By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Naked Bike
Triumph Street Triple 675 R (D67LDR2) vs Kawasaki Z750 (ZR 750 L)
Triumph Street Triple 675 R vs Kawasaki Z750: which one's easier to live with every day.
Tip the Triumph Street Triple 675 R into a bend and it's turned in before you've finished asking. The Kawasaki Z750's steering goes vague once you're carrying speed.
So which one do you buy?
The Street Triple 675 R has the edge if…
Sporty riding on twisty roads
By a nose: Street Triple 675 R
On a winding road, the Street Triple 675 R comes out a touch ahead. The reason: better suspension and a sportier chassis. You wouldn't bet much on a gap like that.
Daily commuting & city riding
A touch ahead: Street Triple 675 R
Through rush hour, the Street Triple 675 R is a little easier to live with. Most of that is lighter steering and easier everyday riding.
What makes each one tick
Street Triple 675 R
Through a run of tight corners the Street Triple 675 R flicks over with barely a nudge at the bar. The brake lever bites hard. It pulls the light chassis up short, and the triple doesn't bog when you're back on the gas. The triple's exhaust snarls as it revs.
Z750
From the wide bar and upright seat, the Z750 trundles through town traffic with its four-cylinder pulling cleanly at low revs. A bump in a quick corner is where the basic fork and shock don't have enough support to hold the chassis tidy. Two-up, the shock has even less support to give. The four-cylinder rushes hard up top.
Nils rode the Z750 in Austria in 2007, and in 2009 (NastyNils Testride).
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The Street Triple 675 R has the lower wet weight: 417 lb (189 kg) vs 498 lb (226 kg).
- The Z750 makes more peak torque: 58 lb-ft (78 Nm) vs 50 lb-ft (68 Nm).
- The Z750 has the larger engine: 748 cc vs 675 cc.
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Look elsewhere
For all-day comfort, both fall short. Keep the rides short and you'll get on fine with either.
A confidence-building first motorcycle
Neither one fits
A first bike should forgive mistakes, and these two don't do that well enough. Come back to them later.
Traveling with luggage
Not built for this
Neither is a natural luggage carrier, so a trip with bags means a compromise either way.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
Street Triple 675 R
What owners say
Strengths
- Sweet inline-triple engine
Z750
What owners say
Strengths
- Rev-happy inline-four engine
Trade-offs
- Budget suspension limits handling
Known problems to check before you buy
Street Triple 675 R
- Cam chain tensioner rattle on cold start A noisy cam chain tensioner on cold starts is a known problem. If left unattended it can cause premature chain/guide wear. Replacement with a manual tensioner is a common fix.
- Loose coolant hose clamps on low-mileage bikes On bikes with very low miles, the coolant hose clamps can loosen as the system settles, leading to minor leaks.
Z750
- Frame and swingarm corrosion Exposed steel frame components, especially around welds and the swingarm, develop surface rust quickly if not regularly coated with a protectant or kept dry.
What they share
- Cooling
- Liquid-cooled
- Gearbox
- 6-speed
- Final drive
- Chain
- Front tire
- 120/70-17
- Rear tire
- 180/55-17
Where the spec sheets split
| Street Triple 675 R | Z750 | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 31.7 in (805 mm) | 32.1 in (815 mm) |
| Wet weight | 417 lb (189 kg) | 498 lb (226 kg) |
| Street Triple 675 R | Z750 | |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 675 cc | 748 cc |
| Engine | Inline-three | Inline-four |
| Power | 105 hp (78 kW) | 106 hp (78 kW) |
| Torque | 50 lb-ft (68 Nm) | 58 lb-ft (78 Nm) |
| Top speed | 141 mph (227 km/h) | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
| Street Triple 675 R | Z750 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy | 34 mpg (US) / 6.89 L/100 km | 39 mpg (US) / 6 L/100 km |
| Fuel capacity | 4.6 US gal (17.4 L) | 4.9 US gal (18.5 L) |
| Street Triple 675 R | Z750 | |
|---|---|---|
| Front brake | 308 mm | 300 mm |
What comes fitted, what costs extra
| Street Triple 675 R | Z750 | |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Not offered | Option |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
