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2015 Demo Days

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Went to the Yamaha demo in Brampton last saturday. Next time I will go early to beat the lineup. Start time was 10am and I got there around 10:15. Already a lineup and all rides booked well into the afternoon. Anyway, I got to try out the FZ-07 which I'm seriously considering as my next street bike. Test ride was maybe 20 min or so.
 
AF4iK said:
Went to the Yamaha demo in Brampton last saturday. Next time I will go early to beat the lineup. Start time was 10am and I got there around 10:15. Already a lineup and all rides booked well into the afternoon. Anyway, I got to try out the FZ-07 which I'm seriously considering as my next street bike. Test ride was maybe 20 min or so.
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And how did you find the ride? (maybe post something in the "review" section)
 
LePhillou said:
And how did you find the ride? (maybe post something in the "review" section)
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Too lazy to start a new thread lol. The ride was fine. My group size was approx 8 riders including leader and sweeper. Pace was legal with a couple of brief opportunities to squirt the throttle past 80 km/h. Mostly straight roads but they did take us on one fairly windy road that was over far too quickly. Don't remember the route we took though, sorry.

As for the FZ-07, I liked it a lot! I've only owned 600cc bikes so this will be my first foray into a comfy "standard" motorcycle. My thoughts:

- First thing I noticed when I sat on it was that the foot pegs hit my legs. A little annoying but not a biggie.
- The next thing I noticed was the throttle felt a bit choppy. I found it difficult to be smooth at lower RPMs. However, it might just be a matter of getting used to the bike and adjusting the throttle cable the way I like it.
- The tank is skinny. This is good for shorter riders as it improves the reach to the ground. But I found it a little awkward while riding because I had no natural place to anchor my knees. Squeezing the tank felt like an exercise in cracking a walnut with my legs.
- The seat is surprisingly uncomfortable. It's better than my 600RR but it's still fairly thin and the shape feels weird on the buttocks.
- Yes, there are some positives! Low end torque feels great! Cracking the throttle open results in a surge of fun =) It doesn't feel fast per se like my 600RR feels but it feels very lively.
- Seating position is awesome! I could ride it all day.
- Suspension soaks up bumps nicely although this is probably not so great when attacking corners. At the pace we were riding it felt great though. Which leads me to...
- Handling. Felt immediately comfortable. Coming from a sport bike I really felt I was riding IN the machine rather than on top of it. Funny because I thought the same thing about my current bike when comparing it to a R6. The difference in this case was dramatic.
- No issues riding without a windscreen but at 80 km/h or less why would there be.

Overall, I have to say that the appeal of the FZ-07 is its fun factor. I know pretty much every review says the same thing but I have to agree with them. The comfy ergonomics, torque-y motor, playful chassis/suspension and price combination is what sold me. Now I just need to sell my bike...
 
AF4iK said:
- The next thing I noticed was the throttle felt a bit choppy. I found it difficult to be smooth at lower RPMs. However, it might just be a matter of getting used to the bike and adjusting the throttle cable the way I like it.
- The tank is skinny. This is good for shorter riders as it improves the reach to the ground. But I found it a little awkward while riding because I had no natural place to anchor my knees. Squeezing the tank felt like an exercise in cracking a walnut with my legs.
- The seat is surprisingly uncomfortable. It's better than my 600RR but it's still fairly thin and the shape feels weird on the buttocks.
- Yes, there are some positives! Low end torque feels great! Cracking the throttle open results in a surge of fun =) It doesn't feel fast per se like my 600RR feels but it feels very lively.
- Seating position is awesome! I could ride it all day.
- Suspension soaks up bumps nicely although this is probably not so great when attacking corners. At the pace we were riding it felt great though. Which leads me to...
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I road the FZ09- I enjoyed it a lot and found some similarities to the things you've mentioned most relatively, specifically what I quoted you above, very choppy at low speed/rpm. Only other thing that stood out to me was the fact that I've ridden 15-20 new bikes this season for anywhere from 15 minutes-1hr and this was the first one that my right forearm was sore from my wrist to my elbow. Could have just been my own fault from torquing the bike around too much in the low end..
Also on a side note, I think it might have been one of the slower rides I've had @ BPS.
 
I was at the West Side Honda demo in Belleville. It was much better than the demos in the GTA, less people and the ride was longer and on nicer roads. Got to try the VFR.
 
Supernam said:
How did you like it?
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I liked it, the fit and finish on it is excellent, it feels higher-end than most other bikes, and it looks great. I love the led head lights. It sounds pretty cool too due to its V4 engine and the VTEC kicks in at about 6900 rpm which completely changes the sound. But it costs 14.5k, personally I'd rather get the FJ-09 for 11k which is lighter and faster and felt way torquier.
 
Doing BMW Toronto Demo this coming Sunday June 21, I'm very excited. I'll be riding R nineT. There is a KTM demo on Tuesday at GP. I have a link on my phone I can post if anyone wants and can't find it, I'd imagine it's on GP's site.
 
Ktm demos are ridiculously slow... They put the 390s up front and the 1290s at the back... Even when the local shop guys leading want to ride spiritedly.... The ktm guy tells them to slow down
 
abkdt41 said:
Ktm demos are ridiculously slow... They put the 390s up front and the 1290s at the back... Even when the local shop guys leading want to ride spiritedly.... The ktm guy tells them to slow down
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Sounds useless.. I'm not going to bother anyway, as much as I'm some what interested I have work and I already moved my schedule around with work to be off on Sunday for BMW. NVM, they want full M or you to be riding a comparable bike currently, I don't think they have anything comparable to an old Honda 70, everything except the 390's are booked so I've heard, and a ticket for no insurance isn't substantial proof of owning or being able to ride a worthy comparable normal bike. Not worth the drive to Whitby IMO.
I digress. Any one on here do the MV Augusta Demo@ Sturgess Cycle last weekend when BPM was doing Yamaha? I had a friend who was going to go as was I, but neither of us did as they wanted full M.
 
eoszlak said:
I digress. Any one on here do the MV Augusta Demo@ Sturgess Cycle last weekend when BPM was doing Yamaha? I had a friend who was going to go as was I, but neither of us did as they wanted full M.
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I might've went if I knew about it, never rode an MV Augusta before. Do you know if MV Augusta will have any more demos this year?
 
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abkdt41 said:
Ktm demos are ridiculously slow... They put the 390s up front and the 1290s at the back... Even when the local shop guys leading want to ride spiritedly.... The ktm guy tells them to slow down
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I would disagree... It depends upon who is leading. I just did a KTM demo ride, and it went pretty quick. The leader was on a 1290 Super Duke. He definitely ripped it a couple times on the highway........... The traction control was coming on at 100KM+ on my 1190 to keep up. Keep in mind it was only Super duke, 1190, 1190R and 1290 Super adventures. No RC390's or anything like that.


I got home and my forearms had a pump from the torque of the 1190's/1290.

That 150HP is no joke on the 1190.... :lmao:
 
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danp said:
I might've went if I knew about it, never rode an MV Augusta before. Do you know if MV Augusta will have any more demos this year?
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not that i know of, but i only found out through a friend. haven't looked at all myself and wasn't planning on it with the full m requirement.

Chasem said:
I would disagree... It depends upon who is leading. I just did a KTM demo ride, and it went pretty quick. The leader was on a 1290 Super Duke. He definitely ripped it a couple times on the highway........... The traction control was coming on at 100KM+ on my 1190 to keep up. Keep in mind it was only Super duke, 1190, 1190R and 1290 Super adventures. No RC390's or anything like that.


I got home and my forearms had a pump from the torque of the 1190's/1290.

That 150HP is no joke on the 1190.... :lmao:
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where'd you do the ktm demo today? damn it. lol im at the office... only just finished for the day.. but i am curious.
 
eoszlak said:
not that i know of, but i only found out through a friend. haven't looked at all myself and wasn't planning on it with the full m requirement.


where'd you do the ktm demo today? damn it. lol im at the office... only just finished for the day.. but i am curious.
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PM Sent.
 
Chasem said:
PM Sent.
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Cheers. Thank you. I'd go out to gp for the duke 390 if I wasn't working, i did tell a buddy who's got a duke 990 I think looking to get an 1190-1290 or whatever. He might go.. I wish I wasn't working.. I'd love to try one, maybe next season.
 
Just got back from the Victory demo at Spoiled sports. It's so nice to be treated with respect at a demo day,not like a kid ,that i'd post up. Got there around noon and went inside to register. Nice lady took my license,not full m ,and asked which bikes I wanted to ride today. I told her the two I wanted and she gave me a bracelet with the unit numbers and said enjoy the ride. No fee or donation or scam.
Got out to the first bike and chatted waiting for some girl the age of my daughter to tell me how to ride and check my dot sticker to make sure it's legit and lay down the rules. All the sudden everyone jumps on their ride ,fire up, get the thumbs up and away we go. About a 20 minute ride.
Once we're back we get free grub and drinks waiting for the next ride and sales staff don't annoy,but do their job.
Once i'm done second ride I go inside to at least buy something to cover all the free stuff I ate and drank, all merchandise 25% off today. Wow again.
Anyway,they're on tomorrow ,and Spoiled sports isn't much further than GP . Weird that I haven't been there before as it's the closest place to where we live.
FWIW I was very impressed with the Vic's,but you have to like that type of thing,not all would be interested. High five to SS and Victory for the treatment.
 
Which bikes did you try? And what do you ride now, if you don't mind me asking.

I don't normally like cruisers, but I do like a couple Victory: the Gunner and the Cross Country.
 
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