Actually should've titled it
'End of run-in update'
The Odometer shows a reading of 1640 kms today. Which officially means the end of run-in period for the engine. Which in turn means I don't have to keep looking at the rev counter anymore! Excited.
The weekend came with two rides - first to Horsley Hills (in Chittor) and then a finish the run-in ride to Kolar for a cup of coffee Sunday morning. The experience at Horsley Hills was amazing - nothing compares to early morning skies, fresh cool air, tranquility and silence! I want to do more such rides now.
It was quite a good ride for the most part, especially once we had cleared a 5km stretch or so of gravel roads (which were under repair). One thing I would've changed is the number of unannounced speed breakers. Had to stand on the foot peg a couple of times to avoid tank slaps on the nasty ones. Also got the feel of ABS working on the bike for the first time. The ABS works quite well actually - zero skid even on uneven, broken and sand covered tarmac, I've come away impressed. A_v_i - a sincere advice, please don't disable this crucial feature buddy. Saved me from some nasty situations for sure.
Had a couple of coffees with Sammyboy on Sunday morning at the Kolar CCD. That place is like a magnet for superbikes on Sunday. Had a dekko at quite a few of the biggies on Sunday. I don't have a favourite faired bike yet, but would love to see the F3 up close and personal one day. Sammy had a great weekend at the CSS the previous week and was really kicked about the whole experience. His rear tyre told a story as well! Very happy for you brother.
I am very happy with the Streetie so far. Great handler, sure footed, nice front brake, awesome air intake sound above 5k rpm, responsive engine, not too thirsty - all of these attributes make it a perfect bike for me. Things I am not so sure about are the rear brake and the side stand. The rear brake is quite useless at high speeds. I know I'm supposed to use the front discs for braking but I didn't expect the rear to be as dead as it is. Was testing it the other day, and realised that it's pretty nigh futile on its own. I will at some point explore the upgrade option for the rear brake. I'm not sure if the Daytona ones would be an upgrade - we'll see.
The side stand seems to be quite badly designed, IMHO. Had another scare on Saturday when the bike was parked on granite - I had made sure that the Streetie was stable when I parked and alighted from it, and a minute later, I heard the stand scraping on the stone!
Ran with great speed to make sure I didn't have another fall two weeks in a row and stabilised the Streetie. However, I'm either going to ask the dealer to increase the lean angle on the side stand, or just shop for another, more stable and reliable side stand. Nuts!
In other news, I'm kicked about having finished the run in and am glad that I managed to do that before the Goa ride coming up next week. Not that I was planning on insane throttle twists, but it's awesome that I can if needed. Have also managed a couple of additions to the Streetie over the last 10 days or so. Finally had the radiator guard and the screen delivered from UK this Monday. Installed the screen already and will install / have the guard installed by Friday. The guard really is awesome quality - strong yet featherlight. Nice.
Pics from Saturday and pics with the screen follow. I think the screen looks quite good, whatsay? (Please excuse the pics from the phone, rather poor quality, will make up this weekend).
Horsley Hills
The engine protector. Scratches to the actual engine cover are still visible..
Dart Manta flyscreen
Also, A_v_i, let me know if you need more pics of the lever set mate. Haven't really been able to take a camera to the Streetie this week, but will post some more pics over the weekend if you prefer!