When Triumph introduced the updated Street Triple for the 2017 model-year, it brought in an all-new engine along with the already potent naked sportbike. Indeed, the 765cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, inline-three-cylinder engine was an evolution of the 675cc which first debuted in 2007. But it proved to be so much more than just an advancement of the old engine.
Indeed, from the 2019 race season up until the present day, Triumph’s 765cc triple has been powering all the racing machines on the Moto2 grid. Proving to be a reliable and powerful engine both on the street and on the track, this engine continues to be a mainstay in Triumph’s lineup, powering the current generation of the Street Triple. That being said, Triumph’s engine will continue to power Moto2 machines until 2029, as Dorna has just announced the extension of Triumph’s contract as the sole engine supplier of the Moto2 series.
Even more interestingly, updates have been laid out for even more advancements when it comes to Triumph’s race-proven powerplant. For starters, once the 2025 season rolls around, the engine is expected to be fitted with a new transmission. Triumph hasn’t disclosed any details about the new transmission other than calling a “racing gearbox,” so chances are we can expect it to be lighter and possibly have altered ratios for either higher top speed or faster acceleration.
In a press release, Carlos Ezpeleta, the Chief Sporting Officer of Dorna, stated, “The first five years of working with Triumph has proven to be a real success – with great racing, riders setting new Moto2 records across the board and impressive reliability right from the start.” He explained how Triumph has provided a solid stepping stone in between Moto3 and MotoGP, “We wanted this collaboration to help define the step between the Moto3 and MotoGP classes and I believe Triumph has achieved just that.”
Meanwhile, Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer stated, “The new racing gearbox will make a huge difference to the results riders can achieve on track. In advance, our engineering team is already developing improvements for gear selection and testing parts after use in this year's Moto2 races.”
For reference, the Triumph Moto2 engines are currently tuned to produce 145 horsepower, with a recent increase in rpm to 14,400 rpm, versus the previous seasons’ 14,000 rpm ceiling. Right now, the closest thing mere mortals can buy that resembles a Moto2 machine fresh off the showroom is the Triumph Street Triple RS Moto2 Edition. Which features the same engine as that of the race bikes, mated to high-end suspension from Öhlins and Brembo Stylema monoblock calipers for precision handling.
