Happy new bike day.... WTF, what do you mean it's a Yamaha ???

[hilldweller]

850cc triple, 119bhp.

That's a big leap from a single, do you reckon you'll be able to handle all that extra power ?

[Sadlonelygit]

https://www.s2-concept.com/en/

There's an easy way blow a grand or so!
Their seat cowl is gorgeous btw

Order of fixing is:
Suspension
Exhaust
Ecu flash
Bodywork

Nice bike mister!

[weeksy]

So today was test-ride time.

I sat on the bike and thought "oh, that's very different to the KTM" but i had decided to give it a good chance, give it a good try and enjoy it.

The gearbox is astoundingly smooth, clicking through the box, just very Japanese, very effortless and very simple... snick, snick, snick.

The first thing you notice coming from the 690 is the power of the XSR900, by heck, it gets move on ! "ohmyfuckinggod!" was my first thoughts, it just blisteringly fast and also it makes a lovely lovely brap noise ! through the box, up, down, blipping the throttle on the downchange makes a lovely noise that's for sure.
Handling wise it was better than i expected, i'd read a bazillion reviews, watched every video possible and seen every trackday video of XSR 900s possible. I was arguably a little unfair on it as i took it down the road from Ashbury to Swindon, it's harsh, bumpy and everything that many bikes struggle with. It wasn't perfect, it did struggle a little bit, but it also did better than i expected. Turn in was positive, over the bumps it did at times feel a little harsh, but nothing major.

I tried out all the different modes for power, TC etc, settling on 'standard' power mode for ease.

It's a lot less frantic than the 690, less changes, i think mostly i was in 3rd and 4th gear for 90% of the ride, it pulls smooth at silk from very low RPM right up to the red line. But also it does it with oodles of grunt and GRRRR. The front end you do feel getting a bit light at times that's for sure, anything it sees as a little rise in the road, it will get the front a bit light, but in a positive way.

The clutch was lovely, soft easy action, nice.

If i'm being picky, the only thing i didn't like at this stage was the seat comfort, it's a bit firm !!! don't know if the 690 has spoiled me a little there, but it's a hard seat... Something i may look into there later.

Conclusion time then
2020-06-20_04-40-46 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

That's how my garage now looks. The 690 no longer lives in it, no longer is mine and for the first time in i think 5+ years i don't have a KTM in my garage. It's, well, a little surreal if i'm honest... It's certainly VERY perculiar and i have to admit i was lying awake in bed last night for 3+ hours at 2am thinking "is this really the right decision" but you know what, i'm most happy with it as a decision and most happy with the bike.

It's off into the workshop for an early 1st service and should be available for me on Wed/Thurs to collect.

2020-06-20_04-11-11 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[KungFooBob]

https://www.s2-concept.com/en/

I think they only bit's I'd fit from that website if I had an XSR are...

https://www.s2-concept.com/en/shop/body ... ers-detail

[G.P]

Congrats

[weeksy]

https://www.s2-concept.com/en/

There's an easy way blow a grand or so!
Their seat cowl is gorgeous btw

Order of fixing is:
Suspension
Exhaust
Ecu flash
Bodywork

Nice bike mister!

Starting with this which is already on it's way then

s-l1600 (1) by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[Dodgy69]

What are the stock tyres.?

I'd give the seat a chance, sometimes firm is good.

[weeksy]

What are the stock tyres.?

I'd give the seat a chance, sometimes firm is good.

Never looked.

Edit. Seem to be Bridgestone S20

[Sadlonelygit]

My S20s only lasted 1400 road miles.
Nitron shock has very positive reviews, just setting the preload is a ball ache though as it has to come out.
Get some decent front springs in it (iirc you weigh more than 10st) and drop the forks a bit.
You'll need a 22mm pin for the headstock btw

[Bigyin]

How long do you have with the dealer to change your mind and get the KTM back

Nice bike mista and i liked the colour scheme as well

As for the Nitron shock, i fitted one to my ZX636B1 and it transformed the bike from a hard under damped slab back end to a sweet handling sports bike ..... only time i have ever changed a shock out and so glad i did

[weeksy]

My S20s only lasted 1400 road miles.
Nitron shock has very positive reviews, just setting the preload is a ball ache though as it has to come out.
Get some decent front springs in it (iirc you weigh more than 10st) and drop the forks a bit.
You'll need a 22mm pin for the headstock btw

Shock is sprung for 85-95kg. Which is perfect

[Sadlonelygit]

The shock spring is perfect, but you still have to set the sag with the preload.
Hence the ball ache of having to drop the shock to alter it.
Once you have it set you won't be touching it again.

[Supermofo]

Nice motor, really like the colour. It's that extra power I'm not sure about with the 1090 or an XSR. Last bike I had with 120bhp was my blade and I rode like a total arse hedgehog. I'd been looking at XSRs over the spring but first ride of the year on the 690 made me question if I wanted that much power. Didn't get a chance to test the 1090 today to find out. For track though it'll be really nice as you won't get blitzed down the straights.

[KungFooBob]

For track though it'll be really nice as you won't get blitzed down the straights.

Yes he will. Just not as bad as before.

[weeksy]

Blimey, bold move, fair play.


Now you've moved away from KTM that's opened all sorts of doors up. If you like the triple and you like that style of bike then I reckon an MV Agusta Dragster next.

It's actually a huge move for me as you can imagine, i've been known as a 'ktm guy' now for the best part of a decade, that's what i am, what i ride so to speak, so jumping to something else really is very very perculiar. It's not just the KTM bikes but the ethos of the factory, the dealer, the other riders, that's been a huge part of things for ages.
But, riding this XSR blew me away with just how good bikes can be, it also highlighted some of the things on the KTM that i was thinking "maybe i should move away...." and that cemented the decision. Not big things, but a couple of little things here and there...

800RC... now one of them.... Mmmmmm

Yes he will. Just not as bad as before.

Track is a small part of my riding, but a big part of the pleasure. I'm sure this bike will have it's great points and it's meh points for me as a rider, but it will certainly be different.

The shock spring is perfect, but you still have to set the sag with the preload.
Hence the ball ache of having to drop the shock to alter it.
Once you have it set you won't be touching it again.

Well yes, but i'm not exactly shy about that and i'm hoping as he was about my weight we're in with a decent chance of it being close enough.

Last bike I had with 120bhp was my blade and I rode like a total arse hedgehog

I can see that coming too. Although i didn't hit 3 figures yesterday, but i'm pretty sure i got to them a lot quicker than usual

[weeksy]

It's actually a huge move for me as you can imagine, i've been known as a 'ktm guy' now for the best part of a decade, that's what i am, what i ride so to speak, so jumping to something else really is very very perculiar. It's not just the KTM bikes but the ethos of the factory, the dealer, the other riders, that's been a huge part of things for ages.
But, riding this XSR blew me away with just how good bikes can be, it also highlighted some of the things on the KTM that i was thinking "maybe i should move away...." and that cemented the decision. Not big things, but a couple of little things here and there...

To be fair, as good as the 690 is it's now a bit old hat and it's a single, so no surprises that a fresh new tripple has impressed you.
When I ride one of my old bikes and then jump on something modern it blows me away, just in terms of how easy they are to ride at a fresh pace.

If you're happy with it then it's money well spent

Absolutely, i imagine there's a dozen bikes on the market that could have had a profound effect on me. But it still had to be 'right'. When i rode Couchies MT09SP at Donington i knew it wasn't 'right', but that was ergonomics/position rather than the engine, riding a Tuono V4 was the same, just wrong, the 1290SD was right, but wrong engine, there wasn't an IL4 that was going to cut it for me, although a GSXS750 could have potentially i think. But whatever it was going to be had to have more than just a good engine in there.
Looks/styling also plays a big factor for me and the XSR900 deffo has that to me, although seeing reactions on PBMag and KTM forum, i may be in the minority there, but for me the XSR900 looks brilliant.
I guess the only downside is that in a 'other bikers' context it falls into irrelevance and mediocrity, the KTM was a bit of a talking point in groups, especially when i was riding it. But i think the XSR doesn't quite have that 'oh, really' factor with other people..

As we know though, i don't see bikes as being a 'forever' thing, this may stay a long time a short time, i don't really know yet... But at the moment i'm more than happy to be picking it up next week.

[Dodgy69]

How did you find the weight compared to the 690.?

[weeksy]

How did you find the weight compared to the 690.?

I find bike weight only plays a factor in 2 places

1. Moving round garage
2. late braking

I didn't do either yesterday so it wasn't really noticed. In a generic road riding context i'm not convinced it plays much of a factor. I guess the XSR turns in slower, but what it loses out in turn-in, it makes up for in stability. The 690 was really a bit of an unstable thing at anything with a 9 on the left.

[Dodgy69]

Pushing a lighter bike around is a big poss. Garage, drive, carpark etc..

[weeksy]

I guess the only downside is that in a 'other bikers' context it falls into irrelevance and mediocrity, the KTM was a bit of a talking point in groups, especially when i was riding it. But i think the XSR doesn't quite have that 'oh, really' factor with other people..

That's why I thought about the MV, it's a similar thing (naked triple etc) but every ride is like a special occasion because of what it is, so you have the exclusiveness and the performance.

When some bikes are brilliant at what they are and don't have any quirks there is a danger that you get bored with them and at the same time it doesn't make any sense buying anything else because they wouldn't be better. I'm still sat with a CBR600 outside for exactly these reasons.

Absolutely get your point, but 'quirks' can be a bit wearing on you at times too and "FFS again" isn't something you want when owning a bike... Sometimes it was that on startup, sometimes it was that when looking for a gear that should have been there but wasn't quite there. As much fun as the 690 was, it was indeed 'quirky' at times