While I may have picked up the odd bad riding habit over the years, I have never forgotten the first thing my riding instructors told me; “Always get on a bike with the right attitude, it will determine how you ride”. No matter how much some journalists may deny it, the context surrounding the pickup of a press bike can often skew a first impression.

With an MSRP of $11,199, it’s difficult to find a more well-rounded or entertaining mount in the streetfighter arena. (Photo: Dustin Woods/Auto123.com)

A fight with the old lady, infuriating motorists, a rude receptionist; they can all have an impact on your mood as you swing your leg over the saddle. The evening I picked up the 2011 Triumph Street Triple R, I had worked a 10-hour day, it was five degrees, it was dark, I had battled rush-hour traffic for two hours, I was in a foreign neighborhood and it was drizzling rain.

Trying my best to ignore both the immediate circumstances as well as the ones that led up to them, I fired up the Triumph and was immediately calmed by its eager and distinctive idle. Popping my visor into place and kicking up the side stand, I set off into what was now a full-blown rain shower. Lovely. As if sensing my apprehension, the Triple R was the first thing that day which ran smoothly. With seamless gear changes and a torquey, yet manageable power band that growled more than it screamed, I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I headed for the warmth and solitude of home.

The LCD multi-functional instrument pack offers a digital odometer, a trip computer, an analog tach, a gear indicator, programmable gear change lights and even a lap timer. Strangely enough, what the cluster doesn’t include is a gas gauge which left me guessing at how much range I had at my disposal with the 17.4L tank. While they may be programmable, the vibrant blue LED gear change lights shined directly at my visor that entire chilly inaugural ride.

Over the course of my week with this Intense Orange (a new colour for 2011) middleweight streetfighter, I encountered a variety of roads through starkly contrasting weather conditions. No matter where I took the Street Triple, it felt right at home and exuded confidence in the saddle. Tipping the scales at 189 kg (416 lbs), it isn’t the sprightliest nor heftiest in the streetfighter arena, but it is an agile and well-balanced machine ready and willing to take on any contender.

The LCD multi-functional instrument pack offers a digital odometer, a trip computer, an analog tach, a gear indicator, programmable gear change lights and even a lap timer. (Photo: Dustin Woods/Auto123.com)