i had a go on the rivale with a view to buying , the fuelling was absolutely terrible , unrideable in traffic without looking like a novice. the tuono v4 was much better and as powerful as the blade ,with good wind protection (you can get a black tall screen which makes the bike look better than standard) but i decided to keep the blade and get one of these as well ,it has a cracking engine for twisty roads like the ones in the yorkshire dales.
Well thanks so far for all your replies. I won't mess with the blade by changing the bars as IMO this is not what the bike is for, with regards to the ZX10 option, this sounds like my first girlfriend goes like the clappers but pug ugly! As for the Paracetamol I am already on harder stuff! I really like the look of the Tuono as it has the power etc I am looking for, I will have to get a long test ride to make sure it suits. I may keep the Blade just in case I don't get on with Naked of choice.
I've had the ABM bar conversion on my bike for 3 years now, it's a quality kit and I regularly do 400+ miles while I'm abroad in a day. The riding position is quite similar to the CB1000R but the standard bars I got in the kit are about 1 inch wider. This kit is going straight on my new blade when it arrives, some mechanical skill is required to fit but it only takes a weekend in the garage. You may have to trim a small piece out of your fairing but if you do it properly nobody will notice trust me. There's a UK importer: Home - Cool n Comfy: Superbike performance - Touring comfort. or something like that, around £275 / £300 all in depending on options...
Some of us are reaching that age when our brains are writing cheques our bodies can no longer cash. I had no real problem with any of my blades, my Panigale on the other hand is wreaking havoc on my wrists, neck and back unless I can keep the speed up around or beyond the legal limits. I am also looking at having something different to ease my creakily bone comfort and two up, seeing as L is not going to get off my back anytime soon about being left out. I am thinking ZRR1400 or at the other end of the scale a Triumph Bonneville, but I will be keeping the Ducati just for the odd day when I feel my mental age.
A couple of weekends ago I took the Blade out in the morning and then the misses Street Triple in the afternoon. I had much more fun riding the Street and I'm now seriously considering getting one. I tried the Speed but found it a bit heavy and kept hitting the rev limiter. But then I think I'd miss the brute power of a 1000 sports bike.
No mate, it's pretty much unchangeable from what I gather... Would love to hear you could turn it off though?
Yamaha MT 07 was recently voted "Bike of the year" in Bike magazine. Supposed to be as much fun as the Super Duke and even better than its big brother the MT09. So if your looking for fun, perhaps thats worth a look?
try all the naked's you can - I did and I am over the moon with my Speed triple,the burble,the torque, simple proven tech and its not missed a beat since I got it, it does everything i want - I did order a BMW S1000R Sport but cancelled my order as I couldn't part with the Speed..the BMW is a cracking bike and IMO does everything one could want but its all about what you want and enjoy... enjoy whatever you choose!
Personally liking these bad boy diavel's never been on one mind but reckon there's enough torque to pull arms out of sockets don't know how well they go round corners mind ! Something about the look of this beefed up bad boy . Reckon I may ditch the sports bike by the time I'm 50 ish , due to comfort but I'll hold on as long as possible, might try affording a second bike sit up and beg style or a sports tourer. Love the blade it's awesome !
I really fancy the MV 800 Brutale but I'm too worried about a, reliablity and b, getting parts if it did go wrong. Sexy though
I do like the look of the Speed Triple and I also love the white. I need to get a good test ride though to be sure. Is it worth going the extra mile for the Speed Triple R?
I'm test riding a speed triple r on sat. If I go for a 14 plate the can do £1200 worth of extras for about £150. That includes arrow exhausts, few carbon bits and pieces and different seat.
I get my 2013 Speed Triple back from the Dealers tomorrow, I took it there with gear selection issues. "The detent bearing has come away from the detent arm." Going touring to Europe next month but starting to lose a bit of confidence with the Triumph reliability - might end up taking the Blade.