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A routine bit of maintenance this morning - the throttle was feeling a bit slow - so I took the twist grip assembly apart for a check. Nothing untoward was going on but it did need a clean-up and a bit of a lube. The oil under the twist grip had turned to grey/metal thin paste, the cable seemed dry and there was a bit of built-up crud inside the twist grip housing. It's nothing more than the passage of time taking its toll.

I cleaned everything up, lubed the cables, put a dab of grease on the end of the cable nipples, put a very thin layer of 3-in-1 oil on the bar and put it all back together. Like all regular maintenance it's hard to truly feel the difference over time, but when you do a job like this you suddenly notice a change. Job's a good 'un though.

I've been having a little experiment with the suspension lately. I spent the early part of this year fiddling with settings up the top-end of the adjustment range to find the best combination of handling and comfort. In retrospect it sounds like I'm stuck up my own rear-end a bit.

The other morning I set off for work with a screwdriver in my pocket and set about making things softer, an idea inspired by the cold weather seemingly making the bike too hard and uncomfortable. I did about one mile before turning both compression and rebound adjusters out three turns (front and rear).

There-after followed a pattern of stoppages, every four or five miles, until I had no adjustment left. How does it feel now? A lot better! It's weird because you (or I at least) had it in my head I should never go anywhere near the soft-end of my bike's suspension spectrum. It's biking bravado to a certain extent probably. It turns out (literally) that it's worth a try.

The bike doesn't steer quite so sharply but it's still a sharp-steering bike. The main difference is the bumps and lumps in the road don't jolt through the bike making it uncomfortable. There's a bit more weight transfer fore and aft when I brake or accelerate of course but, again, it's not too much and to my mind it puts it somewhere near the standard Street Triple's. There's certainly a lot of adjustment which makes little or no real difference to the handling. It's worth a try just for the sake of experiment.

August
We're (Kenny and I) are fairly fresh back from a trackday at Brands Hatch Indy. The little Triple was long overdue another blast on track - I wanted to test the Michelin Power One tyres and to see how the SC Project exhaust was.

Both are good you'll be unsuprised to learn. The SC Project exhaust didn't even make the noise test bloke blink so, despite sounding throatier to the ear, they clearly are well within noise limits for trackdays. That 's not to mention feeling a good deal lighter and better-looking too of course.

The Michelins were another question. There are approximately four million configurations of the Power One and its compounds. I have the more road-oriented one (I'll check exactly which denomination with Michelin and get back to you). Suffice to say they are very good but lacked a bit of edge grip at full lean.

I'd been on the stickier version at a Mallory Park round of the Triumph Triple Challenge recently so I know the feel and grip available from a track-focused Power One. These weren't up to that same standard but that's exactly what you'd expect and they're clocking up the road miles without worry.

The bigger issue for me on the day though was how I'd been kidding myself about how clean and well looked after the bike is. Ok, I've never buckled under the weight of keeping it clean but there's a difference between clean and 'properly' clean - a distinction I've failed to notice lately.

Subsequently the bright light of a sunny day at Brands on the Street Triple, with a bit of time on my hands without much to think about other than when the next session is, showed the poor bike needs a "proper" clean.

By proper clean I mean under, around and behind things. The sorty of clean that's likely to result in a grazed knuckle or two as you struggle to get in places. The chain and swingarm (where chain lube has deposited) all need de-greasing. Places like the top-side of the exhaust pipes and the shock absorber all need some detergent and a small brush working on them. On the surface it looks fine but I've clearly only been wafting a brush and jet wash over things when I should have been rolling my sleaves up and getting right in there with a scrubbing brush.

I knew the brakes could do with a service but the first track session proved I should have done it sooner as they juddered into the heavy braking zone at Druids. Some of that was purely down to the discs being a bit grubby (I tend not to brake that hard on the road which appears to make a residue build on them) and a full session braking hard would have cleaned them up.

A brake service is a fairly simple job mind (I was there with a van and had taken my tool box). The pistons and pads needed cleaning of all the brake and road residue, plus the pads, retaining springs and pins needed some copper-slip lubrication. There's no escaping the fact that it's a 20 minute job I should have done a month ago.

Is it August already?
A measure of my lack of attention to the passing of time (or possibly my general lack of attention) was the state I suddenly found the Street Triple R was in this morning. Bear in mind sometimes this job, like most jobs, can deliver a run of busy-ness which makes you neglect stuff a bit. This isn't an excuse but the last couple of weeks have been a bit like that.

Now, and this is something of a list, I've been riding around for a couple of weeks with an intermittently failing left rear indicator. The main beam light doesn't always work when I flick the switch either (I have to fiddle with it a bit to make it hit the sweet-spot).

All of this is nothing particularly to do with Triumph particularly. 8,000 miles have ticked over on the clock and it'd be a pretty damn water-tight set of switch gear which would put up with all the weather this little bike has. Undoing the switch housing revealed a bit of corrosion and not a lot of lubrication.

A good scrub with a toothbrush and penetrating oil, followed by a clean cloth and then another spray of oil and the indicator and horn are back in business. That brief bit of attention didn't do the trick with the main beam though.

There's more. And it gets worse I'm afraid.

On the way home the other night a car and a van were having a think about what to do in the narrow lane near my house (which is to say neither was doing very much at all). I was beginning to think about making my own plans up the grass bank when the van suddenly flashed its reverse lights on and began lurching backwards.

It was at that point I realised the horn wasn't working! Cue frantic muffled shouting and scrabbling of feet to try and shuffle backwards up the road, and I mean up which ain't easy is it? Fortunately the van stopped within about two feet of my front wheel, leaving me slightly relieved to say the least.

As if this wasn't enough I've been ignoring the tyre pressure a bit too. There's no getting away from this one though, it's purely and utterly neglect on my part. The tyre pressure were a shocking 19.5 psi and 20 psi front and rear. I knew they were and had partly intentionally let them drop but a week's holiday, all this very hot weather, another very busy week and lorry load more excuses and I'm riding around on 20psi tyres.

You'd be amazed how much better it steers now!

July updates

A ride up to the in-laws house in sunny Fenlandia turned not so sunny with not one, two or three thunderstorms but four between Croydon and Whittlesey! I couldn't believe it. The smallest glimmer of positivity I gained from the drenching was about as decent a tyre test as you could imagine.

Standing water on the motorway, dry motorway, damp motorway. Standing water (to the point of flooding) on B-roads, damp B-roads and dry sunny B-roads – all in the space of an hour or two. It was all there.

The Power Ones did a very good job. The part I was concerned about was how they might cut through the water. Take a look at the tread pattern and tell me you wouldn't be. But even through some horrendous standing water on the M25 and M11 I didn't feel any undue concern. Some aqua-planing where water was flooding the surface was unavoidable with anything but an off-road knobbly.

The dry grip is alway strong too. I've mentioned elsewhere that the handling of the R feels different with the Power Ones on, more rear-biased. To that end I've been mucking about with the suspension to help it steer slightly better but with no real solution yet.

Trying a ring more front preload helped but makes the ride less comfortable - which is the usual trade-off. It might work well on a smooth track but I've spent about 1 per cent of my time riding it on track so far.

The main problem with comfort is the increasing lack of padding in the seat but I'll keep twiddling the suspension to see if I can't come to a better solution.

July update

So, the SC Project exhausts are finally on and looking good. I was too excited about fitting them to actually put them on the scales. Even so it doesn't take a genius to notice the difference in size and weight when you're riding. Those stock end-cans suddenly look very big on the shelf.

Fitting them was dead simple. The SC Project cans come with an extended bracket to hang them off the existing bolt and hole. Positioning them evenly was the only tricky bit as you don't want the rear view to look bozz-eyed and crooked. Even then it was only tricky because I needed a third hand to hold both and do up the nuts but I got there in the end.

You'll need to get two new exhaust gaskets where the cans slot into the main system under the seat. I guess they're designed that way but they were crumbling a bit when I removed the stockers and could easily have leaked gases if I'd re-used them.

The Michelin Power One tyres are working well too. I had my first wet weather ride on them this morning, which if you look at the pictures and tread pattern you'll understand why it was a worry. They're fine, unsurprisngly but I'd like to give them a try in the standing water just to be sure.

In the dry though they feel like they have a smoother profile, less sharp than the Avon VP2 Sports I took off, which changes the handling emphasis of the whole chassis to be more 'rear-endy'. That makes the steering lighter and a bit less firm so I've turned one ring of front preload on (down) to make it more positive at the front, but then that feels a bit too hard and the bike is less stable accelerating through turns. Hmm. I'll keep working on it.

Michelin tyres
01782 402000 www.michelin.co.uk

SC Project Exhausts
0039 327 0874436 www.sc-project.com

Samco hoses
01443 238464 www.samcosport.com/uk/


June update

I've been busy with the tools for the last couple of days, and there's more to come with a bit of a back-log of parts to fit and try on the Triple R. They are a set of Michelin Power One tyres, some Samco hoses for the cooling system and a fine pair of SC Project exhaust cans. It has to be said the reason why it's taken me so long to fit any of these parts is the pointlessness of it.

That sounds daft I know but I really like the Street Triple R as it comes so fitting non-standard parts seems a bit of a waste of time. I make no apology then for saying the Samco replacement water hoses are at the top of that list. They are purely cosmetic, which is exactly why I chose this flash new camo colour scheme over the more regular colours available.

I've fitted replacement hoses to bikes before, race bikes actually which have needed split or weak ones changing. Race teams (car and bike) use hoses like this because they can be stronger than standard and better able to cope with high performance engines. Engines like the 675 Triple don't need that at all but go to your local bike meet on a sunny evening and show me a bike which hasn't been personalised in some way or other and I'll be surprised.

Fitting them wasn't quite as straightforward as I expected but that is most likely my fault for not thinking about it enough. The tricky part actually was fitting the top hose (sits roughly above and inside your left knee if you were on the bike – the one with the bleed valve in it). It's a just a bit tight and it would be much easier to fit it with the air box removed. Being lazy/impatient and inclined to struggle more in the hope of finishing the job quicker, I didn't bother. Other than that all the hose were easily installed.

You'll need to clean the engine well before doing this job, especially around the hose ends, so as not to risk getting any muck in the cooling system. I dunked the ends of the replacement hoses in a cup of warm water just before squeezing them on, just to help them pop over the lip and slide on easier.

Some of the hose clips weren't quite the right size as it goes, which was a bit crap. There were just too small which meant I had to use some of my own from the shed. If I hadn't been in such a rush to get the job done and the bike back on the road I'd have sent them back and asked for bigger ones from Samco. If you're buying some I'd recommend checking when you buy, then marry them up again before removing the old ones (I should have done this myself of course) to be sure you won't get caught out.

As for the look, well, it's fair to say it got very short shrift at SnS Motorcycles in Ockley where I got my tyres changed. Bike mechanics tend to be a gruff lot anyhow but I quite like them (the cans that is, although aren't all as bad as they appear). The cans suit the overall 'look' of the Street Triple R, urban warrior and all that. Maybe.

The Michelin 2CT Power One tyres are a very recent addition so I haven't got a great deal to say about them yet. I've only ridden home from work so 45 miles ish. They look different and on the face of it, literally, they don't look like they'll clear water and grip very well in the rain. I'm wishing for it to rain because I'm itching to see how much grip they have.

Straight away thought they feel like they have a smoother profile, less sharp than the Avon VP2 Sports I took off. The emphasis is more on the rear tyre as well, if that makes sense, making the weight emphasis of the whole chassis feel more rear-endy. That makes the steering lighter and a bit less firm so I think I'll be trying to change the suspension back to how I had it before the Avon's – more supportive at the rear and more inclined forwards on the forks. I prefer bikes to feel that way anyhow and we'll see how the Michelins fair.

The next job is the SC Project pipes which are sitting in our workshop at the office awaiting me and the bike. Smaller, lighter and neater they look like they'll suit the R and give it a touch more bark about the exhaust note.


May update 2
I've got a confesion to make. I've got a sore arse. I've wracked up a few long distance journies on the Street Triple R lately (bringing the 6,000 mile service up) and unless my rear-end is turning fat-free (unlikely) the Triple's seat seems to be losing its support.

A trek up to Silverstone two weeks ago now (for the Aprilia RSV4 launch) literally made me sit up and take notice. Since then I've begun to notice the hour journey I do each day is just about the limit, before numb-bum sets in. If anyone else is finding similar problems on their Triple R I'd be glad to hear from you jon_pearson@ipcmedia.com

I've been holding off writing about the Avon VP2 Sport tyres I've been testing until I'd wracked up some decent mileage. I'll qualify “decent mileage” by saying I've done over 1,500 miles on them, which is a fair amount by long term test bike standards (they can't stay long if you want to test a range in my view).

They've lasted well and on a day-to-day basis, with only a slight flattening off of the centre area from all my miles on the M23 (this compares well with other tyres of this ilk. Softer, sportier tyres wear more noticeably in the centre under the same treatment).

The best thing is the steering confidence and accuracy they have. The Street Triple R is already a sharp steering bike but the VP2 Sports enhace that feeling. The confidence I have on the road, turning in to corners is very high and I'm really enjoying taking the long way home, once the M23 is behind me, on these sunny evenings.

The worst thing, and this isn't a bad thing to be honest, is the slightly hard feeling they have. The front tyre hits bumps harder, absorbing the shock through to the bars less than some other tyres, certainly less than the Dunlops I had on previously. The roads are bumpy round my way and I seem to noice this kind of thing.

Bob fitted an R&G tail tidy for me the other day. It's not that I can't fit my own tail tidy I hastened to add, just that he was writing a “Workshop” feature for the Real World section (as seen in the June issue). Generally the rear of the bike is tidier, the R&G bit of kit naturally being smaller and neater. So all good, and according to Bob, easy to fit.

The only issue is the cover plate which bolts over (or under) the top (bottom) of the main tidy, covering the wires to the indicators. With two bolts each end it appears sturdy enough but the bottom two bolt lugs quickly sheared off (after three weeks), leaving it hanging from the top two. I don't fancy taking the chance of it falling off (presumably if the bottom ones can snap off, with extra weight to support the top two could just as easily) so I've taking it off, leaving the wires exposed. It's a bit disappointing.

After Bob fitted the tail tidy, and while I was putting together last month's Q&A section (summer issue), I attempted to fit some Oxford products LED indicators. I'm the first to admit electrical things of any description sometimes fog my brain. But with that as a general theme I'm at least very cautious and careful these days. Despite that I am yet to fit a set of aftermarket LED indicators which actually work. These were no exception.

After carefully fitting and wiring everything as directed the left rear indicator was flashing too quickly. After checking all connections, wiring and swapping over the regulators (there's one for each light) I found no fault or cure. So after a good hour pissing about I took them off again then and vowed never to bother again!


May update 1
If you're riding a lot of miles a week maintenance is high on the agenda, when you ride through winter it's foolish to ignore it. All the hours spent on my knees with freezing hands and a cleaning brush seem to have paid off though.

Don't get me wrong there are some definite signs of corrosion. Not least the chain and sprockets (which I'll come to in a minute), and the rear indicator lenses are about as water tight as my cotton socks. But generally speaking, once I had a close look, it was better than I expected.

Most of the cleaning effort over the winter was simply rinsing off of the salt but some of the reason it looks so good still has to be regular doses of protective sprays, not least one called Protect It from Yoomee products. A quick and easy to use product, just a matter of spraying it on after the wash to repel water and coat the surfaces. It clearly works.

I've mentioned before that those harsh winter months did take an irreversible toll on the chain and sprockets though and no matter what I did the lack of plating on them meant rust and corrosion crept in like a virus. In fairness to Triumph with so much filth on the roads closest to my house, it would be hard to imagine any chain putting up with it. But it could have done better.

So the big job on my hands the other day was getting the angle grinder and spanners out and ditching the knackered chain and sprockets for some smart, new Renthal kit. I replaced like-for-like gearing and chain sizes – Triumph Daytona parts will naturally fit the Street Triple, which gives you a few more options, but I have no reason to switch from standard.

While the back wheel was out and I had to give the front sprocket area a good clean I took the chance to give the rest of the bike a thorough clean and de-grease.

I also spent a half hour or so with it up on axle-stands removing, cleaning and re-greasing the suspension linkage. They were all in pretty good nick, being well sealed against water penetration except the one on the bottom of the shock, which has no seal at all. I've never owned a bike which didn't have at least one roller bearing covered in brown sludge when I removed the linkage. It's pretty exposed there too so I recommend having a look at yours and giving it a clean and a grease to prolong its life.


May 2nd
A quick update to point you at the gallery page which has a bunch of new images on. From the Avon tyre test at Brands Hatch to the fitting of a new chain and sprockets. Have a look!

April 11th
The full compliment of Triumph bodywork – fairing, seat hump, belly pan, screen etc are all fitted now and the bike's looking good. Go to the gallery page to check out my latest pics.

I've ditched the heated grips I fitted for the winter, they were a simple addition which I'd just stuck on with a squirt of spray paint (to stick the grips to the bars) and cable-tied the wiring along the bars, down the left-side frame rail and along to the battery terminals. Taking that all off took me about three minutes and the Street R is looking neat and tidy again. I'm not sure what I did with the original grips, they'll be somewhere in my collection of boxes in the shed for "safe-keeping". So I've stuck on some from my KTM long termer last year. They're a bit fatter and softer (which is why I took them off for racing last year) but they are more comfortable.

What spoils the looks, after a long winter, is the shocking-looking chain and rear sprockets. I'm just back from a trackday and some more tyre testing (of the new Avon VP2 range) at Brands Hatch. I decided to go for the stret fighter look and removed the number plate hanger and mirrors. But I've just got the pictures back and while she looks pretty good paired down like that and cranked over around Clearways, the rusting sprocket is an eye-sore.

The problem is a lack of plating on either the chain or the sprocket, a sad reality of Triumph's money-saving it seems. So it needs replacing, sharpish before the sunmmer gets here proper when I want it to be a shining example among the prim peackocks and their sportsbikes in this office.

March27th

I've been doing my bit for world peace by riding a German registered, British-built Triumph on a French test track with some Anglo/Japanese tyres fitted having over-taken an Italian (or was he Greek?).

The Dunlop Qualifier II launch, like most tyre launches, means a line-up of bikes to compare the tyres on. While the throng of European journalists made bee-lines for the R1s and GSX-Rs I ambled across to a lonely looking Street Triple at the end of the line.
The Street is a neutral handling bike and one easy tool to learn a new track on for a start. I'm also very familiar with it, which made the tyres just about the only thing I thought about after a lap or two.

I don't need to tell you it's a laugh to ride as well, especially when you start running a few rings around R1s and GSX-Rs being ridden by, well, a polite way of putting it would be 'people who aren't quite sure of what they're doing'. I figure if you can overtake someone on an R1 around the outside it says a lot about the competence of the little Triumph – not to mention Dunlop's new tyres.

A screwdriver too far?
I've been playing with the suspension a bit more, needlessly probably but it keeps me occupied. The two-out from hard settings I had on the rear were all very well but old age and fatherhood has given me a bad back lately. Bad backs and stiff rear suspension don't blend very well so I've screwed the adjusters out two more on compression (four out in total) to alleviate the pain.

The front's standard still but is definitely too soft, diving to its stoppers under hard braking. It feels pretty good on the road, especially where the surface is wet or I'm not sure of the grip level, which is why I've left it so far. But I'd like a bit more support braking into corners and a more settled bike as I come off the brakes.

Lubing the side stand.
The side-stand joint dried out over the last month or so. It's one of those things which you slowly but surely notice over time and, slowly but surely (like a clockwork mouse), my tick-tock mind realised it needed fixing.
Until a builder in the street started pointing at me I didn't do a damn thing of course. I rode past, staring at him like he was as loony and instinctively getting the hump for no reason at all, but then it dawned on me there might have been a reason for his finger pointing. There was ¬– I'd only kicked it half way up.
It was too late to say thanks to the kindly gent and I rode home feeling bad for not having a better trust in human nature. I chastised myself by getting the copper slip out as soon as I got home.


March 1st
I had to pinch myself to realise I wasn't dreaming and had woken up in summertime. Saturdays in Feb aren't usually that good.

Anyway, enough of the Michael Fish impression, I've been outside enjoying the weather and daubing a bit of grease on the Triple's dry joints. The side stand's been a little stiff for a couple of weeks, occasionally sticking half-way up when I kick it back and not returning properly.

The cure was simple enough - I removed the bolt and spring, cleaned every part with some penetrating spray and a cloth before dabbing a bit of copper slip on and putting it back. Job's a good 'un as they say. It's quite a vulnerable joint sticking out there in the breeze so it might be worth checking yours.

While I was down there two things happened - firstly I noticed the pain in my back was worse than I thought and secondly I spotted a small oil leak coming from the back of the oil filter.

When my back is better I'll get down there again and have a proper check what the actual problem is!

February 26th
I'm just back in the office after a day testing commuter-type bikes – the new Yamaha Diversion, Suzuki Gladius, Kawasaki ER-6n and Ducati 696 Monster(check out the June issue for that test). I was curious to compare the bikes against the Triple R because, with a very broad brush stroke, they are in a "similar" section of the market (style, price [ish] and capability).

Riding differnt bikes, jumping from one to the other is always interesting and the four test bikes each had merits (although I found them hard to find on the Ducati). Within five minutes of being back on the Street however, there was no doubt at all how far apart they are. Quality suspension, stronger brakes (to a man the 'de-tuned' brakes on the budget naked bikes are woeful), more controllable chassis, far, far better power...I could go on. Suffice to say I was wrong about comparing the Street with these bikes.

Actually it's the first time I've really noticed how the Magura bars feel by comparison to other bikes. Wider and tapered to a more positive angle and height they make much more sense in terms of comfort and control.

February 24th
How time flies when you're, err, having a baby. Yes there's another Pearson in the world and yes the Street Triple R has been sitting patiently under a sheet in the shed for a while. However, magazines wait for no man, certainly not this one, and it's back to work for me and the the little R.

The Triumph accessories product range has been raided yet again for smoked 'visor' to match the front screen cowl mentioned earlier, partly for some wind protection and partly for looks. I had the screen (the grey bit) on it's own for a week or so and that didn't seem to make much difference. But with this smoked visor on I can feel a definite break from the wind blast to my helmet and shoulders on the M23 each morning and night. Next up is a belly pan.

I've plonked on some new Dunlop Roadsmart tyres at long last too. They, and the slightly warmer weather, have given me much better confidence on the road, as well as causing a 'softer' feeling about the bike generally. It's quite a while since the Roadsmart was launched, nearly two years, so sorry it's taken us so long to get a set in to test.

The original equipment tyres were well past their best by the time I replaced them. The rear was almost illegal and making wheel spins easier and easier. Changing to new tyres, especially ones with better grip technology should never be under appreciated.

33/33 front and rear pressures seemed wrong at first but I soon learnt the feeling of grip confidence it caused out-weighed the negatives and, hence, partly a need to make some suspension changes. I'll detail them soon but so far I've tweaked the shock harder for compression and rebound in a bid to get the back of the bike to stay higher. It's not much of a point of interest to you maybe but with (slightly) warmer weather and new tyres I'm riding the Triple R faster and beginning to take the more interesting routes home, rather than the quickest to get out the cold. Roll on summer.

Contact Dunlop on 0121 3066000 or go to www.dunlopmotorcycle.co.uk


January 28th
Time is marching on and the miles are racking up with the little Triple (3,500 roughly). I've even clocked up some dry ones at last! It sounds pathetic when I look at it written down but I did truly get giddy with the view from the SB office window yesterday and left work early for a ride home on dry, salt-free roads. Short-lived as it was (the salt was back this morning) it gave me a glimpse of what's coming in spring and I can't wait.

The new image here shows the Street has a new nose cowl and now a hugger to help with some protection, both are from the Triumph accessories range. It looks better for it I reckon although the amount of guff being thrown up off the back wheel hasn't really stopped and I still look like a swamp monster from the rear.

The other non-starter for ten (minutes) was caused by a dodgy clutch switch. You will know that many bikes have the idiotic 'safety measure' of a switch to prevent you starting the bike without the clutch pulled in. I'm calling it idiotic because I'm enough of a Luddite about these things to believe we should at the very least be able to cope with starting the bike we get on. It's not complicated and if you can't, please get off.

Anyhow, the R randomly began not responding to the starter button. After a couple of days sitting at petrol stations and the bottom of the garden with a bike that wouldn't start, it turned out to be the clutch switch.

Trying to fix it in sub-zero temperatures was my only mistake. The switch mechanism crumbled to bits in the conditions so I made the quick and not too shabby decision to simply do away with it. The wires are now joined, taped and cable-tied to the main wiring on the bars. I have no clutch switch and, importantly no starting problems.

Accessories are available from Triumph's website


January 8th
The daily grind into work is not getting any easier with the turn of the year. Minus eight celsius two nights ago when I got home was a low point I thought my fingers would never recover from. Ironically that was the only day I didn't wash the bike – it was so cold and dry the salt was just dust on the roads (making the M23 look like Bonneville in the dark).

Every other day I've been dutifully spraying and washing and spraying and washing. I can't wait for it to rain just to wash the piles and piles of built-up salt of the damn roads. I can't believe I'm wishing for rain!

Still, the Street Triple R is holding up well. I clearly need some heated grips as I'm not sure I can stand much more without losing some pinkies to frost bite. The standard tyres need replacing too. The rear was the best part knackered when I collected the bike so the thousand or so miles I've done since finished it off. I'm plumping for Dunlop Road Smarts which I've not tested before and should be perfect for the bike at this time of year.

December 15th

It's been a dreary welcome for the Street Triple R. A sorry lot of bitter, cold mornings interspersed with a flurry of miserable, wet nights riding home in the dark haven't provided much in the way of biking enjoyment. This morning was the best it has been for weeks but only because the endless rain at the weekend had at least washed the shit off the roads and made them grippy again - albeit wet still.

It's already entered that part of the year where I'm catching myself looking longingly at the streams of commuters inside their nice warm cars, and beginning to question my own philosophy that two wheels are better than four. The fact that I can't afford a car and that it'd take me twice as long to come to work by car is by-the-by.

I'm sniffing around for a hugger to help curb the amount of crap thrown up my back each ride. The short rear end and tail unit doesn't do much to stop the spray from the back whee and as a lot of the roads round my way are more like farm tracks at the moment I'm permanently half-covered in mud.

I became convinced last week someone at the office had been pissing about with my suspension. I got on it one night and it felt like the rear tyre was soft. A quick pressure check showed all was good so the slight, wallowy feel from the back must clearly have been Bob or Dave messing with my head. I'm currently wading through 720 hours worth of CCTV footage of our underground bike park to find the culprit (and ask him what he did).


All the winter crud on the roads has taken a premature toll on the front brakes which are binding slightly. I feel it when I'm sitting at the lights with my finger off the brake lever. Rock it forward and backward slightly and . One fine day this week I'll get it up on the bench for a check-up.

www.triumph.co.uk

December 1st

This is my new long termer for 2009, being carefully cosseted by my newly employed bike security expert Kitty Lea. She gets a bit cold down there in the bike park at the office but I find she distracts potential thieves.

She also has a nice habit of leaving slight smears of her bronze skin make-up on the seat and handle bar grips, which might not last long but feels nice on these cold dark nights riding home.

After a year racing the not-quite-as-light-as-you'd-think SuperDuke R (there's a trend forming here with these R models?!) alongside my own practical but hefty VFR, and even before that the GSX-R1000, the biggest pleasure from the Street Triple is its agility.

It feels light and very 'rideable', whether that means giving it some on one of the rare days when the roads are dry or controlling the two wheel drift I keep getting on the leaf-mould covered S-bend two miles from my door. The riding position makes me feel like I'm the boss of it, which is a massive bonus in this weather.
The Trumper's Triple 675 motor is instantly a bonus too, simply because it makes road riding straight forward. Overtakes don't require the down-change and full throttle you need on a 600cc in-line four which means I can hold top gear much more. Other than that it's been a matter of getting used to life with a new bike.


The only mechanical attention it's needed so far (aside from stopping off at the local jet wash on what feels like a daily basis) is a touch of headlight adjustment. Unless I leave work early I don't get much daylight riding in and with so much of my hour journey unlit by streetlights, having the headlight shining in the right place is important.

Either I've put on some weight or the standard positioning is a bit low, which made riding on dipped beam a short-sighted, slow affair. Adjusting the headlight angle is simple enough though, just a clamp bolt in-between the two lenses. So I chucked an allen key in my pocket for the ride home one night, tweaked it a couple of times until I could see better but wasn't dazzling other road users and job's a good 'un.