Highland Motors

[John in Leeds]

Originally Posted by KTiM

Thanks John, what is the OTR price? I e-mailed Rock and Road as there are no prices on their 'site but had no reply.

Hi Tim

quoted price is £8200 I think. If the bike was a little better sorted it could be worth it (certainly compared to the overpriced BM), however I think that it would be really difficult to sell if I found I couldb't get on with it, so making it a VERY expensive buy. Derek at Rock and Road will certainly take an offer but as yet I don't know where to pitch it.

Potentially this is such a good bike, having talked to all I can who know the bike I don't think the fueling issue (biggest problem to me) can be sorted without a redesign of the inlet tract, I suspect you can play with the map till the cows come home and you would get no further. The makers have produced a stonking motor with loads of power, and a great chassis but you have to able to live with a bike and I don't buy anything without some serious research

will get back to this when I know more

[Zapp22]

sometime in the murky past I found a review of that bike.... i think it was an amateur, like a blogger or somesuch. it was not raving..... seems the rider thought there were a number of things that did not work well about the bike.

but I agree: on paper it looks like they "nailed it"

[John in Leeds]

Other stuff that was not good - crap clocks and switchgear, massive seat height and Volvo good looks (sic).

Edit after 2 months I take this back:- the clocks are just different, now I'm used to them they work well as do the controls and switchgear. Everything is really practical even the seat height is now a benefit, good view and comfy suspension.

However they are not the the main elements of a good functioning bike (seat height excepted). Good news is that one tester stated it was pulling on from 125 (could be the crap clocks - I could hardly read them) before he gave up the unequal effort against the wind and that was a fast as he wanted to go on a supermoto. Also showed some very confident wheelies and stoppies. Could be that it fills it's nitch above the 600 enduros and below the HP2 and 950 ktm enduro, but with more comfort.

BTW if you get to any test info other than the defunct Motard mag please let me know

Cheers

[Tim]

Thanks John.

INO the Desert Storm is a big improvement in looks over the original.

[John in Leeds]

So the decision is made and the bike (an Outback) will be mine at the beginning of March with an 07 plate. The deal includes road and trail wheels so I will give some serious testing after it's run in. It will have a detachable rack and screen (they are all like that sir) plus appropriate spockets.

Will it fulfill it's promise, if you don't try you will never know

Hope to be back with something positive at the end of March, wish me luck

[805gregg]

Good John, let us know how it works out.

[SQD8R]

Originally Posted by John in Leeds

So the decision is made and the bike (an Outback) will be mine at the beginning of March with an 07 plate. The deal includes road and trail wheels so I will give some serious testing after it's run in. It will have a detachable rack and screen (they are all like that sir) plus appropriate spockets.

Will it fulfill it's promise, if you don't try you will never know

Hope to be back with something positive at the end of March, wish me luck

John,

Congrats. Please post up when you have some further insight into the ownership of such an exclusive machine. I think a lot of people are interested but lacking in real owner feedback. Thanks.

Dale

[Tim]

Good on you John, I look forward to hearing of your adventures

[Tim]

Hey, John, it's been a month now, so how's it going?

[John in Leeds]

After a frustrating delay caused by the Registration Authority wanting to check the bike (the certificate of compliance was not enough) I picked the bike up from Rock and Road in Bolton.

Start up involved several prods of the button but it soon dropped into an irregular tickover characteristic of some track bikes. The exhaust must be legal (it’s got a certificate) but I’m not so sure. It does have a quite a characteristic note. Leaving a minute to warm up as I got on helmet and gloves, then out into traffic with a little throttle to leave the irregular tickover behind. Choosing to take the non motorway route through Rochdale and Halifax to give the best conditions for running in first impressions on this dry sunny day were how the front end came up with even gentle throttle away from traffic halts especially after nosing to the front of a queue at traffic lights, cure sit further forwards with arms bent (remember to move bars and controls when I get home). Poor fuelling off idle seems to be getting better or am I getting used to it.

Over the Pennines from Littleborough the chance to pick up some speed, how easy this is even with gentle running in throttle, its plenty quick enough until I get these Pirelli Scorpions scrubbed in 19 inch front with 150 by 17 on the rear. Handling seems excellent with very compliant and controlled suspension, brakes a little softer than I’m used to but powerful enough with a little more effort. You never really can make a firm judgement in these areas until you get the opportunity to push it hard. Six short miles of motorway near Leeds (couldn’t resist) allowed a burst of 5000 rpm (max for running in period) that showed a nice easy 90 on the clock. This gave a great feeling of pleasure as a major requirement was that the bike would comfortably cruise at 90 and this it did really well, the motor being smooth and relaxed with unexpectedly little wind blast although there is no screen protection to speak of. Stability was really good, no front end lift under that long front mud guard the front end feeling well planted and with what looks like loads more speed up to the red line of 9000.

Home to have the first good look away from the shop. Onto the side stand while I remove gloves, helmet and jacket. Fiddling with the steering lock the bike cams off the side stand and falls on me flower pots flying, it falls onto the folded up stand and the tyres leave the floor. I hang onto the bars Oh F*&^%&& ! but easily lifted it back up again, another major requirement ticked off, easy to pick up and no damage, Great! The stand will need some adjustment to give more cam over for security, must watch that.







Looking round the bike it really starts to come home to me how well this thing is made, solid, practical with no superfluous plastic or embellishments, no toolkit however only a ‘c’ spanner for the Ohlins shock, must carefully plan this over the next few days. So move the handlebars (Magura) forward and adjust the controls, easy, must do something about the rubber mounted mirrors they wobble about too much to clearly identify following vehicles although with these bars of course the view is good. Here comes the rain so away (easily moved around 164 kilos dry) in the garage for the night. Two bikes in the garage now, spoilt bugger!


Following afternoon, the rain has gone and the roads mostly dry although some ominous clouds are scudding overhead. Off to Harrogate on my favourite back roads, I can really check it out now without going over 90. Fill up the 22 litre tank for the first time and away. This feels really good, the bends pushed a little more as we progress, the brakes pull off the speed easily and the really big bumps are dealt with as never experienced before, far less need to concentrate, the faster we go the better it feels, can’t wait for this thing to be run in. Another 4000 rpm to go at but I expect that as there is so much grunt at the bottom end there is little chance of a major helping of power in that region, time will tell. Back home after the 30 miles of familiar roads, full of euphoria, even running in this bike does it all, will the Rosso Corsa have go?

Pull off the cover, the Guzzi looks gorgeous, thumb the button, instantly into life with that wonderful ‘basso profundo’ of the titanium cans. Off on the A61 north, sweeping on at an easy ‘goodbye licence’ she’s just like comfy shoes, no she’s a keeper, should not have worried. Just a very different ‘biking experience.

The problem with a new bike is you want to justify your purchase and judgement, and subconsciously I may be no different, so allow my indulgence and as time goes on and I get some mileage on both on and off road, we may get to something more like the truth of the matter.

More to come, if you want it.

[sTE610vE]

It looks great, more (and bigger) pics please! I have always been curious about these bikes.

[Tim]

Thanks John it looks great, as sTE610vE said, more and bigger pics please! I must say that I like the look of it. Highland have addressed the one thing that I didn't like on the older bikes and that was the side panels, the ones on your bike look like a big improvement.

I for one will be most interested to hear of how you get on with the bike so please post as much as like as/when you can.

[BikePilot]

Sounds great, keep us posted on the new machine. Particularly interested in how you find its servicing and fuel mileage/range.

[805gregg]

Another nice bike we can only look at, if they were available in the US I would be in the market for a new bike.

[BikePilot]

I thought they were available in the US. I know they were imported for at least a couple years, perhaps they are not currently being imported, but used ones pop up once every so often.