One of the limitations with riding a stripped down, streetfighter is that there is a finite amount of modifications you can strap on before you start taking away from it’s simplicity. Case in point, the Speed Triple is hard pressed to be distinctly different from its contemporaries. The biggest difference being the color it comes in and maybe the rims you choose at the dealership, otherwise, it’s the same awesome bike, over and over again. And in a world where a motorcyclist’s ego drives him to stand out from the crowd, I’m pretty happy to have a set of beefy 50mm black Marzocchi forks to do the trick.

I wasn’t around to test the stock 43mm forks, to be able to give you a comparison but they stand out amongst the standard set up one comes to expect from fork manufacturers. In fact, I’m ashamed to admit that it wasn’t  until recently that I started flipping through the an unusually in-depth manual to get into the explicit details. It’s time to start toggling through the  compression and rebound settings with the twist of a 4mm Allen to find the sweet spot required to handle the varied terrains the East Bay has to offer. Maybe it’s best to keep it tight as I usually keep to the highways on the Triple.

The set up is compatible on most bikes and can handle two distinct breaking systems in one. Marzocchi also comes stock on Confederate bikes which a pretty illustrious moniker in modern custom manufacturers. This install can take some time depending on how much pre-assembly has been done ahead of time. Measuring out fork oil and clamping down the components with a vice adds additional work, so I would recommend taking the time to assemble as much of it as possible before you take your existing set off for an easy swap. If your looking to make your bike distinct and have the money to commit these forks are the answer.

As far as I know, Speedy here is the only one in the world that has these forks installed. So, if you see one around, please report it to the local authorities. We want her back!

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RED ALERT! Our 2006 Triumph Speed Triple was lifted this afternoon from the sidewalk of 9th Avenue in San Francisco, California at approximately 2-4 PM. Silver IPM Sticker (see post below on 675) on the carbon fiber front cowl, Black Marzocchi forks, CRG bar-end mirrors and levers, SME camera mount bolted on to the tank. Dual Remus pipes, rear brake pads worn down. If you see a black Triumph Speed Triple in your vicinity, please check it for these components and report it back to us asap!

As per SFPD instructions, do not engage. Call 911 immediately. We want to catch the punk or punks.

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As exciting as it may be to watch other people work on bling-worthy bikes, the reason many of us at IPM got into riding is because we like to do it ourselves. In the IPM garage, we do more work than adding shining accessories and loud tail pipes (although that part is just as fun and usually easier). The bikes in our fleet are pretty powerful, even with stock engine management. But as it stands, I know there is more potential in my trusty Speedy.

But before we strap in a power commander to match up with the Remus slip on pipes or start toggling through different gear ratios, we needed to record what kind of power-out we could get out of the engine. On mission, I took the Triple down to the CCSF campus to get a reading with the help of my Dyno class. Conveniently, it seems that someone track happy has already taken the pleasure of removing the rear views to reduce the weight (Come on!).

The set up on the treadmill is pretty bare, but we had enough equipment to get a 02 reading off the pipes and rate a top speed off the engine on a quarter mile. Although the results are limited we’ve attached a print out for you to decipher. From a street-legal, EPA standpoint, the exhaust is doing it’s jobs without the baffles and charcoal box which will keep the bike nimble. The bike is definitely fast but leaves adequate room for improvement.

From here on out, we can start making the appropriate adjustments. I’m not sure how far it’s worth tearing into the engine until we get some practical hands-on experience bending the bikes around a track at speed. In the end, a bike can perform only as well as the pilot can handle it and until we get some serious sponsorship or win the lotto it’s going to be some a while. I’ll be crossing my fingers and tinkering in the garage until that day.

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After having ridden motorcycles in and around San Francisco over the last three years, I felt compelled to scale down. With all the green folks around, I had to quickly scale down local rides to a bicycle for the sake of convention. I started feeling silly donning all my gear and hiking up to my parking spot in order to run simple errands in town on a 1050cc super bike. So, when the opportunity presented itself, I snapped up cheap set of wheels for $100 bucks with the excuse that I’ll need a bike to trash at Burning Man.

I figured that my accumulated experience on an engine would compensate for the lapse in time on a simple cycle but I’m gonna be straight with you. After one afternoon peddling, I have learned that you’ve got to have some kind of true grit to take on the mess of traffic in city. Stripped of my armor and the respect that comes with riding a motorcycle, has made me hyper aware of my vulnerability. Cagers don’t pay any mind as they continue to illegally use their cell phones. The quality of the street is pretty bad in most places (I have already gotten a flat) and the fact that my mind is geared as a motorcyclist doesn’t help. Due to the lack of bike lanes, I’m constantly switching back and fourth between mindsets and catching myself between a bus and some pissed off commuter. After years of rejecting the idea of wearing a helmet, motorcycling has taught me enough sense to keep me brains intact, so my first spin was down to Sport Basement to drop some money on a slick Giro helmet.

Ultimately, I’m glad to be able to hop out the door and take care of business without the hassle of warming up an engine. The good habits from riding safe are keeping my out of harms way. I wish I could argue for the economics of owning a bike, but I find myself eying some expensive accessories like a Brooks saddle. I’ve known people to spend more on their bikes than on their first cars. I suppose somethings never change no matter what your driving.

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Upon return from my trip to the homeland, I was handed a Tribo Seat cover we had received at Inline. “What is this?” I asked.

I understand our duty as objective journalist-ish-semi-professionals. So technically, every product deserves a fair turn, even something, well…

The premise is simple. An easy to attach, slip resistant seat cover that is intended to keep your passenger’s ass sticking to the seat. That being said, it does a fine job and the installation was indeed quick and simple.

But, for the fact that it looks like a hair net, that tears easily at the seams, I completely disapprove of its application onto any super bike. If you have the slightest interest in aesthetics of your bike, I would not recommend it. In short, due to it’s lack of quality in fabrication it comes off as a cheap accessory for people that spend good money on beautiful motorcycles. Hey, this is San Francisco, we know our mesh!

I’ve never had a problem keeping my butt on the seat and haven’t lost a passenger yet. For those looking to give their pylon the illusion of security with such a product, I salute you. But until Tribo Seat decides to take the time to make a quality product (one that doesn’t tear on installation), it doesn’t belong on my bike or in my garage. This could have been an isolated incident, so I’ll wait and see after we install the two other ones they sent.

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What’s going on guys? With Dave in the Czech Republic (spreading the good word of IPM, of course), the Speed Triple is back in my garage. Before getting into trouble with it around town, I thought I’d jazz it up a bit with some rim stripes.

Seeing as how the special edition has red rim stripes (see Matty’s article), I thought I would go with something a bit different. As it happened, the good folks over at RatedRParts dot Com, sent us some white stripes all the way from Australia. Thanks mates! Check them out!

Dave will have to wash the rest of his wheels when he gets back, and the rest of the bike for that matter. There’s a difference between the grunge look, and just plain neglecting your bike. Overtime, dirt, oil, and other corrossive crap from the road just starts to eat through the bike. Even dirt bikes get washed! And, I gotta tell ya, there’s nothing like the feeling you get when you blast past people in a gleaming black Speedy!

Stay tuned guys! Rated R Parts sent us two more colors. Guess which bikes they’ll go on!

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As my court date draws ever closer, I have decided to let the sleeping dragon lie, and attempt to at least properly install my license plate.

I had it installed vertically because the holes on the actual plate lined up better to the undertail that way. However, I need to have Johnny Law on my side, so I decided to cut out my hotdog antics, and place the plate horizontally.

As you will see in the video, in order to do this, I had to drill two new holes into the plate. I am unsure as to how legal this is, because I recall something about destroying or tampering with government property being a crime. I guess, I’ll have to wait and see what the judge says when I attempt to charm the points off my ticket!

That’s it for me this week folks. I will be back to my regularly scheduled program in a week or so. Enjoy the weather while it lasts folks!

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I finally had my date with justice, and to be honest, I’m patient enough to appreciate the process of deliberation within the system. Mostly, this is due to the factor that, this is my first traffic offense of what seems like the possibility of becoming a recurring problem of running the Speed Triple. Naturally, I wanted to learn as much from the circumstance as possible.

I took the time beforehand to stop by the North Beach Police Department station and wrote off the missing mirrors from my ticket. But it wasn’t until last weekend, that we decided to finally (and tastefully) strap down the plate vertically with some dzus racing screws. As you remember, I had been sporting the thing on my backpack for the last couple of weeks, so the legality of the situation would have to be taken care of after the fact.

In any event, I made my way to 850 Bryant Street on exactly the last date possible to put myself through the wringers of the system. I figured that if I was going to spend my spare time in the hands of the bureaucracy and litigation, I was going to drag this thing out as long as possible.

Bright and early, I made my way through the court house and followed the red neon signs that pointed me to the traffic offenses department. I lined up with the rest of the riff-raff, feeling a bit foolish for having bothered to dress up for the occasion and made my way to the small window with a slot. I nervously submitted the tickets and waited for him to make his move.

“This ticket hasn’t been submitted yet, I don’t see it in the system.”

He continued to explain to me that if I continue with submitting the tickets and entering a plea, I would be implicating myself of the offense. As much as I would prefer to be known as a dutiful and responsible citizen of San Francisco, I’m not the type of person to go against my 5th amendment rights and incriminate myself for the better good of the people. If the cop had been too busy to submit the papers formally, so be it. What are the chances of him going out of his way to show up in court when the time, if ever, comes?

As it stands, I have three weeks to return and casually check if I’m due in court. If he doesn’t process the ticket within 90 days of when I got pulled over, the offense disappears. If he makes the effort, than I’ll take my odds and make my way to a hearing with a glint in my eye. Until then, I’ve got to get this plate fixed because I was just issued a warning by the Marin Police Department (haters! -Ed) for improper hanging of said plate. Such is the life of a hooligan.

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Now that the 1050 is up to nearly street-legal status, I have regained the joy of hindsight as Lex Racing has granted me with a pair of CRG Lane Split (LS) bar end mirrors. Although I may have become adjusted to riding without them, I’m glad to have the reassurance of knowing when I’m being pulled over, instead of blindly shooting off at untold speeds without hesitance.

The design is minimal, with simple round mirrors connected to a ball joint to allow for flexible positioning. The clips extend a few inches past bars which presents a problem for those who tend to split lanes. I find myself flipping back the mirrors as I move into traffic but the constant shifting of positions back and forth may be distracting for a time when  jumpy cabbies and tired bus drivers are a major hazard in the city. The mirrors also sit lower than traditional styles so you must train your eyes to accommodate the change. Depending on your parking situation and the neighborhood you leave your wheels in, theft maybe a problem as any industrious crack head can walk away with them with the twist of an Allen wrench. But maybe I’m giving them too much credit, I mean who walks around with an Allen set? Just clamp those suckers down properly.

Beyond the situational criticism, the mirrors look good on a street bike by keeping the nose bare. The construction is solid and without fault. In the future, I think manufactures might want to look into a way to retract the mirrors at the push of a button. The problem is that you could only sell the product in states that allows lane splitting so the market is limited. So be it. Future be damned.

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What’s going on fellow riders? While Dave had the Daytona this week, I was able to get reacquainted with the Speed Triple. I took it to work today and discovered some strange changes.

There was a clicking sound coming from the front brakes. Or at least that’s where I think it is coming from. I investigated at the garage by my work place but could not figure it out. The caliper bolts were all securely screwed on.

I also noticed some brake fade. I had to start braking a lot earlier. Maybe I have just been spoiled by the Brembos on the Hypermotard. The brake pads are new, so maybe it was the lever? Hmmm, well I let Dave know so he could properly investigate it when he takes the bike back.

But I had fun today being a hooligan around town. The smooth burble of the engine harmonizing with the roar of the dual Remus exhaust made me a terror around quiet neighborhoods. The upright seating position also allowed me to properly scope out the hotties with naughty bodies without any danger to my safety. Hey, you try checking girls out while riding a sportbike…

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To tell you the truth, I have no idea how long that cop had been following me when he decided to pull me over. I’m still counting on the good fortune for being pulled over for only doing 41 in a 25 zone. With a bike like the Speed Triple however, I could have easily been tearing through that residential neighborhood at about 80 mph that afternoon.

But that’s not right. That’s not the way to handle this bike in that kind of situation. It doesn’t even make sense. What kind of sensible mad-man would be if I went around under utilizing the mechanics of this slick speed junkie of a motorcycle in the suburban thoroughfares of SF on that quiet afternoon? I knew this thing was going to get me in trouble. But it didn’t occur to me that the consequences of riding around on such a bike would be embarrassing too.

I had been piloting the Triple for almost three weeks now. No mirrors, registration pending, and a license plate in my pocket. Coincidentally, for this short trip across town, I had neglected to print out my proof of insurance and left the plate sitting on my desk.

It was a little awkward attempting to explain myself to the cop. I attempted to persuade him to believe that I was given the motorcycle as part of a job and was in the process was getting the details up to speed. He rolled his eyes and actually took out his book to write me up for five offenses; a list so long, it required two tickets!

I didn’t have an angle. No place of persuasion. The words didn’t come because there was nothing to say. I swear he had a glint in his eye when he asked if I could see his position. At least he had the decency to leave me with a lesson, “You need to keep your eyes up and scan more.” Next time I will.

So I’ve done my part now. Alex has given me two rears by CRG to keep things legal. I’ve got all my paperwork in triplicate and had to strap my license plate to my bag. I actually like the idea of keeping my license plate on my person now. I think it may ward off lazy meter maids who don’t bother reading the VIN. The only hard part is to find the place the Triumph deserves to be ridden. Some sort of fantastical land with endless perfect smooth roads, zero traffic, and the word speed limit doesn’t exist.

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In a world bereft of generic frame sliders, MotoCircle offers an option that looks sharp and stands out from the classic standard plastics, by using a “carbon fiber” finish and metallic detailing to match the rest of the vehicle you spend your hard earned monies on.

The installation is relatively straight forward, although the instructions could be more clear regarding, where the exact placement and what side each respective slider belongs to, and what tools would be required. Initially, we assumed they belonged closer to the the center of the frame but in judging the length and the tangs preventing a flush attachment, it made logical sense that they belong behind the radiators.

The trick on the Triumph is getting access to the appropriate sized 55 Torx Socket to swap out the engine mounts for the convenient Allen set supplied by MotoCircle. Luckily, I have City College to thank for access to such an obscure tool. The rest was pretty much a cinch but it’s also worth noting that you must take out the mounts for the radiators in order to get enough wiggle room to grab on to the match nuts behind each of the engine bolts. As much as I wanted to use the appropriate metric socket, I ended up using my channel locks to get a tight enough grip on them. No big deal, but noting these things on the instructions would have made the approach to the installation a little more streamlined.

They look great and they match the rest of the Speed Triples carbon fiber accessories styling very well. I’m sure they will protect the engine, I just hope not to get into a situation where they will have to.

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After being shot out of the San Francisco canon and into the deserts of Death Valley, I had velocity on my mind when I returned from my exodus.

If we could push 3 people, 130 mph down the vacant roads of the valley in a 4-wheeled tin-can, what are the limits when one is presented with a 1050cc mechanical-monster disguised as an English gentleman? A balanced diet of madness and true grit are the only way to find out for sure.

I’ve left the KTM behind in the stables of City College for some basic maintenance and picked up the Speed Triple from Alex today. The gray sky pulled apart for the first time in what seemed like weeks, and as I road off, I could feel my entire moto-psychology…change.

The Triumph is different. Beyond all the bells and whistles of digital displays and modern fuel injection, this bike has a spirit I am not yet familiar with. Whereas I have become accustomed to the jumpy, low-end torque of the KTM, the Triple purrs smoothly along the street confidently in its bottom gears. I take two seating positions when riding: upright and aware when taking it around the block and leaning straight down into it when fear takes me with quick twist of the throttle. The response is both amazing and terrifying in a single breath.

“Take it slow you fool, there’s no room to stretch.” I need more room, I need to take it easy. This beast is taking me along for the ride, not the other way around. It’s disguised as a luxury prince of modern engineering and now is the time to take a closer look inside and find out where the evil is coming from.

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What’s going on guys? After we got the Triumph Gel Seat, the next step was to bring the Speedy out of hibernation. I decided to finally fully test the Marzocchi front forks, and went out with Goody for a ride. Take a look at what happened.

What you didn’t see in the video is that when we were riding, the left front brake caliper bolts shot out of their sockets and hit me in the helmet. The second one bounced off the pavement and hit GooDy in the chest behind me. Needless to say, that was the end of our test today.

We are both okay but we couldn’t find the bolts in the busy street. We will try to get some spacers and bolts from Marzocchi, but with Johner no longer working there, we don’t know how long the new guy is going to take. So, stay tuned!

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Hey guys! So, I finally got some time to work on my trusty old Speed Triple. I am going to start using this bike to commute during the winter months so I wanted to make it as comfortable as possible. The first thing I thought of was the stock seat. While not horribly uncomfortable, I wanted more for my butt.

So, I made a call to Triumph USA and they sent over an oem gel seat. Check it out!

Stay tuned for more. I think I am going to to move on to the rear suspension next.

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What’s up guys? Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s been a while since I updated you on the Speed Triple. So the last time we left off with the whole Marzocchi front end swap. There was an issue with mounting the stock brake calipers back on the system.

It’s been a long long journey, I gotta tell you guys. Johner over at Marzocchi USA has been the man! He has been working with me every other day over the phone and sending me this size spacer and that sized bolt. He even had spacers shaved, etc. etc. Props to you my friend. You are truly a motorcycle fanatic!

So anyways, on to the video!

So stay tuned guys! It’s time to test out the front end!

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As you may remember from a few months ago, I got a nail in my rear tire, causing it to completely deflate. Well finally the good folks at Metzeler stepped up and sent us over a Roadtec Z6 tire.

The first job was to get it off the bike and to a proper mechanic. Here you see a picture of the bike on a rear stand:

And here is the rear wheel off on the ground. Now, where to take it, cause unfortunately we’re not set up to change tires here. Hope to change that soon but for the time being, I think I’ll take it over to our good friend Scott at Desmoto Sport, the premier West Coast Ducati and sport bike performance shop.

Scott was even cool enough to let me shoot a How To video of him changing tires. Check it out.

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Usually when you purchase a new motorcycle battery from the dealership, it comes ready to use. Or they would ask you to wait a while while they prep it for you.

However, if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person like me, you too can easily prep your own battery. Remember, be sure to work in a well ventilated area as the sulfuric acid smells like farts. Also be sure to wear a pair of waterproof gloves. I like to use the rubber medical grade ones underneath my Mechanics ones. Also, you can wear goggles too if you’d like.

Anyways, on to the video!

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As promised, here is an installed picture of the black Triumph Fatbar:

Sorry for the mess in the background. On the same note, the Speed Triple has been sitting for months and the OEM battery has long since run out. Take it from me folks, invest in a battery tender. So I had to get a new battery from Yuasa:

Stay tuned and I’ll so you how to properly prep your new battery. This is usually done for you at the dealership before you pick up, but I thought I’d show you guys how to pour in your own electrolytes, etc. etc.

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I know I have been neglecting my Speed Triple for a while but with so many new toys, there just isn’t enough time in a day! Anyways, the last time I checked in, I was installing the Andreani clip ons for a more aggressive ride, but since I had done that with the Street Triple already, I wanted to keep an upright position bike for cruising.

So, Triumph sent over the factory “fat bar” in black, to match with the rest of the bike of course. Check it out!

In order for you to run this on the bike, you need new clamps to accommodate the bigger diameter bar. So you have to use the kit pictured below.

I’ll let you know how it feels and what it looks like in a few. Stay tuned!

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Here is the Marzocchi Front forks and Andreani front end parts installation continued. We ran into a snag but hopefully we will get it resolved soon to give you the final installment within a few weeks.

Here is the first segment of my frontend swap for my Speed Triple longtermer.

Keep it here for more!

Along with the forks, the good folks at Marzocchi sent us a complete triple tree to fit the massive 50mm forks.

Even though the top clamp can support handlebars, they sent us 50mm Andreani clip ons in gold to match. I haven’t decide which riding position I want to go with.


Here is the front axle.

To finish things off, here is a carbon fiber front fender that fits the new forks.

That’s quality carbon fiber folks. Not the carbon look or the carbon layered.

Wow! Look what arrived in the mail today for my Triumph Speed Triple! A complete front end from Marzocchi USA! Here is a preview of the forks:


Check out those massive 50mm tubes for precision steering!

The forks are adjustable with 13 clicks of compression tuneability and 32 clicks of rebound.

The dampening system consists of Coil/Hydraulic cartridges with Marzocchi’s special fluid control bladder. The factory Nitrite coated tubes and hard anodized sliders produce a 120mm stroke.

Here is a nice undertail I got for my Speed Triple Longtermer. Let me know what you guys think!

Currently, my Speed Triple does not have rear turn signals. This has in turn made the front turn signals blink very rapidly. To remedy this situation, I called one of the U.S. distributors of Free Street Design products and asked for an undertail for my Speed Triple. The owner was one cranky jack@$$. Definitely, not a good human being, much less a good businessman. I sure hope FSD.fr rethinks who should distribute their unique products here in the states.
[flash http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/1085225/ipm_staff_bikes_2006_speed_triple_w_fsd_undertail.swf]

So I got in touch with Franck at www.FSD.fr and he hooked us up with an undertail, no problem. Stay tuned for the installation video!

Hey guys, instead of chasing that perfect exhaust clip I have been trying to get you guys, I decided to just shoot a simple start, idle, and ride by clip. Finally, one of our camcorders was able to record a decent sound.
Oh, and I have armor on under my clothing, so don’t worry, I’m protected!
[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/su1ncaBOSGw&rel=1]

Been riding with my CRG Hindsight LS (Lane Split) Bar End Mirror and I noticed a potential problem.
[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/VQbAufh5cYc&rel=1]

So while Justin was practicing riding his bike around the inside of a reservoir, I decided to take another stab at capturing an exhaust sound clip of my Remus Grand Prix’s. It came out a bit better than the first one, but I am still not satisfied with the sound quality. I really want to show you guys the awesome sound these things make!

IPM Staff Bikes 2006 Speed Triple Remus Exhaust – The best home videos are here

I took Justin to a local reservoir for some practice riding today. It is nice and enclosed so there was no traffic. While he practiced shifting gears, I ripped my Speedy up and down the sides of the lot, splashing through puddles everywhere I went. It was nice to ride unadulterated!