Although most commonly associated with Triumph these days, the history of the three-cylinder engine goes all the way back to 1932 and Moto Guzzi’s 500cc triple. The Tre Cilindri was born out of the need to produce more power and achieve less vibration than a twin or single-cylinder engine, but maintain a narrower design than an inline four, and it’s a format that’s back in vogue today.
In the late 60s, the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 were launched, and were technically advanced triples that were fast and handled well. Japanese manufactures followed suit with two-stroke triples like the Kawasaki 500cc H1 and 750cc H2, Honda NS400 and the Suzuki GT550 and GT750. Due to emission laws and advances in four-stroke engines, two-stroke triples faded out in the 1990s, but three-cylinder four-strokes never really went away. BMW’s K75 (1985-1995) and the new generation, Hinckley-built, Triumphs (1990-on) all had three pots in their bores.
These days three-cylinder four strokes are still going strong, with many riders enjoying the charismatic ‘growl’ from the engine, and the narrow designs that compliment handling on the sportier models. So here are some of the best three-cylinder motorcycles you can buy today.
MV Agusta
MV’s three-cylinder 500cc racers were the bikes to beat in late 1960s Grand Prix racing and the modern day MV Agusta has embraced the triple in recent years. Currently, the exotic Italian firm offers 19 motorcycles in its six model line-up, with all bikes available in its Dragster, Turismo Veloce, F3 and Superveloce ranges powered by a triple motor. That’s 16 bikes in total!
With MV Agusta famous for its eye-catching bike designs past and present, they’ve used the three-cylinder motor as an opportunity to create another distinctive feature. The three-exit exhaust included on all of their three-cylinder models has become characteristically MV Agusta, with the exhaust styling taking inspiration from the famous MV Agusta F4 superbike’s four-exit exhaust.
The F3 is the younger brother to the F4 superbike, and is now the only widely available three-cylinder sports bike in the market after the Triumph Daytona 675 ended production in 2018, and the new Daytona 765 Moto2 bike limited to just 765 models.
MV’s Brutale 800s and Dragster’s offer naked thrills, with the Turismo Veloce being the sports touring option, and the Superveloce offering retro café racer styling painted in the nostalgic Ago Red and Ago Silver.
Triumph Rocket 3
Launched in 2004, Triumph’s Rocket III was a motorcycle that blew every other bike out of the water with its muscle, sheer presence and huge amounts of torque. Now there’s two new Triumph Rocket 3s – the Rocket 3 R and Rocket 3 GT.
The Rocket 3’s three-cylinder motor is the world’s largest production motorcycle engine at 2,500cc, it delivers 11% more power than the previous generation and is a massive 40 kilos lighter! It also has the highest torque of any production motorcycle you can buy, too, with a staggering 221Nm at 4,000 rpm. To put that into context, Kawasaki’s 300bhp+ supercharged Ninja H2R produces 165Nm at 12,500 rpm.
The huge engine and those torque figures might be the bit that grabs all the attention, but the 2020 overhaul of the big cruiser means the bikes’ suspension, steering and stopping abilities are all worlds ahead of the previous model, and should be taken seriously if you’re in the market for a cruiser that’s oozing with attitude and presence.
Yamaha Tracer 900GT
Yamaha’s another manufacturer that has some previous with triples. The XS750 and XS850 were some of the company’s first four-stroke models in the 1970s, and the format was revived with the highly acclaimed MT-09 in 2014. The Tracer 900GT utilises the same 847cc triple motor but in a more practical sports touring package. It’s packed full of grunt, and has plenty of get up and go should you wish to open it up and experience more of the sporty side and less of the tourer. The GT’s engine performance is complimented with some nice extras too, as you get a slipper clutch and quickshifter thrown in as well.
The engine and chassis provide the excitement on quick solo rides, while the effective bodywork is great for high-speed comfort, a longer swing-arm adds stability and the plush saddles make it equally comfortable for both rider and pillion when two-up. It also has a modern TFT dash with enough rider aids to suit most situations.
Triumph Street Triple
The Triumph Street Triple was launched in 2007 originally fitted with a 675cc triple motor, and has arguably been the class leading middle-weight naked ever since thanks to its nimble chassis and usable power. In its thirteen-year history, the British firm has released six model updates which has refined the Street Triple’s performance and kerb appeal, but has always stuck true to its three-cylinder setup.
The latest model was introduced in 2017 and it gained extra 90cc boosting the engine capacity to 765cc. It’s the same platform that MotoGP’s intermediate class Moto2 use to power its entire grid of bikes, a show of just how good Triumph’s 765 triple engine really is. The current Street Triple line-up includes four variations – the standard ‘S’ model, two ‘R’ models including a low ride-height version, and the top end ‘RS’ model which the Moto2 engine is based on.
If you’re looking for a bike that you’d be comfortable riding the daily commute on, with the odd track day at weekends, the Triumph Street Triple 765 is perfectly capable of both.
