Triumph Street Triple RS vs Street Triple S: What's Different?

Though we got the revised Triumph Street Triple S a few months ago, performance enthusiasts were asking for more. Now, that the Triumph Street Triple RS - the more performance-oriented version of the bike - is here, let’s see what a premium of Rs 1.83 lakhs brings with it.

Features:
While the S comes with only Rain and Road riding modes, the RS has three more: Sport, Rider, and Track. It also gets a multi-mode anti-lock braking system and three levels of traction control: Rain, Road, and Off. While the top-spec Street Triple RS gets a bi-directional quick shifter as a standard, it is part of the options list on the base model. So as you can see the Street Triple RS is loaded with better electronic wizardry.

The Street Triple S features new LED position light headlights, while the RS gets distinctive LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL). While the updated S features an LCD screen with an analogue tachometer as before, the RS gets an all-digital TFT screen with automatic contrast system to control brightness according to the ambient light. The instrument console is the first in the segment that swivels and lets the rider can fix the position based on his or her height. The switchgear on the Street Triple RS is also more premium than the base version and it also gets a 5-way joystick which makes navigating through the menus easier.

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Engine:
The highlight of the new Street Triple RS has to be its 3-cylinder engine that is based on the one that powers the Triumph Daytona 675. However, the engineers at Triumph have increased the bore and stroke of the engine which has resulted in the increased 765cc displacement. Talking about numbers, Triumph Street Triple S’s engine churns out a maximum of 113PS of power and 73Nm of torque, while the top-spec RS’s motor has been tuned to deliver 123PS of power and 77Nm of torque. Both engines comply with Euro-IV emission norms

While both the bikes come mated to a 6-speed gearbox, the RS gets bi-directional quick shifter as standard allowing you to seamlessly shift from one gear to the other.

Cycle Parts:
The Street Triple RS gets a racier suspension setup. While both bikes feature Showa’s 41mm USD forks, the RS has big piston forks while the Street Triple S gets separate functional forks. At the rear, however, both bikes feature a completely different setup. While Street Triple S gets a Showa monoshock with 124mm of travel, the RS gets fully-adjustable Ohlins STX40 monoshock with 131mm of travel.

Just like the S, the RS features twin 310mm floating discs at the front and a single 220mm fixed disc with Brembo single-piston sliding calliper at the rear. However, the front callipers are different. While the S gets Nissin 2-piston sliding callipers, the performance-oriented RS gets Brembo M50 4-piston monobloc callipers. Additionally, while the RS comes with switchable ABS, the S does not. Both the bikes sport Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres. The RS, however, has the SP version of the tyres that have a shorter shelf life but provide better grip than the standard ones.

Design:
While there’s not much difference that a naked eye can easily spot, take a closer look and one can say that the fuel tank and the exhaust on the Street Triple RS have been restyled. Unlike the standard model, the pillion seat cowl and belly pan are body coloured. You’ll also notice that the chainguard is positioned lower in the RS too.

Further, the RS weighs 166kg, that's 2kg less when compared to Street Triple S. The Street Triple S has a lower seat height of 810mm compared to the 825mm of the Street Triple RS. The latter promises to offer better handling thanks to a steeper rake angle of 23.9 degrees when compared to the 24.1 degrees on the standard bike. Unlike the S, the more powerful version won’t be available in the gorgeous Diablo Red paint option. However, you do get an icy cool Matte Silver paint job. However, if you want your bike to look meaner, both the S and the RS are available in Phantom Black too.

Price:
As expected, the Triumph Street Triple RS is more expensive than the Street Triple S. The RS variant will set you back by Rs 10.55 lakh while the S version retails for Rs 8.71 lakh (all price, ex-showroom). While the price difference between the two motorcycle is a substantial Rs 1.83 lakh, you should definitely choose the RS if you are the sort of rider who likes to go corner carving in the mountain or set scorching lap times on a racetrack. For the premium, you do get better electronics, hardware and, of course, more power. The Street Triple S is a great option for someone looking to upgrade to a middleweight streetbike segment as it is a well-rounded motorcycle.