Does anything compete with the Street Triple RS?

[JustAnotherNobody]

Tomorrow I'm selling my Yamaha MT-10 and I will be on the lookout for my replacement bike.

I will have a budget of around £8k-10k (£8k here is 8 month old 400km Street Triple RS money), and I was wondering if there was anything else that I should be keeping my eye out for.

What I am looking for:
- Light weight
- Great suspension and handling
- At least 100hp
- ABS
- Ideally a blipper and/or cruise control but I am aware that I'm dreaming for my price range, ignoring the MT-10.
- Anything but a dull IL4 engine. All my previous bikes have had interesting engines and I've enjoyed them all.
- 200km minimum tank range

What I've owned previously:
- SV650 (fully faired)
- Street Triple (non-R, which I regretted as I am heavier than the maximum of 70Kg that the suspension was designed for)
- Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory
- Yamaha MT-10

I only ride on the very best roads the world has to offer as I live in the Alps, so low weight and top notch handling is absolutely key here. I'm selling the MT-10 as it just doesn't cut it on these roads, despite being a good laugh in a straight line. I find that it's too heavy, the throttle is too snatchy for doing 14 hairpins in a row, there is a lack of feel with both the brakes and chassis and the tank range needs to be another 20-30km more.

I've never owned a Ducati and I'm ignorant about their range but it sounds like there might be a few options there that could compete with the Street Triple.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Isn't a sports bike the answer? The criteria of light weight and 100bhp+ with excellent handling suggests a Jap 600cc sports bike, like an R6, or GSXR etc. I don't think you will find their revy engines dull, especially with a sports exhaust if you fancy it.

[BigHeartedTone]

You don't want a sports bike for hairpins in the Alps, far better and easier on a naked.

[MrGman]

I had a RS and i always thought it would have been the ideal bike for the alps, it's properly good fun and is so light and agile. Certainly the bike i'd choose.

[JustAnotherNobody]

BigHeartedTone said:

You don't want a sports bike for hairpins in the Alps, far better and easier on a naked.

That's the main reason that I've gone for nakeds previously, sports bikes don't do very well on the tight roads here.

Obviously you can make do, like I did with the MT-10 this season, but I'm not enjoying the compromises with that bike so I'm not sure about compromising on different areas.

Edited by JustAnotherNobody on Monday 27th August 18:51

[Andybow]

Personally I’d say street RS is the bike you need

[moto_traxport]

JustAnotherNobody said:

I only ride on the very best roads the world has to offer as I live in the Alps ...... doing 14 hairpins in a row, .

Doesn't sound like the best roads in the world then - nice scenery perhaps.

Hairpin roads get a bit flipping dull after a bit but look pretty in aerial shots. Stelvio for instance is a snooze fest (riding wise) but the Bonette has got awesome variety.

If I booked a trackday at Spa I wouldn't be thinking about the La Source hairpin it would be the higher speed stuff.

KTM 790 is clearly the ideal bike according to your parameters if not financially.

[Ho Lee Kau]

Chainsaw Rebuild said:

Isn't a sports bike the answer? The criteria of light weight and 100bhp+ with excellent handling suggests a Jap 600cc sports bike, like an R6, or GSXR etc. I don't think you will find their revy engines dull, especially with a sports exhaust if you fancy it.

he said he does not need a "boring" (whatever that means, I don't know, it's not like engine is a human) IL4.

Daytona 675 maybe (oh, OK, no sportbike either)

Well, then just Street Triple left.

Ducati will not cut it, it is not smooth (though not as snatchy as MT10).

P.S. SV650 "exciting".

Edited by Ho Lee Kau on Monday 27th August 19:19

[Birky_41]

Yep I'd also say as a mid size naked that's about the pinnacle right there

To be quirky maybe an mv agusta brutale 800rr just an idea

[Ho Lee Kau]

Birky_41 said:

Yep I'd also say as a mid size naked that's about the pinnacle right there

To be quirky maybe an mv agusta brutale 800rr just an idea

one problem with MV - usually no dedicated services around.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Ok if the roads are too tight for a sports bike, then what about a supermoto? That would be the very opposite of boring!

Edited by Chainsaw Rebuild on Monday 27th August 20:21

[JustAnotherNobody]

moto_traxport said:

Doesn't sound like the best roads in the world then - nice scenery perhaps.

Hairpin roads get a bit flipping dull after a bit but look pretty in aerial shots. Stelvio for instance is a snooze fest (riding wise) but the Bonette has got awesome variety.

If I booked a trackday at Spa I wouldn't be thinking about the La Source hairpin it would be the higher speed stuff.

KTM 790 is clearly the ideal bike according to your parameters if not financially.

With the right bike it's incredible here, second to none in my opinion. You take the wrong bike for any situation though and it won't be enjoyable, even here.

The 790 is almost there but the poor suspension and brakes along with the reliability problems means that it's not on my short list.

Ho Lee Kau said:

P.S. SV650 "exciting".

As a first bike? It definitely was. There's a whole race series dedicated to them too so you're missing out if you've never owned one

I find IL4's dull on the roads, we all have our preferences and they're just not for me around the mountain passes. Maybe if I road the black forest all the time it would be more suitable and I wouldn't go for anything else for a track bike.

Birky_41 said:

Yep I'd also say as a mid size naked that's about the pinnacle right there

To be quirky maybe an mv agusta brutale 800rr just an idea

I love the looks of those, but after the Aprilia I would need a local dealer if I was to buy Italian again and I don't think there are any near me.

Edited by JustAnotherNobody on Monday 27th August 19:58

[2ndclasscitizen]

JustAnotherNobody said:

The 790 is almost there but the poor suspension and brakes along with the reliability problems means that it's not on my short list.

What's wrong with the suspension and brakes on the 790?

[CQ8]

What about a Tuono V4?

[Birky_41]

CQ8 said:

What about a Tuono V4?

Too heavy I'd say as it weighs near on identical to an MT10 and they are hard to get that buzz from thrashing on real tight stuff

[cbmotorsport]

S1000R? Having owned one and ridden a lot in the Alps and Pyrenees, it's probably what I would choose. Not ridden a Street Triple though

[spareparts]

Sprag clutch issues aside, MV Brutale 800 RR / RC ?

https://www.mvagusta.com/en/model/brutale/800-rr
https://www.mvagusta.com/en/model/brutale/800-rc

[Prof Prolapse]

moto_traxport said:

Doesn't sound like the best roads in the world then - nice scenery perhaps.

Hairpin roads get a bit flipping dull after a bit but look pretty in aerial shots. Stelvio for instance is a snooze fest (riding wise) but the Bonette has got awesome variety.

Stelvio is just one of those mainland Europe "bucket list" things, we all know it's crap but you've got to do it. It's obviously a massive place, but overall I loved the alps though, but if I was a local I wouldn't be riding a sportsbike.

I love the really tight lower speed stuff, I hadn't even considered buying a bike especially for that sort of riding, seems a great idea to me.

I've only ever ridden one old Brutale (920?) but an MV Brutale always seem a nice slightly exotic choice to me. As long as it's not a commuter, is dealer support really an issue? I mean are they that complicated that an indy won't touch? And sourcing parts from MV directly Italy isn't the end of the world. I do think they only take parts orders on Tuesday or something very Italian though...

So no experience, but OP should buy the Brutale. Especially since it's not my money.

Edited by Prof Prolapse on Tuesday 28th August 11:20

[JustAnotherNobody]

CQ8 said:

What about a Tuono V4?

Been there, done that. If you read the opening post you'll see that I used to own a Tuono 1100 Factory. That was the worst bike I owned for the twisties, but it had by far the best sound track!

Prof Prolapse said:

And sourcing parts from MV directly Italy isn't the end of the world. I do think they only take parts orders on Tuesday or something very Italian though...

You've never tried to order parts during the Italian factory's 3 month long summer holidays!

2ndclasscitizen said:

What's wrong with the suspension and brakes on the 790?

For pootling around town, nothing. For roads like these though they're woefully under spec:

Edited by JustAnotherNobody on Tuesday 28th August 11:37

[Tango13]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Good call on the Husky 701, I tried the supermoto version and it changed direction like a blue bottle on speed

Impressive engine too, very smooth and revvy for a big single. Not sure what the tank range is like though.