John, John, John! Welcome aboard and I couldn't be happier. I paid my subscription fee long before you joined and your presence makes this site worth twice the current cost. Maybe I will just pay more so that I don't have to be harassed by the Buell Advertisement any longer.
I laughed out loud when I read your comment about signaling turns by honking. I test rode the standard Mille today, ok so it wasn't the R, but the horn (read: turn signals) required way too much concentration to operate. Exactly why does a motorcycle priced at $13k not have self-canceling turn signals? And how about a gear indicator? I can quickly access my lap times, top and average speed, but can't tell which gear I am in.
I can hear that fat-ass Boehm now
"Hey John, forget to take your Paxil?" Hopefully you have a lawsuit pending for that crap. But dude, tone it down a bit, eh? I was thrilled to see that the first portion of your twins test was the street ride, since that is where most of us ride. Honestly, who the hell enjoys commuting? So to criticize any of these bikes in LA rush hour traffic is irrelevant. We, at least I, couldn't care less. Street riding is the "non-track" portion of the test. Put the bikes in the back of a truck and ***** about not being able to enjoy them because you are stuck in traffic.
Wow! The Mille kicks ass. What a tasty morsel that 60-degree V-twin is? Admittedly, I hate the way it looks. I read a comment earlier comparing the Mille's bodywork to a '94 GSXR. The guy that wrote that should be on your staff, brilliant, and nothing could be further from the truth.
I rode the Falco also. I love the way the Falco looks. However, the claim that the Falco's engine has been de-tuned for the street is meaningless. It revs up like an SV650, albeit a bad ass SV650. On the other hand, the Mille
well you have to ride one to understand the difference.
Now if I could just have the Falco, with the Mille motor, self-canceling turn signals, a gear indicator, a slightly more relaxed riding position along with the swing-arm from the Mille
Aprilia, are you listening?