Summer test rides

Hi All, I’ve seen others do this and I’ve found their messages very useful so I’ve decided to do my own. I want to change my bike towards the end of the year and instead of impulse buying I’ve decided to test ride as many as I can over the summer to help make my mind up. My background, to provide some context to the reviews, is I bought an SV650 in January, my first bike in 10+ years. I’ll post the reviews as I do them, the first few are post dated:

Ducati Streetfighter S

Stock image cos I didn’t photograph it

I did this test ride with the Ducati demo road show just before the Donno GP. I had my pick of their range, I don’t know much about modern Ducati’s so chose the Streetfighter S imagining that it would be fairly sedate. First off it looks amazing with loads of trick parts, ohlins all round etc. After starting and travelling the first few yards I was wondering what was going fall of it first, it really rattles. We had to get some fuel from nearby so just tickled it through 40 mph zones. The only thing I really noticed up to this point was that the mirrors are pretty useless and the amount of weight on my wrists, I thought this was just me but another lad on a Streetfighter who rides an R1 also commented on it. Out of the 40 zone and onto the main roads, drop a cog and accelerate…and rapidly grab another gear, yep it’s a lot faster than the SV. The thing that really stood out was the brakes, unbelievably powerful with loads of feel. I know it’s probably not the case, but I really felt I could have stopped in half the distance of the SV. As for the handling, I wasn’t going to push it (I had to put £1000 deposit on it) but I wouldn’t say I felt really wired into the bike. In the latter stages of the ride as my confidence had risen I wound it on exiting a roundabout into a long sweeping curve. The duke didn’t bat an eyelid and stayed entirely composed but the noise and vibration in my helmet was insane, the last number I saw on the clock was 90mph then everything was I blur. This illustrated the biggest problem for me, I ride a naked bike so I’m used to wind blast, but this is basically a hyper sports bike with no fairing and flat bars. You’re so far over the front wheel and completely exposed so you get a huge blasting. The bike is eminently controllable but you can’t really do so because you’re taking such a battering. One more shock is waiting on my return while I make small talk with the reps, it’s 14grand! On paper and aesthetically the Streetfighter’s the bike of my dreams but the reality is far from it. Great experience but not one for the wish list.

here's the dukes image (I is no gud at compooters)

1961 Matchless G80

OK, this wasn’t exactly on my list, but I reckon it’s worth reporting on. What is it? It’s an ancient overhead valve 500cc single cylinder. We were staying at a farm cottage in Cornwall where they had a load of classic bikes which the guests could take on escorted tours. On the day I’d arranged to go out the farmer had the trots so unleashed me on my own. I’ve never really appreciated how easy we have it. You need to decompress, prime the carburettor, then kick-start a huge lump of iron (a serious physical workout even, for a prime specimen like Rusty ). Oh yeah, forget most of what you know about bikes, rear brake is on the left, gear shift on the right, one up three down. It sounded awesome (when you get it started, by which time you’re fooked), properly loud (& legal cos it’s a classic) and it’s a big brute, I think it looked great. For most of the ride I was pretty confused because of the different instrument layout and the roads out there are very narrow with high hedges so you need to keep your eye well ahead. Everything was going well until a car pulled out on me, no big deal, this happens all the time with cage-only muppets. Hit the front brake; nothing, add the rear; nothing, now I’m worried. Pull like fu(k and eventually the rear locks and I eventually stop a bit sideways. This thing weighs twice the weight of a modern bike and with no brakes. Reality draws in and I decide to sack it off and get back as soon as possible. Well I would have done if it hadn’t broken down on the way back (clutch). I had to phone the farmer and get him off the bog to trailer the thing home. Definitely not for me. I do now however have maximum respect for those who do ride classics.

Triumph Street Triple

I’d arranged the test ride beforehand by telephone, so when I got there it was ready for me, I pretty much jumped straight off the SV and this allowed very direct comparison. First off the looks; from some angles I like it, from others its skinny and sometimes downright ugly. Starting it up, no way does it sound as good as my SV (although that’s got a fruity can). The first few hundred yards are a revelation, I can actually feel what the front’s doing, the whole bike feels very stable and planted. Open her up and there is a fantastic roar from the air box at 4000rpm, I reckon it might sound a bit like a washing machine from behind (on standard cans) but I would never ever get bored of that sound from the air box. I got it out onto some roads I know well and really gave it some stick. I love the power delivery; I was raised on various 2 strokes (CR500, YPVS) and although it’s not the same there are distinct power bands in the delivery. It’s like; oh hello…then that’s cool…then wickeeed..redline. Then repeat, in each gear, over and over. The SV doesn’t provide anything like that. I was very excited and planning where I was going to take it (the sales rep said 2-3 hours was no problem). Then it absolutely pi55ed it down, properly. Not sure what the god’s were communicating to me, I desperately tried to stay out but I was soaked through to me underpants and freezing. Even then I couldn’t shift the grin from my face. Other comments; well the fuel economy is crap (but I did give it some proper death) and there were serious vibrations through the right grip (I think this may have been related to the end-mounted mirror). If you hadn’t guessed already, I loved it, even in the relative short amount of time, and it definitely makes my list (even though Triumph have just increased their prices). I’m going back next week to test the 675 Daytona.

That Ducati Streetfighter does look bloody good, doesn't it

Aprilia Tuono 1000 R
Fist impressions are that it’s got a fairly tall seat height and it’s on the heavy side. Looks-wise the back half looks great, but the front is awful (IMO). It does sound really good with the titanium akrapovic/aprilia racing cans though not as amazing as I expected. Out on the urban roads, you feel very high up sitting on the bike rather than in it. It feels solid and subtle changes in direction are surprisingly easy for such a big bike. I already know the bikes’ got some serious poke from the first 10 mins cos I’m noticeably throwing my weight over the front under acceleration, but there’s something I’ve read that I want to try. I turned around on a bit of road I’ve just covered, wound it on it 2nd and 3rd, no manipulation by clutch, and true enough it lifts the front on power alone. Back on to 2 wheels and I must have gone up and down a 3 mile stretch of road 5 or 6 times. The handling and braking is great, hugely controllable, but the stand out thing is the power. I barely scratched the surface of the horses within, but it was still outstanding fun and seriously fast. Serious three figures were rapidly obtained with great ease, and the biggest surprise; with great comfort. Totally opposite to the Ducati Streetfighter I tested. Turning around and around on that stretch I noticed that although the turning circle is fine, it is damn heavy and that’s with the fuel tank probably about 10% full. So the bad points; the switchgear has a daft layout, the trim was already falling off, the equipment is pretty basic, and no matter how much I squint it’s fooking ugly. None of which puts me off in the very slightest, an awesome bike and a serious contender for my list.

Aprilia RSV1000R
I actually went to test an old shape Mille Haga rep but they’d lost the key! Apologetically they let me try a new RSV. One of the questions I wanted to address in these test rides is if I wanted a full on sports bike. The last one I rode was a EXUP 1000RU when I was 18 (you do the math). It completely blew me away, it was like a time machine. Well now I can actually afford to run a big sports bike so I was looking forward to testing the latest offerings. First few yards and it feels small, when I tried to put my feet on the pegs I couldn’t find them, I actually had to look down to find where then struggle my legs into position. Jeez, I’m a small bloke but this is ridiculous. I took it up to the same stretch as earlier but only did one loop. I could definitely take the corners faster due to the position and set-up but I didn’t feel able to use the stonk by anywhere near as much as on its naked variant. The bike that I was previously so confident in exploiting (this is essentially the same bike as the tuono) has evaporated due only to my preference for the riding position. To be honest I was happy to take it back and uncurl myself. Definite upsides are its looks. I caught a glance of myself in shop windows and I’ve never looked cooler (though that’s not much of a yardstick). I’m sure it’s a great bike but not for me. These test rides are looking worthwhile holiday days, they’re answering some fundamental issues, mainly what I think I like is not necessarily what I actually like. The search continues

Triumph Speed Triple
I’d originally arranged to test a Daytona 675 but after the RSV experience I changed to the Speed Triple. First impressions are that it looks the dog’s dangly bits (despite some muppet having already dropped this demo bike), its fat and mean looking where the Street Triple sometimes appears skinny and even conservative. The single sided swing arm and the big brembos make it feel high spec in comparison. It’s a slightly taller bike, my feet are nowhere near flat on the floor, and I have to stretch a little more for the wider bars. As you see from the pics, it’s fitted with the arrow titanium race cans (I think about £600 worth). It sounds fruity but not all out loud, except on the overrun when it bangs and farts like a good-un; very entertaining but sadly no airbox roar like the Street. Riding though town is unexceptional except I notice it needs reasonable revs from standstill. Finally out on the open road, and give it some stick. Well it pulls well enough, it’s definitely a rapid bike, but not at all the “hooligan” bike I was expecting. It seems to rev for ages in each gear without really exciting me. If I didn’t know better I’d say the gearing was too tall. Apologies to any Speed Triple owners but in this respect it reminds me of a VFR750 (F), a faultless engine that revs forever but don’t float my boat. The handling, while doing what I wanted it to, needed distinct effort and input, very unlike the Street Triple but I think that’s an exceptional bike of its type. I desperately wanted to love the Speed Triple, it’s looks are so much what I like, in fact as I banged and farted through a village an old fella visibly tutted and shook his head; always a good sign, but it just didn’t do it for me. When I got back I quizzed the rep about the gearing and the slow build in revs which he had no explanation for. Then I asked about those funny LEDs on the clock. He said it was to indicate when approaching the redline, not in my case I explained it was jumping up and down and in the red a lot even at lower ends of the rev range. He checked the bike and announced that the LEDs were still set up for the running in period. It was now slightly over (600 miles) this period but I reckon it’s baptism of fire as a demo bike had done the bike no favours and that might have reflected in the power delivery. I hope so, I still want to love it, but sadly it gets struck off my list. Another valuable lesson learned; there’s no way I’m buying an ex-demo bike….

Yamaha FZ1

When I rang up about this the guy was enthusing about a lovely silver one with a blue frame, which sounds awful I thought. However, seeing it in the flesh (apologies for the poor photo), it actually looked fantastic. Significant extras on this particular bike were a scorpion can (barely louder than stock but much better looking), power commander, and a puig screen (which complimented the looks very well and no doubt reduced wind blast). With the huge swing arm and frame containing the massive lump of a motor it’s definitely a mean looking bike in a modern kind of way. It’s actually got a fairly low seat height and was uber comfortable ergonomically (although the seat is a bit hard). Out on the road getting out of town I noticed that the brakes are a bit on the fierce side. I was lucky enough to take this down the B6047 south of Melton Mowbray, a cracking twisty road which is well ventured by the orgers around these parts, so I could give the bike a good test on a road I knew well. The handling is absolutely sublime, very responsive. In truth, probably too responsive for me, any slight input was immediately responded to by the bike; this is quite precision tool. The motor is nicely mannered and fairly torquey (for a IL4), that is until about 6000rpm when there’s a screech from the air intake, that’s not so much as exciting, but quite frightening. From this point the revs pile up very rapidly and it takes off like a rocket with the bike becoming progressively twitchier and less planted. I wanted to take it all the way to the limiter but chickened out shortly beforehand each time. It’s a realllly fast bike, and the R1 motor is supposedly detuned to a mere 150bhp. Some of the other bikes I’ve tested recently are near to these horsepower figures but I think the difference is the ‘usability’ of it. Considering owning one; sure I could ride it more conservatively and have loads of fun and rack up thousands of miles, but there’s the side of me that would want to play in the upper rev range, and I reckon that could have serious consequences to my licence and worse. I know I’d be faster on this than any of the others I’ve tested, but I’m riding on the road not the track. My sensible Dad head strikes this off the list (….probably ). But what a truly outstanding bike, things have definitely come on in the last 15 years