RS rides report

["Andrea" <andrea@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (by way of Eric Sheley <eric@xxxxxxxxxx>)]

Well, after 3 days and almost 600 km with my RS, I'm ready to write
something more.

First of all about the gearbox. Many of you wrote me that it will
loosen up as I add kms and this is already happening, but most
important I found out that after a few kms, when the engine (and the
oil) reaches its ideal working temperature, it behaves fairly well even
now. Sometimes I still have trouble finding the neutral, but I'm
getting used to it, so it's not a big issue.

As suggested in the owner's manual (that now covers both the ST and the
RS, did you know that?) I kept the revs < 3500 rpm during the first 160
kms of the break-in, that means a speed limit of 95-100 km/h in 6th
gear. So I started appreciating the touristic qualities of the bike.
The riding position is sporty, there's no doubt about it, unlike the
Speed Triple the handlebars give you an exact feeling of the front
wheel, but at the end of the day I was ready for another 200 km on the
saddle. A big difference from the GSX-R I'm coming from! :-)
I also tested the Triumph (colour-coordinated) topbox. It is really big
and heavy! But it fits perfectly the bike. I like it, and it's
extremely useful, especially considering that under the saddle there's
no room even for a rainsuit.
Despite its weight the topbox doesn't interfere with the bike's
behaviour in the corners, you can feel its weight, that raises a bit
the center of gravity of the bike, only when parking. A minor defect,
in my humble opinion.

But the fact that surprised me most is how easy and funny the RS can be
on the corners. She seems to choose the right leaning angle by herself!
Amazing! And she's blazingly fast in direction changes.
The second day, without the 3500 rpm limit, I removed the topbox and
went for a quick ride with a friend (who rides a Ducati 900 SS) on a
very twisty road. My friend is a very fast rider, so I thougth he would
have left me alone very quickly, since I was not willing to push hard
to keep his pace... instead I found myself leaning much more than I was
expecting to do and suddenly started to scratch the footpegs on many
corners!! And that without pushing at all and keeping the revs < 5000
rpm. The only other bike I had scratched the footpegs before was a
Yamaha TDM 850, which is not exactly a sportbike and moreover has very
low footpegs...

A big difference between the RS and the GSX-R is that the RS doent's
feel like she's going to "fall" in the corner when leaning hard. I know
this is due to the geometry of most extreme sportbikes (like the
Gixxer) which have almost-vertical forks to improve handling. But when
the RS enters the corner she gives an impression of "solidity" I've
never felt before. I love her!

No complaints about the Bridgestone BT020 tyres, despite what written
by an italian magazine, I found them pretty good, since they gave me a
pleasant grip sensation even with the low temperatures of these days
(around 10 degrees Celsius).

Last but not least: the engine. I already knew it... it's simply
fantastic. All that torque, so widely (or wisely? :) spread all over
the rev range... well, you all know what I' talking of, don't you?
Now, being able to reach 5000 rpm I'm only starting to have fun...

I also experienced my first technical problem with the bike: the fuel
light never turns off, even when the tank is full... I'll have to come
back to the dealer very soon. But this is a small detail that can't
affect my satisfaction.

- -andre
enthusiast owner of a yellow RS :-)




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