Geez, you guys. You're getting to be as bad as the people who were speculating wildly about how disappointing the 1098 was going to be, before anyone knew anything about it! Now that the 1098 is here in the flesh, it's a magnificent piece of kit. I think the same will hold true with the HM.
First of all, the price difference between the base HM and the S is $2500. ($11,495 and $13,995). Really, they're
both overpriced when you see that the base 1098 is only $14,995, but what are you gonna do?
But anyway, the S isn't a whole lot more spendy than the base model, and for that money you get better wheels (both of them, not just one, c'mon now), better brakes, and better suspension, along with some nice carbon bits. So the forks don't say "Ohlins" on them, so what? Marzocchi can't make a good fork? How about Showa? We're used to seeing OEM Showa forks that are nothing special, but have you seen the ones on the front of the Yoshimura Suzukis? If Showa can build a fork that nice, I'm sure Marzocchi can, too. Let's see them in action before we judge.
As for horsepower, I realize that it's just a given that people always want more, but consider what the HM is supposed to be. Just as with the Sportclassics, I find it kind of funny that people are so obsessed with getting even more power out of them. What are you doing that you need all that power?
To me, if a Sport Classic or a Hypermotard can: a) Do a roll-on wheelie, and b) attain triple-digit speeds, then it's got plenty of power! Sort the suspension to your liking, and then just ride the piss out of it.
What I'm expecting from my HM-S:
- Decent suspension that I can adjust the way I want it
- Lots of torque and reasonable top-end power
- The ability to put a shit-eating grin on my face every time I ride it
I really don't think the bike will disappoint. I'm not going to get all worked up about whether it has Superbike-level suspension and horsepower. It's not that kind of bike...
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
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