Finally got mine..
Hello,
I fell in love when I first saw the R9T in October last year. I've never done such a thing, but I called up my local dealer and put a deposit down straight away.
I've been following this forum ever since, although I only signed up recently. I read from afar as other member started getting their bikes, yet I hadn't heard a peep. I kept bugging my salesperson, until finally, in March, I got my email with a VIN. She was born on March 5th, a day before my own birthday! What a nice present from our friends in Berlin!
I went straight down to the registry and ordered my vanity plate - NINET. Now it was a race between our local license plate makers and the boat from Germany, to see which would arrive first. It was a virtual tie, with my notification letter arriving in the mail the Monday after I got my estimated arrival date- the following Friday.
I live in the suburbs outside Boston and spend a lot of time in Maine and NH, and all over the seaboard. There is a lot of pretty riding along the ocean, and in the mountains and lakes of New England. (once you get outside the city..)
Here are a couple of pictures of me on the bike. Not very glamorous, as they were taking with a cell phone in the dealer's lot when I picked it up. I will have more scenic in locales soon enough!
(you can see my super tenere in the background)
First Impressions: The bike really does look better in person than in the promotional pictures. Fit and finish is excellent, and it's a **** sexy bike. When I was waiting for them to pull it out of the showroom, there was a constant stream of people checking it out and asking about it. No one seemed aware of what it was. It was a little smaller than I expected, appearing even smaller than the R1200R.
Ergonomics: I'm a big, tall guy, so take these with a grain of salt. The bike seems very low to the ground, probably because I'm used to riding my GSA and Super Tenere. The bars are forward and low, resulting in a little bit of a hunch over the tank. It's not uncomfortable though, based on my short drives so far. The seat did bite into my ass-bones a little. Not sure if that's the fault of the seat or my anatomy, though. I'll explore other seat options when they become available. I think the walmart pad, or even the airhawk, might be a sin to put on this bike.
Handling: Awesome. This bike is fun. It turns in very quickly, like a sport bike. Suspension is firm but not too firm. I found myself looking for curvy roads and throwing the bike into the corners, and darting side to side because it seemed to beg for it. Very sharp response.
Quality: The fit and finish on the bike are excellent. Everything looks well constructed and esthetically pleasing. The pipe looks and sounds great, too. The switchgear is probably the only thing on the bike that I noticed that didn't look first rate.
Pros/Cons: One thing that became immediately apparent to me was the lack of fairing. Even at low (40-50mph) speeds, there was a ton of wind buffeting. A small fairing would probably help, but it would probably also screw up the looks if it was big enough to function well. Intended use would probably dictate whether to install one or not. The handling, sound, and torque of the motor are a massive pro. The bike just exudes fun. It's not the most practical thing, but it definitely has it's place, and when you're in that place, you'll have a smile on your face! A potential con might be it's size.. if you're a very tall person, you might find hunching over the tank uncomfortable.
Recommend? I'd say for an around town, or back roads cruising bike, it's a perfect fit. I wouldn't recommend it for an interstate cruiser but for short hops it's OK. If you want something sexy, fun, and built on a solid platform, I'd give it two thumbs up!
If you see me cruising around new england, feel free to say hello!
