Thread: 690 SMC - How about an Update?

Would the owners of new 690 SMC's give us an update on their bikes and how they are performing?

Yeah, us guys in the States need to live vicariously through all you SMC owners. At least until our SMC's hit dry land next month!!!!!!!!!!

May is going to be a great month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well.... it's a great bike, but still running in and no akra-mapping installed yet so I didn't go "all the way" yet

have no pictures yet but a tail-tidy in combination with an akra seems to give some problems with the indicators.

Its awesome. So much better than I was expecting. The handlings superb ( the tyres are like glue) the engine feels so much better than my old Lc4 and it looks the nuts. Its not perfect , the suspension travel would be better shorter ( a la 690sm) but with modded suspension settings its very live-able with .
I guess it will be even better when run in , but so far I have to say its the best handling , most fun bike I have owned in years, even better than my 950sm which is saying something .

Dudes , get excited ...right now , your going to be in for a fab summer

I've been running mine with the akra since I bought it so I cant comment on the differences it makes. I hope to get the map fitted next week so I'll let you know if that makes a difference. The engine itself sounds a little rough, but the growl from the akra drowns this out nicely and makes you want to keep it on song. The brakes are amazing but there is a fair amount of travel but the best bit is the turn in and the power on exit. I've never ridden a bike that wants to tip in so quickly and now I find I am hunting out tight twisty roads on every ride. I hope you guys in the US have some nice twisty country roads because this is where the bike needs to live, rather than long straights or long smooth radius curves, where I guess the 990SM would be far more suited. Not done any mods yet but hope to get round to tidying the tail soon. No regrets at all with buying this bike. Happy days.

Tyres are great but I did manage to envoke a slide exiting a roundabout the other day - at the same time as pulling an accidental power wheelie! I was racing a golf GTI at the time