Bri w
08-03-12, 10:21 AM
So is it as good as the hype, or is it just jingoism?
When the Street was first launched I thought it was ugly, especially without the fly screen which hides the fact the clocks and lights look like they're stuck out too far. But as with all things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as my eyesight is mellowing I've taken a shine to the bike.
Handling; the R has adjustable forks and shock. The previous owner weighed in at about 12st, and I'm somewhat cuddlier, so it took me a long day of fiddling to get the suspension where I wanted it. Now, allied to precise steering I'd rate it as almost stunningly good. But maybe, just maybe, its let down by the tyres that are currently on the bike. It has Maxxis on it, and although they seem to warm up fairly quickly they get a bit vague when pushing on a little on the Helmsley TT.
Brakes; doing a stoppie with these is probably possible. They are fierce but certainly give plenty of feedback. Stiffening up the front suspension has cut back on them diving without losing any of the feeling. The brakes on the R are excellent but you've got to be a little careful when grabbing a handfull.
The engine; the softer cams than in the Daytona give more low end grunt - probably making the bike more user friendly and more flexible for road use. It pulls from well down the rev range and as such makes it a decent first big bike.
Slow speed manouvering; not the best of sterring locks but its more than compensated for by the bikes lightness, 169kgs dry - 189kgs kerb weight. No snatchiness to the fueling when its just bimbling through traffic at slow speed.
Comfort; the pitch on the R is slight different to the Standard Street and sees you leaning forward a little more. The seat itself is all day comfy for me, but I've got plenty of natural padding. Switchgear is positive and easily to hand.
So how does it compare to the other, similar, bikes I road tested in the last year? The only bike I was happy to give back was the Shiver. Maybe I had a bad one but the fueling for slow speed was just awful. All the other bikes had pluses and minuses, and in truth it would come down to personal choice. And I chose the best one - *runs and hides*
When the Street was first launched I thought it was ugly, especially without the fly screen which hides the fact the clocks and lights look like they're stuck out too far. But as with all things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as my eyesight is mellowing I've taken a shine to the bike.
Handling; the R has adjustable forks and shock. The previous owner weighed in at about 12st, and I'm somewhat cuddlier, so it took me a long day of fiddling to get the suspension where I wanted it. Now, allied to precise steering I'd rate it as almost stunningly good. But maybe, just maybe, its let down by the tyres that are currently on the bike. It has Maxxis on it, and although they seem to warm up fairly quickly they get a bit vague when pushing on a little on the Helmsley TT.
Brakes; doing a stoppie with these is probably possible. They are fierce but certainly give plenty of feedback. Stiffening up the front suspension has cut back on them diving without losing any of the feeling. The brakes on the R are excellent but you've got to be a little careful when grabbing a handfull.
The engine; the softer cams than in the Daytona give more low end grunt - probably making the bike more user friendly and more flexible for road use. It pulls from well down the rev range and as such makes it a decent first big bike.
Slow speed manouvering; not the best of sterring locks but its more than compensated for by the bikes lightness, 169kgs dry - 189kgs kerb weight. No snatchiness to the fueling when its just bimbling through traffic at slow speed.
Comfort; the pitch on the R is slight different to the Standard Street and sees you leaning forward a little more. The seat itself is all day comfy for me, but I've got plenty of natural padding. Switchgear is positive and easily to hand.
So how does it compare to the other, similar, bikes I road tested in the last year? The only bike I was happy to give back was the Shiver. Maybe I had a bad one but the fueling for slow speed was just awful. All the other bikes had pluses and minuses, and in truth it would come down to personal choice. And I chose the best one - *runs and hides*