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Triumph Speed Triple 2006 I'm keeping a little diary of the the bike that I ride with information on what I've done to the bike and with the bike since I got it from new. I hope that it is of some interest to you and I'll regularly update the information with the latest at the top of the page. *click on any of the images for a larger view 14th August 2006 - 4,414kms. Long time between updates. Plenty of things have happend. I've taken a Daytona 675 out for a ride and it's an eye opener. I can understand why it won the 2006 Master Bike. It's light, nimble and easy to flick about. Nice amount of grunt and go and feels sharp and precise to ride on. Great for people smaller than myself, but my size limits the true potential of the bike. I got a set of guards for the radiator and for the oil cooler. The Oil cooler guard was easily installed and held in place with a zip-tie near each corner. I didn't install the radiator guard because I didn't like the way that it was secured in place. Basically, it was held in place via a mix of friction, gravity and tension. There wasn't any hard or secure fixtures to it and I think that if there was a hard impact (ie wheelie), the guard may fall out. Also, it can be easily pinched in someone wanted it. Sorry, I'll see what else there is.
There was a brake issue that I've had with the bike. Basically, the front brake leaver could be pulled almost to the bar. I got a new master cylinder and new braided lines and it seems to have fixed the problem. The stopping power is alot more positive and feels alot more responsive. Very happy with the upgrade. Next thing to play with is rim-tape to hight light the wheels, wave disks, tune boy and maybe a Zard Exhaust. Until the next installment! 19th June 2006 - 3,267 kms. I don't really care what people say, but winter is here. Cold morning rides to work (about 3 degrees plus windchill) makes it fresh in the mornings. The Dainese jacket works a treat and is keeping me warm. However, my hands are feeling the cold because race gloves give great protection, but not to the cold. So, I got a pair of Dainese Kobayashi D-Dry Gloves (RRP $149.95), made of the same material thats in my Jacket. These gloves aren't bad. It has hard Carbon fibre armour on the knuckles, and hard armour on the side of the palm. They aren't as warm as I would have liked, but at the price, I can't complain too much. I took out a Rocket III to one of our stores. What a blast! Great level of acceleration and huge torque. For something so large, it was great to see how well it stopped. It was a very different style of riding to the Speed Triple, but I can understand why it's such as cult bike as well. 22nd May 2006 - 2,728kms. Petrol prices are constantly rising. Petrol has hit $1.37 per liter, and that's just for regular unleaded. This in turn has meant that more people are taking public transport to get into the city. This also means that there is less seats and space on the trains. I thought that I'd be using the bike less during the colder months, but I've been using it more because of public transport. Transport/traffic time on the bike is less than that in a car (obviously) and at least I don't have to fight to get a car park at the train station. I've changed the bulbs for the headlights from stock to the after market "White Light". This give a brighter and crisper light onto the road. Considering that it's coming into winter and it's dark by the time we leave work. I also had to get the headlights adjusted as it was blinding the cars that I was following or the oncoming traffic due to the headlights being angled too high. At the same time, I also adjusted the twin lights and spread them further apart so that I got a wider spread of light. Cold mornings also mean fogging of the visor. As mentioned earlier, the FogCity shields on my clear and tinted visors make it very easy. With a Shoei Helmet, the visor replacement from dark to clear is only a matter of seconds. The Dainese jacket is going very well and has kept me warm and dry in the rain. So far, no complaints. I'm still using my 3 year old Spidi Tri-comp gloves which is probably better in the spring and autumn time, rather than the cold wind-chilled mornings, but until I find something else, I'll keep using them. By the way, here are some stats from the little trip computer. Total kms: 2728. I'm getting 7.2 L/100 km. I've been on the bike for only 75.09 hours and the top speed has only been 166km/h.
24th April 2006 - 2,245kms. Got the Triumph paddock stand. I've used a regular paddock stand which sits on both sides of the swingarm. The Speed Triple on the other hand is a single sided swingarm bike... I shouldn't have worried. Got it right first time around and like the way the bike sits in the garage. It sure does make it easier to clean the bike and oil up the chain.
Feels like winter is really here even though it's still 2 months away. The bike is going well though. Loving the fact that the cool, crisp air means that the bike is so much more responsive. The OEM Michelin Pilot Power tyres are brilliant because they warm up fast and have a great amount of grip and feel and so far, they have worn well. The clunky-ness from the gear box has pretty much gone. The old notchy feeling has been replaced with smooth gear shifts. One thing about the colder months is the fogging on the visor. I've tried various products on the market, from sprays to creams to put on my visor. Nothing really worked for me until I got back to the FogCity insert. It sticks on the inside of your visor and creates a 'double-glazing' effect which prevent fogging. Brilliant stuff.
5th April 2006 - The weather forecast for the next few days will be rain, rain and more rain. So, since I have the choice of coming to work wet or dry, I think that if it is avoidable, I'll aim for dry. This also gives me the opportunity to do some general maintenance to the bike, namely the chain. Since the Speed Triple doesn't have a centre stand, I've ordered a Triumph paddock stand that will lift the rear off the ground. 4th April 2006 - The Commonwealth Games are over with Australia wining the largest tally of medals to date; the F1 Grand Prix has come and gone as well with Fernando Alonso winning the race and Superbike racer Shaun Giles winning the Celebrity race. With Autumn and Winter coming along, it was time to replace my old wet/winter weather Textile jacket. After looking around and trying out a few jackets, I finally got a Dainese Tunguska D-Dry jacket. It has CE approved body armour on the shoulders and elbows, removable liner, reflective strips, stretch panels on the shoulder blades, adjustments on the waist, neck, arms and wrists. It has a RRP of $699.95 and I'm looking forward to the cold wet weather to try this out. I'll keep you up to date with this.
No, that's not me. This is the Dainese Tunguska jacket, however, the one that I bought is without the orange/red patches on the arms. 28th March 2006 - There has been a little bit of an update gap because I've been away of the desk. The bike has done 1,883 km's to date and the engine and gear box is getting much smoother. Now that it's Autumn, I've noticed that the engine likes to perform better with the cooler mornings. The Commonwealth Games are on in Melbourne at the moment which also coincides with the school holidays. This in-terms means that it's allot quicker to get to work. I have noticed that the front brake leaver does pull in a bit further than before. There is talk on some forums that people have replaced the master cylinder with something else so that it provides even better feel and stopping power on the bike. I'll see what the results are before considering if this is a necessity. 27th February 2006 - The S3 doesn't really like hot weather. Hot as in 38 degrees. Melbourne weather that is. I suppose all bikes and people don't really like this heat. Even if you go faster, it doesn't necessarily mean that it gets cooler. The bike is certainly getting its fair share of attention. From the traffic lights to where I park. People do spend a bit more time having a look. Thankfully not too much from the local constabulary. 20th February 2006 - I've done only 1,236 km's on the bike. About 300kms with the new Micron Pipes. Cruising at about 100 - 110 km's is pretty okay even without the flyscreen, but I'm sure that there will still be people trying to compare this bike to another faired bike. I've had to do a couple of emergency stops already and so far the bike has pulled up very well. In both instances, the bike pulled up short with the rear wheel skidding over the bitumen. Stopped well before but yet close enough to give the idiots (taxi that pulled out and a silly person running across the road) a very loud serving. 11th February 2006 - Bike is feeling better. I'm riding to work about 3 times a week. It feels better than staying inside a car or inside a train carriage. The gear change is still a little clunky, but I think that I can put it down to being a Triumph. It doesn't bother me, at least I can feel that it is dropping into gear. So far, I still have not had any false neutrals unlike my previous bike. A friend said to me that I should try to ride the S3 like a dirt bike and it will respond better. Sounds great! But I've got no idea how to do that, but I can guess a little. I know that I can push the bike and slide the rear end out a little when I'm going into a corner. Good fun. 3rd February 2006 - I've done close to 1000kms. I'm still getting used to the new exhaust note and I'm enjoying blipping the throttle to hear it. So far, it feels like there is some power loss at the very bottom end, maybe that's because of my bad starts.... 30th January 2006 - The engine has been run in. The new exhaust has been put on whilst the bike was in for it's first service. No problems slipping them on and, according to the instructions, there's no need for a re-map.
24th January 2006 - It started to drizzle before work finished and I didn't have my wet weather gear with me. Ironically, I work in a motorcycle store where I have access to the gear, but did I get any? Point is, this was the first time I was taking the bike out in wet conditions and there is plenty of torque in the engine. Hence, it was time to have a play. In first gear, from a stopped position, the bike will allow you to break tyre traction if you want it to. It's quite a lot of fun actually. 20th January 2006 - Ordered my Power Commander. It will be a good addition to the Microns in terms of providing more usable power. With the adjustable settings, it will allow me to manipulate the power band that I require. Still getting pestered by others to add more bits and pieces to the bike such as the fly screen or the belly pan. They reckon that it looks good. I'm sure that does look good on a S3, however, just not on mine. 10th January 2006 - The Slip on's have arrived! Have to run in the engine more!! Can't wait to pop them on.
9th January 2006 - Ordered my Slip on exhausts. Got a set of Micron's. It still retains the oval shape like the original system. Once the bike is ready for it's first service, I'll pop them on. BTW, it's Megan K's Birthday. The Trashygirl is turning an awesome 20. 6th January 2006 - Found out how to change the setting from mph to kph. There are so many things that you can do with the on-board speedo. After reading the manual further, found out that you can adjust the tacho rev limiter lights. I've re-set it so that it comes on earlier since I'm still running in the engine. At least the instrument panel is pretty easy to read due to the large and clear layout. 5th January 2006 - Crash Knobs. Make's the bike look a little tougher. Helps with small drops of the bike. A little added cosmetic damage protection and prevention for the bike .
Took the bike home the very long way. Thanks to daylight saving, it doesn't really get dark here until about 8.30pm. Managed to rack up an extra 110kms. Still taking some time though to bed in the engine. The gear box is feeling better and I'm getting smoother changes. The tires are still fantastic. They scrubbed in quick and they give plenty of feel. You feel like you can keep tipping the bike further into the corner. The brake pads have bedded in and give plenty of stopping power. None of the modifications and accessories have fallen off yet, which means that I must have done something right with them. 3 January 2006 - Time to run the bike it. Thanks to the holiday season, my trip to the city is normally cut in half because of the lack of traffic. However, a new bike means that you don't take the most direct route to work. Gears are still a little notchy; the brakes feel stronger; tires feel a little more scrubbed in. Needed to get a couple of other little essential items:
I also joined up a Triumph forum where I read through what other owners had done to their bikes as well as what issues they may have encountered. Interesting read and plenty of issues and advice from all the members worldwide. Late December 2005: Part 1- Fresh out of the crate, one of the happiest stickers I could ever put on my bike.
28 December 2005: Part 2 - I pick up my bike. Finalized the paperwork and got my insurance done. Time to start playing with it.
28 December 2005: Part 3 - . After the briefing about where the controls are, where the indicator switch is etc,etc, it was time to go. Interesting thing is that when we started up the bike, the electronic speedo was in Miles per Hour (mph) rather than Kilometers per Hour (kph). We couldn't change it however, it was not that big an issue. It was something was was going to be fixed eventually anyway. (Sorry officer, I thought it said 60kmh not 60mph) For the first 10 minutes, I shat myself. New bike, new tires, different location of gear levers, mirrors and all other things associated with a new bike. After that, it felt good. The gear box was chunky/clunky since it was a brand new bike, but I'm sure that with proper and adequate use, it will get smoother. I've been told that the clunkyness to the gear shift is due to it being over engineered. As soon as I got home, I pulled out some accessories that I had pre-ordered. One of the first things to go was the rear guard. Good as it is suppose to be, to me, it drew me away from the lines of the bike. At the same time, a number plate holder needed to be installed and some minor re-wiring needed to move the license plate light and install smaller indicators.
The removal of the rear guard also meant there was a potential for splash. I got the Triumph rear hugger. Another quick and easy installation. I'll look around to see if there is anything else on the market that tickles my fancy.
Next was the addition of the Triumph Frame protectors. Just a simple addition to cover the frame where it is most likely to get rubbed against by my leg or by my glove (when I'm stroking my bike : ). Held on by double sided tape, it just means that the frame would not be marked in any particular way and can be removed at a later date.
Next was the addition of the Triumph rear seat cowl. Nothing flash, but the chances of carrying someone is pretty slim. I also liked the looks of it. Off with the seat, remove a couple of bolts and add on the new cover.
November 2005 - Ever since I saw the Triumph Speed Triple (S3) in early 2005, I knew that it was the sort of bike that I wanted to get. I've always had my V-twin sports bikes and I've had a ball with them. But until the S3 came out, I knew that it was time for a change. Triumph doesn't claim the S3 to be the fastest bike or the quickest or gives out the highest torque or power-to-weight ratio. It's a back-to-basics bike with minimum fuss. No fairing to break, no fairing to deflect the wind from you. Triumph has added some nice touched such as fuel injection, nice sticky tires and decent brakes with braided lines. However, this is no hypersports bike, this is just a bike that you can use day to day. The hardest choice that I was going to make was the color of the bike. Black was plain, simple and classic. A quiet achiever. About Me Just some background information about me. I've been in this company since July 2004 and it's been probably one of the best decisions ever made. I grew up in a family of motorcyclist where even my grandma used to ride a bike. I started out in the accessories department before moving into this role. I've been through a variety of bikes such as a Honda VTR1000F and a Yamaha TRX850, before settling down with the Triple. I thought I'd keep a running journal to know what I'll be doing to her as I go along. These are the things I've done or am planning on doing to the bike. You may not agree with some of the things I do to it, but, you know what? For any information on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact at 03 - 9602 5833 or email: sales@peterstevens.com.au
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