u/psychotic-chipmunk

UPDATE: Thank you all for your comments. What a great community here! I was really avoiding to make the decision in favor of the MT, even looking at the gen1 XSR900. In the end, this will not be my last motorcycle, and if I never come to terms with the looks, well then I sell it again, like I have done so many times before. For now, the MT seems to meet my needs to the (M)T, it is the best choice I can make at this time. I also saw it in plain black, which I like a lot better than the other colorful versions. Slap a belly pan on it and it looks twice as good as stock. Over short or long, I might want to give it a visual update, something like this, but who knows.

This is it. The culmination of a year long effort of testing 60+ bikes, owning 4 different ones, losing tons of money on bad purchases. It all leads to the MT09 (2024+ models). Great motor. Great handling. Decently comfortable. Reliable. Cheap to maintain. It should serve my need as my "only vehicle" with which to have fun and go on small tours rather splendidly.

Yet I hesitate. Call me a basic bitch, an aesthetics whore, or just dumb. But I cannot get myself to pull the trigger on one, because I don't vibe with the looks. I just don't. I prefer the elegant lines of retro bikes or supersports. Modern nakeds never really appealed to me. (the XSR sadly does not suit me, as the seating position is too aggressive for comfort...)

Did y'all really love the looks when you bought it? Did you have similar doubts and it grew on you?
And how stupid am I for considering paying an extra 2k to get the SP version, just because I like the color the best? (While we are at it: is the SP's suspension really stiffer? Can it be set up to be comfortable on bumpy roads?)

PS.: I know there is always greatly tempting to recommend alternatives, and I appreciate that you want to help. But do trust me when I say I have spend lots of resources on trying nearly everything that could even remotely suit me.

Hi all

I am trying to come to terms with the results of my lengthy motorcycle search. After tons of test rides, and annoying the heck out of a lot of forums, I have landed on the MT09. It does everything I want it to (fun + relative comfort + small travel potential). I just do not like the looks. And that's a bike part of riding... (I would love to take the Trident 800, but the lack of luggage strap-down points makes this a no-go)

Ready to dial the dealers, some algorithm or another put the Speed Twin 1200 in my view. Not uninteresting. I rode a Scrambler 1200XC last year, and the motor packs a huge punch!

Now my question is: could it do what I need it to? Fun + relative comfort + small travel potential + looks (subjective, but I love it) ?

I ask here because a) it's still raining and b) there are no ST1200s around me, and riding 150km just for a test ride is not ideal.

How fun can it be in the twisities? Friday I rode the Z900RS for the thousandth time, and it felt lethargic and unwilling to corner. Certainly not playful at all. Is the ST1200 similar? Or is this a "cruiser on a straight, but fun machine in the twisties" bike?

EDIT: Also reading up on the bike, lots of people talk about the engine heat that comes off in city traffic being unpleasant. In Central Europe, we do get 30-35°C more or less regularly in the summer. Can anyone comment on that too?

PS.: I appreciate you all for your help, but I am not looking for any bike recommendations here. Really just interested in the ST1200 with this post.

PPS.: I used to own a ST900 and that thing gave me nothing but headache. Also the seating position was too low for me. I hear the ST1200 is better.
FWIW, the MT09 I'd have to buy new for around 11'000 dineros. For the same money, I can get some decently used ST1200s up to 2023 model

Heya!

Been cutting my hair for almost two years now. As it grows very fast, I do it every week, which is becoming annoying. I want something simple that's ideally clipper only.

Would the pictured haircut be that? I guess it's a #1 on the side, a multiple of that up top, and then try to blend the top ridge?

I have more of a round face, so no idea if this would look any good. Also don't have a chiseled chin like that, but luckily my long bushy beard conceals that nicely.

Thanks for the help!

Moin

Es ist mal wieder Sonntag und es regnet. Da gehen die Gedanken schon mit einem durch.

Seit langem besteht der Wunsch, in irgendeiner Motorraddisziplin an Rennen teilzunehmen. Beim Stöbern bin ich über meine alte Leidenschaft der Endurorennen gekommen.

Gibt es hier eine einigermassen gut aufgestellte Amateur Rennszene?

Wohne in BaWü, und hab weder Zeit noch Mittel quer durch Europe zu reisen. Aber wenn es hier was gäbe, wäre das natürlich ideal :)

(Ich bin auch noch kompletter Anfänger und würde noch einiges an Trainings machen. Das Ganze ist auch mehr ein langfristiger Traum. Aber irgendwo muss man ja anfangen :) Aber wenn es das mehr oder minder lokal nichts gibt, dann muss ich den Wunsch vielleicht endlich abheften und mich mit anderen Dingen beschäftigen)

Not sure if this is the right place to post...

I recently - i.e. 15 minutes ago - learned about Beach Tennis. Now I want to play it!
Love tennis, padel, and beach volley ball, and this seems the bastard child of all three of them.

Except, I live in a country with mountains and no sea, and no real beaches (Switzerland). We do have a few beach volleyball courts around, but I am not even sure if the nets could be lowered, even if we dared to.

I know the beach volleyball net is a fair bit higher, 2.4m vs the required 1.8m.

Still, I am wondering if it would be good enough to start? Has anyone tried? My sports groups are picky eaters, so I wanna make sure it can be fun before we pay a fairly big groschen for it.

(beach tennis balls can be bought, and for rackets we could use our Padel rackets I reckon. I checked out "proper" rackets, and while longer, they are similar in weight to the padel ones...)

Omg it's late...obv *buy

EDIT: Thanks for the many responses. And my bad, I should have mentioned this. Due to ear damage, I really, really, really cannot do screens. I tried, like, a lot. I cannot. It has to be a naked bike, whether I like it or not.

Before you lynch me: yes, pictured is the 2026 model, but my purchase would be of a 2022. Most likely anyways. Though the fuel savings of the new model the sales-guy raved on about are interesting...

It's been a long, frustrating year of being disappointed by bikes. I cannot seem to make the right decision. My gut is mostly wrong.
What I want is a fun bike that is somewhat comfortable to ride for 5+ hrs and decent to look at.

Trust me, I have exhausted nearly all options. The XSR900 is the best of what's left. Incidentally, I love the motor and the looks, so that works out.

The problem is twofold:

• I am not sure how comfortable the slight forward lean will be over time. Seems similar as on my Striple 765, and there it becomes a problem after 2hrs
• The suspension is stiffer than expected. One of the main reasons I want to get rid of my 765R is that the suspension is way too harsh for our trash roads here. The XSR was not much better. Maybe 5-10% improvement? I know I won't find GS suspension on a street bike. Just not sure how much room there is for adjustment.

Ordinarily I would buy it, ride it for 1'000 - 2'000km (600-1200mi) and if it does not suit me I move on. Except that's what I have done twice now with my Aprilia RS660 and my Street Triple.

The obvious solution would be to just buy the MT09. Problem here is I would need the new model, as the old ones are a bit too twitchy for comfort. They cost 20% more than the XSRs around here. Also yikes.

So I guess my questions are:

• Would a 20mm riser make a ton of difference for touring comfort? (the guy told me that taking weight off the front makes it less steer-able? Like what? )
• Does the stock suspension have enough adjustability to make it comfortable?
• Should I just go for it? Or just I swallow my desire for aesthetics and just roll with the MT09 (only other somewhat okay-ish alternative is the GSX8S...)

Thanks for the help! My head is burning and my gut is an idiot. Hopefully you can help!

I am looking for a new bike to be fun and (relatively) comfortable. I have come a long way, starting from sport bikes and sporty nakeds to ultimately land in the retro segment. Tbh, it's not for the looks, but rather the upright ergos and the lack of transformer-designs.

All of them - GSX8T, XSR900, Z900RS, Speed Twin 1200 - can be had for roughly the same price range used (~8'000 - 9'000 dineros). All of them are wildly different motors.

I have tested them all, and still cannot decide. Tbf, the 8T test has been a few weeks back.

Anyway. What made you choose the 8T over the others, if you did? And if not, which one would you choose and why?

I know some may be tempted to go by looks, but I do have specific concerns with each of them. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am. But personally, I have the hardest time to decide which compromise to accept.

XSR 900: Sporty seating position and motor, while fun, is not chill to cruise on. Love it for canyon carving, but not for a nice chill Sunday ride (which is maybe 30% of my riding). Bar risers could fix the position, but that's only a maybe. Also looks can be meh. Some days I love it. Other days I don't know. Too much power for my taste. Riding modes help.

Z900RS: Love the design, but being in my mid 30s, it feels slightly too old for me. I know it makes not sense. No IMU. No riding modes. No QS. Snatchy throttle that can be super annoying in slow city traffic, of which there is a lot here. Expensive given what it does not have and others do.

Speed Triple 1200: Lots of torque, too much for the way I ride. Double exhausts make easy chain maintenance a chore. High triumph service cost. + I have a bad history with the brand.

GSX8T: Non adjustable suspension. Plus enough ride, but it would be neat to firm it up a bit more. Great motor. Design concerns similar to the XSR. Some days I love it, other days I would not care to look at it. Seems to be the beige blend out of all the 3 models above, while being the most expensive one too.

As the popular saying goes: All roads lead to the Z900RS. Actually it might say SV650, but for me it's the 900RS. Whenever I get pissed at my current bikes, my mind goes to her.

Here's the conundrum. I have tested the RS 4 times last year, one of which was a full day of rental. The first time I rode her I was blown away. Smiles as wide as my ears for 30 minutes straight. The second time I started to notice flaws (was an early 2017 model), like the suspension and the twitchy throttle. The third time I started to get used to the i4 motor and it's grunt. The 4th was the rental day, and it was the cafe version, but without the cowl, but still lower bars. At that point, I was over it.

Since then, I went on a spree of poor purchase decisions. I now have two bikes in my garage that I cannot ride for longer than 1hr due to my bad back and perpetually sore (from other sports) wrists: Aprilia RS660 and Street Triple 765R. Both also have really stiff suspension for the super bumpy chip-seal roads we have here.

So needless to say, I might go for the 5th test-ride within the last 12 Months, and I might already do it today or tomorrow.

What I need to know, and what I cannot figure out in the 30 minutes they give us here:

• At any point prior to 2026, has the twitchy throttle been fixed? Like, is 2024 less twitchy than 2017?
• Has it been fixed in 2026 even?
• Can the adjustable suspension give a somewhat comfy ride where it does not shake out my fillings when riding bumpy roads?
• Can you really, like really push it to have fun? The alternative is an XSR900 (or MT09, or 790 Duke), but I don't think I'd ever turn around for it to admire it after a ride. It would not have me look at it from the cafe and be like "daaayum"

Generally, I want a bike that's comfortable enough to ride for 4-6 hrs without issue, but also gives me that "16 year old dummy on a SuperMoto" / hooligan kind of vibe when I want it too.

Thanks for the help! Any points you ll raise I will try to incorporate into the test ride.

Moin liebe Gemeinde,

Wer aufmerksam im Forum liest, sieht in letzter Zeit vermehrt Beiträge von mir: ein neues nackiges Mopped soll her. Aktuell stehen zwei in der finalen Runde: MT09 R69, und seit vorgestern auch die KTM 790 Duke (Bj >= 2025) . Letztere hat es nur soweit in der Auswahl geschafft, weil ich das Design sehr gelungen finde (bzw. das von der MT fast schon abstossend). Werde beide am Wochenende mieten und schauen. Aber KTM kommt mit etwas mehr Ballast daher...

Ihr könnt gerne generell eure Meinungen da lassen, aber vielleicht vorab: Das Mehr an Power interessiert mich nicht, und ist sogar etwas lästig. Weitere Empfehlungen brauche ich auch erstmal nicht, danke :)

Mein Hauptfrage ist: Kann man der neuen 790 Duke, die ja seit 2025 von CFmoto gebaut wird, soweit ich weiss, wieder trauen? Insolvenz ist abgewendet, die Käse-Kurbelwelle gibt es nicht mehr, und die meisten negativen Berichte stammen von bikes von vor 2025. Mit 8'000 dineros neu ist sie günstiger als die meisten R69 Modelle hier unten, und kommt mit 4 Jahren Garantie (die Yammys, da gebraucht, habe ich maximal mit 3 Monaten gefunden.)

Bin gespannt!

Hi all

So I am currently searching for my next, and hopefully last-for-a-while, bike. Recently I have made a few bad purchasing decisions, which, although they are fun, I cannot ride for multiple hours (RS660, Street Triple 765R).

As the background image (used in this post of mine) suggests, I have had a selection of bikes I was considering. But all of them come with some caveat, even if it's just the looks (*cough* MT09 *cough*) or the price.

Tbh, though the Dukes have been recommended occasionally, I was still a bit doubtful when it comes to KTM. But when I googled it, that was quickly forgotten. Gorgeous. As. Hell.
I love aggressive sports bike styling, but usually the bikes' ergonomics are too aggressive for me.

What I want is a bike that works, is fun in the twisties, has lots of torque in the low to mid range, but is also comfortable enough to sit in for 4-6hrs, and maybe for some extended touring.

So...

1. Is the Duke 790 that? Or the Duke 890?
2. Is the suspension on either bike at least comfy enough to not destroy my back on the horribly bumpy chip-seal roads we have everywhere here? (For reference, the 765R is too harsh for me. The RS660 is on the low end of tolerable)
3. Also, did anyone choose it over the MT09? Or go for the MT instead? If so, why?
4. Also also, can I finally put to rest the fear of unreliability with KTM? Or should I have really good road side assistance if I go travel on it?

Thanks for the help!
I will test one as soon as I can, but usually in the 20 minutes we get here not all can be experienced. Also it's raining now, so I cannot do much anyway.

Hi all

Some may recognize my username. I am the doofus who traded his BMW in for a Striple 765R, only to realize 1000km later that his perpetually exhausted mid 30s body cannot handle the seating position or suspension for more than 2 hrs. Ah, life. (And yes, I adjusted the suspension).

I am considering trading it in for the Trident 800. When I got the Striple, the T800 was a close second and only discarded because it is so new and thus expensive. But now here we are.

Those who own it and/or have spent significant time on it: How do you like the suspension? I am 85kg, and the striple killed my already bad back. We have lots of poor chip seal roads around. So the bike I choose next needs to have at leaast somewhat passably comfortable suspension.

Also, has anyone ridden both the Trident 800 and the MT 09 ? What would make you choose one over the other?
(I near loathe the looks of the Yammy, but it is more easily available and cheaper to surface)

PS.: I have ridden the T800, so it's not entirely strange to me. I just did not get to test it over bad roads, and they are rather rare here in Switzerland, so I need to be quick...

PPS.: How the hell do you strap down a larger tailbag like this on it? With no tail to hold down the rear straps, it seems like the only option would be a top case carrier plate? ...

Before anyone comments "get a touring bike" - no thanks. I want/need a naked bike and cannot deal with screens. I also mean "relative comfort", just enough that my fillings don't get shaken out of my face on our shitty roads here.

I want a naked bike that I can sit on for 4-6 hours to explore the gorgeous Swiss Alps nearby. And when I get there, I want to have fun carving up twisties.
(Just to re-emphasize that: I live in Switzerland, that means high fines, slow traffic and tiny roads)

I have ignored all of these bikes because I find them looking mid (hence mid-off), and that's me being kind. But choosing bikes by visual appeal and gut feel, just like in dating, has worked out spectacularly poorly for me.

What I want specifically:

• 50 - 80 Nm of torque (37-60 ft-lbs) at around 3'000-6'000 rpm
• decently upright body position (I have short arms, so even slight lean like on the Tuono are too aggressive for me to hold over 5hrs)
• decently relaxed knee angle
• ABS + TC, IMU preferred
• Cruise control would be a huge plus
• Somewhat comfortable suspension....We have a lot of chip-seal roads here + our local city councils are such space exploration fans that they are dedicated to turning our streets into the lunar surface. That + my bad back do require at least a somewhat compliant suspension. For reference: Aprilia RS660 is just on the edge of "acceptable" whereas the Street Triple 765 is too harsh. Just my experience.
• Budget: All of the pictured bikes, in their standard version, are within the budget, the Trident 800 at 11'000 dineros being the most expensive. Hope that gives you a frame of reference

I am leaning towards the Trident, but it's entirely new, so no cheaper used bikes available. Not ideal. Also it's mostly the looks (and the motor sound) so not a great basis.
MT09 is a monster, but also has a bit too much power for my liking, but I could deal with it.
SV650 does not have TC, and it just does not get me fired up. That said, I know y'all will recommend it.
Z900... you cannot throw a stone without hitting one around here. They are everywhere. Also the 900cc engine is fun, but I got bored of it after 2 days of renting a Z900RS (my dream bike if it did not have wood for suspension...)
MT07 and GSX8S..both fine bikes with fun motors. Neither really appeals to me and the motors aren't anything special, especially these days.
Speed Twin 1200 (not pictured). Dunno. I used to love retro bikes, but after riding the Scrambler 1200, the motor is just a bit much to really wind out in our tiny streets here.

So, let me have it. Which one would you recommend for the job and why?
(I have tested all of them at some point over the years. I will rent the top 2-3 candidates for at least half a day before making my decision).

Feel free to suggest other bikes, but I have ridden A LOT of bikes in the past 12 months and will likely have one reason or another why it's not listed here already.

Heyho, me again!

TL;DR: Even after adjusting the suspension to comfort, the bike still hurts me in ways that even my sportbike does not. Should I spend time and money on trying to tune the suspension even further, or should I give in to my impatient side, acknowledge that some bikes just don't work for some people, and move on to a Trident 800 or MT09 (both of which I find meh visually...)

UPDATE: First off, thank you all for your kind comments! I literally just got back from riding the 765R and my Aprilia RS660 back to back. Same 1hr route, same rough roads, same lane choices. What I can confidently say is that while the Aprilia is more aggressive in the seating position, the suspension is better. Like, way wetter. Bumps that went right into my wrist on the Striple were a mere small shake on the RS660. It's still a street bike and by no means really comfy, but it was noticeably better than on the 765. That's why I don't think it's really an ergonomics issue, because the sportbike is arguably more aggressive. The final verdict was given when I was glad to get off the Triumph, but added another 45 minutes on the Aprilia. I am still supremely exhausted, but I am less sore in the wrists and knees. (The knee pain does not really come from a bad angle, I think. It's more the fact that I sort of levitate over the seat so to not have my back constantly fucked by the Triumphs suspension. On the Aprilia, I just "sit" on the seat, which is obviously better for the knees...)

I both love and hate this bike. It's gorgeous and powerful and handles amazingly. I love that! But the body position is at the limit of what I can tolerate (I have tiny t-rex arms) and the suspension is so bad I want to sue Triumph for physical assault. (/s).

The Striple was meant to be the *more* comfortable complement to my Aprilia RS660. Yet, even after the most cruel and exhausting 6 hour / 300km ride of my life on the Aprilia, I was more or less fine the day after. The Triumph gave me achy wrists and a sore back after a 4hr ride on Thursday, forcing me to sit at home doing nothing on a gorgeous and warm May 1 yesterday.

Over the past few rides I tried to set up the suspension. I followed the manual, set everything to comfort. Measured the sag and set the preload today. Yet I felt little to no difference. My local roads are pretty bumpy and I just felt like driving across a cheese grater for 2hrs today. Not fun. I ran the same roads with the Aprilia as well and somehow, body position aside, it felt smoother.

I am just tired of this. I've been through a few bikes the past year, and all I want is a comfortable bike that does not destroy me, but is fun to ride in the twisties.
Now, I will say that the Striple was always an experiment. I got it knowing that I might not keep it for long. So now here I am, some 1'200km later. What do I do? (I know that's not a lot of mileage, but realistically what will change in another 2000-5000km...)

Should I chase the possibility of making it comfortable? Get new springs, new fork valves, change the oil? What could I realistically hope for here? A 5% improvement? Based on my wrists and back I would need at least a 50% improvement to be somewhat comfortable. This will all cost money and take time - both of which I'd rather spend on touring than tinkering.

Or do I acknowledge that gorgeous and fun as she is, she is not for me, and consider the Trident 800 (and maybe the MT09 - I got the Triple bug now...) instead?

Moin zusammen und frohen Feiertag!

Ich erhoffe mir hier eigentlich die Schlussfolgerung: Gibt es nicht! Dann könnte ich mit meiner Entscheidung in Frieden leben.

Situation: habe meine BMW R1250R gegen eine Street Triple 765R (2023) eingetauscht. Die Entscheidung bereue ich absolut nicht. Den Spass, den ich auf der Triple habe, ist unmessbar höher als auf der BMW. Soweit so gut.

Die Striple sollte eigentlich eine Ergänzung zu meiner Aprilia RS660 darstellen, welche mir nach mehr als 1-3h Fahrt, bedingt durch die Sitzposition, Schmerzen in Handgelenk und unterem Rücken verursacht.
Zwar ist die 765R aufrechter und damit bequemer, allerdings ist das Fahrwerk enorm steif (selbst nach Anpassung gemäss Handbuch). Ironischerweise habe ich heute, am Tag nach einer 4h langen Ausfahrt, mehr Schmerzen in Handgelenk und Rücken, als ich sie je auf der Aprilia hatte...

Auf super ebenen Strassen ist sie fantastisch! Aber alles was in Deutschland kein "B" im Strassentitel hat, alles, was nicht Hauptverkehrsstrasse ist, oder alles, was in Frankreich ist, ist absolut nervig und zT schmerzhaft. (Insbesondere Rollsplitstrassen - kann es sein, dass die viel mehr Bodenwellen haben?)

Nun. Gibt es sowas? Ein sportliches Naked-bike der letzten ~5 Jahre, unter 1000cc (und eventuell unter 12'000 EUR gebraucht), dessen Fahrwerk wirklich komfortabel eingestellt ist/werden kann, sodass man selbst komfortabel über Französische, Italienische, und Englische Nebenstrasse cruisen kann?

PS.: Ich werde die Streety auf jeden Fall erstmal behalten und mir professionelle Hilfe fürs Einstellen suchen.

Only had her for a week, but I already put 1000km / 600 miles on her. This machine is bonkers. Like a cruise missile searching for curves, and then surgically slicing through them. I have owned many bikes, but by far this is the most fun!!

Except. That damn rear shock. I know, I know. It's a sporty naked. It's meant to be firm. I get it. But it's driving me nuts. In my little 3-corner nook in central Europe, where France, Switzerland and Germany meet, curvy roads are aplenty, but the road conditions are a farce.

For an hour it's fine, but I like to do longer rides. Today I went out for 5 hours, covering 250km / 150mi and after the first few hours the roads became really annoying. Not 2 consecutive seconds passed where some bump or crack would not give me a good shake and shock of the lower back - just where I don't need it.

Before you scream: I have both fork and shock set up to the "solo-comfort" setting.

What else can I do here? Is there a comfort seat? Are there any aftermarket shocks that provide touring comfort? For some reason, brands like Wilbers or HyperShock only have shocks until 2022. Does anyone know EMC?
Push comes to shove: is the Trident 800 any more comfortable in the suspension department?

I really want to keep the Striple, as I like everything about it except the damn rear suspension. If this were a bicycle, the fix would be so simple...

Hi all

After fixing my battery dilemma, I am growing more and more enamored with my Striple.

Sadly, I have a bit of a perpetually bad wrist, likely from overloading it with a bunch of other sports.
Even more unfortunately, the Striples throttle feels uncharacteristically heavy for a fly-by-wire one. My previous BMW felt like there was near no resistance at all, and even my current Aprilia is noticeably lighter.

For short outings it's bearable, but I do intend to go on a longer tour soon.

Is there anything that can be done to the throttle itself to lighten the resistance?
(I know there are different gadgets for the wrist to rest on etc. which I will employ in the short term. Just curious if there is a persistent solution)

FWIW, I live in Europe, so aftermarket cruise-control clamps are highly illegal afaik.