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Observations in going from FZ-07 to Triumph Street Triple


pineappleunderthesea

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pineappleunderthesea

After a couple years of fun with the FZ, I recently sold it and got a 2018 Triumph Street Triple R (765 cc).  Just wanted to post some observations between the 2 bikes (and yes, two very different bikes with two very different price points):
 
1. Torque:  FZ-07 seems to have more torque at lower RPM, almost feels like a turbo kicking in when you get going.  This is what made the FZ so fun around town and twisties.  The Street Triple has theoretically more torque, but you feel it needs to get to 6k RPM to really feel it pull.  It might all be how the power is delivered, but the FZ just felt more wild to me.  As well, if you're in the wrong gear (too high a gear) with the FZ, it doesn't seem to mind and will still pull nicely.  With the Triple, it bogs down initially, then pulls.
 
2. Horsepower:  well, this is where the Triple shines, once you get into that 6k RPM, the thing just pulls and pulls.  I typically like to say that the FZ is a 0-80 mph bike, while the Triple is just getting started at 80 mph.  
 
3. Suspension:  I know some people aren't enamored with the FZ suspension, but I actually liked it for the kind of riding I do, which is commuting and some weekend fun on back roads.  The FZ soaked up bumps very well, while the Triple rattles you more. With that said, the Triple is more solid cornering, but again, I'm not one to push it hard.
 
4. Conclusions:  The FZ is a great street bike, easier to throw around than the Triple, and I'm 100% glad I bought it before buying a larger displacement bike.  The Triple is in a different class, and I am enjoying how it pulls hard at higher RPM.  Maybe it's in my head, but that extra pulling power seems to change the way you ride, I now have more power at 80 mph and 100 mph comes up very fast, I find myself using that to easily get around cars on the highway.  Dare I say, it seems to beg you to ride a little more aggressively, and I have to be conscious of not overdoing it (I've been riding a little over 6 years, and I still consider myself a beginner, so I might need to go to a track day to learn how to use more power correctly).

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Good post about the 675, which is actually smaller than the FZ07, I believe? ;)
 
Have you tried to fiddle with the suspension on the Triumph? Should be able to find a comfy setting. The stock suspension on my FZ07 was very harsh - if it had been bouncy I would have kept it, I want comfort - but little that could be done with it.

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This VERY closely resembles my experience buying a 2016 FJ-09.
 
The fz-07 isn't the faster of the two bikes, but it FEELS faster. It's punchy all over the rpm range and feels like you're hauling ass without having to double the speed limit.
 
I drove both bikes two up and my passenger agreed, the FZ-07 felt "more dangerous and fun" to her.

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Good post about the 675, which is actually smaller than the FZ07, I believe? ;) 

The Street Triple used to be a 675cc.  The new one has been increased to 765cc 
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I'm waiting for the KTM 790 twin.... :)
Oh man stop it! Probably going to be the bike I've always wanted but didn't want to afford. I just wish Yamaha had made this -07 a 750cc from the start.  
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I'm waiting for the KTM 790 twin.... :)
Oh man stop it! Probably going to be the bike I've always wanted but didn't want to afford. I just wish Yamaha had made this -07 a 750cc from the start.
 
 
A 750 in the FZ would be pushing the light weight twin class displacement rules too much. That would be the only problem.
 

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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[div]Going to a track is an excellent idea, not only to manage the power and the speed, your braking and steering abilities at high speed should be improved upon as well because everything changes at high speed. [/div]

Beemer

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You guys need to take a test ride on something that has both the HP and massive low RPM torque to give you one of those "holy crap on a cracker" moments.
 
Hmm, me thinks a SuperDuke1290R would do. Leave the electronic nannies in place please. Maybe just ride it in "rain" mode.
 
The Street was the other bike i was interested in when I bought the FZ. Figured the FZ would help keep me out of trouble. So far, so good. 

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You guys need to take a test ride on something that has both the HP and massive low RPM torque to give you one of those "holy crap on a cracker" moments.  
Hmm, me thinks a SuperDuke1290R would do. Leave the electronic nannies in place please. Maybe just ride it in "rain" mode.
 
The Street was the other bike i was interested in when I bought the FZ. Figured the FZ would help keep me out of trouble. So far, so good. 
 
 
The 1290 would be too much bike for me. The 790 might be perfect, and then the FZ 07 would become a dedicated track or race bike.

Craig Mapstone
Upstate New York

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Good post. Not surprising what you are experiencing. Same displacement and more cyl, means less torque and the bore/stroke is less, and that determines the torque. ESPECIALLY as the 07 is cammed deliberately for a big flat torque curve and lower rpm.
Also more cyl the better it will do at high rpm for the same reasons. Smaller bore/stroke means less reciprocating mass. Triple will be rev happy but not as rev happy as a 4 or a 6.
One thing you didn't mention is the sound . Both bikes have a destinctive sound. The 07 because of the non symetric firing order , the triple because ...welll...it's a triple.
You might want to take a bit more time to set up the suspension on the Trumpy. It should be very superior to the 07 and is able to be made VERY good handling. It will never be as flickable as the 07 for a myrid of reasons, but it is better front /rear balanced and has torsionally stiffer forks.
I reckon the 750 version is where the triple should have been in the first place. Still it now has even more crank mass so will be a fair bit harder to jam into corners.
I am guessing you are going to miss the 07's rough lump friendliness and simplicity though, sooner or later.
 
The KTM WILL be a nice bike, BUT if it is as badly fuelled as the 690's it will be even worse than the 07's stock fuelling. The fact that it is a twin will help make it less vicious though. The single has serious problems stock from closed or trailing throttle. Once sorted it is serious fun. From the KTM forum it is notable that a majority of riders ride them in Rain or Middle mode. Even most racers say they use the middle mode. The switch does NOT change the engine mapping. It only adjusts the rate at which the fly by wire throttle opens.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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pineappleunderthesea
One thing you didn't mention is the sound . Both bikes have a destinctive sound. The 07 because of the non symetric firing order , the triple because ...welll...it's a triple. You might want to take a bit more time to set up the suspension on the Trumpy. It should be very superior to the 07 and is able to be made VERY good handling. It will never be as flickable as the 07 for a myrid of reasons, but it is better front /rear balanced and has torsionally stiffer forks.
I reckon the 750 version is where the triple should have been in the first place. Still it now has even more crank mass so will be a fair bit harder to jam into corners.
I am guessing you are going to miss the 07's rough lump friendliness and simplicity though, sooner or later.
 

The Triumph sounds good when you get on the throttle and accelerate up the revs, sounds like a muted growl, definitely more pleasing than the stock FZ exhaust.  Otherwise the exhaust is on the quieter side, just a little more aggressive than the FZ.  I am not contemplating an exhaust, but on he FZ I got my Akra Carbon rather quickly, and that was almost too loud even with baffle in.  The owner manual does have a suspension setting for "comfort", and while I may try it out, I'm getting used to the standard setting, which does offer more stable cornering than the FZ. I'm slowly building confidence going into corners a bit harder than the FZ since the Triumph doesn't seem to "rebound" like the FZ did, but I still need to learn more, hence my thought on track days. 
You're right about the FZ, something about its size and weight and "comfort" suspension gives you immediate confidence that this is a bike you think you can handle.  The Triple is a little more serious, seems like you need to give it some respect before feeling as comfortable as I did in the FZ. 
 
 
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Good post. Not surprising what you are experiencing. Same displacement and more cyl, means less torque and the bore/stroke is less, and that determines the torque. ESPECIALLY as the 07 is cammed deliberately for a big flat torque curve and lower rpm. Also more cyl the better it will do at high rpm for the same reasons. Smaller bore/stroke means less reciprocating mass. Triple will be rev happy but not as rev happy as a 4 or a 6.
One thing you didn't mention is the sound . Both bikes have a destinctive sound. The 07 because of the non symetric firing order , the triple because ...welll...it's a triple.
You might want to take a bit more time to set up the suspension on the Trumpy. It should be very superior to the 07 and is able to be made VERY good handling. It will never be as flickable as the 07 for a myrid of reasons, but it is better front /rear balanced and has torsionally stiffer forks.
I reckon the 750 version is where the triple should have been in the first place. Still it now has even more crank mass so will be a fair bit harder to jam into corners.
I am guessing you are going to miss the 07's rough lump friendliness and simplicity though, sooner or later.
 
The KTM WILL be a nice bike, BUT if it is as badly fuelled as the 690's it will be even worse than the 07's stock fuelling. The fact that it is a twin will help make it less vicious though. The single has serious problems stock from closed or trailing throttle. Once sorted it is serious fun. From the KTM forum it is notable that a majority of riders ride them in Rain or Middle mode. Even most racers say they use the middle mode. The switch does NOT change the engine mapping. It only adjusts the rate at which the fly by wire throttle opens.
Buddy of mine had a 2009, 690 Duke and the fueling drove him nuts - he tried everything to calm that snatchy throttle. He now has a the 1290R SDuke. He added some dongle thing (plug it in and forget it) that fools the ecu into thinking it's in open loop FI all the time so no O2 sensor input. He pretty much liked the FI before the dongle, but now says it's the nicest FI bike he's ever ridden (and that's a good list).  
That bike is truly too much for my old bones - to own that is. But don't turn down a ride on one if it's offered. 100 lb-ft of torque is just something everyone needs to experience. And the nannies (like adaptive, lean-sensitive traction control) will protect you from doing something really stupid with the power - to a point of course.  
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You guys need to take a test ride on something that has both the HP and massive low RPM torque to give you one of those "holy crap on a cracker" moments.  
Hmm, me thinks a SuperDuke1290R would do. Leave the electronic nannies in place please. Maybe just ride it in "rain" mode.
 
The Street was the other bike i was interested in when I bought the FZ. Figured the FZ would help keep me out of trouble. So far, so good. 
 
 
I was so disappointed with the Street. I'd like that motor in a XR1200, but the ergos in the street don't feel like they weren't intended for humans.
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There are Two dongles available ( at least from Kevtx) one for the open and one for the closed loop. Both worth it. Hopefully he will do something similar for the new twin.
Interesting the guy that designed them is primarily a Yamaha man, and I was surprised he didn't do the same for the 07 and the 09. Well maybe he did and I didn't see it.
Shiny, I reckon the ergos on the Street triple are because the bars are silly wide. I reckon a set of human witdh bars ( rather than gorilla) would change all the ergo feel, even the footpeg position.

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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