winter

... is the time of year when you realize that a naked bike is perhaps not the best all-year-round bike. I managed to get through last winter okay with a few days of very cold fingers but this year the lack of protection was becoming a bit of an issue. Combine that with a few niggles - better protection so I can do a longer run up to my parents in the spring, a lack of torque in comparison to lower-revving machines, slightly too quiet, just ticked over 8000 miles - it seemed like it might be a good time to trade in the CB650F.

A quick browse showed a few nice Triumph Tiger Sports for not too much; a call to a dealership in Didcot, a reasonable trade-in price and the deal was done. Immaculate condition, low mileage, more torque, better protection and generally up-rated all round. Quite a different bike to ride - the willingness to turn in leads the bars to feel almost as if they flop over which requires a bit of push from the turn direction hand but also very easy to ride and feels absolutely solid. 

The one thing that will need to be sorted is the exhaust; while I was looking for something slightly louder than the CB's whisper quiet exhaust (unless over 8000rpm...) this aftermarket job is a bit too loud. Nothing a £20 muffler insert wont fix. There's a bit of controversy about exhaust loudness on bikes; in general I'm not a fan of deafeningly loud exhausts however as my daily commute features a fair proportion of drivers that aren't paying enough attention, an audible warning that there is a bike next to them has got to be a good thing.

It's almost as smooth as the CB's inline 4 but not quite. No vibrations to speak of though which is definitely good, and the build quality is fantastic. I'll miss the CB: my first "big" bike, great fun to ride and it really does teach you to be a better rider. Stripped down, as simple as you can get but utterly reliable, fuel efficient and a lot of fun once you push up beyond 8000. If Honda made a bike on the same platform with more protection and better suspension it would be a winner.

The pièce de résistance, however, have to be the heated grips. Where have you been all my (riding) life?