See? Another amazing pic...does it actually look that good?
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My Super Duke R is and has always been a fun bike to ride and although I had tweaked front and back compression and rebound settings I hadn't played with the preload and so static and rider sag were not ideal.
Today, to get it sorted properly, I took the bike to HM Racing and after about an hour of fettling their efforts have really made a difference to the handling and comfort of the bike. I was a little worried when they told me that they increased the rear preload so the seat would be just a bit higher...but thankfully the ground is still within reach of both feet .
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier sub 50mph on a bike than I was this evening.
I’ve not ridden either too but I’d go for the Speed Twin in a heartbeat.
I have owned BMW’s before and although I loved them they always seemed to lack soul.....it’s a very personal thing I know. They’re actually both outstanding bikes that most would be very happy to own. At the end of the day it’s down to whatever makes your heart sing.
I’d also go for the grey myself .
Can’t wait to see what you decide Tony.
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I don’t think the R9T could be described as soulless, Mark, but perhaps it’s an exception. Anyway, I did like the black on the ST, so it’s being priced on that basis with the following options:
ALUMINIUM CHAIN GUARD - BLACK
AUXILIARY POWER SOCKET
CNC MACHINED FORK PROTECTORS
ENGINE PROTECTOR KIT
KNEE PADS
RUBBER TANK PAD
HEATED GRIP KIT
BLACK INTAKE COVERS
DRESSER BAR - BLACK
CNC MACHINED FRONT RESERVOIR
PADDOCK STAND BOBBINS - BLACK
MACHINED HEADLIGHT BEZEL
In for a penny...
For me, I have been thinking of changing the Striple for something with more classic looks and drivetrain for a while. I love the Thruxton but the riding position is a non-starter for me.
So when the Speed Twin twin came out I knew there was a good chance it would be the one...5 minutes into the ride it was confirmed.
I think for you Tony, the decision is more nuanced, and whilst personally I'm not a fan of the R9T's looks, the colour of yours does really lift it and make it stand out.
It's a nice choice to have to make though
As an aside, and this may be teaching grandma to suck eggs, but if you do get all that stuff fitted, make sure you pick up the take offs at the same time.
I had a few bits fitted to mine and discovered a little later that the dealer holds on to the removed parts for a couple of weeks and then bins them if not collected. As some of this stuff could be ebayed at some point in the future, it's worth having the original stuff to put back on.
For me, i wanted to take off the Scrambler headlamp grille as it was a pain to clean in the winter, but they'd binned the original bezel
Yes, I'm definitely drawn to Triumph - legacy from my youth, no doubt. Anyway, it's not a done deal yet, just a possibility at present.
Good point. There aren't many take-offs here, though - the old grips could go, which would just leave the headlight bezel and intake covers.
I can categorically state that removed parts are sold on eBay if not claimed. A friend of mine has an arrangement with the main dealer for a couple of major marques where he periodically collects their unclaimed parts stash, then eBays it all on their behalf and collects a percentage of the proceeds. For obvious reasons they don't want to be seen ebaying what are mostly new parts themselves.
I'd be surprised if this dealer is the exception, I would imagine it's a widespread practice.
This is very true, doing my Triumph I realised that the best way of getting what I wanted was to buy OEM front and rear fenders, then cut them down. I was going to have to repaint anyhow, so I was losing nothing to effort.
I got both fenders (used, but lightly) with the front fender stays for under £35. £42 with postage, from 2 dfferent sellers.
Everyone is removing stock stuff to fit their bolt on goodies, and the stock stuff's value is very low.
Dave
I recently visiting Triumph North London to check out the T120 which is still the bike I'll likely get...but sitting it next to the Rocket is just unfair.
What a great day.... I had the GT and my mate, got the R.. Normally the dealer doesn’t like mates to go out on test rides together in case they get a bit silly on bikes they don’t own, but our relationship with this dealer is such that they trust us to treat their demos as our own, which is nice. The dealer principle (Andrew) even told us to fill both bikes on his account, and we could have the bikes all day..
We both paid for our fuel though
So to the bikes. Mine was brand new with just 22 miles on the clock, so obviously I’m going to treat it with respect. When I returned it, it had 99 miles on it, so fair to say a decent test ride.
As you would expect, the engine is the focal point, and it’s truly epic. It may only have similar power to my Ducati, but the torque, oh yes it’s all about the torque. 4th gear roll on is quite addictive and the bike literally hauls between corners. Once in the curves though, the bike disguises it’s weight extremely well. Yes it’s never going to be a sports bike but that’s not the point.
Comfort was spot on for me, and I could easily imagine 200 miles being a breeze. Another surprising feature was the brakes, they required very little effort to haul it down ready for a curve.
The TFT screen is funky and functional.
All in all, I really liked it. I’m not sure if I liked it enough to buy one, but at this stage I’m not going to dismiss it just yet.
Last edited by Enoch; 25th June 2020 at 18:41.
A significant amount of the production was already in Thailand where they have three factories I believe.
Over in the UK they employ over 200 people in their design dept plus many more in their prototyping centre.
My BMW Bike has an Austrian engine built in China and finally assembled in Berlin. Do I care where it comes from, I want to drink milk not buy a cow.
Steve
That looks like a bike which would be in a movie like Terminator or Judge Dread. Very Stallone as Skyman said. Wouldn't like to move it around the garage though, I'd put my back out!