I picked up my XTX on Saturday and I'm new to big singles coming from a VFR750 for the last 6 years. The VFR had seen it's best years a while ago and had plenty of miles on it. I was due for a newer bike and persistent tendinitis in my shoulder means that another sports type bike was not a good idea.It also means that this is something of a comparison of coming from a sports bike to the supermoto style XTX.

After looking round and considering an enduro, at 5'6" and 10.5st wet through, most of them are a bit high and a bit heavy, so after some research I decided on the XTX and found one at a local dealers it's an 06 (on an 07 plate) with Pirelli Dragon tyres and someone has already removed the snorkel. I haven't opened the airbox yet to see if it has a stage one DNA or K&N. It has stock exhaust and initially the clutch needed adjusting as it was a little slack and the bite was right back near the grip. This caught me a little by surprise and I stalled about 50 yards from the dealership at the first set of lights (this is my excuse and one I'm sticking to). After a quick adjustment to get the clutch set up for me I was back on my way.

I wondered how long it would take to get used to a very different riding position. The XT's upright position was immediately comfortable and much higher up, cos of the seat height and my upright position, I had a much improved view of everything that was going on in front of me making the anticipation of road position avoiding potential issues much easier. The vibrations from the big single were no surprise and aren't excessive but were an unusual sensation coming from my balanced V Four background. After only a day I've come to find them comforting.

The upright position means that there is no weight on my wrists or shoulders so that bodes well for my tendinitis. I'm not sure that the bike is that much narrower but filtering through traffic to get out of Chester on a busy Saturday seemed easier. The idea of not having a rev counter didn't bother me because I hadn't really used it on the VFR for years. This was a product of me being very used to the bike, for the gear I was in and the engine sound I could guess my revs and estimate my speed fairly accurately as second nature. Something I'm going to have to re-learn. As the XTX revs a lot lower than my old VFR and the gears are closer together so I'm going to have to get used to changing gears a lot more often. Not that that's a problem the clutch is light and the gear changes are nice and positive.

I wasn't sure how I would feel when it came to cornering from a higher upright position, having seen videos I knew it shouldn't be a problem. But how would it feel? Would it feel a little precarious, a little unbalanced compared to the low down cornering position I was used to?

Shouldn't of wasted the time worrying, the bike is well balanced and just lends it's self to tilting into corners and flicking it's self through double bends and roundabouts. I was quickly able to find my confidence and took a route home that stayed off the main roads and onto some nice B roads wearing a very satisfied grin. I did wonder about the difference from my old twin front brakes going back to a bike with a single front but there was always plenty there braking into corners. When I get a better feel for the brakes I'll be able to brake later and get a little more speed through the corners. Give myself a bit of a moment when I hit the rev limiter while overtaking. There's those quicker gear changes I have to get used to.

I've had the bike a day and put in about 60 miles. Some busy town traffic, some A roads and some nice twisty B roads. Any small niggles are down to me getting used to a very different type of bike rather than a failing of the bike. I think I've found the slight surge low down but it's certainly nothing that would put me off the bike and I just need to check the filter and replace with DNA if needed and maybe the Kev mod. Picking the XTX is not something that I'm going to regret. It's got plenty of pull from standing, it's nippy round town and through traffic. The higher upright riding position is comfortable and gives a great view. Open it up and there is loads of fun to be had through the twisties and it's just left me with a satisfied grin. I look forward to putting many more miles on it.

I'd recommend it to anyone, especially sports riders that are looking for something different/ more comfortable/ license safer, whatever.

Sounds like you're now one of the many ex-sports bike riders like myself who have left the 160mph+ behind and can enjoy the pure fun in this bike. It might not be fastest in a straight line - but who needs straight lines when the swing from right to left to right gives you such a buzz and the torque from a thumper at 4500 rpm is as thrilling as the outright 125bhp at more than double that. Choose the fuelling set up to suit your style of riding and the tyres and fork spacers/oil to match your chosen road surfaces and riding this bike is like your first love every time you mount it.

Good report and come back with more when you fettle your bike with some of the mods in the XT Mods section.

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Nice report there. There is quite a few people who have came from sports bike type back rounds and they mostly all like the easy get up and go but still want the speed.

As for can it handle, well ive an R and both pegs have been down, 1 pannier, and also nearly no toe sliders left, and the X is suppose to handle better.

Yes at some points the bike might feel under powered but if you short shift thats where you get the best acceleration. Had a ride out today with some spirited riding and i let a marshal past on a new gsxr600 and he give it the beans and i stuck with him and here near pasted out when he looked in his mirrors to see me flying fully behind him.

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Plough on

Excellent write up
Glad you are having some fun

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quote motonacio "this is to certify Meach is not the prat you'd think from his posts"
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Nice write up. Once you get used to the XT you will love the corners.

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Mods that I have done to my XTX's

My 04 XTX
Stage 1 & 2 DNA filters / Kev fuel mod / snorkel mod / Drilled air box mod / Engine breather mod / Fork Spacer mod / 15w fork oil /
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My 07 XTX
Raptor 700 cylinder 102mm / Modified Crank Case to take a 105mm Raptor Cylinder / 11:1 102mm JE Raptor piston / Stage 1 Raptor Hot Cam / Ported head / Colder Spark Plug / +2mm Throttle body / DNA stage 1 & 2 filters / Modified Air Box / Snorkel removed / Worry Brothers stage 2 filter cover / 6mm & 8mm Bolts Replaced with Titanium Bolts / Recovered seat in Black / O2 Eliminator /

My 09 XTX
59HP at the rear wheel / Stage 2 Raptor Hot Cam / DNA stage 3 Air Box / Carbon Can Exhausts / Modified Exhaust Link Pipes / PCIII With Custom Fuel Map / Wideband Commander O2 Data logger / LCD100 Dyno Jet display & fuel adjuster / 2500 OHM HT lead instead of a 10K OHM XT lead / Extra Coolant Cooler / Protaper Fat Bars / Tail Tidy With LED Tail Light / OKE Protection Knobs / LED indicators / AIS blocked / Modified rear sprocket rubbers / Rear Foot Pegs removed / 09 ECU With 02 Sensor Changed To A 06 ECU / Complete wiring harnes Changed from 09 to 04 / Home made LED resistor flasher / Hole drilled in the fuel tank filler neck to allow quicker filling / Modified Bar End Weights / Progressive front fork springs, 15W fork oil, forks lowered 25mm, used XTR rear links lowering the rear 20mm, rear spring one click stiffer / Changed front & rear guards from blue to black / 47T rear sprocket / Speedo Healer V4.0 / Kev throttle cam mod / Throttle grip mod / The new 2010 O2 sensor mod is out, works a treat, The new 2012 O2 Controller is out, PM me for details

Now ride a 2018 MT09SP ABS + TCS

My KTM 990 SMR Mod book. http://www.ktmsmt.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4946

Very well said, I think you have just joined the rank of XT Addicts!!

Well how rude, all the things I was going to put in my review! I'm waiting to do 1000 miles on her till I post one. Shouldn't be long done I"ve done 750+ now.

Very nice review Bishop, glad you're loving it and I'm sure you'll continue to do so.

Selina

Had my xtx a month now after having a gsxr1100 for 8 yrs and i love it , just can"t believe how much this bike loves corners , its going in for the 600 mile service in a couple of weeks so i"m looking forward to using a bit more throttle,

Great write up! You can now say "hi, I'm Bishop0151, and I'm a XToholic". =)

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nice one, i know where ur comin from havin sports bikes for nearly 30 years. did a run today on the xtx sticking to the coastal tourist route around the north east of scotland, not a cloud in the sky. pick the roads that match the xtx at 70 to 80 mph and it feels like a flat oot blast on a r1 or blade.
hudd it gann!