Charlie’s impressions

I have to admit my first impressions of riding the R60 weren't good. It was a cold, spring day in the Preseli hills, and as usual Owen was enthusiastic about his new bike and keen for me to give it a try. The suspension and sprung seat combination gave an incredibly strange sensation as we bumped down a back lane, which I likened to riding a dolphin. When I got to a junction, I found I struggled to find where I was going to put my feet down among the carbs, heads and footpegs, so it just made the experience a little unnerving. After about five minutes riding it, I couldn't really see what the fuss was about. I was done with it and duly asked for my 1200 Thruxton back.

It wasn't until a month later when I took it out on warm day with an open-face helmet that it all made a bit more sense. The long spacing between the gears combined with ultra-smooth throttle makes for a very relaxed ride! Handling is easy, and with such a low centre of gravity, the bike is a breeze to steer and manoeuvre at low speed. Once I'd worked out where my feet were meant to go, I could actually flat foot it no problem – and I'm only 5ft 6in. Kick-starting was not too strenuous, and the fact that you can do it standing by the side of the bike is a real bonus; I've struggled while straddling bikes in the past.

The only thing I really have an issue with is getting it up on the centre stand. The leverage when you press your foot on the stand isn't great, and there's nowhere high up on the bike to grab onto to help the process.

By the end of the ride I'd really warmed to the R60; I've even grown to like the way you undulate over bumps on the seat. It's a real looker too, and it gets lots of attention when parked up. Maybe dolphin rides aren't so bad after all!