I've been using it mostly for commuting since getting it plated, which was really my intent in buying it, but yesterday I did take it out to the same roads that I would take my R1 to in the weekends, just to really get an overall idea of what it's like to ride the bike for the street. I also plan on doing a trackday on it, just to go full-circle in getting to know it.
Until then, here's what I got:
My previous Cripple experience was on the black one to the left,
on which I've previously spent a day riding.
I'm thoroughly convinced that there is no more-perfect real world engine than a triple.
Yeah, I said it
I say engine, cause regardless if its a supersport like the 675, or an upright like an S3/Tiger, it's the engine that really make these bikes super useful. For reference, I've had a parallel twin, a v-twin, and a lot of inline 4's, all in differing displacements. The triple engine is a real gem.
The engine is just bonkers in how composed and useable it is. I'm like, "WTF engine, can't I get a rise out of you or SOMETHING??"
I've tried wringing its neck on acceleration, or blipping and rev-matching the hell out of it at downshifts, and it just says, "Meh. Here's 70 ft.lbs of torque right from the bottom. Do whatever you want until you lose steam at redline. I DON'T BLOODY CARE."
I've said it before, but the whole gearbox feels like ONE gear in how consistent each gear's characteristic and torque output is; it's like Triumph just placed six gears for the sake of going through the motions of shifting. And because of its flat torque curve (is it still a curve if it's flat?), the bike thinks it's in a drag race in any gear everytime you shift - you feel all that torque, no matter where you are in the powerband.
It's omnipresent.
If all other engines are diamonds in the rough,
this one's a brass knuckle; just as nice to get your
hands on, but ultimately more useful in urban assaults.
The other thing that I really like about the engine is how docile it feels through the chassis, and ultimately, on the bars. The proverbial buzziness that an I4 engine emits is not there with a triple, I'm not even sure the engine mounts have or need any damping. It's just an overall pleasant experience to be riding on top of one. I could be nit-picky and say that the engine-braking isn't as pronounced as say an I4, but really that's just a testament to how linear the engine output is, in either accelerating or decelerating. For you to fault that, you'd have to be one of them riders who swears by needing to have "character" in your bike. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but there's nothing wrong with this either.
Regarding the migration to an upright bike after many years on supersport ergonomics, it did take me a few seat time and riding types to get accustomed to it, and was a good reason why I wanted to do a shakedown in the twisties. It's given that you get more wind-resistance at freeway speeds, but I was more concerned with the spatial sense of being upright - going into corners and tipping the bike to its side where I then use my peripheral vision as a tool to determine how much I'm leaning in relation to the ground. Riding an upright bike has always made me feel like I'm leaning more than I need to, at the very least because my head's so high up to begin with. Yesterday's 3-4 hour shakedown through the twisties really helped me get acclimated to the riding style needed to ride upright, and I eventually figured out the proper BP I ought to be adopting when riding spirited on the Cripple. I do want to say that it really helped to get my upper body down and forward to really help load the front-end; prior to doing this, the Cripple's front end always felt light to me when leant over, and I didn't like that feedback. The bike also benefited from having a lower-profile (it's amazing what a few millimeters can do), but wider (Renthal) handlebars; the low-profile pretty much shifts more of my weight forward to plant the front end, and the wide stance lightens up the steering due to more leverage. I highly suggest this upgrade if you want even quicker-steering for your upright bike.
Upright and wide - I feel and look like I'm flying while flexing my upper body.
Them CRG bar-end mirrors are the bee's knees and tits though, I underestimated them!
Apart from these two traits I've written about, and an inherently more plush suspension than my R1 (still need to have the Cripple's suspension set up for me), it's just like riding any other supersport. Yes I know I've pointed out how much more gentlemanly in composure the Cripple is, say compared to my R1, but the sheer fun factor you could get out of it is just the same as what you would get from a supersport. I wouldn't be surprised if its strengths drop off when I ride it 'round a track, but for real world purposes - everything from commuting to weekend jaunts to short stints - the Cripple is a great bike to be on. I always said that every motorcyclists ought to also own a truck. Well, I might also start saying that every motorcyclist who rides the street ought to own a triple.
The R1 was already relegated to weekend riding after buying this, but after
yesterday's twisty jaunt, it was in hot water of becoming an actual garage queen...
I give my 12-year old Cripple three thumbs up.
(and maybe another couple for the pair of bug-eyed headlights, cause they do a great job of deflecting wind! )
