| Depends what you want the bike to do Frank.. Road or track?
I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I would like to stand in the shed alongside the ST when I finally get enough dosh. Fortunately, my kids are grown up now and I've only got to pay for my daughters wedding and my sons final year at Uni this year and then I should have more disposable income to spend on...well...Me!
I would like something sportier than the 'capable but plain' ST2, and a little more power than the quoted 83 bhp. But why? What am I looking for? I shall keep the ST because it's bought and paid for, doesn't owe me anything and is a great all rounder for longer rides, wet days, touring and a bit of scratching. I guess I want a single seat something or other that has a sporting edge, more firmly set up than the ST, a bit sharper and less of a compromise. A bike that I can keep for dry days, and treat to a lot of fettling and bling to keep it as an object of desire.
I can't see myself doing loads of trackdays. I like doing them, but can't afford to do loads of them. So my riding will remain 90% on the road, 10% track or thereabouts. So what to get. Big power is not an issue, I don't really need something with power that I can't use on the road, so I reckon around 100-ish bhp is plenty, after all, even the 83bhp I've got has never seen me get severely embarrased and left behind on a rideout, and it's enough to see me in the fast group on trackdays.
The easiest thing I could do would be to take out a 10K loan and go and get a new 749S, some new leathers and a new lid or a low mileage 999 (even seen some new imports for £8.5K). But, I'm a contrary old git that likes to be a bit different to the pack. This contrary nature also applies to going down the 748 or 996/8 route.
What I keep coming back to is the notion of trying to find a two or three year old 1000DS for about 4-5 K and spending my dosh on a bit of tuning and a few bling bits that save as much weight as possible. Quoted weight for a 1000DS is about 180Kg, if I could shave 10 to 15 Kg off of that in the right places (wheels could save 5Kg for example), we'd be talking. Spending money on suspension and brakes would be the next thing to make it stop quick and go round corners really well...and I'm quite intrigued by Neil Spalding's 1080cc conversion for the DS. There we would have it, a shade over 100 bhp, thumping great lumps of two valve torque and a good handling bike weighing about 165 Kg.
More than enough for the road and enough to stop me getting blasted away on trackdays except down the straights - which ain't where it's at for me anyhow, if it was I'd just get a Gixer thou and join the point and squirt brigade.
[Edited on 20-12-2004 by Jools]  |