Thinking about buying an SCR.

2663 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by gcosby, May 17, 2022

gcosby

Discussion Starter · Apr 17, 2022

Hello all (apologize for the lengthy message),

I'm hoping to ask some questions before I pull the trigger on one of these bikes. Quick background on my bike history to understand where I'm coming from. Been riding for a little over 10 years, first bike was an '04 600rr and after that a '13 R1 that I got rid of last year. Cruising the used markets is frustrating these days(where I live at least), but one of these caught my eye. I've been doing research, reading reviews and forums. I know the SCR is quite a departure from my previous bikes and I'm ok with totally different, its the reported short comings I'm worried about.

I'm looking for a bike to bomb around city streets, get to work and back(very short distance) over the spring/summer/fall, accommodate the wife should she want to go for a ride and a heavy does of nothing particular. With that said, my concerns are Brakes, suspension and aftermarket parts availability. I want to be able to spend money on fun unnecessary upgrades not ones required to have an ok riding bike.

Brakes: Reviewed as not great, but good enough? I'm used to sport bike brakes, I know single rotor is common out side of sport bikes and lower CC machines. How are they, really?

Suspension: Every review talks about bottoming out suspension on rough tarmac and scraping pegs easily. I know the SCR is Bolt based, but what's the reality here?

Aftermarket parts: Do Bolt parts universally fit(cough exhaust)? Is it hit and miss? The bike I'm looking at is all stock and if nothing else, having options gives the inner tinkerer piece of mind.

Sorry for the short story, but I can still pull out of the deal now and would rather be confident in the purchase.

Thank you!
Graham

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Dustyroads

· #2 · Apr 17, 2022

Have you ridden any cruisers?
The scr rides a lot like a cruiser but you sit up higher on it.
The brakes are about the same as the brakes on my dr650, they're ok but not sport bike like at all, you can use a lot more rear brake too as it's heavy and the rear wont lock up easily.
The suspension has like 4-5 inches of travel up front and 2-3 inches in the rear, it bottoms on bigger holes/bumps but is not much worse than a sport bike. I lift my butt off the seat for larger pot holes, the peg placement makes standing up easy.
Most exhaust for the bolt fit the scr, if it comes with a new rear bracket chances are it fits, I have a delkevic on mine. The difference between the scr and bolt exhaust are just the angle of the muffler and rear bracket, the front section is the same.

Schu

· #3 · Apr 17, 2022

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gcosby said:
Hello all (apologize for the lengthy message),

I'm hoping to ask some questions before I pull the trigger on one of these bikes. Quick background on my bike history to understand where I'm coming from. Been riding for a little over 10 years, first bike was an '04 600rr and after that a '13 R1 that I got rid of last year. Cruising the used markets is frustrating these days(where I live at least), but one of these caught my eye. I've been doing research, reading reviews and forums. I know the SCR is quite a departure from my previous bikes and I'm ok with totally different, its the reported short comings I'm worried about.

I'm looking for a bike to bomb around city streets, get to work and back(very short distance) over the spring/summer/fall, accommodate the wife should she want to go for a ride and a heavy does of nothing particular. With that said, my concerns are Brakes, suspension and aftermarket parts availability. I want to be able to spend money on fun unnecessary upgrades not ones required to have an ok riding bike.

Brakes: Reviewed as not great, but good enough? I'm used to sport bike brakes, I know single rotor is common out side of sport bikes and lower CC machines. How are they, really?

Suspension: Every review talks about bottoming out suspension on rough tarmac and scraping pegs easily. I know the SCR is Bolt based, but what's the reality here?

Aftermarket parts: Do Bolt parts universally fit(cough exhaust)? Is it hit and miss? The bike I'm looking at is all stock and if nothing else, having options gives the inner tinkerer piece of mind.

Sorry for the short story, but I can still pull out of the deal now and would rather be confident in the purchase.

Thank you!
Graham

I can’t help you much with comparisons because I have had very few street bikes. But I use mine in the exact way you plan to use yours, and I love it. I don’t notice any shortcomings with the brakes, but there must be in comparison to the more high tech rides. The suspension is marginal, but it is adequate for how I use it, and the roads here in Michigan are as bad as you can get. Aftermarket parts for the bolt will work in most cases, but not all. A lot of us have modified various aspects in our own custom fashion by fabricating our own pieces or modifying accessories to fit. Bottom line is that you won’t get many bad reports from us, or we wouldn’t be here! I will say that many people have come and gone from this forum. So not everybody liked their SCR as much as I do. Here’s a look at mine.

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gcosby

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 17, 2022

Dustyroads said:
Have you ridden any cruisers?
The scr rides a lot like a cruiser but you sit up higher on it.
The brakes are about the same as the brakes on my dr650, they're ok but not sport bike like at all, you can use a lot more rear brake too as it's heavy and the rear wont lock up easily.
The suspension has like 4-5 inches of travel up front and 2-3 inches in the rear, it bottoms on bigger holes/bumps but is not much worse than a sport bike. I lift my butt off the seat for larger pot holes, the peg placement makes standing up easy.
Most exhaust for the bolt fit the scr, if it comes with a new rear bracket chances are it fits, I have a delkevic on mine. The difference between the scr and bolt exhaust are just the angle of the muffler and rear bracket, the front section is the same.

I have never ridden a cruiser(only sport bikes).

All I can say is I'm purposefully looking to change "clubs" as it were. Outpacing a Ferrari or knowing the police are looking just "because" doesn't float my boat these days. Funnily enough I considered a DR (but realized there is no utilization of off road ability in my future) and then short listed a 750 shadow.

That Delkevic was made for a Bolt then?

Thanks for your reply!

gcosby

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 17, 2022

Schu said:
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I can’t help you much with comparisons because I have had very few street bikes. But I use mine in the exact way you plan to use yours, and I love it. I don’t notice any shortcomings with the brakes, but there must be in comparison to the more high tech rides. The suspension is marginal, but it is adequate for how I use it, and the roads here in Michigan are as bad as you can get. Aftermarket parts for the bolt will work in most cases, but not all. A lot of us have modified various aspects in our own custom fashion by fabricating our own pieces or modifying accessories to fit. Bottom line is that you won’t get many bad reports from us, or we wouldn’t be here! I will say that many people have come and gone from this forum. So not everybody liked their SCR as much as I do. Here’s a look at mine.

Fair assessment and thank you for your reply!

Your luggage rack is an SCR, Bolt, or custom job? I didn't think to look for where small items may be stowed. I am used to the sport bike trunk, which is good for your wallet and sunglasses if you're lucky. Also wanting to move away from riding to work with a back pack on. Never felt that luggage of any kind really looked right on my previous bikes.

Schu

· #6 · Apr 17, 2022 (Edited)

gcosby said:
Fair assessment and thank you for your reply!

Your luggage rack is an SCR, Bolt, or custom job? I didn't think to look for where small items may be stowed. I am used to the sport bike trunk, which is good for your wallet and sunglasses if you're lucky. Also wanting to move away from riding to work with a back pack on. Never felt that luggage of any kind really looked right on my previous bikes.

I made that rack starting with a rack from a 1970 Yamaha enduro. It wasn’t to hard. I added the lower strut on each side, and lengthened the existing upper struts along with making them somewhat bowed to clear the edges of the seat. We have a forum member who makes various custom leather bags for the SCR. I have four of his bags. Two Pony Express bags, one under the seat Stash Bag, and one Cross Bar bag that is the handiest of them all. His forum name is Krixtoph, and you can find his products here.

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JRX

· #7 · Apr 17, 2022

gcosby said:
Hello all (apologize for the lengthy message),

I'm hoping to ask some questions before I pull the trigger on one of these bikes. Quick background on my bike history to understand where I'm coming from. Been riding for a little over 10 years, first bike was an '04 600rr and after that a '13 R1 that I got rid of last year. Cruising the used markets is frustrating these days(where I live at least), but one of these caught my eye. I've been doing research, reading reviews and forums. I know the SCR is quite a departure from my previous bikes and I'm ok with totally different, its the reported short comings I'm worried about.

I'm looking for a bike to bomb around city streets, get to work and back(very short distance) over the spring/summer/fall, accommodate the wife should she want to go for a ride and a heavy does of nothing particular. With that said, my concerns are Brakes, suspension and aftermarket parts availability. I want to be able to spend money on fun unnecessary upgrades not ones required to have an ok riding bike.

Brakes: Reviewed as not great, but good enough? I'm used to sport bike brakes, I know single rotor is common out side of sport bikes and lower CC machines. How are they, really?

Suspension: Every review talks about bottoming out suspension on rough tarmac and scraping pegs easily. I know the SCR is Bolt based, but what's the reality here?

Aftermarket parts: Do Bolt parts universally fit(cough exhaust)? Is it hit and miss? The bike I'm looking at is all stock and if nothing else, having options gives the inner tinkerer piece of mind.

Sorry for the short story, but I can still pull out of the deal now and would rather be confident in the purchase.

Thank you!
Graham

Hi
I came back to biking after 20 years and fell for the SCRs 70's naked looks, I have now done 3000 miles on it (in the UK) so here is my penny's worth-
Brakes - good enough- you don't do sports bike speeds on an SCR - its happiest in the town, or country lanes, doing town speeds, although when run in and the overtake calls you can go from 45 to 70+ when you need too.
Suspension - the hand book says this bike is not for off-roading and it is so true, a bad pothole will be felt, connected to this is the negative reports on the seat, I would say it is comfortable on the length of trip I do which is 120 miles round trip. However what is OK for the rider isn't for a pillion - get an add on cushion to preserve the pillions coccyx!
Aftermarket parts - I am in Euroland so yes, say 99% of engine related parts fit Bolt and SCR, engine bars , racks and pannier rails are available specifically for the SCR from Fehling in Germany, and any thing for the body , especially "universal" items from China are dodgy in the extreme, except Puig Screens which are good

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Caphenning

· #8 · Apr 19, 2022

Brakes have been fine, suspension is "city bike" suspension, I haven’t bought any aftermarket parts.

Make no mistake, this is a City Bike. It can pull monster hole shots out of a light and across an intersection, and it is nimble handling in traffic. You can not get “down in a turn”, it struggles in high speed traffic above 70mph. The speedometer reads 10 mph high at 60 (reads 70), when the speedometer hits about 75, she gets a speed wobble she’ll throttle through, but by the time you get out of it, it’s wound up pretty tight.

The bike looks off-road, but it is not an off-road bike in any sense. Any ride on a trail wil be a very low speed ride to minimize the bottoming.

It does get compliments, and its pretty much cop proof. The main issue I had was with the seat being an ass burner, but my upholstery guy padded it up an it went from a 45 minute saddle to a 3 hour one. In General I’m happy enough with it for an around town bike.

gcosby said:
Hello all (apologize for the lengthy message),

I'm hoping to ask some questions before I pull the trigger on one of these bikes. Quick background on my bike history to understand where I'm coming from. Been riding for a little over 10 years, first bike was an '04 600rr and after that a '13 R1 that I got rid of last year. Cruising the used markets is frustrating these days(where I live at least), but one of these caught my eye. I've been doing research, reading reviews and forums. I know the SCR is quite a departure from my previous bikes and I'm ok with totally different, its the reported short comings I'm worried about.

I'm looking for a bike to bomb around city streets, get to work and back(very short distance) over the spring/summer/fall, accommodate the wife should she want to go for a ride and a heavy does of nothing particular. With that said, my concerns are Brakes, suspension and aftermarket parts availability. I want to be able to spend money on fun unnecessary upgrades not ones required to have an ok riding bike.

Brakes: Reviewed as not great, but good enough? I'm used to sport bike brakes, I know single rotor is common out side of sport bikes and lower CC machines. How are they, really?

Suspension: Every review talks about bottoming out suspension on rough tarmac and scraping pegs easily. I know the SCR is Bolt based, but what's the reality here?

Aftermarket parts: Do Bolt parts universally fit(cough exhaust)? Is it hit and miss? The bike I'm looking at is all stock and if nothing else, having options gives the inner tinkerer piece of mind.

Sorry for the short story, but I can still pull out of the deal now and would rather be confident in the purchase.

Thank you!
Graham

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Inspector

· #9 · Apr 20, 2022

I bought mine for a short daily commute in the city and it satisfies that just fine.

Scramble_through_brambles

· #10 · Apr 21, 2022

I LOVE this bike, it's a quirky machine, but I love how unique it feels, you'll probably be the only one you know that has one. I bought my SCR from a dealer near my mom's house, when I rode it from the dealer over to hers, she asked how I liked it and I told her, "it feels like riding a motorcycle the way riding a horse feels like riding a bicycle." (It's my first street bike) and being in the saddle feels so different than anything I had ever experienced before. My sole complaint is the peg placement, they're staggered a bit, so the angle my right leg is at bugs my knee after an hour or so, it's not a huge deal, I just take a break ever hour an a half-2 hours, and I had knee surgery about 10 years ago so it may not bother you at all.
To address your actual questions:
Brakes: More than sufficient, I've only ever ridden dirt bikes until I got my SCR and it feels about the same as any other motorcycle I've been on. It engine brakes kind of hard, but it's easy to get used to.
Suspension: I have bottomed out once going over railroad tracks and the pavement was really bad right in front of it, but I've never scraped a peg. You have to take big bumps and tight corners a little slower than you might expect, but again, you get used to it fast.
Aftermarket parts: it's not quite universal fit with the bolt, but quite a lot of bolt parts fit with the scr/r spec/c spec. Exhaust you may have to modify slightly to fit the angle, but I think people here have done it. My bike is totally stock because I love the look, I do wish it had storage sometimes, but finding bags that fit and don't disrupt the look is a challenge.

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gcosby

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 22, 2022

Thanks for all the replies.

The trigger was pulled.

Reactions: 3

JRX

· #12 · Apr 22, 2022

gcosby said:
Thanks for all the replies.

The trigger was pulled.

Welcome, let us see some piccies, and I hope you enjoy the bike as much as we do!

markvb

· #13 · Apr 22, 2022

👍

gcosby

Discussion Starter · #14 · May 11, 2022

Believe it or not, I just picked the bike up. Needless to say the dealer and I were unintentionally like minded when it came to cold, wet weather. Which until this past weekend is all we had. The sun has arrived...

First impressions...good! Seeing as I was so prepared for what this is, the shock of this not being a super sport were dulled quite a bit. As I meandered and snaked my way home, I got it. Eventually I stopped placing my feet on the muffler and belt guard, learning the pegs are now mid ship. Braking was fine, the air box didn't bother me at all, the suspension seemed adequate, power was...different(but I'm ok with that). The concerns I had based on editorial reviews melted away and I enjoyed my time all the way back.

However, I wouldn't be human if I didn't complain. To me the seat firmness for a short ride was totally on par with a sport bike, the legitimate gripe comes down to a new world of "wide" when it comes to seats, as I felt it in my hips for the remainder of the day. Accentuating that issue was the muffler(my leg ended up being pushed out when at a stop), which is horribly large and soul suckingly quiet. So I believe a slip-on(looks like a cobra or baron at this point) should satisfy my urge to hear more twin and also bring me(or my leg) closer to the bike.

That's all for now!...thanks again for the assistance.

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Bobcat

· #15 · May 11, 2022

gcosby said:
Believe it or not, I just picked the bike up. Needless to say the dealer and I were unintentionally like minded when it came to cold, wet weather. Which until this past weekend is all we had. The sun has arrived...

First impressions...good! Seeing as I was so prepared for what this is, the shock of this not being a super sport were dulled quite a bit. As I meandered and snaked my way home, I got it. Eventually I stopped placing my feet on the muffler and belt guard, learning the pegs are now mid ship. Braking was fine, the air box didn't bother me at all, the suspension seemed adequate, power was...different(but I'm ok with that). The concerns I had based on editorial reviews melted away and I enjoyed my time all the way back.

However, I wouldn't be human if I didn't complain. To me the seat firmness for a short ride was totally on par with a sport bike, the legitimate gripe comes down to a new world of "wide" when it comes to seats, as I felt it in my hips for the remainder of the day. Accentuating that issue was the muffler(my leg ended up being pushed out when at a stop), which is horribly large and soul suckingly quiet. So I believe a slip-on(looks like a cobra or baron at this point) should satisfy my urge to hear more twin and also bring me(or my leg) closer to the bike.

That's all for now!...thanks again for the assistance.

Congrats on the bike! It looks like a keeper. Please keep us posted with any mods to the SCR.

Blaze950

· #16 · May 12, 2022

gcosby said:
Believe it or not, I just picked the bike up. Needless to say the dealer and I were unintentionally like minded when it came to cold, wet weather. Which until this past weekend is all we had. The sun has arrived...

First impressions...good! Seeing as I was so prepared for what this is, the shock of this not being a super sport were dulled quite a bit. As I meandered and snaked my way home, I got it. Eventually I stopped placing my feet on the muffler and belt guard, learning the pegs are now mid ship. Braking was fine, the air box didn't bother me at all, the suspension seemed adequate, power was...different(but I'm ok with that). The concerns I had based on editorial reviews melted away and I enjoyed my time all the way back.

However, I wouldn't be human if I didn't complain. To me the seat firmness for a short ride was totally on par with a sport bike, the legitimate gripe comes down to a new world of "wide" when it comes to seats, as I felt it in my hips for the remainder of the day. Accentuating that issue was the muffler(my leg ended up being pushed out when at a stop), which is horribly large and soul suckingly quiet. So I believe a slip-on(looks like a cobra or baron at this point) should satisfy my urge to hear more twin and also bring me(or my leg) closer to the bike.

That's all for now!...thanks again for the assistance.

Nice buy! I def recommend upgrading your air intake / slip-on.. Also, you might want to turn your front fender around because it looks to be mounted backwards. Mine was too, from the factory!

Schu

· #17 · May 12, 2022

Blaze950 said:
Nice buy! I def recommend upgrading your air intake / slip-on.. Also, you might want to turn your front fender around because it looks to be mounted backwards. Mine was too, from the factory!

Congratulations gcosby. Glad you like the new bike, and glad we have another active member on the forum. Blaze950 is spot on with his recommended mods, but I have to tell you, the one single best bang for the buck modification is hands down Ivan’s reflash. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone that has had anything negative to say about it. I asually reserve this comment for jevers…….
Do It! Do It!

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Dustyroads

· #18 · May 12, 2022

Im also in canada.
I went with a delkevic pipe from amazon, they were on sale for 350 last winter. They come with a baffle so you can make it pretty loud or really freakin loud.
Fortnine had barron pipes on sale last winter for 250 but I hear its really freakin loud and doesnt have an optional baffle but you could make one if you wanted to.
I have the stock breather with a [email protected] filter, delkevic pipe with the baffle in it and no tune whatsoever and it runs great. The bike feels like it wants to be revved out more, has a bit more power at high rpm, has less engine braking and never back fires.
If you keep the stock breather you dont need a tune for a pipe.

gcosby

Discussion Starter · #19 · May 15, 2022

*ordered Cobra slip on and Fehling carrier rack.

After watching, rewatching, and then... re-rewatching exhaust slip-on videos. I decided that the Cobra was the one for me(even though it was cheaper to order it from the states then down the street). I convinced myself that it was the right combination of looks, noise and price.

The Fehling rack seemed to fit the bill for carrying a small pack and also giving my wife a little bit of a back rest.

I've also amazon'ed a generic fender eliminator. As I'm not crazy about the factory piece. With that said, I will be spending the week trying to figure out whether I can successfully mount the plate to the side of the bike as I wanted or returning the Amazon piece and modifying the existing bracket.

-------------------------------------------

The Ivan reflash seems to be all the rage for this motor and it will probably happen one day but I figure that will be combined with an intake which isn't short listed as of right now. Although dustyroads seems happy with a k&n element and no flash. So that's a promising short term option.

Today my wife and I went for the first ride together in over a decade. She had a blast but her butt didn't fair as well on the seat as mine did.

So, seat options are floating around (Aro Upholstery) and I had already been chatting with hagon about replacement shocks.

Oh and it Sounds like I have a front fender to flip

However, one thing at a time, the weather is here and ultimately riding is the point.

.

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gcosby

Discussion Starter · #20 · May 17, 2022 (Edited)

While I wasn't quite up for a ride, I did get a delivery and couldn't help myself. I have yet to remount the plate.

On a side note, everything I touch I on this bike is heavy.

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