PIR Test Rides

[krolik]

Well I got to test ride three bikes today. [moto] The route was from PIR south on I5 to west on Hwy 30 to the top of German Town road & back. I only got stuck behind traffic on Germantown Rd once.

First was the Multistrada 1200. It has a much more upright riding position than my Monster w/clip-ons. It took me most of the ride on the twisty bit to get used to the different riding position. Also I was fiddling with the drive mode a bit, and found the controls to have quite alot more info to absorb. I bet you'd get used to all the controls after awhile, but for a 45 min ride there was a bit much to process. The seat is the most comfortable stock Ducati seat I've ever sat on. My ass was quite happy at the end of the ride. I liked it, but after the ride I realized it wasn't quite the bike for me.

Next was the Hypermotard 1100 EVO.  Now right from the get go I realized this was a hooligan bike. The twisty bits on Germantown were fun, and I could see myself on this bike, although at the end of the ride my ass was getting a bit tired. The riding position felt very natural, and the wide bars made it a hoot to turn into corners. I really liked the engine response, and kind of figured that maybe I had the previous ride on the Multi a bit low on the powerband. I haven't had that much experience on 4v engines, so I didn't have the revs as high as I probably should have to get the best out of that engine. I did like how the 1100 felt, power wise, and it felt more natural to me to ride. I'd say that I felt the Multi would rail in long sweepers while the Hyper would feel better in the tighter twisties.

Last was the Monster 1100. I felt just as planted on the Monster as the Hyper, but the riding position didn't have enough room for my legs to fit in the tank cutouts, so my knees were right on the bend for them. Also, this was the ride we got stuck befind some slow cars on Germantown, both up & down. The few corners we hit before the traffic left me feeling just as secure on the Monster as the Hyper, and the engine felt the same to me. Mostly it came down to the I fit the Hyper batter than the Monster, although my '03 M800 fits me just fine. Now if the Hyper came with a larger fuel tank.

[scott_araujo]

Thanks for the info Victor.  That Hyper should just be illegal.  It's tough enough to behave on a Monster, but the Hyper?  Please.  It has about as much place in polite society as a submachine gun.  Not made for people who follow the rules at all.

Scott

[EvilSteve]

I'm not sure if they fit but the CA-Cycleworks tanks may work for you.

[ZOSO]

I'm not sure if they fit but the CA-Cycleworks tanks may work for you.

Chis K's Hyper tanks will fit both old (07-09) and new Hypers (Evo), it is likely my next mod for my new Hyper.
He has been trying to get going on a mid-size tank as well, but funding and pre-orders haven't yet allowed for it.
FWIW, get a Hyper, incredible fun!

[ryandalling]

I wanted to do the test rides... but I was too busy flogging the 999 on the track... too bad they don't do just a test ride day... as the people who paid for the track day had to choose... where all you freeloaders got to jump in and ride demo bikes without worrying about wasting track time.   

[scott_araujo]

Ride the 999?  Test the Hyper?  Decisions, decisions....

Ryan, you're life is sooooooo rough.

Scott

[ryandalling]

Hey... I did wreck on Monday... that was rough... at least it wasn't the 999.   

[scott_araujo]

Ouch!  Yeah.  How'd you get back on the track with no rear brake?  I would think that would not pass tech inspection.

Scott

[ryandalling]

Ouch!  Yeah.  How'd you get back on the track with no rear brake?  I would think that would not pass tech inspection.

PSSR doesn't re-tech you after you go down.     I safety wired the brake pedal in place so it wouldn't be flopping around, and I removed the rest of the brake system.  I swear I was faster... must be the weight loss. 

[duc_fan]

Thanks for the write-up Veektor. 

Well, my weekend turned out to be bizarre, and that was without going up to see the new Multi.    I'm a little bummed that I didn't get up there to test ride anything, but Sunday was packed.

The reason I'm only a little bummed instead of a lot bummed: I found out late last week when reading Ducati's website that the new Multi has a drive-by-wire throttle.  That's right, there is no throttle cable from grip to throttle bodies.  The computer reads the throttle grip position, looks at the mode you've selected (touring, sport, dirt/city), and sets the power output accordingly.

That. Is. A. Nightmare.

Sorry folks, I've worked on avionics that are tested to the N^th degree... and after seeing how many holes there are in the development of those systems, I don't trust the majority of those thoroughly tested, FAA-approved, fly-by-wire systems (especially not the failure-prone and interconnected systems on Airbus products).

Cars and motorcycles don't have to meet anywhere near the safety standards that an airplane does.  You know those Toyotas that have been having trouble with "unintended acceleration" and failures in the braking system due to computer glitches?  Yeah.  Now realise that the Japanese make electronics a helluva lot more reliably than the Italians do, and the fact that motorcycles are inherently more dangerous to ride anyway... there is no way in hell I'm riding a bike with throttle-by-wire, let alone an Italian one.

So yeah... I want a Multi 1000S or 1100S.  Give me something with a real throttle cable, and regular hydraulic brakes, thanks.  That way I know I can go or stop when I want to, without any godforsaken failure-prone computers between me and the motor.

Based on the above reasoning, I wasn't too bummed to miss out on the new Multi.  Testing a new Hyper would've been fun though, even if it was just for grins (not enough range, comfort, or carrying capacity for my sport-touring needs).