New bikes

13 posts · Started by Lowrance · 14 Apr 2012

Post 1 by Lowrance, 14 Apr 2012, 21:11

Just rode the new Tuono V4 and the 2012 RC8R.

The Tuono has a stonking motor up top...not much down below 7000rpm...disappointing really. Was really wanting to like this bike but rding position is a little too cramped in the leg dept. Funky bar bend. Suspension will require a lot of work to boot. Nice quick shifter though and sounds brilliant. Blipped the throttle a couple times at a light some girls were standing at and they looked as if their panties were about to drop. But I digress, unfortunately not for me.

The RC8R's motor was stonking from idle to redline. The gearbox makes my SD box feel like some sort of John Deer farming implement...brilliant! Suspension was soft but I knew that going in...springs would sort it. The rding position was set to the most uncompromising settings (seat and pegs in the high position and bars in the low position). Waaayyyy too extreme for street duty...maybe even track duty. Can't see reverseing the settings will make much of a difference.....unfortunate really.

God damit KTM...turn this bike into the new SD and you'll sell truck loads (starting with me!)!

Post 2 by Colonel_Klinck, 14 Apr 2012, 21:46

They might be doing exactly that.

Post 3 by Lowrance, 15 Apr 2012, 00:47

You hear something I didn't?

Do tell!

Post 4 by Stratkat, 15 Apr 2012, 03:51

funny i test rode 3 bikes this weekend all because my friend is looking, and may actually buy a Tuono, and i went with him. 2 GSXRs (600 & 1000) eh... neither did anything for me.

then the Tuono V4...
Lowrance your description was dead on. fan-frickin-tastic engine, felt so much stronger than the GSXR1000, part because you are sitting into the wind with no fairing
but man did it it pull! and it was in fact the nicest sounding engine, if it were mine i wouldnt even change the exhaust it was that good.

it was almost, dare i say, too fast for the street or the temptation to use it on the street had me doing stupid things. i hit 109 and 112 on 2 different straights where i really shouldnt have been, and was pissed that each time a car hampered going faster!! im not sure i could behave with something like that (obviously because i didnt, and it wasnt even my bike!) the pull/sound was so addictive. it would also take me a while with it to wheelie with confidence because of the way it delivers power, its almost too fast to correct/react! it was my first experience with a quickshifter and that was pretty cool, i can see how that would get me in trouble too because i found myself just pinning the throttle and ripping thru the gear changes. i could really live without a slipper clutch though, dont really like em, or see the point. the tuono is just as hideous in person as i feared it would be. however as someone said you cant see that from the seat which i didnt find uncomfortable at all, but it was only a 20 minute ride. the foot pegs are quite a bit higher than the SD and
the bars did feel a bit odd to me. odd bend or i just wasnt used to them? the handling was pretty good, wasnt the best road to test that on though, just a couple of high speed sweepers. transitioning from side to side was pretty quick however.

all of that said, i got back on my SD to go home and i still wouldnt trade it for the Tuono. i have yet to ride the motorcycle that made me feel like the SD should go, it is that balanced, so i had a great ride home.
i also slid the back end on the throttle, cranked way over thru an intersection on a wide paint strip. it just felt natural! i still love the thing!!

Post 5 by Crotchrockety, 15 Apr 2012, 05:31

Hey John:

I take it you didn't get a chance to try the BMW this time out? I haven't ridden an RC8R, but IIRC the RC8 I rode a couple of years ago had similar ergos to the BMW. Rear pegs are back and high and its a stretch to the bars (for me at least). But, nothing steers like the new BMW IMO. Another 200 miles and I'll have the limiter off and Helibars mounted. You can try it then if you'd like.