All Duels – Duel Speed ​​Triple S Vs XSR900: three-way households – So, Speed ​​Triple S or XSR900?

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Duel Speed ​​Triple S Vs XSR900: three-way households

All Duels - Duel Speed ​​Triple S Vs XSR900: three-way households - So, Speed ​​Triple S or XSR900?

The maxiroadsters segment, boosted in recent years by supercharged bi- or 4-cylinder motorcycles, saw the arrival in 2016 of two new 3-piston machines: the Triumph Speed ​​Triple and the Yamaha XSR900. Site compared them… Duel !

So, Speed ​​Triple S or XSR900 ?

Bikers, especially French, do not limit themselves to a "leisure" use of their machines. The roadsters in this case, in addition to being efficient on the road, must be pleasant and practical in the city. Back from a walk, Site takes stock…

Often these are tiny details, but some need to be reported. As, for example, the fact that the elegant mirrors of the Speed ​​are very easily out of adjustment when maneuvering the motorcycle, or collapse when driving fast on bumpy roads. The basic retro Yam ‘, them, never move.

By continuing to fill in its "Practical aspects and equipment" sheet (see next page), MNC discovers that the Triumph scores a small point thanks to its two adjustable levers, while the Yamaha only allows the distance of its lever to be adjusted. brake.

The English roadster gets an additional point with its more "convenient" "commodos": an "i" button allows you to scroll through the many information … We would have liked the same on the Yamaha! Similarly, we would have appreciated that the horn and the indicators were less close on the Yam ‘: they may be difficult to manage with big winter gloves..

The good old Speed ​​Triple analog tachometer will certainly be the envy of XSR900 owners. The latter will have much more difficulty deciphering the speed of their CP3, displayed on the periphery of the small round fully digital screen..

On the Triumph, the "all electronic" is adopted in terms of gas management. Fortunately, the ride-by-wire doesn’t distort the wickedly docile character of the Triple. We note in passing that all the driving modes (five including one customizable) can be used in town.

On the Yamaha on the other hand, mode A should be banned: Iwata‘s engineers may have seriously tweaked the injection of their engine since its release, the most dynamic mode is too abrupt to be used quietly in town..

The Hinckley engine manufacturers too would be wrong to fall asleep on their laurels: to our taste, the whistling of the "Tripeul" is still too audible between 3000 and 5000 rpm, when the engine starts to grind but the pots and the air box does not cover its mechanical noises.

High in the towers precisely, the sound of the big pots is more hoarse and impressive on the Speed. The small "silencer" of the XSR nevertheless has a beautiful tone, wonderfully supported by the airbox that is present when you whip 3-cylinder Japanese. Yamaha knows music !

On the gearbox side, the first report is a bit long on the Triumph but the extreme flexibility of the "Tripeul" and the perfect management of the clutch make it easier to wander around town. The CP3 competes in smoothness – it starts again under 2000 rpm on the last report -, but the clutch is not quite so progressive.

Which one is the coolest ?

On the other hand, the Yamaha wins the U-turn event: its turning diameter is limited to 5.41 m while that of the Triumph reaches 6.13 m. The maneuvers in the middle of traffic jams or at the back of the garage will be faster with the Yamaha.

In terms of comfort too, the XSR900 seemed to be able to win the bet. Its driving position is actually more "cool" than on the English one, but its too thin saddle tired MNC after only fifty kilometers, even by stepping back as far as possible to take advantage of its width..

A little better padded, especially in its front part – important for small riders who want to put both feet on the ground! -, the saddle of the Speed ​​turns out to be more comfortable … whereas the Journal moto du Net criticized its hardness at the launch of the "R"? All is relative !

The adults, for their part, will salute the attention paid to them by the two manufacturers: the tank cover on the Triumph and the clever cut-out of the Yamaha tank protect both the inside of the thighs and the knees. well done !

For the back and the wrists, although the Triumph tilts its rider more forward, its suspensions catch up: the rear shock absorber, above all, filters out small irregularities better than that of the Yamaha and sags less at the back. ‘acceleration.

Less "striking", the observation is the same at the front, where the Triumph’s fork is better at erasing small shocks and absorbing large ones better. Note in passing that the Showa suspensions of the Speed ​​S seemed less firm than the Ohlins of the R.

The Speed ​​Triple is also a little better equipped for going out in the city: it allows you to store a disc lock under the saddle. The XSR900 does not even ensure this bare minimum … Both bikes have a coded key. But this is not enough !

Another detail – which is not one: the original tire fitting of the Speed ​​Triple is sportier than that of the XSR900: the Supercorsa are much less grooved than the S20 and could lack grip on slippery surfaces..

At the same time, however, the Triumph’s ABS seems to be a little more efficient than that of the Yamaha: by testing these aids on rough stripes, the Motorcycle Journal du Net noted that the Yamaha intervened earlier – sooner and longer – thus lengthening a little braking distances.

At full speed (s)…

In case of a getaway – forced! – on fast track, the Speed ​​Triple S still takes the top because it is completely devoid of vibrations. You can therefore stall at 5,000 rpm (135 km / h) and work your abdominals, pectorals and biceps….

Indeed, as indicated on the first page of this duel, the nose screen of the new Speed ​​Triple is placed lower than on the previous model, so that it no longer even protects the navel! We don’t blame Triumph, however: it’s a roadster, after all.

On the other hand, we are a little more critical of Yamaha: on its XSR900 which pulls a little shorter, everything goes well up to 120 km / h (5000 rpm in 6th gear). Beyond that, tingling unfortunately appears in the footrests and even large soles do not fully isolate the feet..

Finally, in terms of consumption, the 1050 is slightly more fuel-efficient than the 850: over the whole of our test, the Triumph consumed 5.5 l / 100 km against 5.8 for the Yamaha. The Speed ​​Triple carrying 1.5 liters of gasoline more, its autonomy thus clearly exceeds that of the Yam: approximately 280 km against 240.

No need to go around the pot – low – of the Yamaha or the two pots – high – of the Triumph: during this duel, Site preferred to ride on the Speed ​​Triple S. And despite its undeniable fun side, the XSR900 is not sufficiently complete to win this comparison.

Provided that it comes within the allocated budget, Site therefore advises the purchase of the Speed ​​Triple S instead. To cut the road and face everyday life, it is at the top. But to "cut" friends – especially in the 400 m standing start – and face the current crisis, the XSR900 is more suitable.

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