Would an SM be the answer?

[Whosthedaddy]

I am getting sick and tired of the shoddy roads on the inner city London roads as part of my commute, this couple with just as bad tarmac at my end of the journey too. The vibrations and bouncing was enough to shake a back box off and then a month or so later break the metal support bracket too (even though empty).

Its a nightmare on the throttle, either belting it along to absorb as much as possible or plodding about and being bounced all over the place.

Grrrr.

Now, I did look at the KTM 690 and Ducati baby hypomotard, could a SM be of better use on the pole holed urban sprint?
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Frost]

Mate had a 660SMC, the bike managed to shake it's own side stand off on smooth roads
If i lived in central london i'd have a SM just for the ease of low speed riding, and visibility given due to the higher seating position etc.

[chris-red]

I love my TDM for London work, comfy, tall and with real punchy power, it is also a big looking bike and has a big turning circle. It's not exactly a SM but it is of a similar type of bike.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
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[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Leaning past van/lorry/4x4 mirrors can be a bit of a pain. I think the upright seating position gives you more confidence full stop. I probably go through London just as quick on a deauville as I do on my SM. The SM seems to wheelie alot more though!

Getting in to London on the major A-roads will be a pain though. According to G the new 690 is much better for vibrations but the older KTM's and most other SM's are generally rpetty annoying for them.

I think the ideal bike is probably a CB500/ER6 sort of thing. Or better still a Deauville, even with those panniers they get through almost every gap a scooter can.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[boundy]

I think you might be getting confused between supermotos and commutermotos

[delvey91]

SM is always the answer.......
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2016 Honda Africa Twin
2006 KTM 200 EXC

[G]

A trail style bike can have softer suspension and not still bottom out under harsh braking/cornering (and both together).

The softer suspension will help smooth out the bumps.
The longer travel shouldn't help, however much we complain about roads in the UK - none are THAT bad!.. however of course as above can mean softer suspension is more practical.

Oddly enough, a commutermoto may actually be better for smoothing out bumps because they tend to be a lot heavier - so there's more momentum and a better ratio of sprung to unsprung weight.

The 690 is the smoothest of the three decent lightweight big cc trail/supermoto bikes I rode.
Note the standard 690SM (not SMC) and Dukes weigh more than the enduro/SMC version. However, if I'm paying for a light weight 'sporty' bike, that's what I want to get .

Welcome to have a go on my 690 sometime if you're over this way.

As I've gone on about before - if you do lots of tight filtering, you will probably find the SMs a bit limiting - there's enough cases where I'd take my GSXR between a gap, but physically wouldn't be able to fit the KTMs bars.

[chris-red]

[G]

[chris-red]

[G]

I quite get the clearing mirrors thing – I still have to do this on occasion on the GSXR, especially if I’ve left my own mirrors out.
If it’s just the mirrors that are two narrow – single point to get through – it’s not a big issue. It’s when the gap between the body of the vehicles is too tight all along that I find the smaller bike better. Folding the mirrors of the GSXR in means I can get through gaps that the KTM wouldn’t fit through or at least would be damn tight.
A while ago I had a case on the zx9 where the right hand muff was against the side of a van while the left hand bar was pretty close to a car on the other side. No way I’d have had a chance on a bike with wider bars.

This decreased width also gives a bit more confidence filtering towards oncoming traffic.

[chris-red]

[Whosthedaddy]

When I sat on the SM's it didn't feel natural nor did it feel bad. The idea of having nothing between your legs (big fuel tank) was a little worrying and the wind blast would be tiresome. However, averaging a fair bit over the NSL for the 15 -20 miles before the remaining 15 odd miles of 30/40mph starts, I'm lucky to have a clean licence still.

[chris-red]

[G]

Enduro bikes tend to use the same bars as supermoto bikes.

A commutermoto style but with low power and lots of weight generally – for instance I believe the XT660 range has around the weight of my GSXR, but only 2/3rs the power of my 690, which weighs a decent chunk less and has better components.

I do fairly often find myself filtering on the GSXR in situations I wouldn’t on the KTM. Until having ridden the KTM and ZX9 etc back to back, I wouldn’t have said sports bike either. In such situations, there isn’t another way generally – the traffic is tight for a reason and I’ve chosen the route that offers the most width. I’m not going to expect on coming traffic to get out of my way when there’s a double decker bus very close to the other side of it!

The narrowness easily makes up for the need for a little planning (or wheel spinning) for me.
Oh and it’s definitely got ‘punchy power’ when it’s needed .

[Whosthedaddy]

Commuting in Lonon has turned me from mild mannered to racing and beating couriers through the traffic and shouting at cars on the way.



I find that even though 'bigger' than the peds, I can actually filter just as fast as them and often beating them when they've gone on the other side of the road and I've stuck to down the middle of the cars.

Clip ons do seem like a good idea, nice and narrow, low and easily directions easily changed.

A sports bike on the roads just doesn't?
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy