JACKS OF ALL TRADES: MASTERS OF ALL FUN

Middleweight naked bikes and good times

- Michael Gilbert

It’s hard to recall the exact moment when it happened, but somewhere between burning knee pucks through Chuckwalla Valley Raceway’s 70 mph bowl turn, with Senior Editor Adam Waheed flanking me, and exiting Turn 16 in a crossed-up wheelie, disbelief set in that these are the same motorcycles on the same tires we’d used to cover hundreds of miles on the street riding from the Cycle World office to the racetrack the day before. Long hours in relative comfort, countless black lines painted on winding back roads, endless entertainment, and an average of 37 mpg between the two are a testament to the Triumph Street Triple RS’s and KTM 890 Duke R’s balance of performance, fun, and practicality.