For a moment, recently, it seemed like Triumph was backing off of track performance. First the Daytona 765 died, replaced by the more approachable Daytona 660, then the entry-level Street Triple R left the lineup as the more street-oriented Trident 800 entered. But it seems the company isn’t done with track days yet, because it’s launching two new limited-run versions of the Street Triple that are even more track-focused than ever: The one-year-only Street Triple 765 RX, and the 1,000-bikes-only Street Triple 765 Moto2.
Both new versions of the Street Triple are based on the current RS, but wear some new hardware to cater them towards track use. The RS’s Showa front suspension is replaced with an Öhlins fork adjustable for compression damping, rebound damping, and preload — matching the RS’s remote-reservoir Öhlins rear shock — and a unique upper yoke on the triple tree that accommodates a new set of clip-on bars.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before
If that combination of parts sounds familiar, it’s because all the functional upgrades from the NIX30 fork to the (individually numbered on the Moto2 edition) top yoke seem to be ripped straight off the Daytona 765 Moto2. That makes the Street Triple 765 RX, and particularly the Street Triple 765 Moto2, essentially just naked versions of the Daytona, filling the hole the fully-faired bike left in the lineup.
It’s possible Triumph had some parts just sitting around on its shelves, and wanted to make back some of its Daytona outlay with some higher-priced Street Triples — $14,495 for the RX, $16,495 for the Moto2 — but I’m hoping these releases mean something more from Triumph. Hopefully, they point towards a revived Daytona 765 coming back to the lineup sometime in the future. I, for one, would love to see another fully-faired sportbike out of Triumph.
