It Came From eBay Hell: Triumph TR3 with an Italian Body and an American Heart

Much like Christine in the Stephen King novel of the same name, this 1957 Triumph TR3 Special began life as nothing more than a…car. Since then it’s mutated into this thing that sports a faux-Ferrari body and a Chevy 350 V8 under the hood. Read more »

Silverstone Organisers Ask: What is the Best British Sports Car of All Time?

The fifteen finalists in the Silverstone Classic’s, “Best British Sports Car of All Time” vote-in have been announced, and boy is there some choice picks. Before we get to that though, can I just point out a misnomer in using the, “of All Time” qualifier?

This assumes (prophetically?) that Britain will not be making any more sports cars in the future, whereas, “Best British Sports Car So Far” would be a far more accurate description. But enough with semantics: who are our lucky finalists? Read on….

Read more »

2012 Triumph Street Triple

Updated versions of the Triumph Street Triple and Street Triple R are on their way.

Changes to the middleweight streetfighter are purely cosmetic, with the most obvious being the new headlights. Aping those already seen on the larger Speed Triple, the move away from circular units is bound to divide opinion.



To go with the new lighting are new handlebar clamps and revised instruments, while various components are now finished in brushed steel to add to a de-chromed look. Both versions will feature aluminium handlebars, which previously were only standard on the R spec bike.

Mechanically things remain unaltered, which means the same 675 cc three-cylinder engine as before producing 105 bhp (78 kW / 106PS) and 68 Nm (50 lb/ft) of torque.



The standard model will be available in white, black or - for the more daring - purple, with a price tag in the UK of £6,649.



Alternatively, the higher specification R is going to cost £7,349, and buyers will get a choice of white, black or red paintwork.



Related post:

2011 Triumph Speed Triple

2011 Kawasaki W800 price

Following a debut at 2010’s Cologne Intermot motorcycle show, Kawasaki has now confirmed pricing for its new W800.

In the UK it’s £6,649 which includes VAT at the new rate of 20%, but excludes on the road charges.



By comparison Triumph’s Bonneville - the obvious main rival - costs £6,149 in standard trim. The higher spec Bonneville SE is slightly more at £6,549, while the very retro Bonneville T100 model with its wire wheels, peashooter exhaust, fork gaiters and lots of chrome is £6,949.



However, an important difference to note is that those Triumph prices are all ‘on the road’.

Elsewhere, Australian buyers will have to pay $11,999 (plus on the road charges) for a Kawasaki W800, while in Germany the suggested list price is €8,190 plus freight and other costs.



Admirers of the W800 in the United States and Canada are going to be disappointed, though, as it seems that for now Kawasaki won’t be importing the bike into those markets.



Related posts:

Kawasaki W800 revealed

Retro Kawasaki W800

Kawasaki W800 revealed

19 January 2011 Update:

For confirmed Kawasaki W800 pricing, please click here.

Kawasaki has unveiled its retro W800 at the Cologne Intermot motorcycle show.

There are a few differences between this production-ready version and first image of the W800, which was released last month. The most obvious is that the limey-green paint has been ditched, replaced by a much more attractive dark green and silver metallic colour scheme.



Other changes include the seat unit, which looks a bit plusher but loses its contrast piping around the edge. There are now knee pads on each side of the fuel tank, too, that sit just behind very large chrome ‘W’ emblems.

No surprises in the engine department - it’s an air-cooled twin with a capacity of 773 cc, driving through a five-speed gearbox. Unfortunately Kawasaki hasn’t released any power or torque figures yet, but given that its W650 predecessor managed to get 49 bhp (37 kW / 50 PS) from its 675 cc, somewhere approaching 60 bhp (44 kW / 60 PS) shouldn’t be an unreasonable estimate for the W800.



Front suspension is taken care of by a 39 mm telescopic fork unit, which comes complete with rubber gaiters. Meanwhile, at the rear, there are twin shocks and five preload settings for the springs. The frame is a double-cradle item, made from high tensile steel.

Although the W800 gets a single 300 mm disc brake with twin-piston caliper at the front, the arrangement for the back wheel remains very old fashioned - it only has a 160 mm drum.



Ready to ride with all fluids and a full fuel tank, the W800 tips the scales at 216 kg, which is not bad considering that Kawasaki has tried to manufacture as many of the components as possible out of metal, rather than plastic. Seat height is 790 mm (31.1 inches).

Probably the one thing that most potential customers want to know about is the price but, in the UK at least, Kawasaki is keeping quiet about that for now. Seeing as the main rival for the W800, the Triumph Bonneville, costs £5,899 (or £6,699 in even more retro T100 guise), that surely has to be the kind of price that Kawasaki is aiming to sell the W800 for?

2011 Triumph Speed Triple

Triumph has unveiled an updated version of its Speed Triple at the Intermot Cologne motorcycle show.

The most obvious visual change is that the trademark twin circular headlights have been ditched in favour of more angular items. They make the bike look like it used to have a full sports fairing, which could be the effect Triumph is aiming for. It is a streetfighter after all, but the new arrangement might prove to be controversial among Speed Triple fans.

That’s not the only difference, though. The frame, swingarm and wheels are all new too, and are reckoned to make the bike around 3 kg lighter than the previous model, which weighed 217 kg ready to ride.



The engine is a development of the familiar 1050 cc triple-cylinder unit, and power output has been increased slightly over the 128bhp (96 kW / 130PS) that the 2010 version produced. More importantly, perhaps, maximum torque has also risen, up from 103 Nm to 111 Nm.



Pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Retro Kawasaki W800

11 October 2010 Update:

For details and images of the production-ready Kawasaki W800, please click here.



19 January 2011 Update:

For confirmed Kawasaki W800 pricing, please click here.

The first image of Kawasaki’s forthcoming W800 has been released. Like the defunct W650 which it replaces, the W800 will be powered by a parallel twin engine.

With a bigger motor, output should be up on the 49 bhp (37 kW / 50 PS) of the W650 which, despite its name, had an engine capacity of 675 cc.



The obvious rival for the Kawasaki will be the bike it’s trying to imitate: the Triumph Bonneville. The Bonneville has an 865 cc air-cooled twin producing 66 bhp (49 kW / 67PS) and, in the UK, it’s priced at £5,899 in basic form.



However, to get the true retro look, buyers have to opt for the T100 version. Costing £800 extra, its specification includes two-tone paint, fork gaiters, wire spoke wheels and plenty of chrome.

Doubtless the Kawasaki will be able to compete on price, but somehow the Triumph just seems more genuine. And that authenticity could be enough to convince many customers to buy British.

Triumph Sprint GT

Triumph has announced a more powerful, more practical version of the Sprint ST sports tourer.



Called Sprint GT, its 1050 cc triple-cylinder engine boasts 130 bhp, 5 bhp up on the ST. However, what really defines the new bike’s character is the maximum 108 Nm of torque, produced at 6300 rpm. That’s 1200 rpm lower down the rev range compared to the ST, which should help make the GT better suited to all-day riding.

In line with its touring role, the GT features 31 litre panniers and anti-lock brakes as standard. There’s also an optional top box, which will take two full-face helmets and incorporates a 12 volt power supply for recharging gadgets such as mobile phones. Any serious touring bike needs a decent range, and Triumph reckons that the enlarged 20 litre fuel tank will allow 200 miles (320 km) between refuelling stops.

Although the aluminium beam frame is carried over from the ST, the rest of the chassis is unique to the GT. For example, the 43 mm front forks have revised internals for improved control and damping, while an all-new rear shock comes complete with a remote pre-load adjuster wheel. The changes to the suspension have increased the wheelbase of the GT to 1537 mm, compared to 1457 mm for the ST, which should alter the feel of the bike. Braking performance and feel are also improved, thanks to lighter discs and a new pad material.



Available in Pacific Blue or Aluminium Silver, the UK price for the Sprint GT is £9,499 on the road.



Given its price and specification, there’s not much direct competition for the GT. It will probably be up against cheaper sports touring models like the Suzuki GSX1250FA (£6,999 plus road tax and first registration fee). Alternatively, the GT could steal sales from larger capacity, more expensive bikes such as the Honda VFR1200F (£12,075 OTR), BMW K 1300 GT (£12,840 OTR) and Yamaha FJR1300A (£14,624 OTR), provided potential buyers were willing to sacrifice the convenience of shaft drive.



The lack of obvious rivals might mean Triumph has a small market niche all to itself.