Ducati Monster Forum

I am starting to consider upgrading to Triumph Street Triple R.  Anyone got experience with it ?  What's your opinion?

My bike is 620M Matt Dark 2004.   Bore Kit, DP pipes, CRG levers, CF belt covers, Seat Cowl, Power CommanderIII, Oil cooler, Sargent seat, CRG Mirrors , Rizma signals, and Peneske suspension.  Always maintained and serviced for valve and belts.

At 42K miles (all me  ;) ), I am so attached to this bike that I am having a hard time even considering to let it go.  I would not even know what it would be worth.  

I have not been on a 620, so I have no experience there. I have ridden the speed triple and was able to compare it to my M900. The "short" of it, was that I was not overly impressed. It felt a little numb, and while there was power, I was not "wowed" enough to win me over. I was left with a somewhat bland experience, and rode my bike the next day, and had got the 'fun-factor' i had been looking for.

With the bike you have, what interests you about the triumph? Is it simply more power? Why not replace some of the upgraded bits you've put on your M620, sell the bike, and put those parts on a M800, M900, M1000, M1100 if you seek more power? The seat would change over, as would the signals and mirrors. If its looks moreso than power, then that's more subjective and only you can decide.

What is a "Bored Kit"? 

It sounds like you need to ride a larger displacement Monster before you make any decisions.  I had a 620 with aftermarket pipes and a PCIII for a while.  It was a lot of fun, but it wasn't the kind of bike you can keep forever.   

Corrected - bore kit.

Interesting opinion that i should consider larger displacement monster.  I realize this is a DM forum, but I do not have anything against other bike makes and especially Triumph   :)

 

i like the way some of their rides look, i just was really, really underwhelmed when i rode one.

its too bad, i really like the way the bonneville/thruxton looks...just wasn't doing much.

i'm a big triumph fan too.  i've owned a Sprint St and a Rocket.  The Sprint shares the same engine as the Speed Triple and I liked it a lot.  I'm considering the Speed Triple for my next bike, but the interchangebility of parts between monsters makes another monster appealing. 

I've got a 620 too and the Street Triple R looks pretty enticing. You're going from ~60 bhp to 105, and you're getting "supersport specification suspension and brakes." The seating position looks a little more comfy too. It might be a pretty cool all-around bike.

An English colleague of mine had some serious grief with the local Triumph/BMW dealer when he had some tranny problems on his brand new Tiger, but going over their head to the UK, he was able to get it worked out. It looks like Triumph Customer Support may be OK, even if you have to go around a dick-head dealer.

Take the street triple for a test ride and may be higher displacement Monster and report back. I'd love to see the results...  [drink]

You should definitely try to test ride the Street Triple (and the Speed Triple for that matter) to see what you think.  However, if you have enjoyed your 620 then you owe it to yourself to try any larger displacement Monster you can get a ride on.  I haven't any experience with the Street Triple, but I have had a couple of rides on a Speed Triple 1050.  It was a fun bike, but didn't have the character of a Ducati v-twin. 

Can I assume the bore kit was to 750 cc?  What was the difference?  Could you feel a noticeable difference?

Point taken.  It's winter up here and there is no way to test ride the bike.  I've been looking at some used Street Triple and hopefully if the finance works out then pick one up for the summer.

Yes that's the kit.  Frankly, I do not see noticeable difference.   A bit peppier than before and a few HP raise.  No change in top end.  I can PM the dyno if interested showing before and after the kit.  I think that the suspension change is more noticeable than any of the upgrades.

For the last few months I've had a buddies Street Triple in my garage.  As far as the engine goes the Striple is just pure perfection...super smooth linear power curve.  You give the bike gas...in any gear or RPM...and the thing just goes and goes and goes.  Super fun bike to ride..light and nimble and just a blast.  The seating position is a bit forward and the stock seat is a notch up from a wooden board - but that can be fixed w/an aftermarket seat.

Definitely a bike to consider if your looking for a new bike.

GL!
I

I have the Triumph 1050 Sprint and a M900. When I bought the Sprint it was on the understanding the M900 didnt go. They are totally different experiences. For out of the gate kick in the backside and around town the Monster wins hands down. For the longer trips to keep up with the likes of a Z12R and others and to minimise fuel stops ( I am always first to put up my hand for fuel on the Monster) the Trumpy has the edge.

I would hesitate to buy the Street Triple without testing as one earlier member said  you may be "underwhelmed". You may love it but be prepared for a different ride.

Weren't you the guy who had like 5 tickets in a short amount of time?


Why on earth would you get a faster bike? It'd just be cheaper to cut up your license now.

 [laugh]
 [bang]
 [leo]
 [bow_down]
 :'(

If it isn't too much trouble I would like to see the dyno before and after with the 750 kit.  Thank you. 

I wonder if head porting would have made more of a difference.  I'm currently having my 1000 DS bored out to 1123 cc along with some head porting and a multi angle valve job.  I'm hoping I won't be disappointed in the effort.  Time will tell. 

My girlfriend made the move from a 620 to a base Street Triple when they first came out and hasn't looked back since. Her only regret is that the "R" version wasn't available when she got her bike. She loved the Monster -and never felt that it was lacking in any way- but someone convinced her that she deserved something newer, and kept leaving Street Triple info around the house ;).

She was very impressed with the Triumph after her first ride, but noticed the biggest difference after riding it for a couple of weeks and then riding the Ducati again. While both bikes are similar in weight, the additional power of the triple definitely pumps up the fun-meter. However, what impressed us both the most was that, while both bikes had similar brakes and suspension, the Street Triple felt more agile and composed. The Striple riding position is more upright and comfortable, though its seat is thinly padded and definitely less comfortable than even the stock Monster seat. I believe the R's seat has even less padding and the riding position is slightly more aggressive.

As for looking at a larger displacement Monster before leaving the 'family', I agree. I have an S2R1K and prefer a v-twin - to me the triple sounds a bit like a sewing machine at low rpm - but I have to admit that the sound of that same triple howling like a banshee above 8000rpm is music to my ears. On the whole, I do prefer lighter bikes and the Striple wins hands down compared to my S2R1K in this respect - though an 1100S would be a closer match [cheeky]. At the end of the day, if I had to choose, I would keep my bike. Luckily I don't have to, and I borrow the the Triumph about 25% of the time.;D

While Triumph had some fit and finish issues in the past, they have definitely stepped up their game in recent years [asbestos underwear firmly on] and seem to be on par with, or better than, Ducati.

I don't think you could go wrong with either upgrade path. Ride anything you are considering, and have fun making your decision!

Wheezer your hands on experience from the dm620 to the STriple is very helpful.  How has the maintenance been so far on your wife's STriple?  Trying to compare the valve work, belts etc ? in terms of frequency and cost ?

You owe yourself a good ........ long ....... ride on a deep sump monster.  If you feel wedded to a 620, that ride could prove to be a cathartic Ducati experience. 


LA

Larry, you've convinced me to get a ride on a deep sump monster as soon as possible.  You' have extolled the virtues of your S4RS several times.  It all sounds very satisfiying.

I've ridden: S2R800 (owned), M750, M1000, S4, S4RS (owned) and currently own an '09 Daytona 675.
I've demod: HM1100S, M620, random other stuff ;)
S2R 800 was a great bike lots of fun. Much better ride, more agile and fun than the M750 (closest thing to the M620 which I've only ridden very briefly). Hands down the S2R was better than the M750. The S4 kind of felt like the M750 but heavier and lots more power. I realize that's not entirely fair but that was the impression I was left with. The S4RS was kind of a different animal, it had the race ECU and ExBox, it was kind of a beast.

Compare all those to the Daytona and I can honestly say that the motor on the Daytona is amazing. Because the bike is so light, the motor doesn't feel like a lawn mower next to the S4RS. I'd put the 675 at about the same as the 1000 air cooled twins in terms of go. Yeah, there's a lot less torque but with a light bike it doesn't feel as bad as the numbers suggest. I was very close to buying a Street Triple R when I bought the 675. I ended up getting the 675 because it has monobloc calipers and two way adjustable compression damping front and back. I think I'd have been happier on the STR but the geek factor clouded my mind.

Don't let people convince you that the STR isn't worth considering without riding the bike. The motor is amazing and while it sounds a little underwhelming at low revs, you want that, at high revs I'm still surprised that the exhaust is stock and EPA legal - it sounds amazing.

Try it out & make up your own mind, it's a competitor in the market you're looking at and depending on who you talk to would be classed with the M696 or the M1100. Most of the reviews I've read call the STR awesome and if it had the same suspension as the 675 I would have bought it for sure.

I just don't see triples and twins and fours as competitors at all.   Motorcycle characters are dominated by their motors.   You like thunder or screaming or...triples (which do both and neither at the same time).

In terms of maintenance, the biggest difference is that the Triumph doesn't require valve adjustments until 12k miles vs.6-7.5k miles for the Ducati - that alone can be a significant savings. The triple uses a cam chain instead of belts and I haven't seen anything in the schedule which indicates when it needs to be checked. Since the cover must be removed to adjust the valves, I assume it is checked during that service.

The service schedules can be found in the manuals here:
Daytona 675/Speed Triple
http://www.triumph.co.uk/media/Daytona_675_OHB_UK%281%29.pdf (http://www.triumph.co.uk/media/Daytona_675_OHB_UK%281%29.pdf)
Monster 1100
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/service/manuals/2009/pdf/M1100_M1100S-09_en.zip (http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/service/manuals/2009/pdf/M1100_M1100S-09_en.zip)

BTW, I agree with EvilSteve about the comparison of the 675cc Triumph to the air-cooled 1000cc Ducati - the overall performance is similar even if the torque and hp curves aren't.

I like them all in their own way? I loved the sound of my GSX-R750 with a slip-on screaming down my road, I really loved the sound of the S4RS, it sounded so evil, it was great and my 675 sounds like an old F1 race car at full song. They all sound great in their own way and I appreciate each it its own right. Other people don't have to of course, each to their own.

AB, don't know where you're at but the guy in the cubicle next to me has a black 2008 Street Triple that he bought for his kid who never rode it. He's a Harley guy so I'm not sure he understands exactly what it is for.  [laugh]
Has 100 miles and he's come to the realization he needs to unload. Could be a good deal. Located in SoCal. Let me know.

Where's the kid located? He deserves a good slap.  [drink]

What a waste not to ride it   [bang]  

OH

A former coworkers neighbor would ride his Harley to the local once a week bike hangout about four miles away from him.  Then proceed to ride back home.  That would be it until the next week.  Amazing.   I guess to each their own   [bang]   Seems desperation to belong I guess   [laugh]

Yeah, but, how many tickets did he have?  ;D

Excellent point   [puke]
 [laugh]

[I am going to have to zap your mind and erase that part of your memory that recalls my tickets   ;D  or you are going to force me to create a new alias   :'( ]

In all honesty, he was going to commute on it as well. I think he felt bad that I ride to work every day on my little Monster while he had his HARLEY and his CHOPPER in the garage. Nice garage too. I said, Dude, ride the Harley in for a few weeks to see if that's what you want to do. He said no, I need a different bike for commuting. (He currently drives a Prius with a Big Bear Choppers bumper sticker - strange). Anyway, he never tried riding in on the Harley and went straight to I-need-a-commuting-bike and also, maybe my kids will learn on it and ride with me on Sunday. I got caught up in the search and started taking him to bike stores and explaining how bikes that weigh less than 1,000 pounds work. It was like buying a bike vicariously. The way I imagine women get when their girlfriend needs a wedding dress or new shoes. Anyway. it's really funny because every time I bring up the bike he just gives me that look - You dirty bastard, I'd be up $10k if I didn't listen to you!
My girl is buying her first bike and it's looking like a used Monster 620 for her. I can't stand to bring it up because he keeps saying, you know I got a Street Triple gathering dust right?
Harley guys are funny.

You wont regret it the ST675 is amazing machine , massive torque ,perfect fuelling great handling, I rode on for 30miles at a dealer in UK ,, If i had some spare cash I would buy one .....maybe i should sell one of my 3 Ducatis?????