695 to S4RS upgrade

Hey...

Sounds like your mind is made up, but here are my thoughts. I've had my 07 S4rs (black/silver) for about 6 months, and have put about 2500 miles on her so far.

Pros: Phenomenal power, very linear with a top end rush that is so strong it's almost more than I can deal with. I seriously have trouble taking it to its max because it's hard to hold on and change gears at full throttle. Great brakes...excellent power and modulation. Beautiful style (as you know.) Relatively smooth engine (little buzzing). Handles well, but I'm not a great rider in the curves...pretty cautious. Feels long legged in terms of gearing, which I like. I went to the 14t front as many people recommended, rode it for 1K, switched back to a 15 and love it. Good mileage (I average 45 mpg but have a relatively light throttle hand.) Cruises effortlessly at 90 with tons of power in reserve. People love it. Moms wave, daughters wave, sons give thumbs up, men look dissatisfied with their lives.

Cons: Water cooled issues (huge radiator takes away from the looks, hoses and such aren't tucked away well, more complex in terms of maintenance, etc.) Not very comfortable for me in terms of ergonomics. STILL trying to dial in the cockpit three handlebars and bar risers later (I'm 6'1"). The seat is absolutely horrible...uncomfortable, slides you forward, etc. Fairing flops around as if mounted with jello (Ducrider supports easily fix this). Clutch pull was harder than I preferred (fixed it with a aftermarket slave). Having a hard time getting the suspension dialed in to what I like, and I'm supposedly the ideal weight (160 lbs). This may just be my inexperience at suspension, but even took it to a suspension clinic and it didn't help much. Ride over choppy surfaces feels very choppy, even if I try to soften it up. Without a tail chop it looks a little silly on the back end, IMO. Paint is easily scratched, in my experience. Getting tank scratches and not sure how. Emissions canister looks hideous and is right in the open, ruining the lines. (Easily removed, but annoying.) Eats up tires if you have a heavy throttle hand.

Main concern for me is that I'd like more midrange and less top end. Having said that, it's probably an issue of it having so much top end rather than lacking midrange. The roll-on power is very strong, so it's probably a reflection of the amazing top end that minimized the feel of the strong midrange. It's possible that I would have been better suited for a air-cooled version...maybe its just more bike than I need.

But I still love it, and have dialed out most of the issues that bug me. It is badass.

Joel