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- 2013: I decided to commute with a motorcyle. My '92 Superlight wasn't the best tool for the job, so ended up with a new Triumph Street Triple (best bang for my budget at the time). I enjoyed riding it. Smooth and easy bike, fast enough and never let me down. But never realy took it for a spin during weekens, it missed something to want to ride it during weekends. To much 'neck wringing' required to feel fun. It always made me long for my Superlight: not that fast, but it felt fast: bottom end grunt and shaking and thumping.
- 2016: bike got totalled in an accident. Triumph dealer got me a good deal on a new Street Triple R. Better suspension, better brakes. Why not? Again, seemed the best bang for my buck.
2016 was also the year I got fired and stopped commuting on a motorcyle. - 2020: still have the Street Triple R. It's got 3,500 km's on the clock. Yeah, 3,500...
I never realy gelled with that bike, just to harsh to ride. So I decided to have the suspension done professionaly, finally!
However, that would still leave me with a bike that is fast and smooth to ride. But nothing more.
Yes, I still have the Superlight and will bring her back to life. But also planned a full rebuild on that bike... so I need something else too.
Enter the Desert Sled.

- I like the retro and basic rugged look of the thing. I almost decided on building a 900SS cafe racer, but decided I don't need more time in the garage... need more time in the saddle! Just to say, I like a bit of old school feel to things.
Owning a Triumph now, I looked into the Street Twin/Scrambler, hoping on a good deal when trading in the Street Triple. They look good, but a little too nice if you know what I mean. I stop and look if I see one, but it wont make me drop my jaw or make me uncomfortable in the trouser department. I want something I can stare at in the garage, a bike that makes you want to open the garage door everytime you walk by just to have a little look at it (or sit on it for 5 minutes until the misses starts shouting "What the hell is taking that long? I asked you to get some milk from the storage room. You're not sitting on that bike again are you?"). - I like that you can take a dirt road. I'm no adventure rider by any means, but I hate having to make a U-turn because the tarmac ends. Cross country riding is something a like with a MTB, think I'll like it even more on a motorcycle. But it needs to fit its purpose. I off-roaded the Street Triple a couple of times, tip-toeing along the way. But it felt like doing something wrong which could end up in costing alot of money...
The look of adventure really apeals to me. Seeing the Desert Sled going all over Europe already, with me in the saddle. Smiling. - It's a 2-cylinder bike. Triumph taught me less is more when it comes to cylinders.
I like an engine that feels alive more or less from the moment you disengage the clutch and doesn't come with a nasty surprise higher up the bandwith. That's what I loved about the Superlight. It justed pulled from the go (well, from 3,000 RPM anyway) until it was out of breath around 7-8k RPM. Treating you to a booming soundtrack all the way making you grin from ear to ear. Nothing like the Street Triple... party only starts around 6k with the engine screaming in a high pitch tune. Most of the time that just left me feeling like a wanna-be-racer-boi; which I'm not. Just check my kneesliders... even virgins have seen more action.
I don't have a need for speed, I can enjoy myself slightly over the speed limit. Most of my riding I do alone, I don't need to match anybody else's speed.
I would say the exact same thing... but you might as wel just give me a signed check before I walk in. A new bike is always a temptation. I would cheat on the Street Triple in a heartbeat, only to possibly regret not checking any other options. Yep, I'm that easy. Sales people love me for it...
Thanks for making it this far through my halfwit story.
I guess the below will be more "on-topic".
How does this new 2V engine compare to the old school 904cc from my Superlight?
I suspect it will be a bit more refined, but does it still rumble and pull from low RPM's?
How about fuel efficiency? That tank seems rather small...
Can you spend a whole day riding it?
Anybody able to compare the Desert Sled with a regular Srambler?
Or god forbid, a Triumph Street Scrambler? Or a Yamaha XSR700 while we're at it?