Scored a base 2024 for a quite reasonable price. In other news, anyone want a deal on a 2022 Pan America Special?
The MT09SP looks pretty bad ass. Dominic Doyle went pretty well on it at COTA in Hooligans. No idea on the engine spec but I'm gonna guess it was fairly stock. As long as the R9 chassis is good, the bike will be fine in next gen supersport. With balancing rules, they can just throw parts at the engine until it makes competitive hp. If you take a look at the next gen list of approved parts, you'll be shocked. Some bikes get heads, transmissions, cams, etc.
WOW, I incorrectly thought with all the balancing, they were holding the newer bikes to low enough HP levels, it saved teams money? I haven’t read any rules, nor spoken with any current NG racers, just my perception which is flawed. YEC head, I didn’t even know there was such a thing? I read somewhere that was allowed this year to help the R6’s? I thought the R6 guys were spending more to keep up with detuned stock NG bikes. I incorrectly thought that is why R6’s started allowing ported heads or YEC Head. Cams, and who knows what else they got?
You could run the YEC head or send the stock head off to have it it milled and epoxied, plus cams, and velocity stacks and a kit generator. The bigger difference in 2025 is that all of the race series will be using the spec ecu and the FIM will be able to pull much more data. Honestly I hate all the spec stuff but it really has made for better racing.
How much is a YEC head? And is that price a loaded head with the titanium valves, springs, keepers, etc. you just drop on or bare? I remember our first R6 rebuild, when I found out the complete set of R6 valves was something ridiculous like $1-2k, even with help, I about fainted. I was used to $10-50 valves on things. Carry suggested I call Chuck Graves and see if Chuck can help and he said yes? I drive about a mile from Hypercycle to Graves and they awesomely sold us used, but good, low mileage valves, for $3-400 for the entire set. I think after Miller, when Tyler beat a bunch of known fast guys but still finished 5-6th at his 2nd-3rd AMA round, Keith McCarty hooked us up with a great reduced parts program through Yamaha. Tangent Story about the costs and how much people help once you are on SV's or 600's. We got lucky. A friend of mine got Carry Andrew to come watch Tyler at a Willow Springs race. I think it was the weekend Ty set 2 class records with a cam swap, flat slide, SBK SV650 at willow springs at 1:27.19, so that peaked his interest. Tige Daane, now the MA Tech Director, was Tyler's SV crew chief, local Bridgestone seller, and Tyler grunted at his motorcycle shop from 14-15 yrs old. The next year, we move to a R6. We were on a 6 rider kids team, Outlaw Racing, where each parent was paying their kids way, wrenching on their own bike, getting different sponsorship deals, etc. Aussie Dave built up everyone's bikes for a great rate, with SS spec engine and really helped out all the kids, great guy and great effort. So we all had R6's from different years, with different pipes, different suspension, different helmet sponsors, bodywork brands, leather sponsors with similar colors, different brand boots, yada yada. After a few club rounds and prior to the AMA round, Tyler was the quickest and Carry offered to build his R6 engine to SS spec. I got approval for the hypercycle motor by team owner Mookie Wilkerson and current motor builder Aussie Dave. First AMA race at Sears Point. Tyler qualified back in 20 something position of around 40-45 riders and made it up to 12-13th. On the last lap, he reeled in Elena Meyers, finished .001 behind her at Sears Point. She won that round the year before, so we were very excited. After that race, the other team owner, Jason Paradez, decided that we shouldn't have run a different engine from everyone else, and we were kicked off the team. IMO totally stupid and wrong decision by him, that Mookie fought. Years later Jason apologized, but since everyone ran different stuff already, it made no sense to me. Then some nice guy @LukeLucky offered to put Tyler on his team with Bryce Prince for AMA rounds and WERA rounds. We were sponsored by ROTOBOX and NEXX Helmets. Luke turned a potential drama filled tragedy, where we would have only made Laguna and Miller, to the rest of that season of AMA and WERA racing. Thank you again Luke, you will always have a special place in my heart. No @27 I never saw Luke's balls, but I think we did sleep in the same Toy hauler on multiple race weekends?
Ken, how do you like the Street Triple? I had the pleasure of riding one for a few sessions at the track recently and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike. Seriously considering one of these for coaching/TD fun. How do you feel it stacks up against the MT 09 or MT 10?
I'll do a full review if people want one. But.... I rode a lot of bikes before buying this (I buy retail btw) and am blown away at just how easy it is to ride and how fun it is. For me, the list was down to: Tuono MT10 MT-09 S1000r All of those bikes (except the MT09) are insanely expensive and all need help as delivered. Tuono - rear shock / MT10 - suspension and mapping / MT09 - everything / S1000r - mapping I bought the 2024 STS on Weds, rode it Thursday at NJMP and with it 100% OEM, got down to a 33.3. Is it perfect, nope, but so fun! Looking at data, it is down 23mph to a MA 750 on the front straight and loses most of the laptime on power. I think there is massive potential in the bike. Ken
Thanks. I haven't ridden the other bikes you mentioned but I was also really impressed with the ST3. The wife and I left the track with a 97.5% certainty that we were going to buy 2 of them. It's just really easy and fun to ride and you could put the thing wherever you wanted on the track. We also got a chance to ride the Moto 2 edition and it was a blast as well. I would gladly read a review if you were to write one up.
I think I'd also prefer the ergo's of the Moto2 Edition but I can't justify the extra cost increase vs buying an RS, not to mention I'm not a fan of the neon paint scheme's lol... And I second that request, I'd also love to hear Ken's full thoughts on the 765. My last time riding it was back to back with my KTM Duke 890R and I was left unimpressed as the 890 had such a massive torque advantage and was so much more playful on the street.
I have a ton of writing/posts to do and will add it to the list. I too wanted a Moto2 version and I like the ergos quite a bit better, but I couldn't justify the near 4k difference. Ken
I just love that there are bikes like the street triple available and thriving. 890 KTM, Monster SP, MT09 etc etc. I've always thought these were the best street bikes available and never understood buying something like an R6 for a street bike. My last new street bike was the Z1000 in 2003... Time for an update! My local buddies have Superdukes and the new SP Monster. Look forward to seeing what you do with the 765 @khill !
Obviously I’m biased being the oldest active triumph dealer in the country, that being said, I’ve screamed how good the ST3 is from day one even back in like 08. it’s really amazing just how good they are right out of the crate.
AWESOME bike! min sure you have “hook ups” but I do take care of triumph owners if you’re ok with shipping! congrats and enjoy!
