[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by gaurav_3000ad

Hey quickdraw. I'd gone through your blue lightning thread quite religiously and i'm sorry for all the hardships you had to go through with the triumph management. It definitely cuts a sorry figure.

I'm not part of the st3 whatsapp group. How do i do that? Is there any number i can get in touch with?

Hey Gaurav, those hardships are worth it in the end. Some positive news should be coming up soon. Members of the group had a face to face meeting with Nick Bloor recently and hopefully there should be an official update soon.

Please message me your phone number and i'll add you to the whatsapp group.

[gaurav_3000ad]

1200km update

It has been a long time since i've penned an update for the striple. There were a multitude of reasons for the same as i had my post grad exams and post that i had taken a long leave off to get married. Because of these i've not been able to clock as many kilometres as i would have liked. The past few days i've been using the striple for my daily commute to work so she's logging the miles quick and fast. I'll just pen down a few updates from my side.

Transfer of registration and insurance

The transfer of registration actually took a whole lot longer than i expected it to. By the time the transfer of registration happened my insurance had already lapsed so a transfer of insurance was not required in my case. So i decided to get a new insurance premium for the bike. I got a couple of quotes from icici lombard and united insurance which were as follows :

ICICI Lombard
IDV : 8,56,000
Premium : 24,477

United India insurance
IDV : 6,60,000
Premium : 12,800

I went ahead and chose united india insurance as ICICI's premium was a bit too pinching to the wallet plus the IDV was inflated.

Stalling and the second service

When i bought the bike it had about 300kms on the odo. Till about 500 kms everything was hunky dory. Post which one day when i was returning from work in peak ring road traffic i noticed that whenever i would let go of the accelerator and pull in the clutch the bike would conk off. Then you again restart and start moving. The same thing repeated itself four times in the same commute. Needless to say this was quite frustrating and i couldnt sleep properly that night thinking that i too am one of the unlucky ones struck by the triumph striple plague. Next day i warmed up the bike for a full five minutes before going for a spin and no stalling occured. I calmed down a bit thinking that maybe it was a one-off issue.

Next day when i was pulling out of the parking lot, i was turning at slow speed, I let go off the accelerator and the bike suddenly conked off causing the rear to lock up suddenly and i was almost thrown off the bike. I thanked god for my long legs that i could stop both myself and the bike from a nasty fall.

I was quite distressed and posted about my problem in the pan india st3 group which manav(quickdraw) had added me to. Everyone recommended me to take the bike to the service centre, get it evaluated and then assess the problem. Next day i called up the triumph svc in gurgaon and fixed an appt with them. While going to the svc also the bike stalled a couple of times. Once i reached the svc i told them about the problem which i was also able to replicate in front of them. They said they will try to rectify it. While going through the records they also said that kits been a year since the last service so i could also get the second service done concomitantly. I said yes to that as its a pain to come to the svc repeatedly. i was asked to leave the bike overnight and collect it the next day.

Next day when i reached the svc to collect the bike i was told that the problem has been rectified. They attributed it to excess build up of debris in the air filter which i was not very convinced about and it seemed like another stalling tactic. Anyways the total service cost came upto Rs7,071, the break up of which is as under :-

10w50 oil - Rs 3,236
chain clean 50ml - Rs 71
Chain lube 50ml - Rs 78
Coolant hybrid - Rs 385
Oil filter - Rs 681
Washing, sealing - Rs 99
Labour - Rs 2,519

Total - Rs 7,061

Post second service

The bike has been running great since the second service. It has clocked 700kms more and i'm happy to say that there hasn't been any more episode of stalling. though i get the nagging feeling that the dragon is just below the surface just itching to rear its ugly head again and bite. Nevertheless i'm enjoying the bike to the hilt now riding it to work everyday. A few observations from my end :-

- The bike still feels like such a hooligan to ride. I can't stop grinning from ear to ear inside my helmet whenever i whack open the throttle. The popping sound from the exhaust while decelerating is absolute eargasm. Just amazing.

- I have become used to the abysmal rear view mirrors. I view the entire road through the left rear view mirror. The right one is absolutely useless. I just can't get it into a proper position.

- The ground clearance is still a pain to deal with especially with the knowledge in the back of my mind that the oil sump is located underneath. There is an oil sump guard which some st3 owners are using. I'm thinking of ordering one to get some peace of mind.

- I'm getting an avg of 17kmpl. I think thats a bit on the low side but i think i can attribute it to stop and go traffic conditions and the fact that the bike hasn't seen much highway runs.

- i bought a chain clean and lube kit online through amazon and did a DIY chain cleaning. A paddock stand is quite useful for the same but i don't have one as yet so the desi method of moving the bike back and forth is sufficing as of now.

- The triumph roadside assistance needs to be renewed yearly. It costs Rs 1,718 annually.

- The marriage and post marriage period have been a bit hard on the pocket so i've still not got the frame sliders and engine protectors installed. I'm hoping that by this month end i'll have some money left over for the same.

- The street is quite unassuming but it still gathers a lot of ogles at traffic signals. I have to fend off the usual testosterone stricken boy racers and the curious cars who try to get too close. It does get disconcerting at times.

- I'm hoping that by the time i pen down my next update the street will be graced with frame sliders, engine protector and an oil sump guard. I don't have any other upgrades planned as of now.

Some pictures from my side :-

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by gaurav_3000ad

Next day when i was pulling out of the parking lot, i was turning at slow speed, I let go off the accelerator and the bike suddenly conked off causing the rear to lock up suddenly and i was almost thrown off the bike. I thanked god for my long legs that i could stop both myself and the bike from a nasty fall.

Nice to hear that you're having a good time with the bike and that the stalling issue has resolved for now. I find the videos of the stalls to be down right scary. It's good that the ST is so light, because if I had an experience like yours on the Z800, I doubt I would be able to hold up the bike because of it's weight.

[gaurav_3000ad]

Originally Posted by VellVector

Nice to hear that you're having a good time with the bike and that the stalling issue has resolved for now. I find the videos of the stalls to be down right scary. It's good that the ST is so light, because if I had an experience like yours on the Z800, I doubt I would be able to hold up the bike because of it's weight.

Thanks vellvector. Yeah, the stalling issue is quite scary and thats whats stopping me from recommending this motorcycle to others. I hope a concrete solution is found and implemented at the earliest. Apart from this, being on the street is one of the most fun experiences of my life.

[gaurav_3000ad]

One year ownership update

Its been one roller-coster year of the street triple. Actually I’ll be completing one year on nov 22nd but I’ve got some time on my hands now to pen down my thoughts on owning this beautiful machine. I’ve completed around 4000kms till now and the miles have been a mix of city commuting and weekend highway runs. My monthly ride usually involves commute to work 3-4 times a week and a couple of highway runs. Since my last update the story of my bike has been a story of fixes.

The Stalling Fix

Well, after a few hundred kilometers of my second service, the bike started to stall again. But this time instead of taking her to the workshop immediately I decided to live with it for a while. I learnt a bit of throttle modulation so that whenever I was in stop and go traffic conditions I would keep the rpm needle hovering around 2000rpm and not let go of the accelerator completely.

However this was not a fool proof method and the stalling did catch me unawares at times leading to embarrassing and sometimes downright irritating instances. Many street triple owners have been experimenting with various stalling fixes with varying success rates. I’ll summarise a few :-

1) Throttle body and air filter cleaning : This is the standard method. Many owners are quite adept at DIY and have resorted to doing this procedure routinely at home. Results are quite acceptable and keeps stalling at bay for a few thousand kilometers at least.

2) Manual Idler : This is available as an official accessory abroad but not here. You can modulate the idling rpm and keep it at 1000-1200 rpm. This prevents stalling. A fellow delhi striple owner uses this and is quite satisfied with this fix.

3) Detuned map : Another controversial fix. There is a new ECU tune that increases the stepper motor voltage and prevents stalling (I’m not very technically sound but I hope I’m correct on this). The downside – A definite drop in power and crazy quotient. Recommended by Triumph.
After a few months of living with the stalling problem I decided to go to the triumph SVC and get the stalling fix done i.e. the detuned map. The procedure took a few hours and the first test was that very day itself when I had to take the bike back from SVC in Gurgaon at 1830h back to Delhi on a July weekday (NCR residents will sympathise). Horrible traffic and heat for the entire 2.5 hrs that I was stuck on NH8 with a boiling 700cc mill between my legs. On the bright side – No Stalling!

It has been a few months and a couple of thousand kms since the fix and I can safely say that I’ve not experienced any stalling since. The fix seems to be reasonably permanent. But I have to address the elephant in the room – The Power Loss!

My bike is running close to Euro spec with the upgraded exhaust, air intake and ECU changes. I have remarked about the hooliganism of its power delivery earlier with the extremely strong and manic mid range and a marked change in character post 6000rpm at which point it just feels like a raging bull has been let out of its pen. After the stalling fix the power delivery has mellowed down and is a bit subdued. In fact the difference is such that even my wife commented that – “the bike feels smoother and less inclined to throw me off the pillion seat!” The top end does not seem to have changed by much with the bike still reaching silly speeds without much effort but the way it gets there has certainly changed for the worse. On the plus side I don’t have to worry about getting blind-sided by the stalling issue anymore. The bike is still blisteringly fast and a whole load of fun so I’ll use this fix for the foreseeable future.

The Ground Clearance Fix

This has been another fly in my ointment ever since I got the bike. The abysmal ground clearance keeps me on tenterhooks even on the mildest of speedbreakers. And if I’m carrying a pillion then my heart’s in my mouth. In fact I started to look for excuses to even stop my wife from riding pillion just to avoid those nasty scrapes to the underbelly. With a solo rider things were more manageable with only the high speedbreakers posing a problem. I had made my peace with it but when I was at the SVC for the stalling fix I asked the service guys to keep the suspension at the stiffest setting to help out a bit with the ground clearance issue (It’s a 5 min DIY actually) and then I got a shock of my life!

You see, the previous owner was slightly vertically challenged so he had got the bike lowered by an inch and a half using lowering links imported from UK. These are twin triangular metallic connectors between the rear swingarm and the chassis. When this was pointed out by the service guys my jaw dropped to the floor and I burst out laughing at the irony of the situation as I am the complete opposite of a vertically challenged person being 196cms tall. Now these lowering links also reduce the ground clearance by quite some margin. Luckily I was carrying my entire toolkit with me. Rummaging through it, I found the original stock links and subsequently got them installed.

Post the installation of the original linkages I’m as happy as an otter. The ground clearance has increased by about an inch or so. The bike does not scrape anywhere anymore. This has made my commuting runs so much more fun and stress-free. In fact this is the single most important improvement in my ownership experience till now. Period.

The Oil Leak Fix

Another worrying incident. A few months back I started noticing a few drops of oil beneath the bike in the parking area. Initially I thought it was just dogs taking a leak but even after cleaning the area a couple of times it occurred again. I checked the oil sump at the bottom but could not see any visible signs of damage though it was moist with oil on the outside. I shared the pictures on the Pan India ST3 group as well but could not get anyone who had faced the same problem earlier. The oil levels were also okay although I knew a few drops would not make much of a difference but it could effect in the long run. I decided to get it checked at the same visit at the SVC. It turned out to be a simple case of damaged oil washer seal. Cost ten bucks to replace. Hasn’t occurred since.

So should you buy the street triple?

I think that after a year of riding this bike I’m well qualified to comment on this. The answer is a definite yes if you fulfil the following criteria :-

1) I want to ride it to office everyday : I don’t think you can get a better precision traffic tool than the striple. To put things into perspective it takes me 15mins to reach office on the striple compared to around 45mins in the car and all this while maintaining road legal speeds (mostly). The bike is light and flickable and allows you to split lanes, charge through narrow gaps and avoid potholes like child’s play. The ample midrange and low down torque means that gears are irrelevant post 30-40kmph. Any gear will pull and pull manically. The engine heat is very manageable and yes previous duke 390 owners have commented that the bike heats up lesser than the ktm which is quite a feat. Only downer probably would be rush hour stop and go traffic where excessive clutch riding can get tiring and quite hard on your wrist and fingers.

2) No, I’m only going to take my bike out for highway runs : Again weekend highway runs are a lot of fun on the striple. Its got ample power to scare you silly and you would probably reach your limits before the bike reaches its own. Any more is quite unnecessary on our highways with stray cattle, trucks, villagers and what not. The lack of wind protection is a factor but easily overcome with an aftermarket screen.

3) I only do track brah! : Well, even you’re going to enjoy the striple. After all isn’t it more fun to take a bike to its fullest potential rather than punting around in a crazy intercontinental ballistic missile. Anyways I’ve never taken it to track but I’ve interacted a few owners who have taken it to track and have posted commendable times on it. Plus reviews the world over are gaga over its handling and chassis so can’t really go wrong there.

When should you avoid the Striple ?

1) I want the world to know I’ve arrived : Stay away. The striple is quite a diminutive bike. Its small dimensions and polemical looks don’t attract attention the way a fatboy or a z800 would. In traffic its quite unnoticeable and even in a parking lot you would be hard pressed to notice it unless you’ve got a discerning eye. Aftermarket exhausts ensure that people know something special is in the vicinity but even then you’re probably likely to pass by unnoticed. Looks are quite subjective but the striple does have more detractors than fawners when it comes to looks and is unlikely to win any beauty pageants.

2) I take my wife/girlfriend with me everywhere : Again. Stay away. Its not fun for you or the person perched behind you. I find it quite uncomfortable to have a pillion. The bike’s geometry changes for the worse and I feel totally disconnected. Plus the ground clearance goes for a six. The forward lean makes sure that your shoulders and wrists will start crying in a few minutes of traffic. Just plain unpleasant.

3) I have a swiss bank account : Buy the aprilia tuono or the BMW S1000R. Thats what I would have done.

These are my honest thoughts on the street triple. I’m really happy with my decision and would purchase the striple again if I had a chance to turn back time. Thanks for reading and I would be happy to answer any queries. Cheers and safe riding.