Re: The new hotness...
TL;DR - had a long ride, it was good, don't miss old bike at all.
After 444miles I got her serviced and unlocked at the tail end of last week. Lind Norwich did me a favour and got me in the same day (as I asked) after I realised an upcoming trip would take me well past the 700 mile maximum and break my warranty. 350-700 is the mileage for running in.
This past weekend I rode Norwich to Newbury to Norwich, all avoiding London and the motorway network as much as possible and now sits at ~800 miles. Some notes
Navigation/Headset: Works pretty well, doesn't like it if you blow through a junction and miss a turn, tends to want a U-turn at the next round about. I wish it would say, U turn or it's 3 miles extra or something like that, I like options. Because you can't see a map (my phone is in the tank bag I can't see it) on the dash it's sometimes hard to know the right choice when faced with complex junctions. It would be nice if in time maps were added to the dash itself like on the cars. I don't have any bluetooth earphones for use in a helmet right now, so I used my old Ultimate Ears moulded ones on a lead, plugged into my phone via a USB-C to 3.5mm jack. Once the dash came online and took over the audio, on my Samsung android I simply went to Media Output and selected Headphones instead of ICC6.5 (the dash) and got the audio from Spotify and BMW Navigation. Sorted.
Comfort: I still have the OEM pegs/levers/standard seat. I was in Road mode for the entire trip. For the first time I was using my RST 4.2 M2M 1-piece airbag suit (more of that in another post), and under them I just had a base layer and some Endura MT500 Protector Shorts (
https://www.wiggle.com/p/endura-mt500-protector-undershorts-ii ). I think the bike is pretty much made for someone my shape and size so I shouldn't have any complaints and honestly bike riding is never super comfy but this was very very good for what it was. Ride quality in Road mode was pretty plush, big bumps are going to unsettle any bike but I never had a moment where I felt the bike should have done better. Riding with cycling shorts on is a no brainer for me, these MT500's have a slim comfort pad and the added bonus of D3O armour on the hips, an area often neglected on 1-piece suits. And so my butt was pretty comfy in the saddle for the 9 hrs of riding. My knees often give me the most trouble. I did a lot of stretching before leaving and made sure I stretched my legs when I was sat on cruise. Over all they were done in when I got back but a little recovery time and I was ok again. The suit definitely made a difference here goes to show gear which fits makes a difference. I wasn't intending to use the 1-piece but my 12 year old Dainese 2-piece broke the linking zip 2 days prior to leaving and forced my hand. I have room to move backwards on the seat and change the knee angle, I just wish I could stay back, every bump knocks me towards the tank, a flatter seat would help but then under hard acceleration you need the support so...shrug...
Controls/Vibrations: Mine doesn't have much vibes, did the 2 days and never felt my fingers were buzzing. I can see it in the mirrors (the vibrations) but other than a lack of rear vision as times there were no complaints here. I do use cruise a lot especially in 30's and 40's and am always using that time to stretch and rest the digits on each hand as well as the legs (at risk appropriate times).
Powertrain: Way too much for the road. But overtakes are hilarious when you drop to 3rd, pull out and pin it. Held WOT (wide open throttle) a few times to make progress and she just picks up her skirt and lunges at the horizon. Wouldn't know it had Shiftcam if it wasn't in the literature. It from 6-14000 it just goes off like a scolded cat without any noticeable changes (dips or kicks). Below 6 (where most road riding is done) it just pulls cleanly making 6th gear over takes effortless. Cannot wait to try it out on track. Gearbox is pretty slick, sometimes it's a little reticent to shift for a given load/rpm but it does always get there with a bit more lever pressure. I'll be putting it back to Race Shift soon as I've decided I prefer that over all. It's mind boggling to think it can be better and yet a full map would release more.
Tyres: Dunlop TT. I'd fit another set in a heartbeat. Turns nicely, road feedback is enough without over whelming you. Grip is great as far as I can tell, not pushed them in the turns, but I feel confident on them. Not had to deal with rain yet. Will probably leave them on for Brands GP in June and see how they go.
Body/Paint: I do hate that these bikes are all too easily scuffed and marked through normal use. I'm going to see about getting a full valet, polish, ceramic coating, PPF job on it before much longer...though it's possibly already too late. (Just buying up a spare set of panels may yet again be the only way).
Overall: Please I upgraded, nothing except the cost of replacing EVERYTHING, has made me want my Gen3 back.
To come: I have a box of stuff I've not yet fitted...
