KTM SMT 2011 - Ongoing Impressions For My Second Bike

[Skip]

Originally Posted by kaivalagi

£10495 RRP with the travel kit included (touring screen, panniers, center stand, gps mount, tank bag) - all model prices here: http://www.gear4direct.com/?i=95138

A lotta money and I was umming and arring for a while, if you test ride one you'll understand why I just had to though....highly recommend doing a test ride on one just for sh1ts and giggles

Did you get it from Dave Barkshires Mark?

Its a nice bike that's for sure - shame you didn't even get to enjoy the SV over the summer though! How many miles did you do on it? Did you swap out the Dunlop tyres as we discussed?

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by SUPERSTARDJ01

What about the insurance?

According to MCN they're a group 17 but they also say the Tuono is a group 16 but it's actually a group 19.

Insurance cost me an additional £200 to upgrade my F/C policy until end of September. When it's up for renewal in September I will have 1yrs NCD and will be 36yrs, I have been given early estimates of about £550 F/C but that's from a broker that are better for first timers so I expect the same or better quote from elsewhere....

Originally Posted by Skip

Did you get it from Dave Barkshires Mark?

Its a nice bike that's for sure - shame you didn't even get to enjoy the SV over the summer though! How many miles did you do on it? Did you swap out the Dunlop tyres as we discussed?

Yep, got it from Barkshires after approaching him, gear4 and jim aim to get a half decent deal. I have heard horror stories about him but it is all hear say and after the first service which is free I can go elsewhere anyway. None of the stealers would budge on bike price and all played the same "no more stock available after the 3 bikes are sold" card (which must have some truth to it) but I bartered on trade-in value with minor "scuffs" included and first service thrown in etc. In hindsight I may have been able to get more for the SV and certainly would have privately but hey ho...

I know I didn't give the SV a real chance to be fair, I had clocked up 3500 miles at trade in and had used it for a lot of newbie scratching and some long journeys too. For proper long distance travelling and luggage the SV would have been do-able but not ideal frankly. And yes I still had the crappy tyres on it but I think ultimately I would have still found the brakes and suspension a limiting factor regardless (unless I did a front end conversion) and the engine was lacking the grunt for overtakes that I have now grown to love (riding an SV1000 you should appreciate that Skip)

The main reason for initially contemplating a new bike was that I seriously started looking at all the costs for upgrading the suspension and giving the bike touring potential etc and came to the conclusion that it's a 2010 bike and I want to do so many mods to it and I still wouldn't get the brakes I want or the posture either unless I spend a lot...surely I should just get a bike that ticks all my boxes straight off the bat...enter the SMT.

I have no regrets, I had been toying with the idea of the SMT right from the beginning and with the 2011 bikes coming standard with ABS and in a nice gloss white finish it just rang my bell. It was a lot of cash but I am very very happy with the bike which is the main thing.

Just wish I could get better MPG whilst still ringing it's neck

Refilled the tank AGAIN today, admittedly I am giving it what for to get those piston rings sorted proper and would hope I calm down in time 34mpg this time, 1mpg better

Meah, you've got no chance to bring those mpg's higher, mate!

I mean, when there's so much torque and pleasure available at the wrist, you just try and not wring its neck!

Just think about it, every time you ponder if you should or shouldn't twist that wrist or save the gas, you'll always go like "ah, feck it! let's have some fun!" .. So, there's clearly no hope for you Nowt left to do but get to liking those filling stations...

I remember the tuono being a bike I just loved and sod the expense, although that did manage 40mpg when it was on the standard pipes and tune.

Originally Posted by 454697819

I remember the tuono being a bike I just loved and sod the expense, although that did manage 40mpg when it was on the standard pipes and tune.

40 wow mine is doing 31 around town, any idea what you got on M roads with/without a pillion? and with/without the aftermarket pipes?

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by andreis

Meah, you've got no chance to bring those mpg's higher, mate!

I mean, when there's so much torque and pleasure available at the wrist, you just try and not wring its neck!

Just think about it, every time you ponder if you should or shouldn't twist that wrist or save the gas, you'll always go like "ah, feck it! let's have some fun!" .. So, there's clearly no hope for you Nowt left to do but get to liking those filling stations...

Originally Posted by 454697819

I remember the tuono being a bike I just loved and sod the expense, although that did manage 40mpg when it was on the standard pipes and tune.

So so true....I like to think I will behave but everytime I am being a good boy within 5 minutes a situation comes up with that "do I or don't I" dilemma and a big f' it takes over me

The thing is the novelty is never going to wear off I don't think

Looks like I'll need to buy myself some extra fuel capacity and strap it on the back if I do a big tour next year

So.....in summary this bike is awesome at everything except for MPG I can live with that....

Originally Posted by SUPERSTARDJ01

40 wow mine is doing 31 around town, any idea what you got on M roads with/without a pillion? and with/without the aftermarket pipes?

Sorry shoudl have said this was with normal cans on map 1.

that lasted 500 miles when it went to map two and all hell broke loose..

best 31 mpg..

worse 18...

but you should have seen the smile on my face

[kaivalagi]

I've definitely christened the bike with a zillion flies today, I'm now going outside with a small bucket of soapy water to remove them before they give me hell when I clean her proper. Definitely the best little ride yet, about 120 miles and maybe 10 of those I was getting good mpg

[kaivalagi]

Quick Update on MPG figures

I've been getting as low as 30MPG (UK gallons) with my average currant at 34 MPG. This is all thanks to short twisty hooligan runs and the start-stop short distance commute to/from work. Today however I went out for a ride with my Dad (he was on his BMW F800ST) and we took it easy and I was pleasantly surprised at the figures.

We didn't go crazy.....apart from the odd blast for sh1ts and giggles I pretty much kept the RPMs at 5.5K or less and got over 150 miles out of the tank before the light came on...after the fill up I calculated fuel economy at 43.5 MPG or 6.54L/100KM (16.38 litres for 156.6 miles)

So worst case I am getting: 30 MPG or 9.5/100KM
And best case so far is: 43.5 MPG or 6.5/100KM

The one fault I had with the bike was the MPG but this can now be firmly attributed to my riding....when I had the SV I could give it a lot of grief and not suffer too badly for it, this beast however needs a bit of care and consideration if MPG is important...

It can do a decent range on one tank if that is what you need from it...projected mileage off one tank until down to vapours would be around 185 miles if I played it nice, IF

Commuting definitely kills the economy - I did 50 miles zipping back and forth through the week and that knocked it back to 35, but the day out today returned just under 40.