How did the test ride go then Phil?
Ok, it's no XR.
It is a mighty fine engine, it has plenty of grunt and spins up quickly. Hits the limiter abruptly, it certainly is like no 850cc bike I've ever ridden. It's a beautiful bit of engineering and certainly not lacking as I expected it to be. The chassis is pretty good, but it desperately needs a steering damper, fook me the front end is very flighty!!. The riding position is more on than in which doesn't really suit me and the screen is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. Takes it off ya chest, but that's about it. It doesn't have the solid feel of the XR and the electrics are crude, but it's half the price of an XR.
Overall I was actually very impressed. It handles well (front forks are a bit squidgy) tracks a line very well and is very 'flickable' but it's not for me. The Tracer motor in the the XR chassis would tick all the boxes for me. It's close, but it's easy to see where the extra money is in the XR and it's not the engine.
The XR would still mince a tracer simply for it's more planted feel, but with a steering damper, and a grand thrown at the tracer suspension and it would be a close run thing. I'd always be quicker on the XR just because it's riding position is less alien to me, but it's alot faster than it's 115bhp would suggest. It does start running out of puff after 130 apparently, but up to that point the bike is plenty fast enough (so they say). It's no GS1200 with 115bhp, it weighs feck all.
The electrics package is crude as I said. The traction control controls wheelies but shutting of the power abruptly and does exactly what I had with the WC. It lifts, drops back down and then lifts again until it stops wheelying. The XR comes up smoothly, drops down whilst still accelerating hard and stays down until you get the next gear. It is far more accomplished in it's operation.
Everything I've read says that STD mode is the best. A mode is too twitchy on the throttle and B is too blunt. I disagree. A and STD mode are too sensitive, like the original WC's. but the B mode means you can roll on the throttle through a bend, and really crank it open on the exit whilst still making fast progress but smoothly. I found the other modes upset the bike too much on the exit of the bend. Dynamic mode on the XR delivering 150bhp to the back wheel was perfect, so it's not me being cak handed, it's just poor mapping to make the muppets feel like they are riding some kind of beast machine. Smooth is fast and twitchy over sensitive throttles do not make for smooth progress imho.
The fit and finish is so so. I really like the LED headlights, but there's alot of cheapy plastic and the finish on the exhausts/fasteners and radiator all look like riding it in winter would kill it stone dead.
So overall, it's a bargain bike delivering truly respectable performance. It's not perfect and needs tweeking (cruise control would be nice), but I think it's a fantastic machine for the money. It is easy to spot where BMW have justified charging twice the price in the quality of the products they have used to manufacture the XR.
such was the tempation to wring its neck. Only the test will tell, but I'm still 50/50 whether to move away from what I know so well.
