Just a quick post about the 675 test ride from today:
Amazing bike, so many good points, I can really understand why it was/is getting rave reviews.
The engine was fantastic around town, I could happily leave it in third and still be able to pull well enough, whereas the R1 would be in first, maybe second at a push, even in 6th at 50 (not in town of course
) there was a noticeable pull. It must also sound the dog’s danglies too, as I turned quite a few heads as I passed, and that was with the standard can! What I could hear on the thing sounded pretty nice though
As expected I wasn’t blow away by the straight line performance though, coming from a litre bike I knew I wouldn’t, it seemed to hit the limiter very quickly but didn’t feel like it was really going anywhere; a glance to the speedo confirmed a little more then the posted NSL (it was a clear road btw!); I took it to the limiter in 5th but it was the sort of speed the R1 would hit in 3rd
The riding position was fantastic, it’s always felt like a tall bike when sat on it in the showroom and I was a little concerned that my short arse wouldn’t reach the floor with flat feet, but with full kit on it wasn’t an issue and my heels were only slightly off the deck (a cm at most). I actually felt a lot more comfortable on this than the R1, life savers were easier for some reason and although I only got to ride for an hour, there were no real comfort issues.
Handling was sublime, having such a light bike made it a doddle flicking it through the twisties, and much as I fancied going knee down on it, a £1,000 excess made sure I didn’t even try! Honestly though, it felt amazing, even with the harsh suspension (see below).
The brakes were immense! I’ve never tried the daddy that is Brembo yet, but the callipers and pads on the 675 certainly did the trick, with amazing initial bite, they actually make the R1’s feel a little washed out now (maybe I will give in to sintered pads for that….).
Bad points:
The suspension was a little too firm for my liking and could have done with a little softening, as I was kicked out of the seat on at least one occasion on a local B road and a couple of bumpy corners didn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
The bike really needs adjustable levers, the clutch only seems to operate in the last few millimetres of movement, even though it was set for the correct free-play – but this could be down to test ride abuse…. maybe.
The throttle seemed really ‘baggy’ – you would move the grip about 1/8 of the way with nothing happening – but again, this could be down to abuse?
The ‘trellis’ frame under the seat got really hot and made my legs very uncomfortable when stationary.
Having popped my test ride cherry now, I’m keen to try a few more – RC8, 10/1198, I may even see if I can test a few Gixxers
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