Triumph Speed Triple RR or Ducati V2 Troy Bayliss edition?

[pedrosixfour]

Monday doesn't look too bad, just cold but im sure the duke will keep you warm.

No heated grips.

Absolute poverty spec of a yoke.

[Alfaguy]

So today was collection day for the V2. The forecast on last Wednesday got it spot on - dry but very very cold - and cold it was! Overnight there was heavy frost. As always I plan these trips with military precision. Yesterday the T120 got a good going over - cleaned and polished until it sparkled like a jewel like it always does and all the basics checked. I gathered all the service records / receipts and service books manuals. Not that this was a big job as I keep a special lever arch file for every vehicle I own so it was just the odd receipt that was still awaiting filing.

I even managed to put on its new tax disc that was on my desk since before christmas - such was the bad weather we had the T120 and most of my other bikes except the scooter never got used much - especially the T120. That was the thing about the T120 - I always seemed to grab the keys of some other bike when we did have a reasonable day. I always had the T120 gleaming so even the risk of a shower made me pick some other bike.

Then there was the Thruxton R of course to which the T120 was always being compared by me. The beautiful T120 was always being outclassed by the Thruxton with its sport mode and more sporty feel and riding position. I seemed to prefer the T120 as an ornament to be polished and admired rather than a bike I could ride. So love it as I did its position in the fleet became precarious with the arrival of the Thruxton and even more so when I became spoiled and flattered by bikes like the S1000RR

Dublin means a 5:30am out of bed job for me between dogs and cats and making sure I have got what I need together and not to forget anything. But the frost was so thick and the temperatures so frigid (-2) I had to postpone my departure until 7:30am when I had at least daylight.

It was an uneventful journey up. I do have excellent gear for cold and wet weather and all of it had to be used today. The heated gloves and heated grips on the T120 meant no cold hands but it was my feet that started to feel the cold a little.

A 162 Porsche 911 had its engine explode in front of me. A big plume of smoke hung over the car in the still frost air and sparks coming out of the back engine cover. I thought Porsche had solved the exploding engines issue? Luckily it did not drop any oil or I would have been a gonner.

The Ducati was collected without any hassle but I felt very sad parting with my T120. I guess you do build up a strong bond with a bike even if most of the time is spent polishing it.

The V2 of course is on its break in period for the first 1000km so I have been ordered not to let the revs over 4,500 and to use the quick shifter sparingly. But on the trip down I could discern that its comfortable and as agile as the S1000. The exhaust sound would wake the dead. The performance verdict will have to wait until after break in period is over - but things are looking good on that front too.

The long goodbye





Panigale joins the fleet at last - My Thruxton is in another garage being cleaned and polished.

[bloke]

Hard man biking there AG up and down the country in that cold!
Any chance you were tempted to stall until summer for a 222 reg?

[-alan-]

Health to drive on the Panigale AG - hell of a machine

Keep 'er between those Kerry hedges!

[Alfaguy]

Hard man biking there AG up and down the country in that cold!
Any chance you were tempted to stall until summer for a 222 reg?

The bike has been sitting in the showroom already registered, taxed and paid for (at least the cash portion) since Mid February so I am sure the dealer would have got a bit irate if I did not complete payment as in deliver one pristine "showroom condition" T120 to them pretty soon. The rain is back on Tuesday so it was a weather window I had to avail of.

I was under a bit of time pressure as the insurance was timed to switch from the T120 to the Ducati at 12 noon and it was 11:40am when I arrived so most of the motorway journey had to be done at the max 120km/hr. Four hours is the time it normally takes with one stop at Barrack Obama but this time I had to do two stops. Obviously on the way down things were a lot more relaxed and it was great again to be able to zip through the perpetual Adare traffic jams.

The trip cost me €53 in petrol between both bikes (the Triumph was running on fumes when it got delivered) and about €20 for food / beverages so a lot less than the €530 Motorcycle Express quoted me to do the same job.

All in all a pretty good days work but I gotta have my trailer ready for the next trip because at the end of the day I am pretty worn out.

[Alfaguy]

On a side note there was a Triumph speed triple RR in the showroom in that candy red that they look so good in. But the bike is basically a speed triple with a cafe racer front fairing and headlamp stuck on which costs you €5,000 more than the €20,000 speed triple list price. Not such good value if you ask me so in the end I am happy I made the right decision.

[Alfaguy]

No heated grips.

Absolute poverty spec of a yoke.

Not quite though its got the heated seat option - have not been able to find the on/off button yet though - its probably explained in the manual.

[Alfaguy]

Filing this here for later - radiator guards are a must so have to install them. The crash bungs etc though?? Apart from there being no obvious place to fit them I think just like the Thruxton they would ruin the lines of the bike so I am going to take my chances without them.

[TuneR]

Lovely bike, ride safe mate. Also i didn't watch the videos but other than the Ohlins and stickers, what differences does it have over the standard bike?

[Alfaguy]

Lovely bike, ride safe mate. Also i didn't watch the videos but other than the Ohlins and stickers, what differences does it have over the standard bike?

I think its more a cosmetic exercise than anything mechanically significant but I thought the basic V2 was a bit dull with that big slab of plastic fairing and nothing to break it up.
They left out that the exhaust is not standard V2 either. I know its only a slip on - not sure what make it is but boy does that bike growl and unlike my other bikes it can be heard on the move too.

in a nutshell, is a V2 with a special livery, trick Öhlins suspension and a few other shiny little trinkets. Trinkets like a lithium-ion battery, a signed fuel tank, and a numbered, billet aluminium triple-clamp.
you get Öhlins NIX30 forks and an Öhlins TTX36 shocker, so it’s probably going to be a bit of a weapon on track – the standard one’s pretty good – and it’s 3kgs lighter which is always nice. But really it’s just a Panigale V2

[Mike205]

So today was collection day for the V2. The forecast on last Wednesday got it spot on - dry but very very cold - and cold it was! Overnight there was heavy frost. As always I plan these trips with military precision. Yesterday the T120 got a good going over - cleaned and polished until it sparkled like a jewel like it always does and all the basics checked. I gathered all the service records / receipts and service books manuals. Not that this was a big job as I keep a special lever arch file for every vehicle I own so it was just the odd receipt that was still awaiting filing.

I even managed to put on its new tax disc that was on my desk since before christmas - such was the bad weather we had the T120 and most of my other bikes except the scooter never got used much - especially the T120. That was the thing about the T120 - I always seemed to grab the keys of some other bike when we did have a reasonable day. I always had the T120 gleaming so even the risk of a shower made me pick some other bike.

Then there was the Thruxton R of course to which the T120 was always being compared by me. The beautiful T120 was always being outclassed by the Thruxton with its sport mode and more sporty feel and riding position. I seemed to prefer the T120 as an ornament to be polished and admired rather than a bike I could ride. So love it as I did its position in the fleet became precarious with the arrival of the Thruxton and even more so when I became spoiled and flattered by bikes like the S1000RR

Dublin means a 5:30am out of bed job for me between dogs and cats and making sure I have got what I need together and not to forget anything. But the frost was so thick and the temperatures so frigid (-2) I had to postpone my departure until 7:30am when I had at least daylight.

It was an uneventful journey up. I do have excellent gear for cold and wet weather and all of it had to be used today. The heated gloves and heated grips on the T120 meant no cold hands but it was my feet that started to feel the cold a little.

A 162 Porsche 911 had its engine explode in front of me. A big plume of smoke hung over the car in the still frost air and sparks coming out of the back engine cover. I thought Porsche had solved the exploding engines issue? Luckily it did not drop any oil or I would have been a gonner.

The Ducati was collected without any hassle but I felt very sad parting with my T120. I guess you do build up a strong bond with a bike even if most of the time is spent polishing it.

The V2 of course is on its break in period for the first 1000km so I have been ordered not to let the revs over 4,500 and to use the quick shifter sparingly. But on the trip down I could discern that its comfortable and as agile as the S1000. The exhaust sound would wake the dead. The performance verdict will have to wait until after break in period is over - but things are looking good on that front too.

The long goodbye





Panigale joins the fleet at last - My Thruxton is in another garage being cleaned and polished.

Very nice, I wonder which one will you use the most

[Alfaguy]

Very nice, I wonder which one will you use the most

The S1000 is getting used the most during the dry days at the moment (scooter if its wet). I expect it will be the Monster when I get the steering damper fitted - going up in April for that. I am just not happy how jittery that bike gets in heavy winds at around 100km/h or behind trucks etc but even at that it is my second most used bike.

[Alfaguy]

Good and pretty insightful review of the V2 here. I got glimpses of a lot of what he says on my ride down from Dublin while staying below 4,500 rpm. I totally agree with Yamie that this is probably the best panigale for the street.

[bloke]

955cc twin? Wow that's cool. I haven't been paying attention, I presumed it was like a 1200 ish cc V4 or something.
Nice. Looks bloody gorgeous in the red!
Dunno if I'd be bothered with a monster if I had that.

[Alfaguy]

Well the Panigale is nice but the monster is/will be my everyday bike within reason when I get it set up the way I want it. > Termignoni fully system, Steering damper, tank bag and some crash protectors.

What a contrast today's weather (Sat March 12th) is compared to last Saturday when I collected it. I have only been able to take it out for a short spin last Sunday.