New Buell, or what?

**James Deuce** · 15th January 2009, 16:27

Scooterazzi are local. They're on Ghuznee St and staffed by people from all over the Wellington Bikeshop scene of the last 20 years.

**Winston001** · 15th January 2009, 16:34

You can't outclever us with your silly running-around-contemplating behaviour.

This whole thread is constructed with the devilish intent of damning by faint praise the kindly suggestions of others. You will then go ahead and purchase the ersatz HD thus proving your judgement was right in the first place.

I like it.

10 characters!

**James Deuce** · 15th January 2009, 16:35

Oh yeah. KTM Super Duke.

**Ocean1** · 15th January 2009, 19:37

Originally Posted by Winston001

You can't outclever us...

You're right in that I believe one of the Buells would do the trick outstandingly well. What I'm asking is if there's an alternative that meets the same brief.

In some ways I'll be disapointed if some clever bastard can't suggest something as different and inovative that works as well. It'll mean either I keep the same bike for yonks, or I buy something less.

There's the novelty of a new mount, of course, vive le difference etc. But it's got to be good and it's got to fit the role.

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Oh yeah. KTM Super Duke.

Yes, have had a brief play on one. Probably more... appropriate than an RC8, but I haven't ridden an RC8.

**Winston001** · 16th January 2009, 14:29

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Oh yeah. KTM Super Duke.

My thoughts exactly!

**nudemetalz** · 16th January 2009, 14:52

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport?

The Guzzi 1200 Sport isn't really a sprotsbike but more a Breva 1100 with bigger capacity and prettier face. Still quite heavy.
For what you're looking for, Ocean, it wouldn't really be suitable.

**Ocean1** · 17th January 2009, 19:14

Aprilia Shiver.

Gets on. Wiggles around a bit. OK, feels a bit like a dirt bike, or an adventure bike. With street suspenders, (it’s a good 2” lower). And a splash of bling. The levers need to drop a bit, and the shifter needs to come up a bit to suit my size 12s, but ignore that. Hmmm won’t budge from sports mode… never mind, lets go. Sounds very nice, feels comfy wandering through suburbia, the steering is light, in fact the whole bike feels quite light. The feet feel a tad exposed, close to the road, and maybe a smidgeon forward. Probably just the extreme change from the Buell, though. And there’s too much pull-back in the bars. Easy fixed, that.

Onto the motorway. Oh, nice wee beastie, pulls well from 3k, builds nicely to 6k, flattens out a bit after that, but it’s very very slick. Change gear… click. Wow, the stuff of Swiss watches, impressive. Trundling up the motorway, playing with revs and gears. A firm squeeze of the front brake feels good, not the power of the Buell’s, but it’s well and truly enough, and predictable. And the back brake’s a match, certainly better than the Buell’s. Seems I’ve become a bit too used to worrying about revs only when approaching red line, and braking only when speeds get up beyond cruise mode. OK, this doesn’t have the undeniable stonk of the Buell, but it’s a sweet engine, and I can do gears. Nekid it might be, but there’s something a little unexpected, (design intent or otherwise) about the airflow around my head and shoulders. It’s there, but it’s not as much as I though there’d be at 100k, and it’s smooth.

Haywards hill. Yes, in spite of revs and gears it’s definitely not a 1200. Wind it up a bit to get that truck before the end of the passing lane… Not quite. Brakes. Ooerr, was that a hint of nervousness, there? Through Pauahatanui, certainly no problem pootling, could do it all day. Left, around Grays rd. Past a few cars, and then a reasonably clear run. Into a right, and a gentle scrape on the toe reminds me to get the balls of my feet on the pegs. Fine, they should be there anyway. Bit quicker, now. Left off a bridge, still turning, and feeling a little guilty about the revs I decide I’ll need to change up soon... Resulting in a second, firmer reminder re foot clearance as I try to hook my toe under the shifter. Damn, new boots too.

A horse float, now, and past we go, and nip in behind a car, braking firmly… Yup, definite shudder there, quite bad, doesn’t feel like a suspension issue either. Further around the inlet and a few abrupt test brakes confirms the initial impression. The brakes are quite good, the forks feel OK and the pair seem to work well as long as you squeeze progressively. Under sudden provocation, however there’s what feels like loose stem bearings or a bit of flex in the headstock, producing a harmonic. Maybe not, but it’s obvious, and that’s what it feels like.

Back over the hill and down the motorway, and it’s all very easy, I think I could ride the Shiver for a long time with no discomfort at all. The bike did nothing to damage my initial feeling of confidence with it’s general cornering competence, and the suspension gave me no reason to suspect I'd regret the lack of damping adjustment. It’s very nimble, in spite of what looked like a fair bit of rake. The back end behaved impeccably, and by that I mean I never thought about it, in spite of some mildly dodgy surfaces it never gave me cause to think about it. The engine’s a real sweetie, a new benchmark, perhaps, for how sportier types of V twins should be designed, built and managed. I think that the Shiver represents a fresh and refreshing approach to the mid-sized non-sprotsbike market. I like it.

I won’t be buying one, though. I don’t know what’s going on up front there, I hope, (and suspect) that it’s just some issue with that unit. I’m no prodigy, but it was pretty obvious, and I’d say Mr Aprilia probably has a few reasonably good ideas about such things. If that’s the case, and I ride a 1200 Shiver, (if and when they arrive) with similar characteristics to that 750 I could easily be tempted to buy one.

**hospitalfood** · 17th January 2009, 19:28

um. there is an outfit in Oz selling a top yoke/triple clamp for the XB12R that would sort the comfort thing, = bars back and up an inch.

i just bought a shitty old dirt bike for much the same reasons that inspire you to consider options. $2500.00 odd for a road legal 650 enduro, it is sort of good but what it does most of all is inspire me to get a R1150GS or R1200GS. test road one and loved it.

hope that helps some, i love my XB12R and cannot really consider getting rid of it. so instead i plan to collect bikes.

**Ocean1** · 17th January 2009, 22:21

Originally Posted by hospitalfood

um. there is an outfit in Oz selling a top yoke/triple clamp for the XB12R that would sort the comfort thing, = bars back and up an inch.

Yes, but the controls then hit the fairing at something short of full lock. And full lock on a Buell ain't a lot anyway.

Originally Posted by hospitalfood

i just bought a shitty old dirt bike for much the same reasons that inspire you to consider options. $2500.00 odd for a road legal 650 enduro, it is sort of good but what it does most of all is inspire me to get a R1150GS or R1200GS. test road one and loved it.

hope that helps some, i love my XB12R and cannot really consider getting rid of it. so instead i plan to collect bikes.

An excellent plan, one I hope to adopt in some shape or form.

**SARGE** · 17th January 2009, 22:24

went for a pootle today with Big Dave on his...impressive bike.. was in the long grass at the Kumeu showgrounds.. he was up on one and it was spinning....

i'd have one...

**Ocean1** · 17th January 2009, 22:34

Get thee behind me…

A different take on arguably the same hooligan section of the market the Buell’s aimed at. It does it well too. The ergonomics are near perfect for me, bar width, reach, peg height, everything. Instrumentation and switchgear is basic, consistent with KTM’s grubbier offerings, but what’s there is all you need, and it all works well.

I remember stalling the last one I rode, also. At and just off idle it’s exactly what you’d expect from an engine of this type, in that state of tune. There’s bugger all rotational mass, it’s rough, give it a few revs mate. Off we go.

The immediate impression is that of a bike optimised for something other than sedate suburban navigation. It’s not exactly twitching, but there’s more than a hint of ADHD there. The engine pisses around something wicked unless actually accelerating, and I quickly found I had to focus hard on precise throttle control. I wondered if a pound or so of lead in the flywheel might be in order. The first real fistful onto the motorway reveals it's true mission in life; a savage mid-range... which just keeps coming, change, change, change, OK, that’s enough of that. It’s not the delivery I’m used to, but the urgency is definitely there. That 990 has a couple more HP than the Buell, less torque, more revs. It’s a few KG heavier but doesn’t feel it, and it stands quite tall on very firm but damned effective suspension an inch and a half longer than most road bikes. I wonder if WP’s dirt history is as much a factor there as KTM’s. I’m obviously the wrong shape to take any advantage of whatever aerodynamic modelling went into the development of this machine, there’s a fair bit of buffeting on the face of my helmet.

Haywards hill provided no impediment whatsoever to the beast, other than the exercise of maintaining some semblance of legal velocity. Pay attention, dude. The brief pootling test through Pauatahanui is a clear fail, it don’t pootle any better than the Buell. Concentrate. Grays rd is more cluttered this time, just more opportunity to demonstrate the ample power, stomp it down, flick it out, squirt, back in, too easy. This bike is exactly the sum of it’s numerical description, you really can get a good idea of how it behaves from the spec’ sheet. The power is more than adequate, and the brakes are a match, powerful and progressive.

It’s short, and tall, and the geometry makes it very agile. I looked for lumps and ridges, to see if I could upset it, even straying off the shoulder at times. It remained unflappable, seemed to prefer it in fact. Perfect bike for rampant hooliganism.

I’m not sure I could develop the confidence in the KTM that I have in the Buell. It’s certainly extremely capable, and I’ve ridden with guys on Super Dukes enough to know they lack nothing by comparison in the handling stakes. The Buell, however has a poise I couldn’t find in the KTM, and I looked hopefully, and hard.

Would I own a Super Duke? Yes, it’s riding position makes it comfortable at slower speeds. I’d swap the Buell for it, for a while. They’re close in some regards, and I’d get a few weeks kick out of learning how best to make it tick. Unfortunately, very little else about the bike is suitable for low speeds. And it don’t pootle worth a damn either.

**Hitcher** · 18th January 2009, 19:00

Pootling R Us.

Nice write ups!

**nico** · 18th January 2009, 19:46

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Strada is a fair bit faster bike. My PB for off road speed. It is a better tourer.
But I don't find it nearly as much fun as the XB.

the multistrada might be good for the purpurse but dam thats got to be in the running for the worlds ulgyist bike , but if ya on it you dont have to look at it . go for the buel they nice

**Ocean1** · 18th January 2009, 19:46

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Pootling R Us.

Can't imagine a device much better suited for it. I presume by now you're exploring the full, unrestricted Shiver?

**Ocean1** · 18th January 2009, 19:48

Originally Posted by nico

the multistrada might be good for the purpurse but dam thats got to be in the running for the worlds ulgyist bike , but if ya on it you dont have to look at it .

As it happens Wgtn M'cycles has one on the floor. I was offered a ride but didn't have time, p'raps next week...