bic_bicknell
Had to go to Oxfordshire today for meeting and an oasis of good weather was predicted in a week of high winds and torrential rain so I gambled on doing it on the SD. Thought it was a good time to mix business with pleasure and I must admit that my mind was far more into planning the ride and being in bike mode rather than with the meeting I'd prepared for and the people I was meeting. I went from planning to wear a suit under my textiles and a full tank bag to opting for leathers and no bag at all, fook em, just took an A4 print out of map and a couple of blank sheets of paper for notes and a pen stuffed into the small pocket in my Dainese jacket.
Set off with no firm route in mind, just knowing that I wasn't going to do much motorways but stick to fast A and B roads and feel my way West across the South of England avoiding traffic and trying to get lost. Left three and a hours for a journey that was meant to be two and hoped for the best. Can't say what the meeting was about,(confidential and all that), but I was not in a really good mood and have been stressing for weeks about it. This ride was going to sort me out, I hoped, and let me forget about all life's problems until I got there. Cathartic riding, sometimes it can be just cruising around enjoying the scenery but today it was about wringing the neck out of the SD and putting it to work doing what it was made for.
First thing to say is that I mostly save my fast riding for the track nowadays, the bike is set up for smooth, fast tarmac and is a bit harsh on the road, and I take my life, (and kids, family responsibilities etc) very seriously so don't take many risks anymore. Call me old or past it or whatever but I'm not as fast on the road as I used to be. But today there was something inside of me that reverted to my 18 year old self. And, my God, when you turn the SD into a tool to decimate roads and other traffic it's a total nutters bike. When you focus on just hunting down the next slow car, treat every roundabout like Druids, every traffic light like a GP start, every straight, empty road as an excuse to nail the throttle and use the quick shifter, every rise to hoik a wheelie, every junction to stoppie to a halt.....life is just exhilarating and fun!!!! For three hours I just forgot about speed limits, consideration for other road users, the environment, being a responsible citizen, everything.
Can't describe it, something got a hold of me. I couldn't have given a fook this morning. Just the noise of the Motobox induction, the torque, the insane rush of power at 8 thousand rpm right through to the red line. (those of you who doubt the advantage of a full Akra system have not experienced it, seriously.... it makes a difference). I've got race spec Brembo monoblocks with Braketec discs and they bite like nothing I've ever experienced. On track they are awesome and on the road you have to be careful but I reckon I got my tyres up to melting point at some times today. Was playing with how hard I could brake into every bend and just feeling the tyre squirming and the back end lifting and the slipper having to work really hard. Passing cars one by one on twisty back roads, all you need is a small window of opportunity, down a gear and launch past 'em, exhaust boom echoing off dry stone walls and a fleeting glimpse of some enraged driver who didn't know what happened. They probably cursing you for being a wanker and me not giving a fook. Sod 'em, Bastards! (ruining a good bit of road with in their air conned, stereo-phonic'd, arm chair cages).
Got to Oxford and had my meeting. (I'm the client by the way so I can do what I want), They took me for lunch in some nice restaurant - them in suits, me in fly splattered leathers with matted down hair, dirty fingernails and smelling of petrol and adrenaline. I pulled out my crumpled pieces of paper which had got a bit messy what with all the looking at the map all the time at the side of the road. My bright orange plastic KTM pen contrasted nicely with their titanium and gold Montblanc fountain pens and Blackberry notebooks.
Job done.
Set off back home determined to better the ride out because I had no time limit, no agenda and nothing to lose. 96 miles to get there but I took 150 to get home.
One thing I will say is that the Woodcraft clip-ons have transformed this bike for me. After six years of trying lower and lower bars I finally end up with clip-ons and love them. All those fast sections of a ride, (anything over 80mph) are miles better and easier on my neck and shoulders, the riding position is more aggressive and positive and I don't feel that I have to crouch forwards anymore with my elbows sticking out. Way, way better for those motorway and fast dual-carriageway sections of a journey. Maybe I am just a diehard sportsbike rider but this is the way I like my bikes to be. I do miss the relaxed sitting up position pootling about town, and my wrists do ache a bit more when you ride slowly, but that is a small sacrifice to make for the advantage at speed IMO.
Anyway. In light of all this enthusiasm and interest in the new Superduke, it's claimed power and torque, electronic wizzadry and flashy orange colour scheme, I'm quite happy with my current Superduke. It's a fooking animal and I'm not sure what exactly spending £14 K more on a new bike would get me.
Our SDs are brilliant, brilliant bikes. If you think you need more power, more stopping ability, better handling, more hooligan nature go and have a ride. And appreciate what you already have.
Set off with no firm route in mind, just knowing that I wasn't going to do much motorways but stick to fast A and B roads and feel my way West across the South of England avoiding traffic and trying to get lost. Left three and a hours for a journey that was meant to be two and hoped for the best. Can't say what the meeting was about,(confidential and all that), but I was not in a really good mood and have been stressing for weeks about it. This ride was going to sort me out, I hoped, and let me forget about all life's problems until I got there. Cathartic riding, sometimes it can be just cruising around enjoying the scenery but today it was about wringing the neck out of the SD and putting it to work doing what it was made for.
First thing to say is that I mostly save my fast riding for the track nowadays, the bike is set up for smooth, fast tarmac and is a bit harsh on the road, and I take my life, (and kids, family responsibilities etc) very seriously so don't take many risks anymore. Call me old or past it or whatever but I'm not as fast on the road as I used to be. But today there was something inside of me that reverted to my 18 year old self. And, my God, when you turn the SD into a tool to decimate roads and other traffic it's a total nutters bike. When you focus on just hunting down the next slow car, treat every roundabout like Druids, every traffic light like a GP start, every straight, empty road as an excuse to nail the throttle and use the quick shifter, every rise to hoik a wheelie, every junction to stoppie to a halt.....life is just exhilarating and fun!!!! For three hours I just forgot about speed limits, consideration for other road users, the environment, being a responsible citizen, everything.
Can't describe it, something got a hold of me. I couldn't have given a fook this morning. Just the noise of the Motobox induction, the torque, the insane rush of power at 8 thousand rpm right through to the red line. (those of you who doubt the advantage of a full Akra system have not experienced it, seriously.... it makes a difference). I've got race spec Brembo monoblocks with Braketec discs and they bite like nothing I've ever experienced. On track they are awesome and on the road you have to be careful but I reckon I got my tyres up to melting point at some times today. Was playing with how hard I could brake into every bend and just feeling the tyre squirming and the back end lifting and the slipper having to work really hard. Passing cars one by one on twisty back roads, all you need is a small window of opportunity, down a gear and launch past 'em, exhaust boom echoing off dry stone walls and a fleeting glimpse of some enraged driver who didn't know what happened. They probably cursing you for being a wanker and me not giving a fook. Sod 'em, Bastards! (ruining a good bit of road with in their air conned, stereo-phonic'd, arm chair cages).
Got to Oxford and had my meeting. (I'm the client by the way so I can do what I want), They took me for lunch in some nice restaurant - them in suits, me in fly splattered leathers with matted down hair, dirty fingernails and smelling of petrol and adrenaline. I pulled out my crumpled pieces of paper which had got a bit messy what with all the looking at the map all the time at the side of the road. My bright orange plastic KTM pen contrasted nicely with their titanium and gold Montblanc fountain pens and Blackberry notebooks.
Job done.
Set off back home determined to better the ride out because I had no time limit, no agenda and nothing to lose. 96 miles to get there but I took 150 to get home.
One thing I will say is that the Woodcraft clip-ons have transformed this bike for me. After six years of trying lower and lower bars I finally end up with clip-ons and love them. All those fast sections of a ride, (anything over 80mph) are miles better and easier on my neck and shoulders, the riding position is more aggressive and positive and I don't feel that I have to crouch forwards anymore with my elbows sticking out. Way, way better for those motorway and fast dual-carriageway sections of a journey. Maybe I am just a diehard sportsbike rider but this is the way I like my bikes to be. I do miss the relaxed sitting up position pootling about town, and my wrists do ache a bit more when you ride slowly, but that is a small sacrifice to make for the advantage at speed IMO.
Anyway. In light of all this enthusiasm and interest in the new Superduke, it's claimed power and torque, electronic wizzadry and flashy orange colour scheme, I'm quite happy with my current Superduke. It's a fooking animal and I'm not sure what exactly spending £14 K more on a new bike would get me.
Our SDs are brilliant, brilliant bikes. If you think you need more power, more stopping ability, better handling, more hooligan nature go and have a ride. And appreciate what you already have.