bikegeklap
Pack Dog
Bike shopping and best thing is to test them all!! :ricky:
Saturday Morning (22/6) and a 104 Mile (167 Km) trip to Perth as it is the closest KTM dealer in Scotland. Met Alan from Drysdale Motorcycles and wow what a shop… they are kitted out with everything… friendly and very efficient.
After drooling through the shop with all that is to display.. got the formalities (You nick it you fix it) out the way and it was time for the test ride… stepped in the workshop as briefing got given by Grant on how …… “settings”……. “we”… “mode”.. all a faint sound in the distance as this bike is mesmerising… It looks beautiful!! Wait wait!! It is bucketing outside “can we set that to rain please?”, “I” and with a break in the clouds Grant pushed out the bike and started her up…
What a Bike!! Slipped the gloves on and got a gentle pat from Grant.. “Enjoy!!”
My heart was racing.. slipped over the seat and this bike was made for me… 6’2” and my feet are flat. It feels familiar in some strange way as it makes me think of my former Aprilia Pegaso but lighter.. handlebars like my former R1200GSA but closer.. looked down and engraved the position of the pegs and gear… Leaned over right, kicked back the Side Stan … slipped her in gear and gracefully edging forward feeling the controls.. Clutch takes deep down but very smooth.. do the quick “back brake and clutch slip” and again very smooth with the back brake lever not needing a lot. Right here we go… throttle her gently to 3rd and gentle stop for a right turn… This is smooth.. Indicate on left handlebar and that feels like it did not engage.??. light indicator flashing.. OK that is a wee bit light.. Finding my way through town using the opportunity to filter and get in front of the queues from robot to robot (traffic lights) a bird of happiness dropped its entire stomach contents on my right arm…. Hehe silly seagulls.. The bike feels great, light and high seating position makes for ease with observing traffic.. Here comes a challenge…. Stop and start on steep incline… all feels very natural.. Fu….t!! Stalled the bike!! NO Start!! Neutral… ok drop the clutch and wack throttle!! WOW!! That was quick!! And no slipping or tail wagging… MMMMM not bad even it being my bad!! Break! Break! Break!!! Damn the ABS works well… and the grip of the Continentals are amazing!! Even in the Wet!! A90 phew … finally some open road.. M90 Slip road and 2.6 Mile (4.3 km) of straight road… Wind screen really effective with very little wind hammering the Visor.. road still wet but no rain the road opens up and I wind up the throttle… 106m/h (170 km/h) damn that was quick but with a weird shudder like sensation trough the bike… not sure what that was!! Bike feels stable and the wind deflection on this bike is amazing.. Gently gearing down to the roundabout indicate right and again it does not feel like it is indicating however the light is flashing.. Back the way I came… Damn the bike accelerates quickly.. The gears slipping in very smoothly looking at gear indicator glancing at the rev counter… WOW this is some machine!! Back of the A90 and entering town.. “Wander what sports feels like??”. Fiddle fiddle and let’s stop… how did Grant do this again?? “Sport” “enter”. About tern and lets do that again… Immediately the bike is super responsive.. this bike does not want to sit at 40 mile/h (64.3 K=km/h). Throttle feels jerky and control is difficult at low speed. A90 and this bike has just become an animal!! M90 the road is not as open but no shudder and damn it just takes off. In honesty I did not want to wind her up in “Sport” mode with the road being wet and me green on the saddle. Back in town and in the “sports mode” is not for me.. throttle is to sensitive but luckily the settings can be changes back for us mere mortals.. amazing what the electronics can do and help with different riding conditions... :laughing4:
Back at the KTM dealer and Alan grinningly asking if I still wanted to take out the 990 SMT… as it was booked for test riding….. I think if it wasn’t for my wife needing picking up from town I would still be there talking about that 1190… Thanks Alan!
What ‘n Bike!! Looks beautiful and damn it is fast!!! Verdict? Perfect! :laughing4:
Next Bike to test is the Tiger 800 and 1200
Saturday Morning (22/6) and a 104 Mile (167 Km) trip to Perth as it is the closest KTM dealer in Scotland. Met Alan from Drysdale Motorcycles and wow what a shop… they are kitted out with everything… friendly and very efficient.
After drooling through the shop with all that is to display.. got the formalities (You nick it you fix it) out the way and it was time for the test ride… stepped in the workshop as briefing got given by Grant on how …… “settings”……. “we”… “mode”.. all a faint sound in the distance as this bike is mesmerising… It looks beautiful!! Wait wait!! It is bucketing outside “can we set that to rain please?”, “I” and with a break in the clouds Grant pushed out the bike and started her up…
What a Bike!! Slipped the gloves on and got a gentle pat from Grant.. “Enjoy!!”
My heart was racing.. slipped over the seat and this bike was made for me… 6’2” and my feet are flat. It feels familiar in some strange way as it makes me think of my former Aprilia Pegaso but lighter.. handlebars like my former R1200GSA but closer.. looked down and engraved the position of the pegs and gear… Leaned over right, kicked back the Side Stan … slipped her in gear and gracefully edging forward feeling the controls.. Clutch takes deep down but very smooth.. do the quick “back brake and clutch slip” and again very smooth with the back brake lever not needing a lot. Right here we go… throttle her gently to 3rd and gentle stop for a right turn… This is smooth.. Indicate on left handlebar and that feels like it did not engage.??. light indicator flashing.. OK that is a wee bit light.. Finding my way through town using the opportunity to filter and get in front of the queues from robot to robot (traffic lights) a bird of happiness dropped its entire stomach contents on my right arm…. Hehe silly seagulls.. The bike feels great, light and high seating position makes for ease with observing traffic.. Here comes a challenge…. Stop and start on steep incline… all feels very natural.. Fu….t!! Stalled the bike!! NO Start!! Neutral… ok drop the clutch and wack throttle!! WOW!! That was quick!! And no slipping or tail wagging… MMMMM not bad even it being my bad!! Break! Break! Break!!! Damn the ABS works well… and the grip of the Continentals are amazing!! Even in the Wet!! A90 phew … finally some open road.. M90 Slip road and 2.6 Mile (4.3 km) of straight road… Wind screen really effective with very little wind hammering the Visor.. road still wet but no rain the road opens up and I wind up the throttle… 106m/h (170 km/h) damn that was quick but with a weird shudder like sensation trough the bike… not sure what that was!! Bike feels stable and the wind deflection on this bike is amazing.. Gently gearing down to the roundabout indicate right and again it does not feel like it is indicating however the light is flashing.. Back the way I came… Damn the bike accelerates quickly.. The gears slipping in very smoothly looking at gear indicator glancing at the rev counter… WOW this is some machine!! Back of the A90 and entering town.. “Wander what sports feels like??”. Fiddle fiddle and let’s stop… how did Grant do this again?? “Sport” “enter”. About tern and lets do that again… Immediately the bike is super responsive.. this bike does not want to sit at 40 mile/h (64.3 K=km/h). Throttle feels jerky and control is difficult at low speed. A90 and this bike has just become an animal!! M90 the road is not as open but no shudder and damn it just takes off. In honesty I did not want to wind her up in “Sport” mode with the road being wet and me green on the saddle. Back in town and in the “sports mode” is not for me.. throttle is to sensitive but luckily the settings can be changes back for us mere mortals.. amazing what the electronics can do and help with different riding conditions... :laughing4:
Back at the KTM dealer and Alan grinningly asking if I still wanted to take out the 990 SMT… as it was booked for test riding….. I think if it wasn’t for my wife needing picking up from town I would still be there talking about that 1190… Thanks Alan!
What ‘n Bike!! Looks beautiful and damn it is fast!!! Verdict? Perfect! :laughing4:
Next Bike to test is the Tiger 800 and 1200
