2005 Triumph Speed Triple

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Dragonfly
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2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by Dragonfly » Wed May 14, 2014 9:53 pm

so what are my impressions?

Looks- this bike looks tough like a huge motor with the tires and wheels and controls an afterthought. It's sexy from front to back, top to bottom, every time I see this bike in the parking lot I get an ear to ear grin much in the same way I did when my first girlfriend got all touchy when we were alone on the playground.

Ride- I love how this bike rides, firm, precise and smooth! I have never rode anything that is so easy to tip in to a turn, and tracts so correctly in a turn. Don't get me wrong I have road other bikes that were easy to tip in but also were very twitchy when I would drop them in but not this bike! It's a huge confidence booster and makes you try your best not to try and turn every back road on earth into your own personal race track! High speed sweepers are the best, normally I move my butt off the seat and set up for the turn by hanging off, not with this bike! The dirt bike style handlebars give you great leverage and amplify inputs and that makes it very easy to maneuver with a light touch.

Power- Holy shit! There it torque everywhere! It feels instantaneous from low rpms all through the rev range. It is a big difference from a supersport you have to winedup to 10k to get power. My first day I rolled on some throttle to see what she had and promptly loaded my pants and chased out a wheelie all the way through 1st gear! I do not purposely do wheelies on anything other thanvmaybe a dirt bike, because usually, with my luck bad bad shit happens when I show off! But, holy damn this bike just loves them! The front comes up so easy when you ask it to! I just twist the throttle at 30 mph and the front end climbs smooth as can be, and in second....omg! I got a hard on! It was soooooo easy to pull up the front wheel!

Seat- The seat on this bike is one of the best seat I have ever felt ever. The seating position is very upright and very comfortable. You could spend hours in the seat and not feel like you did.

Every Day Riding- Riding this bike is like eating a noisy bag of chips in the Library. It draws attention. On the outside everyone looks down on you for riding a bike that doesn't look like a cookie cutter bike like a cbr, gixxer, or zx, but if they could test ride one, everyone would want one. Seeing as I love potato chips and don't mind the odd looks from fully faired sportbike riders, I'll just grin from ear to ear as I show them this bike can and will hang with them.

The only grip I have is the lack of a windscreen. You can feel getting pushed back by the wind at anything over 80mph, but below that you really can't feel it. With a good helmet your head and neck will feel less strained, but that's something I can get over. Especially, if I get a flyscreen/windscreen for it.

All in all, it's just not fair how much fun this bike is! It's got the power of a liter bike, the handling and weight of supersport and the ability to pull wheelies at will like a stunter. I don't care that it's not the fastest thing in a straight line and I don't care if it's not what everyone else likes! I really like this bike!
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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by Striple » Wed May 14, 2014 10:12 pm

Its to date still the most fun bike that I've ever ridden. I need to get another one at some point.
Current: 10 Triumph Street Triple | 08 Kawasaki Concours 14 | 07 Yamaha YZF-R6 (Race) | 05 Suzuki DR650 SE | 04 Yamaha TT-R 125LE
Previous: 08 Honda CBR1000RR LE | 07 Suzuki SV650S #1 | 07 Suzuki SV650S #2 | 05 Triumph Speed Triple | 03 Honda CRF 450R

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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by toy752 » Wed May 14, 2014 10:30 pm

I don't guess anyone of y'all have wrapped your legs around a Ninja 1000. Pure sexy riding this bike.
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Sure do miss this one 2015 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10r
Gone but not forgotten 2012 Ninja 1000

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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by Striple » Wed May 14, 2014 11:36 pm

Toy7521 wrote:I don't guess anyone of y'all have wrapped your legs around a Ninja 1000. Pure sexy riding this bike.
Now you're comparing a Mazda to a Lotus. :D
Current: 10 Triumph Street Triple | 08 Kawasaki Concours 14 | 07 Yamaha YZF-R6 (Race) | 05 Suzuki DR650 SE | 04 Yamaha TT-R 125LE
Previous: 08 Honda CBR1000RR LE | 07 Suzuki SV650S #1 | 07 Suzuki SV650S #2 | 05 Triumph Speed Triple | 03 Honda CRF 450R

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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by LonestarCBR » Thu May 15, 2014 5:12 am

And brand-BS aside, AMEN to everything you just said Dragonfly. I'm sure there are bikes that wheelie as easily, but I've never ridden one of them. The torque makes the twisties all the more enjoyable, as does the handling, bar leverage, and comfy riding position. I've actually been trying to force myself to hang-off some when riding at higher speeds by myself, but as you stated, it's not something you have to do. 10-4 on the seat (and the wrists)...very comfy. If you were really tall, it MIGHT feel a little cramped after several hours, but at about 5'11", I'm under that threshold. I would venture to say the 2011-14 is even better than the 2005, but I'm basing that solely on what I've read. When I bought mine, they had a same-year R-model (suspension upgrades, lighter wheels) they tried to sell me, but it was about another $3500 and opted not to spend it. I don't miss it...but ignorance is bliss. Now I sometimes wonder if I should have ponied up the cash. The funny thing...the Street (675) Triple R model is less than $1000 more expensive than the regular Street Triple...that's a no brainer. I wish it would have been the same on the Speed. Regardless, for my money, I couldn't go wrong with my purchase. As you guys get older, this will definitely become an easier choice also. I've always been a cutting-edge kind of guy with bikes as I could afford them...and I'll tell you the honest truth, when I rode the Speed Triple, I told myself "this is how much fun riding a motorcycle is supposed to be". It had been many years (maybe never) that I had ridden anything I enjoyed so much overall.

And I loved riding mine without the windscreen...absolutely loved it after not having a screen-less bike for 30+ years. I only added the fly screen and visor for some protection and stealth for my radar detector, and that came at a bit of a price...more wind noise at the helmet. Sometimes I think about taking them both off during the summer, or at least the tinted visor, but I'm not sure yet.

I've jokingly made this comment...but I also meant it seriously...don't test ride one if you're not serious about buying one. If you're on the fence at all about the kind of bike you want to ride, it will be very alluring...and even if you are more sharply focused, it still may call your name.

And I really like the Ninja 1000...it was my top choice for a full-faired bike...good performance without the torture rack ergos.
~ Terry
'12 Speed Triple 1050 ABS, '07 GSX-R750 (track)
Happiness isn't around the corner, it IS the corner.
Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it. EK
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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by Rhino » Thu May 15, 2014 6:36 am

Striple wrote:
Toy7521 wrote:I don't guess anyone of y'all have wrapped your legs around a Ninja 1000. Pure sexy riding this bike.
Now you're comparing a Mazda to a Lotus. :D
This. I've ridden a Ninja 1000, and the S3 he's reviewing used to be mine.

Night and day difference. The N1k is a girlfriend who wears black lacy underwear. The S3 is a girlfriend who wears nipple clamps.

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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by LonestarCBR » Thu May 15, 2014 6:49 am

Rhino wrote:
Striple wrote:
Toy7521 wrote:I don't guess anyone of y'all have wrapped your legs around a Ninja 1000. Pure sexy riding this bike.
Now you're comparing a Mazda to a Lotus. :D
This. I've ridden a Ninja 1000, and the S3 he's reviewing used to be mine.

Night and day difference. The N1k is a girlfriend who wears black lacy underwear. The S3 is a girlfriend who wears nipple clamps.
Sound right on the money, good call.
~ Terry
'12 Speed Triple 1050 ABS, '07 GSX-R750 (track)
Happiness isn't around the corner, it IS the corner.
Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it. EK
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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by milesmiles » Thu May 15, 2014 7:42 am

It has always been one of the sexiest bikes to me. It ranks very high for my next bike. Good review
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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by milesmiles » Thu May 15, 2014 7:43 am

It has always been one of the sexiest bikes to me. It ranks very high for my next bike. Good review
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Re: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple

Post by U-Turn » Thu May 15, 2014 8:08 pm

My ST is pretty much the same, just cushier suspension.
And that triple howl....
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