Modern Vespa

I've been to this many times before: musing over bikes. How hard can it be to decide which bike to get? Apparently very hard.

I know that for some this thread is totally irrelevant. But here seem to be many, who have also other bikes than scoots. And also many, who are on a life long journey to get "that next bike".

So while I do some test rides, who knows, mayby I'll notice something usefull for someone else too. So these are my wee epic rides: testing and musing over bikes.

Before rambling on, let's get this straight: I'm a shorty. Very light weight with that: 173 cm / 5.7 ft, 63 kg / 139 kbs. With short arms. In the world of bikes, these qualities mean a lot. And limit a lot. When I had the 125cc Sprint, I could not flat foot both feet at the same time. OK with a 125kg bike & automatic transmission & hand brakes, not very nice when the weight increases....also, my 139 lbs do little to help keeping a stationary bike upwright, if I loose the sweet point of balance and have weak connection to the ground.

I like those.

It must be some Freudian thing. I like bikes that are like they used to be.
Or it's mayby also an engineering thing - I like simple, solid, well made constructions.

So, I've been musing over a Moto Guzzi V7iii.

Love the blue color.
Love the weird looking engine.
Love the sound of it.
And the simple, yet clearly Italian design.

744 cc
Seat height 770 mm / 30.3 in
Weight (wet) 193 kg / 425 lbs
Power 38 kW/ 52 hp


I was all set. THE final test ride, which was supposed to convince me to count the money and place the order.

By a strike of luck, I got to ride the brand new version, Rough.

Now, this been THE ride, I truly tried to pay attention to details, instead of just grinning stupidly and flexing my right wrist at the trafic lights. Just to hear that cool rumble and feel the engine shaking between my legs.

And this is where it started to get all wrong.

V7 feels quite solid in higher speed. But at slow manouvers...well, it's really not the best one. The steering geometry feels somehow odd, without me being able to say exactly how. It's like the bike first don't like to be in balance, and then with the speed picking up even just a little, it goes like a train. Like a positively solid train that you can still steer.

I've always hated bad throttle response - meaning the way a modern engine with fuel injection & ignition mapping reacts when you'll turn the right handle. Some might say I'm over sensitive to this. And they would be right.

So the Rough behaved like other V7s. The throttle response was not racor sharp, nor did it appear always to be similar. With higher revs it was OK, but this irregularity bothered me with low revs.

And being a guy with short arms, the riding position gets a bit tiring too. While legs are in a relatively comfy position, arms are a bit out strecthed. A bit like in a cafe racer, but in a strange angle for a guy of my height. Yes, I know there are plenty of good after market riser pieces available, thank you.

And the seat, that at least felt similar to that of Special, started to feel a bit un-comfy when I got more saddle time. It was either just hard for my skinny butt, or the shape was not for me - perhaps a bit both.

The clucth is nice because it is so light. It does not really have any feel on it, but I did not manage to stall the engine even when I tried some stop-go traffic riding too. So yes, I could still live with the clutch.

Rough felt so heavy when pushed around, that I had to check whether it weights more than other V7s. Nope, that's just how they feel. Heavier than some bikes with more weight - I don't know why, but that's just how it feels. I am not able to flat foot both feet on a V7, so this has some importance to me.

The gearchange is manly. It's not a light tap -type of thing, it's more of a heavier riding boot sort of device. But works very well and I had zero problems finding neutral - in fact, it was easier than in many other bikes I've ridden. The clutch of this V7 was superbly adjusted.

The low revving engine, with a nice flat(ish) torque curve and just a tad jerky throttle response makes riding both fun and a bit annoying. The good thing is that the bike really pulls away nicely, with a strong feeling. It feels like a bigger engine. The fun, for awhile, but a bit tiring after awhile thing is that the pull is not so smooth as in many other bikes with even more actual power. I guess some might say this is a part of the character of a V7.

Did I already mention the sound? Yes, it's lovely....I think the OEM pipes are a work of genius - deep, uneven rumble near iddle and still not that loud with higher revs.

A bonus - as this was the Rough I now rode, I thought to give it a spin on a gravel road. Albeit a very carefull one. Well, surprise, surprise, this is not an off-road bike. It behaved OK, but in a quite heavy way. Did not fall over though, phew!

So....in the end I have to admit it. I loved the image of V7. The looks. The sound. But I really, honestly don't like enough the way it fits to my physics and behaves from the riding viewpoint. Don't get me wrong: it's definitely not a bad bike. But it's not a bike I truly enjoy to ride. Mayby to be seen with. But that's not enough for me.

Bye bye V7, musing continues...

Shame the V7 didn't work out for you. Do you have any dealers that import Indian Motorcycles? The Scout series has a lower seat 25" 640mm, plenty of power and 6 gears.

That's a good point, thanks for reminding me about this.

Indian in general has a good and solid reputation around here. It's a very rare brand, but highly praised in tests, also by test riders more familiar with Japanese/European style street bikes.

As Indian is a rare bike around here, it's not easy to get a test ride.
I've been also a bit put away with the price. I don't know whether it's import taxes or what, but both Indian and HD are quite highly priced compared to other bikes.

I like these too.

At first I preferred scrambler type of retro bikes. But year after year I've started to appreciate the good ergonomics and versatility of ADV bikes. And let's face it - many of the street oriented ADV bikes are like many SUVs in the car world: the look like ready for the adventure, but are just versatile street machines. Nothing wrong with that.

Retro bikes have one advantage for a small rider. They are almost always low. As many bikes used to be.

My tiny VanVan has a seat height of 770mm, with a narrow shape. I can flat foot the bike easily. Not that it matters much with such a light bike.

I like the looks of Ducati Scrambler. I've only sat on one, never ridden - those have been a bit difficult to get for a test ride over here, as they are very rare. For some reason, Finns in geneal have not joined the retro boom - retro style bikes are sold rarely, and dealers are a bit weary at stocking those.

Also, 100% of test riders around here don't like Ducati Scrambler's gearchange and clutch action, plus the reliability has a questionable reputation. This is all "hear say", but it does put off a little.

Triumph Street Scrambler has landed here too. Lovely looking bike. But not available for a test ride, for the same reason: the expected sales around here is tiny, so the rare stock samples are for look and touch only, to be sold with 0km/miles on the clock.

I've sat on a Street Scrambler and the ergonomics appeared to be very nice for me. The only, rather big thing was the exhaust. When I lovered my right leg, in order to touch the ground (not able to flat foot), my inner tight is heavily pressed against the metal heat shield of the up swept pipe. If I'd have to guess, this does feel very nice when the pipe is hot....

So, up and go: towards modern ADVs!

645cc
Seat height 820 mm / 32,3 in
Power 49 kW/ 66,6 hp
Weight (Wet) 220 kg / 485 lbs

I decided to start with a classic. The test bike was in XT disquise, with the compulsory golden rims. I actually like the looks!

I don't need a ladder to climb on, but the seat high is on a high side for me. When 485 lbs start to move into a wrong direction and your poor big toe is the one starting the counter move, it does not feel good. Luckily, there's a non-cost lower seat option, which should be OK even for me.

The engine is one of the best parts in this bike. It sounds and feels like a good old V2 - the OEM exhaust is not loud, but it's at the level where you can decide whether your neighbours hear your adventures or not - take it easy and it just quietly rumbles, take it a bit harder and there's nice, deep burple of a V-engine. Sounds like a bigger bike than it is.

On tests, it's a typical comment that V-Strom's handlebars require a longer strecth than many other ADV bikes. Sadly, this is true. For a short armed guy this is a major disadvantage. First you'll have a nice "90 degree" seat and legs position, but then you'll have to lean forward in order to reach the bars...and this leaves you in a strange position which is not really sporty nor superbly comfortable.

Other than my personal challenge with the riding position, the bike is a very neutral to ride. In a positive way. After a short while, I got confidence to lean on curves and the bike handled very nicely. I rode a strecht among faster traffic, and noticed that the windshield created quite heavy puffeting and noise. It was adjustable (not while riding) and in it's lowest position. But other than that, the bike hold it's course sure footed and has plenty of power to accelerate within legal speeds.

At stop&go traffic the height of the bike combined with a bit "leaning" riding position I had to have did not do any favours to my impression. It was very easy, but not really very comfy. Luckily the bike was easy to balance, so I was able to avoid touching ground much.

The clutch and gearbox both worked nicely and easily. The gearbox is not the lightest, but precise enough for smooth action. The engine has a good pull from low revs, so you can be a bit lazy with gears - and when you'll need some real action, things move fast by utilizing more the rev range.

The V-Strom felt like an old bike in a moder disquise - in the good way. It did not have anything fancy, nor did it feel like the most modern bikein any sense. It was close to a solid performer with the nice V2 engine to give it some masculine aura of good old days - not bad qualities for a street oriented ADV bike?

I did try the V-Strom on a gravel road a bit too. It felt easy enough to handle, but my riding position with the out strecthed arms did not encourage me to seek it's limits. No power slides this time....

The verdict: not for me. The ergonomic challenge for a small, short armed guy is too big to truly enjoy the bike. But this is something I anticipated, as the V-Strom has the reputation of having the biggest reach to the bars among ADV bikes.

In many ways I really liked this bike. Solid performer with a very nice engine - a lot more bike than you'd think "a basic 650cc" could offer. For you taller folks looking for a well priced allrounder definitely a bike worth visiting.

On we go....

A side comment: all these test rides remind me of the fact, that a modern Vespa has really good ergonomics from the rider viewpoint. It truly is among the top both in scooters and motorcycles!

853cc
75 hp
Weight (wet) 224 kg
Seat height 815 (770 at the lowest, can also be increased)

Thej new F750GS is a bit overkill to my needs. It's still close enough to be interesting. And guess what: my local dealer happened to have a version with the factory lowering kit for a test ride. Lower suspension & lower seat. So....I kind of had to take it for a spin.

And this was a mistake. Because, damn, it's a good bike. It really is.

It's not often that I ride several bikes within a short time frame. And because that's what I've done now, the new BMW really stands out from the others.

First, a personally important thing: the lowering kit works. The seat height is perfect, knee angle still too, and the suspension with a bit less travel works marvellously. Even the bars are almost perfect....I'd perhaps install a small riser piece, say 1-1,5cm towards me. Then It would be just perfect.

The seat itself is amazing too. It looks thin and hard, but is actually comfortable and very well shaped. Go figure.

The engine is assempled in China. But nothing either in the appearance or functioning makes it any different to the quality level you'd expect from a BMW. The power delivery is extremely smooth, easy and effortless. This combined with well designed gears makes the bike very versatile: you can ride it slow, which is not always the case: the first gear is short enough and the throttle response is seamless. You can accelerate it lazely and everything happens smoothly. If you wish, you can also play a hooligan - the bike has nice acceleration that just continues well above all legal speed limits....you just see the numbers ticking in the digital speedo and traffic leaving somewhere behind you - this should also be a nice long distance traveller within faster trafic.

And the engine sound - now BMW has even that right! Some may miss the "fake boxer" whine, but I prefer the new "fake V" sound much better. It's not loud, but it's loud enough that you hear it nicely yourself. And others too, if do a bit "gas geben" as the native beamer folks say.

The gearbox and clutch are both precise and very easy to use. Weirdly though, for me it was easier to find neutral with the V7 Guzzi than it was with the BMW. 50% of time I first went pass to either 1st or 2nd, depending on which direction I was doing the change. But then almost always found the neutral at the second attempt, so I guess the gear change was just lighter than what I'm used to.

Steering geometry is spot on. This is one of the bikes that is very, very easy to ride slow. It's also easy to ride at commuting speeds, feeling very precise and willing to go where pointed, still in a relaxed way. And it's easy and effortless to ride faster too. The tiny, short windshield do some miraculous work in reducing wind puffeting. It's somewhere between a naked bike and a bike with a good windshield, but definitely does not add noise or discomfort.

So what's not to like? Hmmm...well, price, in away. The basic price is ridiculously good - if you are looking for a good bike to ride. But the extras are costly - no talk about free lowering kit, for example. It has more electronic extras than the Knight Rider's KIT (if you remember that...), but most are costly options. You could easily add 1/3 to the base price just by ticking boxes.

The looks....well, I wouldn't have thought to admit this, but I actually like the way it looks. It somehow chunky and solid, still not too far off towards fake desert bikes. I tried the bike just a little on gravel - OK, but the tyres my test bike got were not the right ones for this.

The verdict: it's much more bike than I really need for my use. But so far, I can't rule it out, because it's also so damn good. In the list it stays and I'll keep looking at least for a bit smaller ADVs (weight, power, price) to see if I could find a challenger close enough, but better suited to my real needs. Still, this bike convinced me that a street oriented ADV is perhaps the way to go, meeting my needs.

I've recommended a test ride with the Honda CB500X for many, who have seeked just a "easy-going, basic bike.
Somehow I've now almost forgotten it myself. Perhaps this time I should really study it from an ownership viewpoint.

So a test ride again!

And how was it? Brand new 2018 model. Well....hmmm....yeah. It's an easy-going, basic bike.

If I'll start with the seat height: that's just perfect for me. The seat is well cushioned and on the wide side, so I can't flat foot. But it is still very easy to kick the bike around. The seat itself is very comfortable, at least for a skinny guy like myself. Reach to handlebars is OK, with small risers would be perfect for me.

The clutch is not feather light as many are today. But it works extremely well and do not feel heavy - you don't pay any attention to it, which is always a good sign. With the gearshift the same thing - it just works, presicely, without beeing ultra light. No need to seek neutral, it was always where I left it the last time.

Engine is smooth and has enough power to go faster than allowed around here. But....there was some minor hesitation at the very slow speeds that I did not like (me being ultra sensitive for this phenomenom) and definitely there was no "grunt" anywhere. It's an engine that performs, but a bit on the dull side. Exhaust note has been tuned up already for the 2017 model and it sounds quite nice at idle and lower revs - hints for more soul than the engine actually has.

There was a very strong side wind when I tested the bike on a highway. It was not the most sure footed bikes I've ridden, but not the worst either. It felt a bit light, or in a way tall in a non-good way, so perhaps not the best bike to munch a lot of kilometers at high speed. But again, it did OK, nothing scary.

I was not able to test gravel roads, so no comments there.

I haven't checked the specs, but the steering geometry might be interestingly "mid-way" - although it was logical to handle at a crawling speed, it was not the easiest. Like, for example the BMW F750GS felt more natural....

And the looks? Well, actually quite OK for a basic bike. Not flashy, but it looks like business in a good way, and does not have any ridiculous details.

So. The bike, that does everyrything OK, but does not excel in anything. It felt a bit too much like riding a taller bike, without it being one: feeling a bit too light footed. And the engine....well, I can't say it's the lack of power, but it's more about how the power comes to play. For me the crawling/low speed pull was a bit disappointing...the acceleration and overtaking abilities being on the good enough side. Verdict: a bit sadly, this being a very affordable bike with nice specs, I'll drop this from my list at this time. Just not enough "mmmm, feels good" points.

Weirdly enough, I've never ridden an automatic NC750 yet. Time to get that corrected!

Talk about wrong impressions: the bike looks big, partly because it's so long and has the bulky "tank"/storage compartment. Also, according to the specs, it weights quite a lot for a 750 range machine. But...once you'll climb on and get the bike moving even at the slowest possible speed, it feels extremely easy and handy to ride. Flickable might be a too strong adjective, but it's not too far away.

After studying the bike a bit with the dealer, I started to understand why it feels like this. The weird "half Honda Jazz" engine lies down at the very bottom of the bike. Also the fuel tank is lower than normally, and DGS puts all the extra weight down too. So the bike is a bit like a...ahem...scoot. The center of gravity is very low. This combined with a nice steering geometry makes the bikes handle nicely - from walking speed to higway. I was surprised to notice how much easier bike the NC750X is to ride than the CB500X!

The seat height is a bit problematic for me. I can not flat foot and I can barely tiptoe with both feet at the same time. So let there be even a slightest uphill, I won't be able to move the bike manually without jumping away and pushing it from a side. Not the way I like it...

The other major complaint I have about this bike: the seat. It's taken directly from a medieval torture chamber. I rode the bike a bit over half an hour. After 15min, I started to shift my position. At the end of the ride my skinny rear hurt. And an hour after I'd returned the bike, my bumm still felt the test ride. So one could say it's quite a hard seat. Clearly the hardest I've sat on or ridden during my on-going exploration. The dealer said that there are no softer OEM seat options...but I guess aftermarket seats are available.

The reach to handlerbars for me was better than it was in the CB500X - this was a big surprise based on the looks. Actually, I believe this was the best legs-back-arms combo I've now tested, missing only the foot connection to the ground when standing still. BMW's F750GS was very close to this, but the handlebar was just a tad further away....and feet steadily on the ground with the lowering kit.

I might have said this earlier, but I do like shifting. Not just because of the shifting itself, but as a part of controlling the bike, making it do excatly what I wish. So I was not overly happy to hear, that only DSG models are imported here. When I climbed on, it felt weird that both the clutch lever and gear lever were missing. But luckily the breaks were at the right places - a small detail I really prefer compared to handbrake scoots. And off we go....and WOW! The Honda DSG is a smooth operator. I expected something clumsier like the first gen VW cars with a DSG. But nothing like that. I would honestly say the NC750X did crawling speed much smoother than my late Vespa. When accelerating, you'd feel (or hear, I don't really know) the gear changes, but only in a smooth, non-disturbing way. The same when slowing down, but again very smoothly. I'm truly impressed. I played around a bit with Comfort/ Sporty gear change programs, as well as manually forced shifts. All worked nicely, the sport setting letting the revs to build up a bit more.

The engine - another Bingo! It was not the kind of power plant the BMW had, but it did a very good impression of one. The torque is clearly present in an easy going way all the time and speeding up at a highway feels very natural. It feels torque emphasized rather than power emphasized - as it is. The engine sound is surprisingly throaty for this kind of engine, not a V-engine sound, but nice anyway.

Compared to the CN500X, the NC handled a side wind nicer, but was a bit less solid than e.g. the F750GS. The Honda felt sure footed enough, probably because of it's incredibly low center of gravity and quite heavy weight.

The looks...to me the bike looks OK, if a bit outdated. It has a long shape, making the proportions better and cleaner to my eye than with many of the ADV style bikes.

The verdict: stays on the list, but I need to dig some info about the seat, both from the hardness and height viewpoint. The price difference between an DSG NC750X and BMW F750GS (the base price) is not huge, but if I could have the NC with a softer, lower seat, it could be a winner for me of these two! BMW's engine is a gem and it has better high speed stability, but Honda's is also a nice one - something that is not visible by just looking at the specs.

Ahhh...life.

Did another test ride with the GS. Damn, it's still a good one.

So I progressed to start the bargaining process....only to hear that because it's a brand new model, with apparently good demand, the dealer was not able to give any estimation on the delivery times!

How hard can it be to give away your money!?!


While waiting whether they can actually ship the bikes within a foreseable future, I'll continue my exploration.

As mentioned before, Triumphs are sold around here with such small figures, that it is not easy to get one for a test ride. My favourite of them at the moment is the Street Scrambler (combining my two favourites, a retro and an adv(ish)), but no change to ride one + the funny exhaust really presses my right leg quite annoyingly when sitting on the bike and tiptoeing.

My other favourite, just based on the looks is the good ol'l Bonnie. I've ridden a Street Twin with the 900cc engine and based on this, it's the T100 that should do everything I'll need at the moment. And guess what - not a single bike in the whole country that could be test ridden....but there may be one T120 available, so let's see if I'll be able to test the same frame with that one...and then combine my notes from the 900cc street and see if I'll be able to put the puzzle together. Things get's tricky.....

I finally managed to ride one!

900cc
54 hp
203 kg

I've ridden the Street Twin earlier. With so many similarities, it's amazing how different the Scrambler feels - more like a separate model than a variation of the same. The first feeling of this bike is excellent ergonomics. Nice, wide handlerbar within a comfortable reach. Comfortable seat, with cool looking Alcantara -type material. It's not a sofa like in the VanVan - but not the hardest either. Foot pegs at comfortable distance, and behold - I can get my both feet to the groumd at the same time! Well, not flat foot, but close enough.

Clutch is both light and it also has a very clear feeling. Gears are slick - amazingly so, propably the best I've tested during this Spring!

Sounds...nice! It' very much like Guzzi V7's burble, but toned down just a bit. The un-even firing interval makes the engine pop just the right way. The engine itself is a gem. It's offers locomotive -like torque, quite similar as the Guzzi, but with a much more refined and smoother way. Turn the rigjt handle and off it goes...not matter which gear is in. Not like a rocket, but with a speed that leaves cars behind very easily.

The 19" front wheel is superb. It gives the bike a very confident feel. You'd think that with this front wheel curves would need some wrestling. Wrong - for some reason the bike almost sucks itself to the curves, it's very eager and easy to turn.

I was also totally totally wrong with the exhaust - as I typically wear leather pants, I don't feel the heat at all. This is strange, as visually the pipe is so very close. Similarly at traffic lights my leg nicely goes by the pipe, without any need to visit the burn unit. I actually spend some time looking at the bike closely to understand how this is possible - still don't get it, the pipe is so close, but for some reason is not inconvenient at all for a guy my size.

Did some very slow pace riding too, small circles and eights. The bike feels light and stabile, but the turning circle is quite large. This takes away a bit of the walking speed agility. But very easy and stabile to manage, just needs a bit more space than say the BMW 750 in tight circles.

At the highway....well, is is a naked bike. So there's wind. But also like the V7, Triumph goes like a train - in a positive way. Relaxed, easy to ride. I did some gravel road riding too - quite convinsing, but the suspension is better suited for street, as there is not that much travel. But occasional gravel shortcuts are definitely not a problem.

The green matte paint looks marvellous...says a guy who does not like matte! The fenders are plastic - a nod towards practicality. They are well done, the matte black finish matches with the rest of the bike. Led signals and apparently rear light.

What's not to like? Well, the price...which is also a bit missleading: the bike looks like an expensive retro, or a souped up Street Twin. But it is actually a very capable and unique take on the "street ADV" theme. The tyres are street oriented, but otherwise there is no reason why this bike would not do as well in gravel as e.g. the BMW 750. The large front wheel especially is great for our rough road surfaces.

Verdict: very nice....

And....drums, please.....Triumph it is!

I bought the new Street Scrambler and traded my trusted lil' VanVan in.

In many ways, the Triumph is a bit like a VanVan with a 900cc engine - really, if you've ridden the both, you'd know exactly what I mean. And this a compliment, because VanVan is a great bike in it's own category.

If I'd be a journalist doing neutral evaluations, I would have to say that the BMW F750GS was the best all-purpose bike that I tested during this Spring. But for a retro liking guy like me....Triumph is just so close even in absolute terms, the engine is simply superb and the bike still manage to retain that feeling of old Steve McQueen shoots. Steve and the peak nosed BMW?....you see what I mean.

But again, the truth said - if I'd be inclined especially to longer rides, several days trips, I would have chosen the BMW. With all the available storage boxes, fairings and overall features, it's a great bike to munch miles. And so easy and relaxed to ride.

Honda NC750X was also a very positive surprise - the ultra hard seat being the main cause of pain. Literally. The engine is not up to BMW, nor Triumph, but it was okey. The great slow speed handling combined with an auto gearbox makes this a very easy bike to ride - for tall enough folks, who have an iron butt (...), I would recommend this over the smaller 500X: the NC was really the easier one to ride!

End of this episode....and on we go with the Triumph!

Interesting collection of bikes. I am surprised by the choice. I think the Bonneville is the best if the bunch, as I lived with a 2007 for a decade and 160,000 kilometers not a surprising conclusion. But that it fits you, surprised me.

I'm in a way surprised myself! I've always liked Bonnies, but it seems especially the Street Scrambler version fits my needs extremely well - as a small guy, the small things like the handlebars, seat, hight of the bike all are very nice - and all just that small bit closer to my ideal than the normal Bonnie or Street Twin. Also, the SS is just that a bit more suitable for rough roads, with the large front wheel and tweaked suspension.

I really like the bike - if the engine was one of attractions on the Guzzi V7, I think the new water cooled Bonnie is even better for real life use. It's not that "rough" as in the V7, but it has also amazing amount of torque and is so smooth to ride. I love the bike more day by day!

After writing the previous post, I started wonder how come the Street Scrambler engine feels so much stronger from torque viewpoint than the V7.
I checked the specs, and they give exactly the right picture of the difference feeling between the two:

V7 iii: max torque 60 Nm at 4900 rpm

Street Scrambler: max torque 80 Nm at 2850 rpm

As they both have a nice, linear torque curve, this difference really feels on the butt. Also makes the break in period of the SS cool, no need to hold back as all the torq is available in low revs

Hey -- haven't really been on this side of the board since May so I missed all this. Just read through it all now and really enjoyed it.

Appropriately, I was just thinking of you y'day afternoon when a friend of mine rode by on his Triumph...and I noted it sounded so, soooo good.

Congratulations. I look forward reading about your adventures on the new machine.