OK, Today I finally had the time and weather to get my bike out on one of my favorite routes. Fast sweepers, tight curves, smooth and rough road surfaces and rapid elevation changes thrown in for good measure. Here's what I found with my totally stock suspension (the original recalled shock replaced). With a nice road surface the bike was perfection going into and exiting corners. The steering is neutral and the suspension well behaved. While rough road surfaces can be a bit dicey I didn't feel like the bike was unsettled and the front suspension never gave up on me. I just backed off a bit when the tarmac was uneven, or the repair patches irregular and rough. With all of the griping regarding the suspension that I see on this and other sites there is one thing in common with most complaints. The riders are quite a bit heavier than I am, or in some cases ride much more aggressively. At 140 pounds I find the stock set up to be very reasonable for most road conditions and the demands I put on the bike. I'm may not be the fastest rider around, but I do like to play hard. I might find myself tweaking it later in the game, but for now it meets my needs. Braking was just fine and never showed signs of fading, or a lack of stopping ability no matter what my speed. The bike falls into turns easily and accelerates coming out even if I had left it in a gear higher than usual. Just a note on the flyscreen and visor. While some riders may not like the looks with them installed they get the job done. I hit 90 while passing on a few short straights today and didn't feel like a human parachute about ready to bail. They really do work. And speaking of passing... 5 or 6th gear this bike just gets up and goes. The little triple creates an amazing amount of power for its displacement and responds immediately whenever requested. Uphill, downhill, cornering it just doesn't matter. The bike gives you whatever you want when you want it. With all the fun I had on this ride I still averaged 45MPG for the 130 mile ride. The stock seat is just fine. I was able to walk without flinching at the end of the day. I couldn't be happier with the performance and handling of the Street Triple. Best two wheeled buy I've made in years. For those of you thinking about buying one... do it. For those wating for delivery... it's more than worth it. I almost forgot. I like the looks of the belly pan, but yes, it collects every bit of grime and grit on the road. Just one more thing to clean at the end of the day.
