STR vs MT09

[bigdom86]

still on my commuter saga and think I've finally narrowed it down to the STR or MT09, have test rode the MT09 and did enjoy it and like the looks but was very twitchy and felt like sitting on a 125 bike in terms of the size, hoping the STR will be smoother and a bit bigger.

I'm 6ft2 and 20stone so not ideal for the smaller bikes but the sports tourers are just too much power for a london commute and would be wasted and the adventure bikes like the tiger 800 just feel like they would be too big for decent filtering as I am used to the cbr600 f4i which is brilliant for filtering but numb hands and wrist and back pain is starting to get to me and not enjoying riding it anymore.

which one would you go for out of the two? I'm looking at the 17+ MT09 with the "less twitchy" throttle or the 2012-2017 STR R-model. edging towards the STR as I can get an older model whihc will be cheaper on insurance and less of a thief magnet

[grr666]

Faced with same choice I went for the twitchy bike that wants to kill me.

[Pigeon]

Think you need STR >=2013 to be safe on the immobilisor being standard.

Also, ST is a tiny, tiny bike. That's kinda the point. It's like riding a small bmx bike with 100bhp

Enjoy the test ride

[Nobby the Bastard]

Having ragged an fzr thou round and through london size and weight is a state of mind.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[chickenstrip]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[bigdom86]

the size of the bike does worry me a bit but I am trying to think of something more suitable for the job tbh other than going boring and getting a NC750, coming from the cbr600 I still want some power and grunt and something which looks nice. the tiger800 was good but felt a bit too big for london commuting

[Polarbear]

I found my STR very comfortable, wonderfully responsive, brilliant handling and fabulous brakes.

I also wouldn't have dreamt of commuting on it. It's a toy, a fun bike, a weekend warrior to piss over sports bikes with.

I'm sure you could commute on it but its just so wrong!
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[bigdom86]

well i currently commute on a cbr600 so can't be much different in terms of power just comfort, I'm not ready just yet to get a boring scooter or nc750 for commuting. i still want it to be loud and have some grunt to it!

[MarJay]

Just to check, are we talking Street Triple R, or Speed Triple R, as a Speed might be better for a bigger lad...?
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[chickenstrip]

[Baffler186]

[bigdom86]

indeed the Street Triple R, the speed triple R might be nicer as looks a bit more roomy but I feel would be a bit OTT for london commuting (105bhp vs 140?bhp), although I could try test riding the speed too, is it that much more roomy?

I test rode the new RS yesterday and a 12 plate R (underseat exhaust version) - tbh I wasn't too impressed with the RS seemed a bit tame, the old R i actually really enjoyed riding, felt more spacious and was much louder even with stock cans than the RS, the RS had arrow can but was so quiet, also the R seemed to have more pull from 1-3k than the RS? only thing I preferred on the RS was the slipper clutch as was really light.

the bars did feel pretty wide in terms of arm positioning just as I am used to the closer position of sports bikes but I could get used to it.

so currently edging towards the R. I did try a 15 plate MT09 but at 20stone it felt tiny and like I was on a pogo stick I was bouncing everywhere.

you think would be worth trying the speed or would be OTT for my commute?

I love everything about my CBR besides the seating position, my hands are constantly getting numb, biceps and arms always killing holding all my weight up eventhough I grip with knees, also knees starting to hurt too due to peg height.

yeah new bike needs to be ULEZ compliant for me.

I don't mind the look of the old fazer 6 too but I think the latest ones are 2012-2013? so pretty old, although by CBR is 2002 if I am changing I would want to get something perhaps 2014+

[c_dug]

You've mentioned the physical size of bikes a few times, thought I'd chip in as I've gone through both extremes a few times, often straight from a tiny bike to a huge one.

The best bike I probably ever had for filtering was my '93 CBR600F. It had both mirrors removed and would fit through the absolute tiniest of gaps, and bars low enough to go right under almost all car mirrors. A very close second must be the FZS600 Fazer which benefited from better steering lock, at the cost of higher bars.

At the other end of the scale, my current R1200GS is a monster, it's tall, wide and heavy. It's surprisingly nimble for the size, but there's no getting away from the overall width of the thing. I also had a Diversion 900 for a year or two which was also at the bigger end of the scale, though nothing on the GS.

The big bikes have never really slowed me down all that much, we're talking a matter of 5 minutes or so over my 22 mile London commute, the longer tank range on the Diversion probably saved me more time than the size lost me!

The only really difference for me on the GS is a bit of frustration when I get to a tiny gap I can't get through. On the CBR I knew that if I couldn't get through, then even cyclists would struggle, on the GS there's a sense of "I'd have been through here on the CBR".

Not really trying to convince you to go for a bigger bike, small bikes are certainly easier to filter on, just saying that a big tourer/adventure bike isn't necessarily the end of the world.
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