Stan, what do you think 701/19 SMCR compared to the current and last gen hypers like the 959 or 959 sp?
I never had a 959, but did buy an 821 SP brand new and owned it for 2 years.
The 690/701 feels like a proper supermoto. It's the perfect balance between a racy tard and street maintenance. It's exactly what I wanted in a street bike.
The Hyper felt like a taller Monster. It's a great street bike, but very heavy. I never really jived with it. I didn't like splayed out seating position, and I just never thought it was more than a decent street bike that I would not dare try to jump off anything. It didn't incite any hooligan behavior. It just didn't have the character IMO.
The new SMCR feels to me like a proper supermoto. Light, nimble, flick-able, and a super revvy motor with low end grunt. I don't know how they did it, but of all the supermotos i've ever owned, this is the only one where I wouldn't mind riding it on the freeway for long periods. The gearing is tall, but not ducati tall. Just think of 6th as an OD gear. You don't even really need to shift to 6th until 70ish. There is very little vibration--similar to a twin.
Docile when you want it, and a beast when you need it to be. I have next to no complaints about the bike, it's just about perfect. They developed it well and it shows.
Pros:
- 74 hp out of a single! with low maintenance.
- the new WP suspension is really good out of box, like scary good.
- feels light
- a full tank gets me around 150-miles
- parts are cheap
- Well designed, no tools needed to remove some of the body panels
- bar lock to lock angle is very good (old 690 SMC owners will appreciate this)
- very good quality and fit and finish it second to none
Cons:
- The dash sucks (but I don't mind it at all)
- price
Funny thing about price is just about all of us paid MSRP, but yet after owning the bike, no one will every say it's over priced and they felt they got less than what the cost should be. Most everyone is satisfied with their purchase.