Dave Ritsema
04-13-2014, 08:05 AM
Put a few hundred miles on the bike yesterday with my wife, a few observations below. Conditions were less than perfect, 20-35 mph wind gusts and some rain. Average speed was about 70 mph.
Honda extended windshield is the perfect height for me, just looking over it at 5' 10".
Kuryakyn mini floorboards made foot position as good as my Valkyrie.
Needs handlebar risers, bars are a bit lower than my Valkyrie. (It had pullback risers)
The stock seat is quite good, but we are both spoiled by Ultimate's and we will go that route.
Passenger backrest is WAY too low and needs to be addressed. See my Ultimate statement above.
Andrea states there is considerably more back seat room than there was on the Valkyrie.
Going from memory of course, but seemed more "planted" in cross winds.
More planted in corners, that’s for certain.
First gear is quite low, great for that rapid burst of acceleration; my butt dyno tells me it is quicker than the Interstate.
5th gear is overdriven (even has an OD light on the dash) and at 70 mph the engine seems to running slower than the Interstate. I find that I am not constantly trying to shift it into another gear.
Intercom and headsets are really nice, but I have to figure out more about it. The wind kept opening up Andreas mic which resulted in the radio being constantly muted and me listening to amplified wind noise.
Fuel economy 38 mpg
Post ride wash (it rained) was 45 minutes vs. 2 hours on the Valkyrie. (No chrome and less nooks and crannies)
First week impression is quite favorable and I am enjoying my new ride. Won't continue to bore you with updates, just wanted to offer my initial impressions.
Honda extended windshield is the perfect height for me, just looking over it at 5' 10".
Kuryakyn mini floorboards made foot position as good as my Valkyrie.
Needs handlebar risers, bars are a bit lower than my Valkyrie. (It had pullback risers)
The stock seat is quite good, but we are both spoiled by Ultimate's and we will go that route.
Passenger backrest is WAY too low and needs to be addressed. See my Ultimate statement above.
Andrea states there is considerably more back seat room than there was on the Valkyrie.
Going from memory of course, but seemed more "planted" in cross winds.
More planted in corners, that’s for certain.
First gear is quite low, great for that rapid burst of acceleration; my butt dyno tells me it is quicker than the Interstate.
5th gear is overdriven (even has an OD light on the dash) and at 70 mph the engine seems to running slower than the Interstate. I find that I am not constantly trying to shift it into another gear.
Intercom and headsets are really nice, but I have to figure out more about it. The wind kept opening up Andreas mic which resulted in the radio being constantly muted and me listening to amplified wind noise.
Fuel economy 38 mpg
Post ride wash (it rained) was 45 minutes vs. 2 hours on the Valkyrie. (No chrome and less nooks and crannies)
First week impression is quite favorable and I am enjoying my new ride. Won't continue to bore you with updates, just wanted to offer my initial impressions.