Kwacky's Triumph 765RS Review
Posted: 05 Aug 2017, 22:57
Meet Kwacky. Your average middle aged man. Not much of note happens in Kwacky's life, he goes to work, pays his bills, likes the occasional beer.
Kwacky's got his day to day routine, ably supported by Versys, his regular ride. Versys does what Versys does and she does it well, but she knew she's a bit limited, so Versys lets Kwacky have a side chick, a pretty little 675 R.
Today Versys asked Kwacky to take her to an appointment, which he did. Not wanting to wait around, Kwacky paid a visit to where he met 675. As he walked in his eye was caught by a sweet looking ride, like 675 but younger and with a twinkle in her eye.
We join the scene as Kwacky decides to go over and take a closer look.
765: Hey, what you doing?
K: Nothing much, you?
765: Nothing, just hanging about, a bit bored.
K: Yep, I know that feeling.
765: Want to do something?
K: What, now?
765: Sure, why not, we're both bored. Come on, let's have some fun, you and me.
K: But Versys is next door
765: So? She won't know, Come on, it'll be fun.
K: Ok, but I can't be long
I get shown a quick guide to the screen and the rider options. Off I go. First impressions are that the 765 feels slightly smaller than the 675, not cramped but I feel closer to the bars and my feet seem to be higher up. The roads were dry so the bike was in road mode. The suspension is firm, perhaps a touch too much for the roads. The brakes are strong with decent feeling. This bike has about 2000 miles on it and I know it's done a track day so I know I can give it some stick.
The handling is as sweet as the 675, if not a little sharper. It's got the near slick Supercorsas on it but there's traction control on it, which I get to kick in a few times. The TC is good, but you do notice it. It's not as smooth as the TC Kawasaki offers but it's close. It feels as if the engine has a slight hiccup, it's not off putting.
On the move the screen is bright and clear. There are lots of options and I have a play around until I find one I like. You can switch modes on the move, but you have to throttle off and pull in the clutch to confirm your choice.
The weather soon changed.
765: Hey lover, I'm getting really wet, shall we slow it down?
Despite having what are effectively track tyres on the bike, the rain power mode meant that the grunt was toned down and the bike felt stable. You can still give it some stick and triple figures were easily available.
I ride through the rain and find dry roads again.
765: How about we have some fun?
K: Try me
765: let's see how you can handle me now
I head out around the roads to the south of the M42. It's a mix of country and suburban lanes
The throttle is responsive without being snatchy. In road mode you can't wheelie the thing, even if you're ham fisted with your right hand. That firm suspension shows up on the bumpy roads but the bike handles it well. It's weird how one weakness highlights the other good properties of the Triumph. I'm sure you can sort that out.
A lot of reviews talk about the RS being rev happy and therefore the R being the better road bike, because the R gives you more power and grunt lower down. But I'm used to 600 IL4 supersports, so for me the triple shows how good a road engine it is. Let's be honest here, I love to crack open a throttle, which is probably why I'm not a big fan of te big supersports, because I like to use the throttle and the gears. A 12 inch dick might be fine and dandy to brag about to your mates in the pub, but you'll struggle to find a lass who can deal with all that meat.
One area of disappointment is the sound. It sounds like a triple, but there's a bit of a mechanical whine background note to it. Yesterday I took the 675 into work. On the way home I found myself rolling off the throttle just to get that nice burble and crackle from the Arrow can. The RS also had an Arrow on it, but that sound was missing. It's not as fruity sounding as its older cousin.
765: choke me daddy
K: what did you say?
765 Erm, sports mode daddy, put me in sports mode
I fingered her button and was taken to another place. Holy feck, this thing transforms. There's a huge difference when you go up a level. The bike bucks and the front lifts. The engine seems to spin up faster, whether it does or not I can't say, but the 765 feels much much faster. You can't have the bike in this mode and potter about in heavy traffic, you have you to man the f3ck up and be the road riding hero you reckon you are. A small light bike, a responsive throttle, pin point steering and a sweet engine are a dream combination. This bike is a highlight in Triumphs history. You can see why riders are demanding they make a Daytona version.
I'm laughing, grinning, gurning, being scared, being egged on, all the things you want to do if you're out for some 2 wheeled fun. But it's time to head back home. The clouds gather again and it's mixed modes on the return journey. It's been fun, there's dampness in all the wrong places
K: what's that button do?
765: That's my track mode
K: can I have a play?
765: You can only use that if we're an item
I stop off and get some petrol. As I arrived at Triumph the black clouds gather. 10 minutes later and there's a massive monsoon going on. I timed that just right. I hand the keys back and thank Dan at Birmingham Triumph for the loan.
I walk away and go to collect Verys, brushing past the 765 as I leave
765: [whispers] I'm a triplet, there's 2 more just like me to play with