The Triumph Triple
Have a good idea then triple it
The Triumph Triple Engine may be single handedly responsible for putting the triumph back into Triumph and dragging it back from the edge of the precipice. It is an inline three cylinder engine and has been called the tenth best motorcycle engine of all time by Bike magazine – praise indeed.
Some thoughts on the Triumph Triple
The Triumph Triple inline engine has been used in many different bikes since its birth in 1989 and first emerged in two forms, the inline 3 cylinder 750cc 4 stroke and the 900cc. Although the 750 with its high revs was generally considered to be the better of the two engine-wise, it appeared that the customer – who is always right incidentally – actually preferred the longer stroke 900. So the poor little 750cc Triple eventually bit the dust and was relegated to the scrap heap in the late 1990s.
The Triple engine enjoyed the world from the vantage point of many different bikes and many incarnations so much so that if it hadn't been so well balanced it might have had an identity crisis!
Thunderbirds are Go - What a Legend!
It was used in the Thunderbird, the Adventurer, the Legend, the Tiger, the Speed Triple, the Sprint ST and RS, the Sprint executive, the Trophy, the Street Triple and the Daytona – a fine pedigree indeed.
Variations on a theme
1992: this year the Triple engine, modified to be a less powerful but broader torque engine graced the stage in the Tiger 900.
Time goes by...
...A couple of years later the engine reappeared in the High Performance Daytona Super 111 with higher compression pistons and a newly designed cylinder head to increase the power to a meaty 115 bhp.
1995: saw the birth of the Thunderbird 900 which was headed over the pond to the US and in this incarnation it was a gentler animal with softer cams and carburettors giving it a power drop to 69bhp. It even had fake cooling fins on the barrel to make it look groovier.
1997:The Thunderbird Sport emerged with the same engine as the Thunderbird 900 and a six speed gearbox, unrestricted air intake and an output of 82bhp – all in all this resembled its ancestor the original Tiger – grrr.
This same year also saw a design update which took the engine to a fuel injected model which entered the body of the Daytona and the Speed Triple – over the next few years the 855cc engine got bigger until it was a 955cc whereupon it zipped itself into the Sprint ST and the following Sprint RS.
The fuel injected 885cc version lived on in the new Tiger. All things Triumph jogged on in a like manner until...
2001: when again in came the new...first in the new Tiger 955i. The power was increased across the range in an attempt to improve the engine and the 900 Triple carried on regardless in its Trophy form until 2002 and was out lived by its four cylinder relative the Trophy 1200.
2004:
In 2004 the new Triple – the 2294cc largest purpose built motorcycle engine was introduced to go in the heavyweight Rocket 111. As a liquid cooled inline mounted engine it was the first time Triumph had shaft final drive.
Look on the Brightside
2005: Now we open our eyes in 2005, The Killers are singing 'Mr Brightside' as the new generation Triple engine zooms out in Sprint ST 1050 form.
2006:
The new Tiger 1050 appeared in 2006. 2006 saw the Sprint 1050 get a higher state of tune. And the Rocket 111 was joined on stage by the Rocket Classic 111 its conservative brother. Also in 2006 Triumph unveiled a third different triple engine to drive the new Daytona 675 Triple sport bike. This engine was transversely mounted and was more competitive with the Japanese 600cc inline fours which were all the rage at the time.
2007: a detuned version of the same engine was used in the Street Triple 675 with a less eccentric cam.
Late in 2007 some changes emerged in the Speed Triple the engine management system was updated and the exhaust was revised to contain a relocated catalytic converter. A nice new metal tank to replaced the plastic one and Italian Brembo brakes were added.
The new Speed Triple shared its engine with the Sprint ST and the Triumph Tiger 1050. A new Daytona 675 with a smaller displacement engine came out as well in 2007 with a new up to date chassis.
2010:
The 15th anniversary of the Speed Triple was celebrated in 2010 with a limited edition model and in
2011 there was a new speed triple with a 1050 motor giving 133bhp and a lower seat giving a faster and more agile feel.
2013:
The latest and, arguably greatest, new Speed Triple comes out of the box with a new chassis and a new optional Nissin ABS system . The engine is the 1050cc Triple offering 133bhp at 9400 rpm with power reaching the rear wheel via six speed transmission. The brakes are Brembo again, the forks are 43mm upside down and fully adjustable.
One of the great things about the Speed Triple is that it is a road riding machine, not one adapted from a race bike so everything is designed for purpose and hasn't needed alteration to make it road suitable - it was born that way.
With its torquey 3 cylinder engine, flat low-mounted bars it is a bike built for comfort and control on the road. It is a versatile machine and as such it deserves its position as Triumph's best selling motorcycle.
Three is a magic number
Well well what more can I say – three is a magic number – the Holy Trinity, Three Little pigs, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Three French Hens, Cerberus's heads, the Triumph Triple – I rest my case – and it just takes one letter change to make it a Triumph Trifle now there's a thought – yum!
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