Thursday 25 October 2006
I took the 955i Daytona for a test ride this morning and looked into the face of the angels.
And suddenly, I'm a lot poorer.
One minute down the road from the dealers and I knew I was going to buy this bike. What an ride! Smooth as butter. Great torque/accelleration. Very planted. Easy handling. Sharp steering - but not too sharp. Brilliant brakes. And it's sooooooooo comfortable.
I was afraid the riding position was going to be a bit too radical for long journeys, but it isn't very radical at all. It's just a fraction more sporty than the SV1000 (and the SV1000 isn't that sporty!). As far as I can tell from a short ride, it is very easy on the wrists even without risers - and there is plenty of leg room. The worst thing about the SV for me is that my legs always feel just a little cramped after riding any distance. By comparison the Daytona feels very spacious. Sheer luxury.
I loved the 3-cylinder engine. Nice noise and very easy with itself. Effortless. After 2 years living with the vibes on the SV, I just couldn't believe how smooth a ride the Daytona was. I just laughed and laughed to myself right through the test ride. If I hadn't had my helmet on, there's no doubt that drivers would have pulled over to the side of the road thinking they had a lunatic behind them.
It's funny that! When I took the SV for a test ride, the thing that really attracted me was that strong torquey sensation - instant pull right from standing, not snatchy but totally there. What I liked about the Daytona was the very opposite. It has more torque than the SV right through the range, but there is no sense of effort or heavy engagement as you accellerate. It is a perfect balance between a twin and a four. It has the twin's torque, but a four's smooth application - and you don't have to spin it up to find it. (
I'm speaking with the wisdom of the newly converted, of course
)
The only thing the SV has that the Daytona lacks is the engine braking. That's so good on the SV that I only ever use its brakes in an emergency, or to make a sudden manoeuvre. I shall miss that. But I guess I will soon get used to the new engine. And the brakes are really sharp.
I got a few mods added: a gel seat, a hugger and a slightly larger screen. The salesman chucked these things in for the basic price. And that was higher than I had thought. Brian had got it wrong. It wasn't £4,600 they were asking, but £5,400, about £800 more but still £2,000 less than the list price. Once I had ridden the bike though, it didn't matter what the price was. I was lost.
I will keep the SV over the winter. It makes sense. The salesman offered me two deals, one with a part exchange and one without. The one without was better. And, apart from that, I will get a much better price for the SV in the Spring. I can sell it privately through MCN or some such.
I explained the financial logic of all this to Eric, but he didn't buy it. OK. He's right. The fact is, I'm reluctant to part with the SV just yet. But keeping it for another six months does make financial sense as well. So that's a win-win decision. Believe me, it is.
Keeping the SV for a while will also give me time to sort out the service record. The SV has had all its services more or less at the proper time, but I've been very absent minded about getting the service record book stamped. (There's a surprise). I've taken the bike to five or six different dealers over the last couple of years, trying to find one I really trusted, so to get the magic stamps, I'll have to go back to each of them in turn. They're obliged to keep the service details on their records so there should be no problem. I hope!
In the meantime, I can use the SV as a winter bike and keep the Daytona... Where? That's the problem. I suspect it will end up in my kitchen! I've just spoken to the insurers and they are only willing to put the two bikes on one policy if they are garaged. Well, if you use a house as a garage, it's a garage. Right? There is a space at the back of the kitchen and a ramp up to the door. I can get a bike mat. What more do you need? The house is already looking more blokey. That makes me sad, but... It's inevitable, I guess.
Eric rode out to the dealers with me. It was good to have his company and his input. He's very shrewd and knows bikes backwards. He thought I was totally nuts buying the Daytona on impulse like this, but he understands 'nuts' perfectly well when it comes to buying bikes, so in the end, he just smiled and said nothing.
Tomorrow, I will wake up from this dream and think OMG, what have I done? But for now, life feels sweet.
PS I collect the Daytona on Nov 11 after I get back from Scotland.
