Might Be Here Next Week!

Good choice. You won't regret it. If you can't find an S you like there's nothing wrong with the standard model. The stock suspension is damn good when its set up right and personally I've never missed the electronics. A clean bike at the right price is the main thing and preferably one with Termis already fitted.

 

Went out on the 848 at the weekend and Tuesday when it was nice. Enjoyed it with a passion but it isn't the grin factor that my 1098 is, I can't wait for the next batch of nice weather so the 1098 and I can dance again, its an animal of a bike without the electronic trickery. I know I have said this before, but I love it. To be honest I can see Troy becoming more of an ornament than anything else.

P.S. My bike is base model with old style Termis. Great bike.

 

The bottom end delivery probably won't be too dissimilar. Looking at your dyno chart your evo engine will have more down low, especially after the tuning you've had done but they won't feel too different and where the Evo starts to flatten out the SF will be filling its lungs and taking off. I came to the SF from a Triumph Speed Triple. That engine produces a continuous wave of torque throughout the rev range which never lets up. I wanted the same but stronger, capped off with a top end rush which the Triumph lacked and that is exactly what the 1098 gives you. Its like Speed Triple on steroids. You'll notice the extra muscle in the midrange but the biggest difference will be up top. The 1098 has a blistering top-end. You'll see the numbers spooling past on the speedo in a way they never have before. A gutsy twin IMO is the perfect engine for a naked road bike, far better suited to the format than an in-line four and the 1098 is one of the best gutsy twins there is.
Needless to say the SF, like your Hyper, is much improved by remapping. If the bike feels gruff, harsh or snatchy on first impressions compared to the evo, that is down to good old emissions regs and poor fuelling. Some bikes are worse than others, all can be fixed with a trip to the dyno. So take that into account.
I've tried the Monster version rather than the Hyper so I can't give you a direct comparison but I can say that the riding position and wind pressure on the SF is remarkably good. The 1098 has quite a sporty riding position. I believe the bars are lower than those on the 848 SF and the bike has a hunched, muscular and aggressive posture, but it is roomy and comfortable and there is strangely little turbulence. Must be down to that low-slung headlight pod. I've tried a few and the SF is the least wearying naked I've ridden at speed. Your visor will spend most of its time pressed against your nose but you won't be troubled by turbulence or wind noise because all you'll hear is the deep base bellow from those open Termis. Enjoy.

 

I've had my SF mapped twice (I'm good at wasting money). It already had Termis cans and ECU fitted and I had the exhaust valve removed and a full remap at CJS. My first impressions were that the power delivery was softer down low. But actually it was smoother. With the original ECU map there was a harsh hit of torque low down but it wasn't sustained, then it went a bit flat before picking up again in the mid-range. The remap fattened the torque delivery but more importantly ironed it out. The SF probably won't have the steep torque take up off tickover of Evo engine (not many engines have except perhaps the new BMW GS) but it will have more torque overall, it will rev harder and you'll find you won't be short-shifting and lingering around the bottom end, you'll be pushed through it before you can think and the power will keep coming. It took me a while to get used to that smoother delivery post remap but the bike was faster and much easier to ride fast afterwards.
The second remap came after I had engine work done. That did increase bottom end grunt markedly, and swelled power everywhere else as well, but that was done with higher compression and different cam timing (it put nearly 22 bhp on the engine).
Don't get too hung up on the bottom end. The SF has half as much horsepower again as the Evo and 10 or 15 lb more torque. Its a different sort of engine, gutsy, revvy and long-legged. It will feel different to your Evo, but trust me it won't be lacking.

 

Yep. Test rode one before I bought the SF. (I like test rides..:Angelic

 

Well, it didn't appeal to me. Really because I don't think screaming in-line fours make the best nakeds. The press praise its torque and it might be torquey for a four and its certainly torquey compared to the S1000RR, but it feels peaky next to a twin or triple. Riding home after the demo my Speed Triple felt faster up to a ton. It wasn't but it felt it, and that's the point. The BM is a brilliant bike, ballistic fast, but for me the power was not where I wanted it. And the engine is completely characterless until its tearing your face off, which is a bit late.
The handling is mighty impressive and so are the brakes. The bike feels tiny, light and agile. Its a real scratcher and confidence inspiring, most of the time. But its also turbulent, buzzy through the bars and it didn't feel planted at high speed. Could have been the way that bike was set up of course. But to me it feels like what it is, a very exposed supersports bike that's lacking body work and some front end loading. If you like that sort of thing, you'll love the S1000R. If you think the Z1 is a great bike you'll think the BM is better, but if you think the Kwak is a compromise that misses the mark you might feel the S1000R misses it by an even wider margin.
Take one for a demo, but I'll bet that if grunt and bottom end shove are your thing it will leave you a bit cold.
For the budget I'd have thought a V4 Tuono would be a better bike. I was very tempted but reliability worries (possibly unfounded) and the dealer network (a fair point) put me off. But then I tried the SF and that was end of discussion.
I urge you to try one before you count the pennies. They're not going to make another. I'd never get rid of mine.

 

I didn't test ride the Speed Triple. I'd convinced myself it was the right bike on paper and when a real good one came up at the right price I just bought it. It is a great bike but it wasn't quite what I'd been looking for. My impulse buy cost me a grand.
I'm a great believer in test rides now. They only give you a taster and you need to use some imagination to appreciate what might be made of a bike with a few mods and tweaks and it pays to do some homework beforehand to find out what downsides there are and what solutions, but if you're contemplating something different I'd definitely take a test ride first. When I was looking to replace the Triumph I didn't give the SF a second thought. I was aware of it but I'd dismissed it as impractical, uncomfortable, highly strung and generally hard work. In fact its none of those things but I'd never had known if I hadn't ridden one. (That was at Riders. And I got to ride a Diavel as well for good measure. It was a grand day out).

 

I don't know of an induction kit. The SF has shorter airbox ducts than the 1098SB because of the lack of bodywork to hide them in. You can get aftermarket airboxes and larger volume carbon intake ducts, both at vast expense. You gain about 2 bhp but I don't know whether it sounds any different.
The standard cans are catted and don't sound of much but replace those with Termis and if you're going for a CJS remap lose the exhaust valve at the same time and then I promise you you'll have all the noise you need.
Yes the riding position is different to the 848. The bars are lower on the 1098 and it has a sportier posture. I think the pegs are in the same position though. There's plenty of legroom.
I'm a bit far away from you in Blandford, unless its a nice day and you fancy a run out, otherwise you're welcome to try mine for size.
Did the post-rebuild oil change today so its ready for a bit of a ragging. I could be tempted out for a run if its a decent day.

 

Did you have that blueprint done in the end Gimlet, and if so what do you think?

 

Yes all done. I'm absolutely bowled over with it. I had a few short taster runs on it but now the weather's warming up I've been able to give it a proper blast....
To late to think now but I'll do a write up tomorrow.