Jump to content

Bonio's new quest for a new bike


bonio
 Share

Recommended Posts

Here they are, the first crop first lot of test ride reviews. Mainly cos it helps me to write it all down.


MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Rosso

This is the base version of the 800cc triple, with cruise control as standard.

If you've met someone famous, you'll know that what you see in the flesh is a less beautiful version of what you see in the official photos. So it is with this bike. To be honest, I think my Tiger was better-looking: a sorry statement for an Italian bike, and especially one from MV Agusta. But ok, I used to own a GS, so clearly looks don't score too high on my must-haves. So what does it have?

A nice engine. A very nice engine. Although the more shallow side of me was a bit disappointed with the sound, which was a tad too close to a whine or a wheeze than a roar, but it would bark in an asthmatic way when wound up. I loved the fuelling - smooth yet responsive, precise but never jerky. The power was all there, all I could use, but - given it's an 800 - I sometimes had to downshift to get it.

The suspension was spot on: it never felt overwhelmed even by some of Suffolk's more rural tarmac, and was taut and predictable in the corners; the steering had diamond-cut precision. Going on twisty roads at 60-70 mph in 3rd, the bike shone like a shooting star: plenty of power for a cheeky overtake and good engine braking to make the whole thing feel smooth. This was when it would make me smile.

On dual carriageways (no motorways in Suffolk) it was competent, without quite delivering anything plush or comfy. The cruise on the test bike wasn't working, but the upright position was easy. The only thing that stopped me looking forward to riding it across Europe was the slight buzz on the bars even in 6th - not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to stop me really feeling like I was on a relaxing holiday. The best thing - and possibly proof that MV are staffed by aliens with brains light years in advance of ours - was the screen: a scrap of clear plastic that you could move up and down that actually worked: whatever speed I did, I had a light stream of air gently washing over my head. Riding at 50 with visor open was as pleasant as it was novel.

In town, it was well-behaved and easy to manage. Too tall for me to get toes down on both sides, but it's not a heavy bike (190-odd kg dry) so one foot felt fine.

Gear box and clutch were ok, a bit clunky going down into the lowers gears, so somewhere between Kawasaki and BMW on the gearbox scale. Panniers, each large enough for a helmet, fit to the frame and are no wider than the bars.

Would I be pleased to have one? Oh yes: it's a glorious bike, in fact, it's almost perfect. Would I buy one to tour with? Perhaps not. Not sure why... perhaps the buzz on the motorway, or perhaps just because if felt a bit small for a tourer. Size-wise it reminded me of a Hornet. Of course, it's more than capable enough to tour with, but if I'm going to spend a week or more on the bike, I think I'd like a bit more sense of space, and a bit more presence on the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BMW S1000XR

I'd already decided I wasn't going to like this bike. It is too big. Too powerful for real road use. Too heavy too. And BMW. Not much going for it, really. But I only sat in the saddle and already I was smiling. Oh dear - it felt like Home. :o The controls were all where they should be, the new TFT screen was easy to read even for an old fart with poor eyesight like me (they know their market segment). Even so, I set off still knowing I wasn't going to like it. I stalled, and knocked the first assumption out the window: it isn't really that heavy (228kg, just 6 bags of sugar more than the Tiger). On the second attempt I got going and took it through Long Melford where there was a lot of stopping and starting to allow traffic to weave past parked cars. And the bike was extraordinarily easy to ride: the fuelling, the engine, the drive were all as smooth as a Honda. Then the open road and what a delight it is - weightless, effortless to turn, walzting into corners, floating round bends, crazily powerful in an overtake, but - oh my - what kind of hive of bees have they installed? Such a buzz from the pegs, through the seat :shock:, but worse of all, through the bars. It out-buzzes anything I've ever ridden (including the Hornet), and by some.

Now I'm in a real spot - I already love this bike, but it's like the end of Some Like It Hot, where Joe Brown find he's fallen for Tony Curtis, and I know nobody's perfect but can I live with this buzzzzz?

The only way to be sure is to see what it's like to ride day. So back to the dealers, explained the problem, and could they let me have it for 4 or 6 hours? It turns out that, no, they can't. But they can let me have a R1250GS for an hour if I like.

Ah well. Nobody's perfect.

Edited by bonio
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Richzx6r

Here they are, the first crop first lot of test ride reviews. Mainly cos it helps me to write it all down.


MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Rosso

This is the base version of the 800cc triple, with cruise control as standard.

If you've met someone famous, you'll know that what you see in the flesh is a less beautiful version of what you see in the official photos. So it is with this bike. To be honest, I think my Tiger was better-looking: a sorry statement for an Italian bike, and especially one from MV Agusta. But ok, I used to own a GS, so clearly looks don't score too high on my must-haves. So what does it have?

A nice engine. A very nice engine. Although the more shallow side of me was a bit disappointed with the sound, which was a tad too close to a whine or a wheeze than a roar, but it would bark in an asthmatic way when wound up. I loved the fuelling - smooth yet responsive, precise but never jerky. The power was all there, all I could use, but - given it's an 800 - I sometimes had to downshift to get it.

The suspension was spot on: it never felt overwhelmed even by some of Suffolk's more rural tarmac, and was taut and predictable in the corners; the steering had diamond-cut precision. Going on twisty roads at 60-70 mph in 3rd, the bike shone like a shooting star: plenty of power for a cheeky overtake and good engine braking to make the whole thing feel smooth. This was when it would make me smile.

On dual carriageways (no motorways in Suffolk) it was competent, without quite delivering anything plush or comfy. The cruise on the test bike wasn't working, but the upright position was easy. The only thing that stopped me looking forward to riding it across Europe was the slight buzz on the bars even in 6th - not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to stop me really feeling like I was on a relaxing holiday. The best thing - and possibly proof that MV are staffed by aliens with brains light years in advance of ours - was the screen: a scrap of clear plastic that you could move up and down that actually worked: whatever speed I did, I had a light stream of air gently washing over my head. Riding at 50 with visor open was as pleasant as it was novel.

In town, it was well-behaved and easy to manage. Too tall for me to get toes down on both sides, but it's not a heavy bike (190-odd kg dry) so one foot felt fine.

Gear box and clutch were ok, a bit clunky going down into the lowers gears, so somewhere between Kawasaki and BMW on the gearbox scale. Panniers, each large enough for a helmet, fit to the frame and are no wider than the bars.

Would I be pleased to have one? Oh yes: it's a glorious bike, in fact, it's almost perfect. Would I buy one to tour with? Perhaps not. Not sure why... perhaps the buzz on the motorway, or perhaps just because if felt a bit small for a tourer. Size-wise it reminded me of a Hornet. Of course, it's more than capable enough to tour with, but if I'm going to spend a week or more on the bike, I think I'd like a bit more sense of space, and a bit more presence on the road.

 

Also if you won't mind me saying it does look very......odd.


It's like its trying to look futuristic and classic all at the same time which kinda works but kinda doesn't :scratch:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A mate of mine complained directly to BMW about the vibes on his brand new 2017 XR. It got quite serious and they ended up replacing the whole bike for a 2018 model. It still had the same problems. He sorted it out himself by filling the bars with 3 differing sizes of lead shot to combat the differing frequencies of engine revs.

Not ideal but he said he almost had it nailed.

He got rid 8 months as he’d had enough.

BMW know about the issues but they are adamant they are going to fix it. Probably cost too much to sort it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX


This is the bike I wanted to like most of all, and I nearly managed to do it, despite doing most of the ride in the pouring rain.

Let me be clear: it is a great bike, a truly great bike. The engine is awesome. What the reviewers all say is true: just put in third and forget about it. To be fair, pulling away from a stop is nicer from second or even first if you must. And then there are all those other gears you can play around with, just because you can. Like 30 in 6th: chilled. 80 in 4th: comfortably progressive . 80 in 2nd: frankly mental. There's a combo there for every occasion. Or just stick in 3rd and forget about it. The fuelling is first class: smooth and precise, and the gearbox goes snickety snickety, straight into which ever gear you want. Which is 3rd.

The riding position is, well, hard to describe. The bike looks like a Japanese sports bike, and you can choose to bend yourself over it, elbows out, more or less as you would a sports bike, but the position that feels more natural to me is to be almost upright. So you can have it either way: upright when munching miles, and being more involved with the bike when the real riding starts. And I could imagine munching miles on this machine. Leaving the ineffective screen and the hard seat to one side, everything is set up to make motorway riding comfortable: only a light buzz at 70 in 6th, and cruise control that works perfectly, Push the button and let go of the throttle and the bike carries on. A quick flip of the throttle is enough to return smoothly to throttle control. Large panniers hug close to the bike's contours (although they stick out further than the bars).

Given the rain, I didn't get to push the bike hard round corners. The corners I did felt solid, but there was enough vagueness (and occasional upset) in the front to suggest the forks weren't always completely happy with the road surface, and the steering wasn't completely precise. The suspension is adjustable for just about everything, and I'd really love to have to a go on one set up for me, just to see what difference it makes. The has narrower bars than the two bikes above, and so takes a bit more effort to tip into a corner - but not much. It's surprisingly light and easy to turn: you can understand why it's the UK's most popular tourer.

But would I buy it? Dunno. Perhaps it was the rain and mud on the roads, or else it was the steering, but it left me with a feeling that I had to concentrate all the time: I couldn't find the "relax and just ride" mode. Perhaps I should give it another chance in better conditions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BMW know about the issues but they are adamant they are going to fix it. Probably cost too much to sort it.

Yup. Really sad, as it was almost a great bike. It is a great bike if you only want to ride it for a couple of hours.

 

He got rid 8 months as he’d had enough.

This is what worries me.

It seems that some are a lot better than others. Presumably the ones now coming up second hand are from the worst group.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a crap idea but how about get on ukgser and find a resplendent second hand GS. The kind that has been ridden through the touratech catalogue with no expense spared and then only ever used to show off at the local pub meet on a warm sunny day The money you save from buying new pop in a repair the GS again fund.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a crap idea but how about get on ukgser and find a resplendent second hand GS. The kind that has been ridden through the touratech catalogue with no expense spared and then only ever used to show off at the local pub meet on a warm sunny day The money you save from buying new pop in a repair the GS again fund.

Top idea.

Definitely not up for a buying a new bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mv dashes are disgusting. Is it like this?

Screenshot_20200904-042743_Chrome.jpg

 

Yes... I forgot to mention it. It's a complete mess. Far too much information presented in some fonts they repurposed from a windows 3.1 floppy disk. No icons, or at least none that made any sense. The only bit that was legible was the speedo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BMW know about the issues but they are adamant they are going to fix it. Probably cost too much to sort it.

Yup. Really sad, as it was almost a great bike. It is a great bike if you only want to ride it for a couple of hours.

 

He got rid 8 months as he’d had enough.

This is what worries me.

It seems that some are a lot better than others. Presumably the ones now coming up second hand are from the worst group.

 


I’m glad you deciphered my cryptic text 🤣


If it makes you feel any better he went back to a GS1200 after owning a MT09 Tracer and the XR 😉.


He bought a GS after quite a long lay off (he bought off an old boy who had bought it from James Toseland) but just didn’t get on with it. Got the Tracer but was struggling with that. He ended up doing all the i2i courses and in the meantime bought the XR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it makes you feel any better he went back to a GS1200 after owning a MT09 Tracer and the XR 😉.


He bought a GS after quite a long lay off (he bought off an old boy who had bought it from James Toseland) but just didn’t get on with it. Got the Tracer but was struggling with that. He ended up doing all the i2i courses and in the meantime bought the XR.

 

I hadn't realized until only yesterday why I liked the Tiger: when you sat on it, it was a lot like a GS. It's like the lover you never quite get over :oops:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you booked a test ride on the 2019 onwards (not much onwards) Versys 1000 SE? I’d like to read your thoughts on it. I still love my 2017 VK1. Longest bike I’ve had 😂 and no itch in sight.

I can’t remember if you have had a test ride on one? I know you tried the SX

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Ok some more from today. Apologies if this appears picky or ungrateful. I'm just trying to record my impressions so I can go back and read them later.


Ducati Multistrada 950S

I'd had a short test ride on this bike before about 18 months ago, and simply loved it. This time I wanted to check out how it would at dual carriageway speeds. The answer: it's fine, but it doesn't shine at this speed. The main question in my head was, how would I feel after a whole on the motorway? And the answer is probably a bit knackered. It'd be nice to try it out for a longer period than the statutory 45 minutes allocated for a test ride, but I'm not sure how to make this happen. Even if it didn't have its cornering superpowers, the note of the engine when during an overtake is alone enough to put the bike on the list: it grasps the soul and stirs it.


Ducati Multistrada 1260S

I'd ridden this one nearly two years ago, in mud and rain, and felt that it was a bigger, heavier bike than I wanted. But, given I was at the dealer, I'd thought I'd give it a try on dry sunny roads. Turns out that it's a bigger, heavier bike than I want.


BMW R1250GS

I have some really fond memories of my R1200GS. And this bike is a real improvement on the 1200: a gear box you don't have to fight, a quickshifter that is pretty slick, an even awesomer engine, and a new improved sound to boot. But for some reason it reminded me of the reasons I got rid: the way it pootles along happily 65, but only properly feels engaged at 75+, and the feeling of being on something as large as battleship. So not love at first sight, more like getting back with someone you have seen for a long time and realise that they haven't really changed.


Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE (for [mention]fullscreenaging[/mention])

I like this bike a lot. The same awesome engine as the Ninja 1000SX, but I liked it more than the Ninja: the upright position is better for me, better cornering it feels bigger and has more presence on the road, and the issue with the vagueness in the front definitely less, making the ride a lot more relaxing. But the vagueness was still there. The salesman said it was likely down to the Bridgestone tyres, and that decent tyres would sort it out. If I could be sure he's right, I'd be very interested.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate Bridgestone’s.


Stick a pair of AVON 3D XM’s on it. (touring tyres thread)

I’m sure you’d be able to sell the BStone’s to recoup some back from the AVON’s


I’m pleased it’s peaked your interest.

I’ve owned mine from new in 2017 and I still have not developed the ‘itch’ to start looking for another bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Welcome to The Motorbike Forum.

    Sign in or register an account to join in.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Guidelines We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Please Sign In or Sign Up