[motorcycle.com] - Triumph Street Tracker and Street Tracker R Spied!

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Motorcycle.com has acquired these spy images of two new Triumph prototypes undergoing testing in Spain, and they reveal a new liquid-cooled powerplant that will surely underpin all future Bonnevilles, Thruxtons, Scramblers, etc.

Triumph filed trademarks for the Street Tracker name in October 2012, and here’s the reason why. Looking at the photos, it would be easy to mistake the bike as a revision of a Bonneville or Thruxton, but upon closer inspection you’ll notice a small radiator tucked nicely between the two header pipes – a giveaway to it having liquid-cooling. Up until now, the only twin-cylinder Triumph with a radiator has been the big Thunderbird cruiser.



However, the Street Tracker’s engine appears to be unrelated to its 1700cc brother, as it has many distinct differences. The camshaft caps seen at the top of the T-Bird’s cylinder head are absent on the Street Tracker, and the crankcase/transmission area is narrower and is shaped different. Additionally, each exhaust header seems to angle outward more than on other Triumph Twins, liquid-cooled or otherwise.

The physical size of the motor appears to be larger than the current 865cc air-cooled lump, so it will likely have a displacement upward of 1000cc, perhaps as much as 1200cc. The advantages of liquid-cooling should allow a state of tune that delivers horsepower ratings around 100 ponies.



Like the T-Bird’s mill, the new Trumpet lump has fins on its cylinders, which evokes a vintage-esque air-cooled appearance. However, the Tracker’s fins extend further down its cylinders and may actually be for more than show. It’s possible the new Twin uses both air and liquid to shed heat, similar in concept to Harley-Davidson’s recent Twin-Cooled powerplant. Lending credence to this theory is a radiator that looks to be too small and thin to chill a 1200cc engine on its own.



The Street Tracker carries forward the elemental lines of the current Thruxtons with their bar-end mounted mirrors, wire wheels and a larger version of its reverse-megaphone mufflers. Front brakes change from a single-disc setup to a dual-disc combo. The standard Street Tracker is equipped with conventional forks, fork gaiters, standard brakes and twin shocks that don’t appear to have much adjustability.

Meanwhile, the up-spec model likely to be called the Street Tracker R model benefits from adjustable Ohlins suspension pieces at both ends. Brakes are also upgraded, with twin radially mounted Brembo four-piston calipers. ABS will come standard on both models to comply with European regulations.



The prototypes in these photos appear to be nearly ready for production, so we expect to see an official announcement of the Street Tracker and Street Tracker R in 2015. Considering the expense of creating a new, bigger and more powerful engine, the Street Tracker’s price will probably be significantly higher than the Thruxton’s current $9,099 base MSRP. It wouldn’t surprise us if it retailed for in the $11,000 price range, with the R version carrying a premium of approximately $2,000. If so, that would peg it nicely between the Ducati Scrambler and BMW’s R nineT.

Triumph Street Tracker and Street Tracker R Spied! appeared first on Motorcycle.com.



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