LONG TERMERS

MAGICAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ONE SAYS GOODBYE

The Suzuki Wee Strom has gone to a good home in the country, where it can enjoy some long and challenging dirt rides instead of constantly being dragged out onto the tarmac in the city. We’re going to miss it – it was just so convenient and user-friendly.

All of us are happy to suggest it to anyone who might be looking for a medium-sized, versatile bike that won’t let them down.

But to move on.

You will find a special “Long Termers” story elsewhere in the magazine with details of the Kuryakyn bits we fitted to our H-D Sportster 72.

It looks the goods, let me tell you, and the Crusher exhaust certainly makes sure that it and its rider get respect on the road!

Meanwhile the Ducati Scrambler Icon is taking over the Suzuki’s duties! We hadn’t expected that, and it is a little awkward at this stage because we haven’t yet got the Ducati accessories, including the luggage, that we asked for – but it is also proving to be amazingly versatile. So keep an eye out for that one.

Most of this month’s article is taken up by Stuart raving about the MT-07.

One of the nicest things about the Big Fella is how enthusiastic he gets about bikes and other stuff – he just loves motorcycling, so anything that improves the experience for him tends to get big ups. This time that’s taken him maybe just a little bit further than he expected – we doubt very much that he will be able to give the Yamaha MT-07 back! Alana actually has her eyes on it, so it will probably become a member of the family.

Anyway, enough from me – enjoy what we’ve enjoyed! PT

YAMAHA MT-07
COMFORT SEATS
Price – $343.71

Standard, the MT-07 riders seat is not too comfy. It is okay for short distances, but anything more and you suffer. The genuine Yamaha accessory Comfort seat was a top priority with our MT-07 and not only has it improved the looks, but comfort is much improved. Another added bonus is it has made the seat height about 5mm taller. Great for my long legs!

When you buy the Comfort seat, it also comes with matching pillion seat.

Both have a suede type finish, with red stitching and the front edge of the pillion seat has an etched “MT-07” logo.

Fitment is simple and took about five minutes. Yamaha has a range of Comfort seats for a number of models. Visit https://yshop.yamaha motor.com.au/ or your local Yamaha dealer. SW

RIZOMA MAGIC ELISSE MIRRORS
Price – $124.17 Euro ($182.60 Aus) each. Mirror adaptor – $7.92 Euro

Have you seen Rizoma awesomeness in the flesh? If you have you know that Rizoma is the bee’s knees when it comes to aftermarket accessories.

We have received a box full of Rizoma awesomeness to fit to our MT-07 and we thought we’d start off by showing the amazing Elisse mirrors.

This particular mirror is made from billet aluminium and has 3D machining for an exquisite look. The glass features an amber coloured antiglare mirror, which is also highly water repellent, making it much easier to see things behind you when raining. Fitment is supreme, as you would expect from such a high quality product. For the MT-07, it required mirror adaptors and setting them up is easy.

As a mirror, the Elisse is very stable and it’s easy to see what’s in the mirror. The antiglare works a treat and looks like it’s been gold plated.

If you want the best from aftermarket accessories, look no further than Rizoma. There are a number of Australian dealers.We had a Rizoma ad in the last issue showing them with all their details. Alternatively, you can visit the Rizoma website to find a dealer – www.rizoma.com SW

DUCATI SCRAMBLER ICON

THE GOFER

I owned a GT750 Ducati for a while, and I’m still kicking myself for getting rid of it. Then again, I did trade it in for a round case 750SS, so I didn’t exactly go backwards – except in terms of comfort. The GT was a perfectly normal midsized naked bike, with an upright riding position and a seat that accommodated my (somewhat less demanding, at the time) backside well and ergonomics which were certainly not perfect, but not bad either. Um, well, there was the clutch, which gave my hand more exercise than it really wanted – but so what.

In a way, the Scrambler is a modern version of the GT but with a much nicer – also wet – clutch.

In fact, everything is much nicer on this smaller reincarnation. The bike is almost supernaturally easy to ride with a near-perfect upright riding position, even nearer perfect ergonomics and a reassuringly aggressive (if also mechanically a little loud) engine. The bike is smaller than the GT and the engine is larger, which is fine by me.

In fact the whole bike is fine by me – so fine that it has turned from an interesting project bike to my daily transport. We’re currently waiting for some genuine Ducati parts and accessories to play with, so keep an eye on this department for more Scrambler talk. PT

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