I’m definitely a guy that likes change and likes to try new things, and when my short-term track riding plans were looking a little different than normal I decided that a change of bike made sense at this point.
With a few ideas planted in my head it wasn’t long before I began looking at my options for a motorcycle that would suit me better in my current situation, and not long after that realisation the decision was made that I would sell my 2010 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and move to something… quite different.
I had this bike for two seasons and if I’m honest it was a mixed bag for me. Not so much because the bike was poor, but in the time that I had it I never fully felt like I clicked with it to the same degree as my R6.
From issues with the bike itself, to getting punted off just as I was getting to grips with it, and then just not having as much time as I would like to ride it. These things among others meant it never reached that “like a glove” point for me.
That said I still had some very pleasing days and experiences with it and I am very much sold on the 1000cc class. When I’m able to I will be looking to grab another one in the future to continue with that rocket ride (I’m looking at you, latest generation R1)
So what did I replace it with? Well as the picture below gives away, I’m now the owner of a 2014 Triumph Street Triple R
At first it probably seems like an odd choice for a track rider, but there are a few reasons why I’ve gone this route for the time being.
The issue with only having a track bike and not many opportunities to get to the track and ride it is that it leaves me a little hamstrung with what I can do for content.
As many of you would have likely seen, my YouTube channel is in full swing and I have plans for much more content in the future. Having a road worthy bike means I have the option to get footage for things that will still be applicable to the track.
I haven’t ridden on the road in 8 years. I gave it up initially because I just couldn’t get my kicks on the road when I was only focused on speed. However more recently there’s often been times when I wished I could just throw the leathers on and go for a ride.
To be honest I don’t plan on doing a tonne of road miles, but at least having that option was something I wanted again.
In truth, the Street Triple R is basically a Daytona 675 with the fairings removed and a few small tweaks all over it. That said it still offers something a bit different from a typical sports bike and I’m really keen to get it on the track and see just how things change (thinking of potential content again here) because a sporty naked is something I haven’t experienced yet on the track.
I had never ridden one, but for many years I’ve been eager to get my hands on the 675 triple engine and the Street Triple in particular is a bike I’ve always loved the look (and sound) of.
There’s something about all-round motorcycles that really interest me. The kind of bike that can take you for miles in comfort but then carve up a road (or track) without batting an eye lid.
With my current situation as it is, now just seemed like a perfectly good time to give one a try to add it to my list of the bikes I’ve owned and experienced.
Don’t let this bike choice fool you. Track riding is still very much where my head is and I’m fully committed to continuing the Life at Lean journey and continuing to provide content and services that help learning riders scale the track riding ranks.
But more recently my track efforts have focused less on searching for outright speed (though rider improvement is always a goal), and more about how much my on-track time can benefit the community.
Right now having a high spec track monster is not really necessary, so making this switch will allow me to continue with my track work while removing a lot of the negatives that come with only having a dedicated track bike.
That said, I’d go as far as saying that the Street Triple R is probably MORE capable than my old 2004 R6 in stock form, so it’s not even like I’m making a big sacrifice in terms of track performance potential.
This bike is still going to allow me to ride to a standard that I aim for, only things will be a little less serious than they perhaps have in the past.
I don’t actually have many plans for the bike in terms of setup and performance. In stock form the bike is plenty capable enough for what I plan to do with it.
I am taking the bike to T3 Racing in Kent to get a base setting ready for my first track outing in a few weeks. I’ll also be putting better brake pads and tyres on the bike that are more suited to the track, and then a bit of crash protection and my must-have StompGrips.
Outside of that I may make a couple of extra changes in the future, but for now I don’t have any big plans to turn it into a focused track machine. That’s not what I bought it for.
Like I said I’ll be out on the track in a few weeks so I’ll be sure to put out an update once the bike is track ready and let you know how my first outing went, either on here on my YouTube channel.
Stay tuned!