- Joined
- Nov 29, 2013
- Messages
- 798
Today I took the 2 3/4 hour journey to long Island to see my long awaited 961SF. It had been fitted with a Prototype Performance Exhaust and a CRG bar end mirror per my request. The temp was a sunny 38 degrees but I did manage to put 23 miles on her, I was not cold because of pure adrenaline, but the roads and drivers sucked, it was Black Friday. She was gorgeous of course. The bike is a bit cold blooded and you must slightly crack or blip the throttle at this cold temp for a minute or 2 and with only 5 factory and 2 PDI miles showing on the clock. My first plus was the bike sounded great with the Performance pipes, not so much with the stockers. The sound was almost Ducati like! The second plus was that there was not as much mechanical noise as some of the YOUTUBE Vids of earlier bikes and what was there dissapeared at about 2800 RPM's. There was a mild engine vibration that dissapeared at 2800 RPM and the motor just became smoother and smoother as the revs grew! The third plus was that despite earier reports on 2010-2011 models of notchy shifting and questionable clutches my bike shifted smoothly though it took some time to find neutral reliably. I went back and forth several times on whether to get the CR with clip ons or not but I can only ride my 2006 Sport Classic for 35-45 minutes comfortably hence the low barred SF, and my fourth plus is that this bike is comfortable enough to probably ride the gas tank dry which is as comfortable as it needs to be! Live and Learn though I understand the CR is not as extereme a riding position as some! The suspension was absolutely plush and precise for my 185 lbs. despite earlier reports of stiffness on the initial setup. I would definitely jack up the preload for track use though, maybe next Spring when its warmer. The fifth plus is that this motor ( remember I only road the optional pipes ) is
super what I would call "tractible" ; you can ride it like a cruiser with your Harley friends or crank it up and be a play-racer with your cafe/sport friends! You do not have to ride at 7tenths or 8tenths for it to feel "right" or be fun ! A Thruxton is not quite enough for me and this bike was probably more then enough, they say it will beat a Sport Classic but I am not sure yet! Do not ask about absolute handling because with the cold temps and "mold release" still on the tires I did not push it very much but the bike is very slender, quick to turn in, and I am sure will handle great for a retro-bike ! The brakes are super powerful and one finger is plenty for the front. The minuses were few and minor. First the non-spring loaded footpegs are a PIA as reported in earlier reviews, especially in stop and go traffic. If you brush a peg with your boot it goes up and stays up till you find it with your toe and push it back down! I had less trouble after a few miles and those that only ride on a track or in the twisties will not complain as much, but someone needs to make a kit to fix this! Second, the side stand on my bike put it in a near vertical position and a gust of wind or uneven ground will have the bike tip over!! My dealer is going to look at the stop and see if this can be adjusted or if there is a fix, as they are not going to deliver the bike till they have a full truck headed my way ( North ) and will have time to look at it. Worst case I will cut a 1/2" off the leg and re-weld. Thats it for the minuses on my very short ride, I hope the weather holds and they deliver this before they salt the roads but at least I can say I road her ! :mrgreen:
Ps Thanks to Brit Twit ( Fred ) for info and assistance`
super what I would call "tractible" ; you can ride it like a cruiser with your Harley friends or crank it up and be a play-racer with your cafe/sport friends! You do not have to ride at 7tenths or 8tenths for it to feel "right" or be fun ! A Thruxton is not quite enough for me and this bike was probably more then enough, they say it will beat a Sport Classic but I am not sure yet! Do not ask about absolute handling because with the cold temps and "mold release" still on the tires I did not push it very much but the bike is very slender, quick to turn in, and I am sure will handle great for a retro-bike ! The brakes are super powerful and one finger is plenty for the front. The minuses were few and minor. First the non-spring loaded footpegs are a PIA as reported in earlier reviews, especially in stop and go traffic. If you brush a peg with your boot it goes up and stays up till you find it with your toe and push it back down! I had less trouble after a few miles and those that only ride on a track or in the twisties will not complain as much, but someone needs to make a kit to fix this! Second, the side stand on my bike put it in a near vertical position and a gust of wind or uneven ground will have the bike tip over!! My dealer is going to look at the stop and see if this can be adjusted or if there is a fix, as they are not going to deliver the bike till they have a full truck headed my way ( North ) and will have time to look at it. Worst case I will cut a 1/2" off the leg and re-weld. Thats it for the minuses on my very short ride, I hope the weather holds and they deliver this before they salt the roads but at least I can say I road her ! :mrgreen:
Ps Thanks to Brit Twit ( Fred ) for info and assistance`
