We discussed 890Rs, we discussed 690 SMC-Rs and eventually the 790 Duke.
Sadly (in some ways) the 890R isn't working for me in terms of price, I did think about the ex-demo which was low miles, but neither the new bike nor the demo come with the Quickshifter and track stuff enabled, which is a disappointment as well as a financial stumbling point. So i thought "why not jump on a 790 Duke for a test"
To say i was a little underwhelmed is a bit of an understatement.
The engine felt somewhat 'flat' and didn't really excite... Coming off the CP3 engine i was expecting 'more' from the 790, more grunt, more go... Of course once you get going it cracks on nicely. But it was the getting going that was a bit of a damp squib for me.
The brakes on the 790 also disappointed.... i know they're only a decent set of pads away from being great, but they're a bit of a letdown as standard.
The QS and blipper were great though, really impressed, both with them and the burble of the engine on the over-run, that was NICE too....a lovely noise it makes.
Handling was sharp and precise but not too harsh, not as plush as the Honda last week, but still, nice enough. But blow me was the seat uncomfortable !!!
LEts just say, all in all, i wasn't disappointed to get back on the XSR900, not even a tiny bit
2021-07-21_01-33-28 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
But more as a concept/idea rather than a reality .... I never thought i'd love a Honda though 
