The name may make you think it's a 950c. Well, actually it's a 1200cc. Here am I, just in front of this italian big twin.
she does not look huge with its fairly nice looking two-toned fuel tank. The silencer seems a little alone on the left of the bike: it makes the bike look a little unbalanced.
Spoke rims, Brembo brakes: contact with the ground seems good enough.
The instrumentation includes an analog rev counter, and everything else is digital like speedometer, engaged gear, two different trip meters, engine and outside temperature. When you start the engine, a big Moto Morini appears: very cool feature ;)
I get to sit on it now, the saddle is comfortable, I am well sitted, not slipping and not to high.
I reach the handlebars. WOW!!! it's wide! I feel like on a Cruiser. So you get a big lever effect : the slightest pressure makes the bike move a lot. Morevover the position is not very agreeable. And finally, the riding position is not that good for me: I'm 1m70 for 70kg...
Whatever. Time to start the engine: just a short press on the button and I can hear THE ITALIAN SOUND.
The engine is a v-twin... and a big v-twin: 1200cc, I can figure it out very fast the engine is strong, powerfull with a lot of torque, but it's alos very "ON / OFF". If you turn the throttle on, you feel like a bullet in a gun barrel. If you turn the throttle off your helmet ends in the handlebars...
in first and second gear, the front wheel tries easily to reach the sky. The effect is not that violent, but I'll be carefull with the throttle...
The engine knowk a little when re-accelerating at low revs, but no more than any other big v twin. On the whole, this engine is fairly good.
Braking is made by Brembo. Even if it's not radial, braking is powerfull and gives a good feedback.
Now, the bad things... the rear suspension...
The ON/OFF side is more or less quick to handle using some caution with the throttle, making it easy to ride fast in curves.
But there, The bike becomes very unpleasant.
"WTF??? is there really a rigid treillis frame on this bike???"
We talked about this issue before the road test, but now, I'm riding, and the feeling about the rear suspension is very bad. The least bump on the road makes the rear suspension pump one or two times and the immediate reaction is a slight wobble: the front end of the bike shakes a little side to side. The frame is actually rigid, but the bike feels like the frame was made up of plastic.
Side effect? no way to knwo if you slip for real or not when you re open the gaz out of a corner... I tried to adjust the suspensions but no way... The feeling remains really bad.
This weird, because on the spec sheets, the lateral shock absorber with fully adjustable piggy back tank looks good.
Conclusion: I love the engine... but the riding position and the rear suspension are definitely not for me.
Oh, one more thing. The 9 1/2 is a real italian bike: a screw from an exhaust cover decided to leave its place, resulting in a weird metalic vibration. (no, it wasn't the clutch)...
Malkavian.
+ Engine
- rear suspension
- wide handlebars and riding position
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