Hello all Just picked up a 2014 Hyperstrada and rode it back on the motorway for a coupke of hours and was battered to death by winds but I definitely knew I was alive. Ive just got back into bikes after a break since 1987 due to mid life crisis , me and a mate are going touring next year hopefully. Riding the Hyperstrada was nothing like I expected I have to say. Been training on Yammy MT 07’s which are easy enough to manoeuvre but the Hyper seemed to be fighting me around roundabouts etc it didn’t feel like the nimble agile ride I was expecting to be honest. Hopefully ill get used to it as I love the bike I had it tamed down in urban mode but it was still an exhilarating ride. Anyway I look forward to talking on here All the best Matt.
Welcome and enjoy. Hypers rock. They are pretty nimble, it is probably just a matter of getting used to it. Enjoy and take care.
Welcome Matt, I had the same experience , 35 years on BMW only and 60 years of age when I got my first Ducati. It took me around 700 miles to really get used to a Duc. I cannot speak for more modern bikes, my Beemers and the Duc's are all from the same era (2001). Having done 3k miles on a 996 and a 900ss in 3 months I don't feel the urge to get back on my R1150RS again. This is why I bought a 900ss alongside , just for commuting as I don't want the pristine 996 out in the rain. I've taken the Beemer off the road and put it in storage and up for sale. The biggest difference for me is the amount of feedback you get from these bikes, as in getting out of a luxury sedan and getting into a sportscar. Enjoy!
Back in 1994 when I bought my newly released brand new 916, the first few times I rode it I hated it with a vengeance! I could not believe this thing was supposedly the 'best bike in the world'; the ride was jerky/lumpy, (my first bike with fuel injection), and generally hard work, just could not get o with it. It got to the point where the dealer said he'd buy it back from me for what I'd paid as back then there was a MEGA waiting list to get hold of one. Eventually it was mentioned my problem was I was trying to ride it like all my previous Japanese 4-cyl bikes and that I should change my riding style to make use of all the low-down torque - bingo, it was a different animal and I loved that thing. At one point I let a mate have a go on it and I rode his then current model Fireblade - yuck, so much revving required, I wanted my V-twin back
I felt the same on my first ride (600SS) I thought if this is what riding is I’m not doing it again Until the first stop everything felt wrong I couldn’t ride around the tight bends I had a queue of traffic behind me and I had had enough by Tintern via the back roads from Hereford Thankfully the cup of coffee and cake enticed me into making friends with my SS and had many hours of fun even being blown across lanes on the M5 like a boat on the high seas Anyway newbie Matt T pics please of your rubbish bins and you can include your bike if you wish Welcome into our mad house
Is suspension set up relevant with these bikes? I only ask as I don't go near my race bikes without a proper set up based on my fully kitted weight.
My Strada wasn't that great to start off with either. It was sitting pretty low at the back with my 17 stone on so whilst adding preload helped it really needed a different spring which it got eventually. Basically just get used to the bike / check the suspension is correct to your weight and you will be 98% on it ( the other 2 % is it has a bit of a weave really clocking on a bit but that's not an often thing nowadays )
