Ten months or so have passed since I last posted in this thread so I feel it's due an update.
And the big news is that the 765 is still very much here - it didn’t get ridden much (well, at all really) from October-ish last year until early this year but that probably won’t surprise many people.
We’ve now clocked the grand total of roughly 1500 miles, and TBH most of them since the last post have been on track
The first of these was at Brands last August in-between lockdowns, a scorcher of a day with the Weeksys and one or two others there too , where in fact it came very close to not existing anymore.
A Fireblade that I was dicing with blew its guts (or more accurately the oil filter spun undone) and covered me and the765 in stinking hot oil just before you shut off for Paddock- was quite an experience, and by a good deal more luck than anything else, I and the 765 made it down the other side together and in one piece by not touching the brakes and using all the track and a bit more, which is, unfortunately, more than the Fireblade or its rider did (was a very fast off)
Anyway, I digress- it was the first time I’d taken it on a track, Brands Indy of course isn’t a complex one but it did show up some deficiencies in the standard suspension set-up, which previously had felt great on the road- it was squatting far too much and weaving on the power out of corners and really didn’t feel good at all going from hard left to right in the bit at the end of the Cooper straight, so I gave some money to the suspension man there and we got it much better- TBH the big change was just getting the sag at each end better and it more balanced.
So it acquitted itself very well there and may have even just about won the Fast group (albeit it doesn’t count as it was a roadbike only day , and definitely nowhere near a real fast group
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Brands
Since then it’s been to Pembrey, and in the last few weeks Brands again, Donington and Cadwell – the weather and it has been simply brilliant every time, and although I still have occasional pangs for another 890R Duke, I have to say, the 765 is probably a better overall bike- it’s certainly screwed together a lot better, it is a quality product IMO with a great engine, brakes and simply the best QS and particularly downshifter of any bike I’ve tried.
Pembrey 2020 extravangza with the boys
Anyway tyres- It comes as standard with SuperCorsas, so that’s what I’ve used all the way through, changing them only a couple of days ago at lunchtime at Cadwell as although they have kept a decent profile, the rear was starting to move around a bit too much, but they've lasted well and I've definitely had my money’s worth out of them IMO
I’ve replaced them with Dunlop Sportsmart TTs, both as I loved them on the H2, and I got a cracking deal on them- the rear is a 180/60 (replacing 180/55) , which I’ve never tried before so was interested to see what if any difference I could detect and I love it- definitely makes it feel a bit quicker steering, so that will be the default size for me from here on, on this bike at least.
So I think it’s here to stay, for a bit longer at least, I have had thoughts about both the current model Tuono, and getting a go on the latest Speed Triple and SD1290R, but the honest answer is that there is nothing else I currently want more, well possibly unless someone turns my head with a too-good-to-miss deal on an 890R perhaps.
Anyway, we’ll see, but in the meantime, another couple of pics taken on mine and Kev’s gripping night out in Horncastle (Lincs) the night before the Cadwell day, really is like stepping back in time
revcounter before attempting it, whereas the others do it with half that number of the dial
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