I've been toying with the idea of replacing my Ducati 900SS/CR with something with a little more juice. I really like the character of the Ducati bikes and hearing about a naked, slightly tweaked 1098 sounded like a lot of fun. I've read reviews, including one where a veteran motorcyclist says it's too much and he was glad to give it back. I'd read and watched others where the reviewers said it was far more civilized and practical than they expected it to be.
Well, I ran down at lunch seeing as how it was beautiful weather and they have an easy test-ride policy. I took it up the freeway back over to Lucas Valley Road which is an outstanding, very scenic twisty road through west Marin.
Immediate thoughts--holy s**t, this thing has wicked acceleration; effortless throttle wheelies at will in 1st & 2nd gear. The bike totally disappears beneath you once you hit about 40 mph. The sound with stock exhaust is remarkably loud--I'm not quite sure how it gets past the EPA sound levels--it actually sounds surprisingly similar to a big 4 stroke dirt bike, but it revs much higher.
Upon riding it for a few minutes, I determined that, while it is the ultimate hooligan bike, it's not for me. While I'm sure I'd get used to modulating the crazy power that it generates, it would always be too easy to step out. The seating position, even though it has a wide handlebar, much like a supermoto bike, put me at an uncomfortable angle, I found my wrists hurting after a few miles and I kept sliding forward in the seat and I think I was pushing myself back with my wrists. I also couldn't get a good grip on the tank with my knees to help support myself either. The acceleration is pretty much on par with most liter bikes but it feels faster because of the V-twin (technically L-twin) engine arrangement that generates huge amounts of torque at lower RPMs than the typical inline 4 cylinder Japanese sport bikes. It's outstanding for squirting through traffic and getting to any given speed is pretty much a thought and it happens. My ride back on my VFR and I felt much more comfortable however the VFR suddenly felt heavy and soft and slow. Yes, they're very different bikes and as much as I wanted to love the Streetfighter, it's more horsepower than I need or really want on a street bike and I was pretty uncomfortable after just a few miles. Up until a few years ago I had a Yamaha R1, which makes about the same power as the Streetfighter and weighs about the same. I was actually quite comfortable on the R1 and did several 400+ mile days on twisties with it. I really, really wanted to fall in love with the Streetfighter but unfortunately it's not the bike for me.
Next week I'll test ride the Monster 1100 as it makes less power and has a more relaxed seating position. Never thought of myself as a Monster rider however they now make great power and are supposed to be great fun.
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