The Triumph is going.....

Afraid to say it looks like me and the Speed Triple are going to part company. I love its engine, the handling, the build quality, the fact it says Triumph on the tank, but if I'm honest I've struggled to bond with it. I'm fond of it, I'm chuffed with it, I'm proud of it for being a Triumph, I love riding it but I'm not excited by it. Its so nearly does it but there's just that little bit missing. I can't get comfortable on it and I'm craving more aggression. I tried a BMW S1000R the other day but that didn't do it for me. It was buzzy, with too much at the top end and not enough in the middle where you want it in a naked. Sublime handling, stonking brakes, comfortable but flighty with the wrong engine for this kind of bike IMO. I thought about a V4 Tuono but I've got too many reliability doubts. Can't afford a 1290 Superduke and I couldn't cope with those intrusive electronics. But today I test rode a Ducati 1098 Street Fighter.... God alive! That's more like it! I'm probably mad but life's just too short not to.
If money was no object I'd keep the Triumph and get the SF as well but that's not to be. And its red with a pair of thunderous Termis. Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but its got to be done....

 

Actually the SF wasn't as bonkers as I thought it would be. At least is was, but in a hilarious way not a brutal, dangerous, hard work, heart-in-mouth sort of way. Without a shadow of a doubt it'll loop in second (and possibly third I shouldn't wonder) and it'll do it very quickly if you take stupid liberties but throttle control was easy. None of the neck jerking abruptness you get on a Superduke 990 and smoother on/off than the Speed. The revelation really though, was comfort. I really struggle with the seat on the Speed. I'm numb before the fuel light comes on and I'm forever sliding down into the tank. When the suspension was set up the back was raised 1/4" and the front dropped by the same, so that probably hasn't helped, but I really cannot get comfortable on it. The SF was all-day comfy and at speed there was far less of the turbulence or front-end vagueness which put me off the S1000R. I took the SF on an escorted demo ride chasing a chap from the dealership who was on a Diavel. (No matter how hard he gassed it - and those things accelerate like drag bikes - the SF was on his chuff the whole time). We got up to speeds which would have felt quicker on the Speed and plain hairy on the BMW but for some reason were remarkably calm on the SF. Its odd because there's nothing in front of the bars, its like riding a motocrosser and I was expecting massive wind blast and lots of histrionics but somehow there wasn't any. Message to BMW: fit a steering damper to the S1000R.
I don't doubt the Triumph will be more bullet proof, but Ducati dealerships are plentiful and generally very good and the factory are pretty helpful also from what I can gather. That is not always the case with Aprilia.
I can see no reason why I shouldn't do some light touring on the SF. There's no less carrying capacity than on the Speed and anyway my idea of luggage is a spare pair of pants and a credit card.
If I do take a fancy to serious touring I could see myself adding a 1200 Explorer to the garage one day.
By the way, at the end of the demo we swapped bikes for the ride back. Anyone who has never ridden a Diavel needs to do so, at least once in their lives. Doesn't matter whether you're going to buy one. Its barking mad brilliant, like riding a hypersonic armchair. I can see why they put that monstrous tyre on the back. A regular sports tyre would be flat square in under 100 miles. See open space in front and you just can't help yourself. God its a hoot.