[DaddyFlip]

...and time to let the Connie go. Since we don't have much Connie traffic on this forum, I'll just make this my classified in case someone sees and wants this bike. I'll also post over at COG and zggtr, but I really don't expect to get a buyer; probably have to trade.

This is a 2011 holdover bike I bought NEW in October 2105, so it still has just over 2 years of factory warranty remaining. It has 5301 miles on the clock and comes with the following stuff that I can't/won't take off the bike:

• ECU flash by Steve Sefsick (Steve in Sunny Florida)
• Tech Spec full 14-pc snakeskin set
• Fenda Extenda
• Grab-On grip covers

I also have the following accessories that could be made available as part of a deal for the bike; if not, then they will be sold separately:

• Area P carbon fiber slip on with 263 miles on it
• Cee Bailey Ultra Tour Dome clear
• Puig light smoke touring screen
• Full compliment of LED blinker and city light lamps with spares and two flasher relays
• Evitek LED headlamps
• Philips X-tremeVision headlight bulbs
• Heli-Bars Pilot risers (RAM ball and Powerlet socket)
• PIAA dual horn kit with mounting bracket and wiring harness
• AST helmet locks
• Factory service manual

 

[Obo]

I have to ask why you are getting rid of it? It's my next wish list bike up from the 7S and just curious if there's something that you don't like about it.

 

[vinnysmeany2004]

missed the asking price?

 

[DaddyFlip]

I have to ask why you are getting rid of it? It's my next wish list bike up from the 7S and just curious if there's something that you don't like about it.

I guess because it's been another year and time to try something else as a stablemate to the 7S. For long-distance, multi-day, it is great; recall my attempt to go to Denver in 37F and rain. I did four consecutive 500-mile days without issue or discomfort. On day three, I could have gone 1000 miles in the dark. In that scenario, the bike just disappears. I find that I'm not going to do the L-D/M-D thing anymore, though, so I don't need the weight/stability. After fitting a $35 Go-Cruise, I found I didn't miss or need cruise control (by the way, this little gem works great on the 7S... way better than your zip-tie mod , though the same principle). Here's some other nice things... I tried three screens and I like the OE best. I tried bar risers and like without best. I tried Airhawk on stock seat and like stock seat by itself best. The only mods I really like are the LED blinkers/city lights and the Area P muffler. What I'm looking for this time is really just a modern day 7S, but a bit more sporty... haven't really decided what that means to me yet, but there are a few options.

missed the asking price?

Duh to me! Asking $7000 which includes the first four add-ons. The second group of accessories I give first shot to bike buyer if wanted or sell individually after bike sale if not.

 

[Obo]

FYI The zip tie mod, while functional, was replaced by an actual wrist rest & throttle lock in 2014

As for what you're looking for next, from all I've read it's a hard thing to define when comparing to our old Swiss army knife of a bike.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Ah, you have the plastic G-C; I bought the aluminum one since I have foam grips I thought it would be better.

For me, the hunt is most of the fun, so I'll post up the short list once I have it narrowed down to, oh, 20 bikes?

 

[Obo]

I had foam grips until about 2 weeks ago when I installed the new heated grips.

 

[Obo]

Now, how about something like this?

Honda CBF 1000

Similar looks to the ZR7S

I've also seen them with lower scoops and lower fairings.

 

[DaddyFlip]

I like that very much... like a new Bandit. And they still make that model in Europe.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Uh-oh! Here's the front runner for new bike. Rode it today. Zero miles. You want to talk about a fun and PURE motorcycling EXPERIENCE. I'm a relative novice, but hopping on this thing for the first time and riding was as natural as anything. Holy smokes! The power and the sound. Unbelievable. I'm not on the fence... Maybe one or two other bikes I want to try out. I want exotic, exciting, and lightweight.

BTW... I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort on this bike. Yes, Super Duke has more room and is more upright, but the styling turns me off. I got to sit on but not ride a Duke GT. Still leaves me cold. We'll see.

 

[twowheeladdict]

Uh-oh! Here's the front runner for new bike. Rode it today. Zero miles. You want to talk about a fun and PURE motorcycling EXPERIENCE. I'm a relative novice, but hopping on this thing for the first time and riding was as natural as anything. Holy smokes! The power and the sound. Unbelievable. I'm not on the fence... Maybe one or two other bikes I want to try out. I want exotic, exciting, and lightweight.

BTW... I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort on this bike. Yes, Super Duke has more room and is more upright, but the styling turns me off. I got to sit on but not ride a Duke GT. Still leaves me cold. We'll see.

View attachment 96185

Holy crap! Way to go man! Are you done with touring? Or going back to the 7 for tour duty?

Today I sat on the BMW adventure bikes, looked at the Africa twin and sat on the super tenere again.

I love the Trophy for touring, but the great weather protection also makes it a very hot ride 6 months out of the year.

 

[Obo]

Uh-oh! Here's the front runner for new bike. Rode it today. Zero miles. You want to talk about a fun and PURE motorcycling EXPERIENCE. I'm a relative novice, but hopping on this thing for the first time and riding was as natural as anything. Holy smokes! The power and the sound. Unbelievable. I'm not on the fence... Maybe one or two other bikes I want to try out. I want exotic, exciting, and lightweight.

BTW... I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort on this bike. Yes, Super Duke has more room and is more upright, but the styling turns me off. I got to sit on but not ride a Duke GT. Still leaves me cold. We'll see.

View attachment 96185

Very nice looking bike indeed. I still have an affection for the 125cc 2 strokes that Aprilia and Cagiva made in the 80's.

Comparing these though is not at all an option. The look of, if I may be so bold, your new ride, it way beyond the dated 80's look. Power, handling, braking to name just a few are much improved as well.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Got to do some more riding this week. I called ahead and talked to Jason at European Cycle Sports LTD in Plano, TX (BMW, Ducati, MV Agusta, Triumph, Ural) who hooked me up with freerides on a Monster 1200R.

First, I had to choose what color Monster to ride because Jason wanted me to put miles on the one I would most likely purchase if things went well. The extra cost ($200) Thrilling Black looks absolutely amazing in person, but how could I not go with Ducati red with the white racing stripes exclusive to the R model? So Jason took the bike off the floor and into the back to check the tires and gas up. IMO, the R is the only way to go if you're interested in a Monster 1200. The primary relevant difference is the configuration of the passenger pegs, believe it or not. On the base and S models, there is a big, integrated passenger peg bracket that is shape molded to the muffler. If your shoe size is greater than eight, your heel will always be bumping into this. It's totally unacceptable and the newly designed passenger peg bracket on the R is way better (and removable). The R has higher HP and torque from the same engine, primarily due to an increase in compression. It also has the super sexy, lightweight, and expensive Marchesini FORGED wheels, which are gorgeous. Full Ohlins suspension with adjustable steering damper, carbon fiber front fender, paint matched pillion cowling and instrument cluster mini fairing. Bottom line... when you see them side-by-side, there's no question which one is the way to go as long as you've got the additional scratch.

The Monster is bigger than the Tuono, almost like it's not even in the same naked bike class; we might say the Monster is in a class of its own. You sit tall and more upright with zero weight on your wrists. This makes the front end feel really light; even with the steering damper, the front wheel feels a little nervous. Not 24/7 wheelie nervous, but just really light. The seat looks like it would be hard and uncomfortable (and you halfway expect it to be uncomfortable just because of the type of bike). But it is ALL DAY comfortable for my 6-3/240 frame; the foam, the shape, the material all combine to make a fantastic seat.

The L-twin rumbles as expected, and it can be felt in the seat, but there's hardly any vibration in the grips and pegs. The Monster series does not have a quick-shifter like the competition, but the bike shifts really smoothly; it's not needed. I felt a little bit of heat under the seat, but nowhere else (this was 94F Texas heat today). The TFT screen looks great in the showroom, but it's almost worthless in the sunshine. Even in indirect lighting, you always see your reflection because there's no anti-reflective coating on it. I would rather have a less beautiful screen that was more visible. IMO, they could keep the screen, but allow it to rotate so you can adjust the view angle.

We made no adjustments to the suspension, but where the Tuono's Ohlins setup was buttery/pillowy/marshmallowy plush and comfortable while still being totally in control, the Monster had an edge to everything it did. It wasn't jarring, just sharp. Not rough, but definitely sensitive. It makes it feel as if the bike is having a nervous breakdown underneath you, but none of this really transfers to your body; you're just aware that it's happening. It's a strange sensation that makes you feel separate from the bike. Totally unlike the Tuono where I felt as one with that bike. BUT, I feel like I could still ride all day on the Monster; however, I think I would rather ride all day on the Tuono. I like the seat, tank, forward lean, and suspension better on the Tuono. When you're on a naked, you need to be leaning forward a bit to compete with the wind. While I thought that the wind pressure and lack of buffeting was okay on the Monster, the larger fairing and better position of the Tuono was better at cheating the wind.

The Tuono V4 sounds and feels better than the Monster L2. Both bikes have goofy fueling at low RPM and off throttle situations, but there's power aplenty on both bikes. Oh yeah, the Monster is a little taller in the saddle than the Tuono, but the Tuono clutch cover sticks out and the inside of your leg will hit it when your stopped. That sucker is hot, so you learn to move your leg out of the way. Short dudes will have a little trouble with this aspect of both bikes.

Let me close this with this. As much as I would love to love the Monster more just because it's a Ducati and I've liked the Monster concept since it was introduced, the Tuono is still in first place for me. I was trying to think of something Italian to describe the difference in experiencing the two bikes as simply as possible. Here goes: Riding the Tuono is like making love to a beautiful Italian woman while riding the Monster is like making love to a statue of a beautiful Italian woman.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Still at European Cycle Sports LTD in Plano, TX I also got a freeride on an XDiavel S.

I've been wanting to ride this bike for awhile, having sat on it at two other dealers. It is a total comfort-fest in the showroom and the engine, technology, and that big tire just beg to be ridden and enjoyed. Everytime I see it, I want to buy one without even riding it. Plus, my wife always wants me to get a cruiser and in my book, this qualifies. Boy, I'm really glad Jason let me ride it.

As I pulled out of the dealer lot, up to the first stop, and out into traffic, I almost turned around immediately and told Jason, "I'll take it!" I was that enamored with it right out of the gate. Just like everyone else, I still wanted to put my feet under me, but I got the hang of it after the first two or three "tries". Let me go ahead and say what's right about this bike: the static riding position and the switchgear. First, the switchgear is brilliant and Ducati needs to dump the switchgear and display from the Monster (and all their other bikes) and make this the universal setup. It really is that good. The display is just a smaller version of what the Monster had, but it was much better. The switches are better and more intuitive and Ducati implemented cruise very well; way better than BMW and Triumph. The seating and peg position is great, comfortable, inspires confidence and just feels really cool. I've seen pictures of myself on the bike and I don't think I actually look cool, but I feel like I look cool, so I don't know which one is more important. Probably the latter, which is a good segue to what's wrong with the bike.

First, I was in lunchtime Plano/Dallas traffic some and I didn't notice anyone checking me out or staring - I mean NOTHING! I expected at least someone to turn a head to see what was that goofy thing going down the road. So the cool factor I thought I was going to impart to my fellow man never materialized. Either I'm too big for the bike so people can't really see it, or maybe it's just not that impressive. I could feel people checking me out on the red Monster. Maybe a Ducati MUST be red, I don't know. So I was a little disappointed that I garnered no attention on the XDS.

Second, now I know why Ducati has gone to great lengths to create a traveling, guided XDiavel Experience. They must plot out fantastic, smooth roads ahead of time, plan the speeds and turns, etc. because you would not want to live with this bike for more than a test ride where there are expansion joints, bumps, potholes, cracks, reflective markers, ANYTHING on the road. Take my word for it, your butt and back won't be able to take it. Unfortunately, the bike is too sharply sprung to deal with everyday life. It also bucks and broncos a lot; there was rarely a smooth moment on the bike. If this bike is trying to compete with a Softail or Sportster, they have a long way to go. I don't think you can combine sport suspension with cruiser ergos; I was beat completely to pieces on the same route that the Monster lovingly cradled me in its Italian statuesque way. In addition, the engine is a vibe-fest if you don't keep the RPMs low, so you are always shifting into higher and higher gears. Unlike the Monster, where you could ride all day in gears 2-3 and never wear the bike out. So maybe that would take a recalibration of where you run your gearing. I preferred the Monster in this area.

Third, above 45 mph you're holding on for dear life against the wind due to the sail effect of the wide drag bars. If you try to fight against that by pushing your butt up and back and sitting up a little more straight, then you don't look as cool, but don't worry, nobody else cares.

I didn't have any problem turning with the 240-section rear tire. I felt confident in a leaned over turn on this more than the Monster just because of the height difference, I think. The front end of this bike felt light at times also; it must be a Ducati trademark. Oh yeah, on both bikes, I much preferred the most aggressive map to the Touring and Rain modes. After experiencing modes for the first time on these three bikes, I'm convinced that modes are just gimmicks to persuade people they CAN go ahead and buy that bike they can't afford and should be scared of, which helps boost sales of increasingly expensive bikes. Whatevs; as long as one of the gimmick modes doesn't intrude on the full power setup, I don't have to worry about it.

I was ready to get back to the shop and get off the XDS. Bottom line... the XDS is expensive, looks great (to me), feels great (at a standstill), and sounds great; you just don't want to ride it. If I bought one, I would put it in my house and charge people a quarter to sit on it and rev the engine a few times- like a dime store ride. And I would make my daughter keep the dust off it. I told Jason that I was NOT on the fence; the Monster was definitely the Ducati for me. But I WAS on the fence relative to the Tuono and I would have to think about it. As seen above, the Tuono beats out the Monster, so Ducati is out.

So if the Tuono is a beautiful Italian woman, and the Monster is a statue of a beautiful Italian woman, then the XDS is one hundred statues of beautiful Italian women falling on you from the top of a ten story building... with no one around to see it happen.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Moving right along... I drove to BMW Motorcycles of Shreveport (Louisiana) and met Jennifer outside among the used and consignment Beemers and Indians. They had a consignment S1000R outside with an aftermarket Akrapovic pipe I got to freeride.

Before I left Dallas, I was looking over the Monster in the lot when a guy on a red S1000R pulled up right beside. I started talking to him about his bike (1 of 6). His opinion after 30+ years of riding was that the S1000R was the best bike he had ever owned. He said the Monster looked better, but the BMW was the better bike, better electronics, better engine, better ride, and lower cost to maintain.

Okay, so I pull out of the lot and power is instant from a standstill; I REALLY like this about it. No lagging, no waiting for the clutch to engage; just a natural moving forward that you expect to happen, that you want to happen, that your mind tells you should happen. It just happens. Totally smooth, totally composed, the bike responds to what your brain has told your hand to do. It's actually harder to describe the sensation of perfect fueling than it is poor fueling, I guess because it's so rare. This bike just goes and goes where you tell it to go. I was at complete ease on this bike.

I was predisposed not to like the 'head' of the bike being fork mounted. Everytime I looked at it or got on the bike and saw it move with the bars, I would jump right off. This has no bearing when riding the bike (in the daytime; I have no idea what it will be like at night). The wonky eyes don't bother me; the wonky turn indicators do, however. They aren't LED and they are these big wobbly things- must change these.

This is the least comfortable seat of the three, being a bit thin and sharp, but there is a comfort seat available and there is room to add some nice features when comparing to the other two bikes since there is about a 2-3k price differential. For example, the bike I'm looking at has upgraded paint and I can add the integrated GPS, comfort seat and Akrapovic pipe and still be less than the Monster out the door. There is plenty of wiggle room to move around on the bike, especially rearward. The forward lean is more than the Monster, but not as much as the Tuono. The leg to tank mating for my 35" inseam is best (perfect) on the Tuono (I can grip the tank and confidently let go of the bars, even with the Tuono having the most aggressive forward lean), second best on the BMW (there are some ridges in the tank plastic and the frame is there) and worst on the Monster (the monster is too narrow up close and no real spot where my legs mate to the tank; also, the tip of the trellis frame impedes on the inner thigh).

This bike really hauls the mail, just like the Tuono. It wails where the Tuono roars; the Tuono still sounds better. The Tuono looks better. The Tuono feels better. The Tuono is more expensive and its dealer is twice as far away. The Tuono does not have cruise control, heated grips, dynamic/electronic suspension damping, or integrated GPS. The BMW would probably make the better all-around bike with these features. It is really smooth; there's zero vibration in the butt, bars or pegs. You can feel the engine doing its thing, but it's not bothersome or tiresome. The Tuono does its thing in a different way, but is just as smooth and satisfying. The BMW does make great sound through that aftermarket Akro (I refer to it as aftermarket on the consignment bike because there is a BMW-Akro available through the dealer).

I returned to the dealer and said, "I want one." And they have one on the floor in the color I want.

So I will have some remembering, thinking, dreaming, and day-dreaming to do to figure out the winner of my head and heart. I could easily go with either; they are both that good. I think the Tuono is more exotic, they are tied for exciting, and the BMW is slightly lower weight. These were my three criteria. When you look at the bottom line, in the end, OTD is going to be a wash, so price is not a factor, though technically you get more with the BMW. Dealer distance is BMW 151 miles (2h46m), Aprilia 334 miles (5h22m), so that is a factor. Aprilia takes true service appointments and gives loaner bikes; it's not as big a factor for BMW and I didn't ask.

I haven't come up with the comparative description for the Tuono vs. S1000R. Oooohhh... right there, the Aprilia has a NAME, while the BMW has a stupid number that is too easy to confuse with the S1000RR and sometimes easy to confuse with the S1000XR. That's another thing in the Tuono's favor. Ah-haa... the Tuono is a sexy Italian woman and the S1000R is an oddly attractive German robot.

 

[DaddyFlip]

As an aside, I had a final ride on a fully loaded R1200R.

I was also considering this bike, but it is out of the running after the ride. Great bike, lots of low end power from the water-cooled Boxer twin. The display is super easy to see in any light, even if its amber dot matrix display seems a little dated. The only real hiccup in the display is they chose a digital bar graph for the tach and an analog speedometer. This is a total screw up in my book, but I guess they figure the typical buyer for this bike won't care too much about the RPM; it's typically really low anyway. I will say, I found myself doing 90 in a 55 before I knew it the bike was so quiet. That's one thing in favor of the super sport nakeds; there is definitely the sensation of speed that MIGHT help one stay out of too much trouble.

The seat is all day comfortable, there is ample pillion space, panniers designed for the bike, a big rear rack, and a top case designed for the bike. It's a true sporty tourer (notice I did not say sport tourer) in the naked style. There is also the faired RS version which looks good, too. I was bothered by some herky-jerkiness or bucking bronco situation in the general riding. I don't know if this was a problem with steady fueling, the driveline, or the dynamic suspension trying to figure out what was going on. I was riding on a really good expressway at a constant speed, so not sure. I also noticed that the Boxer twin still leaves my hands numb after awhile. It's just the constant drumming of two big pistons I suppose, and why I also don't care for Ducatis or KTMs. I'm a 4guy.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Holy crap! Way to go man! Are you done with touring? Or going back to the 7 for tour duty?

Today I sat on the BMW adventure bikes, looked at the Africa twin and sat on the super tenere again.

I love the Trophy for touring, but the great weather protection also makes it a very hot ride 6 months out of the year.

Not done with touring, so to speak. Yes, the 7 will tour on occasion if I think I need to pack heavy (or if it's cold). But I plan to "tour" with the new bike. What I'm calling a tour is, "Hmmm... it's time to ride 500 miles to my favorite BBQ place. I'll leave in the morning, get there 9 hours later, spend a couple days there eating, then turn around and ride back." More than anything, I want to love my machine and have fun riding it.

My opinion isn't worth anything, but I wouldn't touch a Honda, the ST is great for the price but has the worst seat in the segment, and the BMWs are king of the segment and it's easy to do your own 6000 mile valve inspections, if you're into that. There's no way I can recommend a Triumph to you rant), but they have made some significant changes to the line since I had one. If you're just looking for a more open experience but not worried about much off-pavement, then the growing sport adventure segment might be worth a look (Multistrada, BMW S1000XR, Versys 1000LT, etc.).

This is why I'm getting tired of the Concours; it's usually hot where I live and ride and I'm falling asleep at the handlebar often. It's no fun riding like that, which is why I'm looking at super-nakeds for now. It's also heavy and not fun riding where you can't run 90mph, which is nowhere for me except the toll road around Austin going to my BBQ spot.

 

[Vic.Thing]

Daddyflip just curious about the test rides. I assume these were all (new) untitled motorycles. How many miles were on each bike when you given the keys?

 

[DaddyFlip]

Daddyflip just curious about the test rides. I assume these were all (new) untitled motorycles. How many miles were on each bike when you given the keys?

Tuono... 1
Monster... 1
XDiavel... 6
S1000R... 52xx
R1200R... 15

Another fun fact: All of my salespeople at the three dealerships had names starting with the letter "J"... Jim (Aprilia), Jason (Ducati), Jennifer (BMW)

 

[Vic.Thing]

I wondered if perhaps the mileage they had on them might correlate to what you've found. And to some extent there is. Someone else here posted a few months ago about a Ducati dealership where they seemed pretty desperate to sell. I don't recall exactly, but it seemed like the salespeople were like "oh looking at xxxx...here's the keys".

The R1200R for at least 1 person rode (probably 2) that and didn't buy it. At least one person test rode the Xdiavel and didn't buy it. And it's interesting that overall they're functional motorcycle (it's not like they're useless junk) it didn't scream out to them or you buy me! Now there's at least two people that have ridden and were just sort of meh.

My bike had 1 mile on it when I test rode it. I test rode it 2-3 and she had her hooks in me. 19,200 miles as of today she still has her hooks in me. I don't know, it seems kind of weird if the Tuono was the right bike for you, it should've be in your garage. Cause if it was then what were you waiting for? You're still thinking there could be something better. See what I'm saying?

As far as the super duke and it's styling I totally agree with you. To be fair, not much for adventure bike styling to begin with. I know and appreciate we all can have different taste, but maybe that's the reason it's called duke .