22 April 2024
Triumph Street Triple 765 RS Review – Need To Ride

The Street Triple 765 RS is to Singapore’s roads like tea is to crumpet.


Triumph Motorcycles, in case you didn’t know, is British; hence the “tea and crumpet” reference above.

It started in 1885 as Triumph Engineering Co Ltd produced motorcycles since 1902, and went bankrupt in 1983, where it was bought over and briefly renamed Bonneville Coventry Ltd before being finally named Triumph Motorcycles Ltd.

The Street Triple, on the other hand, is a much more recent introduction in 2007 to replace the Speed Four. It carried on the dual-headlight design of the latter, but introduced an inline three-cylinder engine instead, and was well-received in the Streetfighter/Supernaked class of roadsters.

Fast forward to the fourth generation introduced in 2018 with an update in 2023, and we have the Street Triple 765 RS in front of us.

The Bike

Don’t know about you, but I just wanted to bite my fist when I first set eyes upon the Street Triple 765 RS. The twin round headlights of yore are replaced by full LED “angry mantis” mimicking items complete with daytime running lights (DRLs).

This is definitely a face which will send shivers down one’s spine when seen in the rear-view mirror.

The riding position is a good halfway house between a full-on sports bike forward-lean and my own KTM Duke 390’s rather upright riding position. This means those of us with hip and back issues need not fret, because the Street Triple 765 RS is comfortable for daily-riding duties.

More petite riders may need to choose the optional 28mm lower-slung seat for added comfort and stability. If that’s not enough, a dedicated rear suspension linkage adaption can lower the ride height by a further 10mm.

I still have space to scooch forward and bend my elbows more

Also, being just a tad heavier than my Duke 390, it was easy to quickly get comfortable with the Street Triple 765 RS.

15-litre petrol tank with tank guard
tiny bum-rest for the tucked position

Once seated, twist the key and the five-inch TFT instrument screen comes to life with an appropriate greeting depending on the time of day. The instrument screen is configurable in a few different ways, although I wish the rev counter could have been more prominent.

The screen goes into a white-backlit ‘bright’ mode during daytime, but will invert its colour scheme when entering tunnels and when it’s darker outside.

Scrolling through the various menus and changing ride modes between Rain, Road, Sport, Track and a customisable mode called Rider is done via a button and toggle respectively on the left handlebar. Riding modes can only be effectively changed while stopped for the new settings to take effect.

This didn’t matter during my ride, for I simply left the bike in Road mode and got on with it. Road mode is plenty for someone of my experience level.

Bruisin’

Single thumpers, twin cylinders in parallel, ‘V’, ‘L’ or boxer layout, and four cylinders inline or as a ‘V’ are commonly found in motorcycle engines. Three cylinders, on the other hand, are rare, and that’s what the Street Triple 765 RS has got, hence its name. All 765cc of it.

It puts down 130hp at 12,000rpm and 80Nm of torque at 9,500rpm. While not a screamer unlike sports bikes, what it has going for it is its flexibility in everyday situations. Power delivery stays linear throughout the rev range.

The engine starts up and idles with a ‘zing,’ which stays in the background as the predominant exhaust note until around 5,000rpm.

Pass that threshold and the ‘zing’ turns into a howl. Keep the throttle pinned and the howl morphs into a glorious wailing crescendo as the engine sings throatily toward the top end. Snap the throttle shut, and the exhaust starts to boom while satisfyingly popping on the overrun.

Then you get to do it all over again!

Aiding this experience is a quick-shifter called Triumph Shift Assist, and is life-changing. One can bang up and down through the gears without pulling the clutch lever, and the way it is executed is easy, yet sharp and purposeful.

Not only can it sing gloriously, but dance with flair as well.

Twin adjustable Showa 41mm upside-down Big Piston Forks in front and adjustable Öhlins STX40 mono-shock with piggyback reservoir in the rear work extremely well together, being supple and comfortable during a cruise, yet solidly hunkered down and precision-controlled in corners.

Combining its suspension with its 1,399mm wheelbase and super sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 tyres, the Street Triple 765 RS encourages you to take bends and corners much quicker and with supreme confidence. Which I did.

Stopping duties fall to monoblock four-piston Brembo calipers clamping down on twin 310mm discs up front, and a single-pot Brembo with 220mm disc in the rear.

They’re aided by cornering ABS, cornering traction control and front wheel lift control, which can be selected via the different ride modes.

I’ve got nothing but praise for these brakes. They’re strong, well-judged and easy to modulate.

Words are not enough to describe this viscerally auditory sensation. You need to try it for yourself.

Cruisin’

Once you’ve had your fun, it’s time to settle into a gentle cruise, which the Street Triple 765 RS does with ease. Given how torquey the engine is, one can pootle along at 70-90km/h on the highway in sixth gear without the engine being lugged.

Owing to its relative narrowness, lane-filtering in heavy traffic is also a cinch, and I was able to slice through rows of slow-moving vehicles as deftly as kapchais.

Street-riding is also easy to do. No worries about a hot bum or crotch either, for the cooling system works well and keeps things under control.

Should you buy one?

It’s got the go to match the looks. Boy, can it sing and dance. It stays planted, keeps things well in check and most importantly, doesn’t break the bank to purchase.

If there was a song to describe the Street Triple 765 RS, this would be it:

I think you already know what my answer to the “Should you buy it?” question is…

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Technical Specifications

Triumph Street Triple 765 RS

Engine:  liquid-cooled, 12-valve DOHC, 765cc inline 3-cylinder
Gearbox: 6-speed manual with Triumph Shift Assist
Clutch: wet, multi-plate, slipper
Driveline: X-ring chain
Power: 130hp @ 12,000rpm
Torque: 80Nm @ 9,500rpm
Fuel Economy (combined): 5.4-litres/100km or 18.52km/litre (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 litres
Wet Weight: 188kg
Width: 792mm
Wheelbase: 1,399mm
Unladen Seat Height: 836mm
Rake: 23.2-degrees
Tyres( front): Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 120/70 ZR17
Tyres( rear): Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V3 180/55 ZR17
Brakes (front): twin 310mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston monobloc calipers
Brakes (rear): single 220mm disc, Brembo single-piston calliper
Suspension (front): Showa 41mm upside-down Big Piston Forks (BPF), adjustable compression and rebound damping, and preload adjustment
Suspension (rear): Öhlins STX40 piggyback reservoir monoshock, adjustable compression and rebound damping, and preload adjustment
Price: $31,800 (before COE and insurance, accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Triumph Motorcycles Singapore


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