No, no ... poor ergos for the pillion.
But I have had a chat to the guys from Ducati Tours who have spent some time on their SFS (one is a Superbike guy ... think 1198S, 1098R - the other had created his own SF from a 1098 before the SF was released). So, some random comments I remember from our discussions:
. The exhaust routing is a real problem, riding with toes on the footpegs was causing knee pain the way it kicks out your heel and keeps your leg at the wrong angle
. 155 HP is according to them ... ahem ... bullshit. It may be the way the power is delivered but feels nothing like a 1098 and they suggest maybe 100-120HP would be more accurate
. They didn't rate the body positioning ... but bear in mind what they normally ride. They find the 'old-style' monster posture just wrong and too different to all the 'other' bikes. I liked the positioning better than the 'new-style' monsters which they say are more like the 'other' bikes if that gives you an idea of viewpoints.
. If you want more power the SFS is not really the bike ... buy a 1098/1198. They had two guys ride the bike who were looking at buying ... one had an S4R the other a HM ... having ridden it, neither were interested. Apparently the power doesn't feel as good as the S4R - the S4R has more low down.
. The thing is too docile. It is (so far) impossible to trigger the traction control system whereas on the 1198S with a reasonably 'free' traction control setting the system seems to light up with gay abandon
Other things may come back to me, but what I suggested and got some agreement:
. Ducati are catering for the US market ... big written down power number, probably only used for highway riding or posing around town (sort of Harley with Ducati pedigree if that makes any sense).
. It would probably be the right bike for someone like me looking for an upgrade (S2R 800). Because I could really notice the power difference and the ergos are probably closer to my Monster than they are to 'other' bikes.
. The headlight and instrument cluster (discussed above) ... I didn't find the instruments that low, it does provide better forward visibility. So you need to look a little lower ... we shift by feeeel remember
. I like the low-ness of the headlight - it flows with the tank better (something I hate about the Sport Classics is the direction the tank takes your eye).
