This is a brand new section, added 2 weeks after I bought and heavily
tested a 1100Sport.
I have bought my "Aporia" (this is her name... stands for "logical
incompatibility without possibility of solution), a 1998 Yellow 1100injection
Sport (take a look at us!)
The bike is gorgeous, and it is equippedwith the Sport Corsa exhaust system and eprom, sounds so good... :-)
Now, I can finally witness you were the difference are in these bikes,
hope you are still interested in reading...
Well, the first thing that has striken me about the Sporti, is its smooth
engine: the idle is 100-150 rpms lower (1050rpm indicated), and it feels
like it is always calm and powerful.
It takes rpms slower than the 4valve of teh DaytonaRS, and, at first
sight, you could think you are on a bike really slower... but you can only
thin it: a look at the speedo will confirm you how this bike pulls, and
pulls hard!
Obviously, the 4valve has way more power, but it is all there, in the
clouds of high rpms.
With a Daytona, you are only at full throttle because you love to feel
the kick in the back she grants you pèast 6000: the engine is like
an angry bull, it snarts and snorls, pulls pulls pulls and you can't help
but asking HOW this so antiquate-looking aircooled V-Twin can be so brutal,
and at the same time you shift one gear after the other with the usual
clunky transmission, till you read 230 and past on the speedo...
Wow!
But, when you are trying to go civilized, or just are in the middle
of a curvy road, well, the 4valve can be a problem for not-so-much experienced
riders: you can enter in a curve with the wrong gear, try to downshift
and lose lots of time, and, more importantly, you will have to concentrate
on the bike too, instead of thinking about the road only, and this is for
expert riders only.
This is the Daytona, so unique one always dreams of having one, and
when he gets his hands on it, he just yanks the throttle wide open to feel
the engine.
If you come back to a Sporti after having played with the Daytona, well,
you will bve disappointed at first, very disappointed.
Trying to yank wide open you don't feel any sort of kick in the back,
the bike goes and goes, apparently so worse than the Daytona, and you just
can't help thinking by what were you so impressed before.
After a little riding, though, you will enter into Sport's habits again,
and will really enjoy its engine.
It is not as fast as the 4valve, but makes you concentrate on the road
only, no shift, no powerband limited at certain rpms.
Keep it over 2000 and enjoy the pleasure of a muscle bike.
Then, take a look at the speedo, and see hopw fast you are going!
This is, the engine is different, and, as of pure enjoyment, teh 4valve
can easily win the competition.
But when it comes to a global analisys, then the Sport is able to grant
you much more relaxed riding, resluting effective with little effort on
twisty roads, while the RS asks you always a complete attention to her
to grab her best.
Less relaxing, and, at long, less entertaining if you are not the sort
who likes to push the limits always.
I am not, and although I miss a lot my Daytona, I must confess I do
love the Sport, she just drives me crazy: city or highway or mountain twisty
roads, just the same, very very very easy...
Ah, another thing, and much more objective than the impressions one
could have about the bike.
The RS weighs more, and the extra weight is carried high (the heads
of the engine...).
This causes the RS to be less easy to ride in curve than the Sporti,
which has a lower center of gravity that helps you lean the bike
in curves.
To come to an end: the Sporti is a better bike when it comes to overall
equilibrium.
It is just perfect for any purpose, neither fatiguing nor slow.
The RS, well, she is less effective in the hands of normal riders;
she grants for stronger sensations, but demands more attention to her when
you are riding, and can be more effective than the Sport in curvy roads
only if the rider has a lot of experience, because what the Sport engine
lacks in topend power, compensates with the medium-high rpm power and torque.
More unique, sometimes more and sometimes less entartaining than the
2valve sister, the Daytona is the swan's sing of Guzzi sport bikes, and
its compromises are even more extreme than the usual.
The Sporti instead, is less extreme, less unique, and less powerful,
but she is Mandello del Lario's homage to all round sport bike.
Have your choice if you can, you will never regret such a buy.
Unless you, like me and many besides me, fall prey to the same huge
love for the bike, a love that can make you an antisocial by definition!
;-)