Triumphrat

NikosR · 11-23-2006

Tomorrow (Friday) is the big day. I'm taking delivery of my brand new blue '06 ST ABS.

I want to thank everybody who answered my questions these last few weeks.

I'm quite a bit apprehensive since I haven't ridden any bike for the last 3-4 years and I'm getting old and rusty. My last bike was a '99 red ST.

I'm getting the bike with the TOR can and the 20106 SAI tune installed.

At the 1000km service I will have the 14mm front brake MC replaced under warranty with the 5/8" one. I will bear the cost of replacing the front brake pistons with the ones of the 675. I hope these mods take care of the mushy brakes problem. I will also have the heatshield kit installed.

Next thing to do will be to change the BT020s with something more appropriate for the Greek mirror-like road surfaces :evil:

At the 1000km service I will also have the statig shag (preload) set-up and will then decide if I go with a bit of heavier fork oil (12 or 15).

I will report after my first ride.

I just hope the weather is OK during the weekend. It had been glorious these last couple of weeks over here but it has turned sour since yesterday

No my main problem is that my 'significant other' has no clue I'm getting a bike. I hope she doesn't faint when she sees it in the garage :-D

I actually made the decision to get a new bike when she announced to me she was getting a new Mazda MX-5 convertible. I guess its middle life crisis for both of us

[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-11-22 23:35 ]

ruscook · 11-23-2006

Cool NikosR, sounds like you know you're style of riding and how you want to sort the bike out to suit.

Good luck and enjoy

Russ

DaveM · 11-23-2006

NikosR,
congratulations mate.

If you want a stickier tyre I can make the following recomendations.

If you are a sporty type rider as am I I would go for either the Michelin Pilot Power or the new Bridgestone Battlax BT 002R & BT 002F it is more like a slick with a bit of tread and a 100% improvement on the 020 in my humble opinion.
These both are a high performance sports tyre which will offer maximum grip but not as much longevity as a sports touring type tyre.

If you want a more sports / touring tyre I can highly recommend the Avon Azaro ST 45 & 46, they handle well and last a long time and are also very good in the wet.

Also in the sports touring tyre is the Metzeler Z6 highly recommended by Don the forum moderator here. Or the Michelin Pilot roads are also popular.

I would say the most popular tyres in this forum would be as follows;

Avon Azaro ST 45 46
Metzeler Z6
Continental Road Attack
Michelin Pilot Roads

I hope your wife doesn't give you a hard time!

Good luck and take it easy out there

cheers,
Davem

NikosR · 11-23-2006

Thanks for the tire info.

Here in Greece the road conditions are very 'strange'. It can get asphalt melting hot in the summer and quite cold in the winter. The surface is mostly limestone based which has a tendency to become glossy just a season or two after laying down. Wet winter conditions and inadequate road draining does not make it any easier and dusty summer conditions tend to destroy any tire quite soon.

The abundance of pot holes and dirt on the road makes life even more interesting. No wonder too many bikers prefer big-trailies and dual-purpose bikes.

Because of the slippery surfaces, tire wear-out is the least of our worries over here! In fact I've yet to see a worn out front tire (unless you do track days). Tires have to be replaced usually much before the tread is worn out due to age and 'integrated' dust taking away any stiction.

That makes tire selection a nightmare. Too soft a tire: Problems in the summer with dust particles destroying the tire quite fast. Too hard a tire: No stiction at all.

For some reason Pirreli Diablos are quite popular over here and I have been recommended either Diablo Corsas front and rear or Corsa front and plain Diablo rear. I think the latter combination might suit the heavish ST better.

And BTW, bike ABS seems to have been invented for the Greek conditions!

[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-11-23 02:27 ]

bakwheeltango · 11-23-2006

Quote:

my main problem is that my 'significant other' has no clue I'm getting a bike. I hope she doesn't faint when she sees it in the garage :-D

dam you ou'll have no problemo taming those 123 ponies if you can pull a manuever like that on your lady! LOL

congrats on your new toy!
:-D

steventhechef · 11-23-2006

I hope you get to sleep tonight.

Good luck with your new steed and the mods. You'll have to tell us how fast the blue ones go compared to the others once you get it run in.. :-D

NikosR · 11-24-2006

Well, I got home an hour ago from the dealer, riding my all new blue ST :-D

The roads were all wet, slippery and full of Friday evening traffic so I can't comment too much on the bike, especially as I had the side panniers mounted, but I'll try.

Trip computer shows 45km on the odometer, average speed 31km/h, top speed attained 141.9km/h.

In comparison to what I recall from my '99 ST days, the bike feels quite a bit nimbler. Seat position seems more comfortable, with the grips a bit higher placed. Less weight on the arms, less stress on the thighs and abdominals. Feet position seems a bit more backwards. I wouldn't like the bars raised even more (e.g. the '07 US edition).

I leave suspension comments till after they set and I set up the shag. Initial impression is that the fork on stock settings seems a bit better behaved than the '99. Still a bit on the soft side.

Sound of the TOR is gorgeous. Popping on closed throttle (due to SAI and SAI 20106 tune). Ear plugs for longer trips a must.

Stock screen a bit too low for the grip position.

Low beams quite nice. High beam all but useless. Will attempt to raise it a bit, but I think it has to do with the projector shape.

All in all, I think I'm gonna love this bike.

The weatherman says its gonna be sunny on the weekend

BTW. The 'significant other' has not returned home yet. :hammer:

[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-11-24 12:41 ]

ruscook · 11-24-2006

Good NikosR. Enjoy the weekend Blues Skies and Blue Bike sounds fun..... hmmm. I suppose that means my red Bike goes with the bush fires out here.... :cry:

Ill see the CC and Team Moto boys at Bathurst at Lunch.

Russ