Stopped in at Seattle Triumph

Claviger said:
Small is fine and all but I felt like a man riding a kids bike
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Took my endorsement test on an old KZ200. I’m 6’7”. My brother told me after that during the test the lady overseeing it said, looks like a grown man riding a pony.

Sure were a lot of guys wishing they could use my bike for the test though! Especially the few who dropped their brand new monster bikes that they had no business riding. Quality entertainment I tell ya.
 
Here they are very much a bike to buy second hand. Most scare the living bejeezus out of purchasers. They are used but not abused.
And MV riders seem to be very loyal and trade in at dealers.
I have a mate with two MV F4's (old and new) - and he sold the Brutale as it was scary. And the old F4 is a real sphincter tightener - no ABS, traction control etc. Track Bike - pure.

I need a toy. For me (at 5'8") the R3 is a bit big to wrestle in hairpins. And my old Guzzi is well, old. 39 years old.

Whatever I get would have to be second hand.

My mate with a workshop says he'll disown me if I get a KTM Superduke.
Ducati? - nope - been bitten by that wallet sapper twice.
May be I can get Sergi to lend me one of the F4's for an extended test.
I'd happily buy another Buell - but an early 97/98 model. But they are as rare as hens teeth here (never sold in Spain) and importing is a hassle.
Speed Triple? - Street Triple? - Daytona is too extreme riding position for my bones.
 
I used to be a rider trading instructor for a Not for Profit many decades ago and we had about 8 Dealer sponsored road registered Honda XL100 training bikes.


Great fun little things they were with trails tires on the school grassed oval with the orange witchs' hats. Despite the tiny 100cc single four stroke they were quite good for teaching throttle steering.


Later we got Yamaha SR185 cruiser singles and the instructors had a ball running them in (Ahem ) on a 200 mile return to a pub out of town on the Kakadu H'way.
Slipstreaming flat chat at 110kmh on the tank with feet on pillion pegs as much as a 6'1" 20 stone ( 280lb) could be. I was certainly faster behind someone than in front.
 


2006-2008 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 ABS cheap as chips now and Sports Tourer of the Decade. the 2007 to 2008 models had 1" taller bars which suited most and many retrofitted to earlier '04-'06s or boiught risers. Still a great all rounder and plenty of room for you.
 
Oddly I was going to tray a graft the fairing from the earlier Sprint (1998ish) onto the R3. Anything pre 97 has some advantages HERE for MoT's etc. Hmmmm
 
Yeah the earlier Sprint 955s were great machines too but personally I much prefer the 'cats eyes' to the 'frogs eyes' fairings.
 
Ishrub said:
Yeah the earlier Sprint 955s were great machines too but personally I much prefer the 'cats eyes' to the 'frogs eyes' fairings.
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Really? - It's like Speed Triples - I prefer the round lights. Street Triples are seriously cheap second hand - but we know why - they have been THRASHED.
 
I just took my wife’s Yamaha 650 to get gas.. no more than 2 miles and I was quite enjoying myself. It flicks in and out of turns with so little effort. The rocket is great, but it cannot turn like a 500 pound bike.

I should probably stop riding it. I’ve held off the urge to go to the KTM dealer, that 650 will make me start looking at flickable bikes again.
 
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