCat]

Are 'R' versions of Triumphs really that much better than the non-R versions, purely for road use. I can understand that the suspension/brakes would make a bigger difference on track, but on the road?

Street Triple price difference if around £800 and Speed Triple is £1400 difference. Engines don't appear to be different between the R and non R .

Also, red is not a paint option on R versions
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[wr6133]

They make knicker elastic snap 20 meters further ahead than the Non R

[RhynoCZ]

[grr666]

It's more to represent the noise you involuntarily make when you open the garage and find out yours has been nicked...


"R"
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[P.addy]

I don't mind not having the R. Sure, nicer suspension might be handy but I'm not anywhere near good enough to notice it holding me back.

[redeem ouzzer]

I wouldn't own a serious road bike that didn't have fully adjustable suspension, sorry.

Having a trick looking bike with just normal fork caps or preload only looks awful. Also I ride fast so I tend to like everything a bit firmer than stock.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[stevo as b4]

I don't think having adjustability is always a good thing, as too many people have a fiddle with settings and don't know how to get the best from it, so thus balls up the good handling the bike sometimes came with.

Some bikes out of the box are set up firmer than others, and don't need much adjustment for fast road use. Some bikes have adjustable suspension for carrying luggage and pillions, not for improving handling etc.

And there's plenty of bikes that come with adjustable suspension where all the adjusters have hardly any effect on the suspension action over say 20clicks of adjustment. In this case having say adjustable forks is no use whatsoever if you still can't get the set up you need.

I'd buy the non R version for riding in many cases, and then go and pay a suspension specialist to re-build/Re valve everything to 100% suit me and my riding out of choice. If you get the perfect set up for 80% of your riding and use, you don't then need any adjustment and your less likely to mess things up.

The big advantage to buying an R or SP version for the road, is looks, bling, tart factor and one upmanship. None of which makes the bike automatically better to ride. Looks and image sell bikes though, so it's important to would be buyers to think they are getting the bollocks for an extra grand etc.

[B5234FT]

I bought the R because I wanted the Matt grey paint

[ScaredyCat]

[MarJay]

I only weigh 10 stone, and the non-R's spring rates are too high and unadjustable.

The R version was capable of getting very close to my perfect setup, whereas the non-R was miles off.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Polarbear]

[redeem ouzzer]

Problem being as Marjay says you are likely to be able to get close to ideal setup if you have external adjustments. If you have no adjustment then you are going to start getting billed for springs and cartridges and all gets a bit expensive. When a version of the bike exists with adjustable forks for not much more, it's silly to take the poverty option. FFS my 26 year old GSXR's both have fully adjustable cartridge forks, it's not like it's a new invention.
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[t121anf]

Bragging rights surely?

In the pub the R version will always sound better than non R version.

[P.addy]

[MarJay]

[wr6133]

[chickenstrip]

I have no doubt that good, properly set up suspension makes a hell of a difference, even on the road. But I have no clue when it comes to setting up suspension for myself. My Striple R is feckin harsh, but I've done nothing about it, I just ride it. This is how I have been with every other bike I've ever owned. You don't need brilliant suspension, but sure it makes things much more enjoyable when it is right.

I only think it's worth throwing a lot of money at if you love everything else about your bike though. I'm fortunate in that I've found the bike that really suits me in the Fazer, so it was worth it to me, and boy, what a difference. The Striple isn't. I have no idea how the R model compares with the standard, but I'd say either the standard version must be really shit, or it just isn't that important for most people who will own one, self included.

If it was my only bike and I knew it was a keeper, I'd probably do something to improve things. I think the Striple could be a bike that's worth it, but it's going to be a personal thing.
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[MarJay]

[chickenstrip]

[chickenstrip]

[stevo as b4]

I don't know how good the range of adjustment and the quality of the suspension components are on the Street triple R, but from those that have ridden them more than not say it can be set up better than out of the box settings for many people.

Not all fully adjustable bikes are like that. Talk to firms like Maxton about 90's bikes that had fully adjustable suspension and yet were still shit, or the components were shit, or even the basic design/geometry of the suspension was shit. You cant adjust that out, and as said some adjustable stuff did nothing for 20clicks and then locked up the forks etc.

examples are:
1, ZX6R J-series. The rear shock had too stiff a spring fitted as std, and too little re-bound damping. You couldn't fix that without a new shock or a shock re-build.

2, TL1000S (bad example due to the rear end issues), but they had forks with too little travel, to stop the front wheel hitting the cylinder head. It's not possible to fix that problem either by twiddling adjusters.

[recman]

Heavy braking has had my forks bottoming out a couple of times, being a larger chap will not have helped but other than that things are fine for me.
Might stick some firmer oil in if I can be arsed.
Rear shock seems to be just right for my every day type of riding, even when I push things on the twisties, things feel very planted.
The brakes are easily good enough for me, I've never felt them to be lacking.
Sure I've ridden bikes with better stopping power but they've been much heavier so needed it.
I'm sure the R version with better brakes and suspension feels more responsive and sporty but I don't feel the need tbh.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Alex A]

My preference on the road is for well damped but very firm suspension.

My experience with bikes fitted with non-adjustable suspension (or not fully adjustable suspension) is that they're often much too soft for spirited riding, and under damped one way or another. That's partly because they're built down to a budget, and partly because that's how most riders must like it. In their favour, the lack of adjustability usually means that the front and back are in tune with one another, whereas you can really cock up the F/R balance with fully adjustable suspension.

My experience with bikes fitted with fully adjustable suspension (usually sports bikes and super nakeds) is that they're often very satisfactory at the standard settings. That's partly because they tend to be fitted to bikes intended for spirited riding, and partly because there's less budgetary constraint. Ironically, that means I usually don't bother with any adjustment. However, it's not always the case, and it's invaluable to be able to adjust the suspension to get it to feel the way I'd like it to feel.

As it happens, I've just picked up a 2010 Street Triple R, so I'll see whether that warrants any adjustment from standard. My recollection of riding the standard Street Triple a couple of years back is that the standard suspension was a bit soft but not excessively so; It would be acceptable, but I'd definitely rather the quality and adjustability of the Daytona suspension. Although you'll pay extra, it'll be a more desirable bike in the future, and should retain most of (it not all) the price premium.

[Pigeon]