No one seems to have mentioned the Hyperstrada, I've spent the last 2 1/2 years commuting 3 or 4 times a month from Reading to Central London and its been great, nimble enough, pokey enough, and practical enough, I got a Givi rack fitted to mine so have never used the panniers but they are there if I do need them, its been easily as good as my old Monster S2R was for my old Eltham to Slough commute (through town) and way more practical. The Hyper has never been 'too wide' and on one hand can I count the number of times I may have held a sportsbike up filtering .... Sadly it goes in ten days time and I have been lured into a Multi 950 so will see how that goes .....
Way too late on this!! Apols, but for my 2 cents, my sv1000s is surprisingly quick, smooth (ish) and very comfy. And quick. And loud
seconds up for the hyperstrada. Had mine around 3 weeks (work and back every day) and total love this bike - not only for it practicality, but also for its style and agility. Recent sold my 1199 and zx10, bought a gsxr 750 (mainly for track days), but I cant keep off the Strada, might even take it to Cartagena in March instead of the gsxr it's that good.
Would not recommend hyperstrada. To low to be a Hypermotard, how it rides is very different to hyper. It is not aggressive nor responsive its just smooth. Different maps.
You can not call it good all rounder as if you feel like agressive, stupid, hooligan kind a day you stuck. With hyper you can still choose it to ride it gently I give it 5 min before you give up but you have a choice Good all rounder can do all things good. No such one bike existed and will ever exist. Superbike will not do proper supermoto stuff, supermotard will not be a great tourer and so on. I always buy a bike that for 70% of time is exactly what I want, 10-20% I can make it be something else with some effort (screen and bags on to do a tourer for example) and rest it will just not work so learn to ride round it.
I had a scrambler the do the commute to work and as a 2nd bike to have a play on but after a few months I realise this was the wrong bike for me so sold it and got a hyperstrada821 which I think is a fantastic bike , if I had to sell one it would be a hard decision between the hyper or the panigale!
Now what do i get? After the BMW fiasco would it be madness to get another, or do i get something less flash - for what it's worth i thought the S1000R was so ordinary looking it would never get pinched? Will absolutely anything be a target to thieves so get whatever the hell i like? I think i am now definitely going to have to carry a chain with audible alarm lock, and another audible lock for the front wheel, and get a tracker. And park carefree never 1m from where i go to, at the risk of the traffic wardens. Insurance is settled today so i am back in the game, but £500 worse off.
Could even run a 2nd insurance policy so if/when stolen it doesn't effect your NCB. Or just don't bother claiming.
They steal bloody Deliveroo scooters. Best off on a rat bike but even then, they may take it for the joy ride aspect. Honda C90 looks like a winner
You need to come up with a device which can't be angle grind off, and which prevents the bike from being pushed/rolling all together, otherwise it will get nicked, so who has the solution? (You will get rich)
Anyone here commute on the Multistrada 950? wondering what it's like in heavy traffic. I'm having the same conundrum as Pavey regarding which bike to get, 25 mile commute through London with some motorway plus loads of filtering.
I’d buy a Hypermotard/strada for that job. Commuted on R1150 rt for a year but over much longer distances.
C90. It'll run forever, never break down. Cost piss all in fuel. Easy to maintain. No-one is likely to knick it. It doesn't matter if it falls over. Failing that, a DT175. Something small, nimble, light. An XT500 if you want to piss people off with noise whilst you commute. Disclaimer: It is just an opinion. If I had to commute into London again, I'd get a supermoto. Sports bikes are useless. Tourers just get in my way and lardy stradas cause filter lane congestion. Vespa P Ranges were great because of tight turning circle. Easy to weave in/out. Every commute is a race. Oh yes it is and you know it.
