Just got home from America's 9/11 Ride (see separate post for those details). My F6B was flawless the entire trip. I picked it up about a month ago and had 600 miles when we left. The entire trip was 2700 miles so I'm almost ready for the first service.
Here's some observations:
1. Seat sucks. It's okay for the first 100 miles, but gets progressively worse. I took an Air Hawk pad and that saved my skinny ass. Even with the Air Hawk I was desperate to get off for a few minutes every 120 miles. Enroute back to Orlando I had to pass Destination Daytona so I stopped at the Ultimate Seat store. Wow. If I knew then what I know now I would have bought the seat before we left. I'm gonna take the wife over there next week for a long demo ride before I lay out a grand for a seat, but I was really impressed.
2. I was concerned about the stock windshield. I decided a full-face modular helmet might be the way to go. I'm old, but not senile so a standard Gold Wing 1800 is not in my future. I like the looks of the stock F6B and didn't want some huge windshield, but I didn't want to get beat up by the wind all day. The new helmet and ear plugs made the ride very comfortable. I won't be looking at any windshields.
3. Throttle lock worked real well, but it's no substitute for an authentic cruise control. If the 2015's have cruise I'll be the first in line at the dealership.
4. Those little wing things below the mirrors were great. A couple of mornings were in the 40's, and some afternoons were in the mid-90's. Easy quick adjustment and the wind could be controlled. Best money I've spent so far.
5. There was no place to wash the bike during the trip. When I got home my poor, now well broke in bike, looked pitiful. A quick thorough bath and she's back in good shape.
Conclusion: I've been riding since 1954. I've had 'em all...BMW's, BSA, Triumph, Yamaha, Kawasaki's, dozens of Honda's, and nothing but Harleys for the past 25 years. I've also ridden many other brands of bikes over the years. The F6B is without a doubt the apex of my riding career. It is the finest motorcycle I've ever ridden.
No motorcycle manufacturer will ever make a perfect seat. I guess there's some collusion with the aftermarket seat manufacturers. I've had Mustangs and Corbins, both brands were very satisfactory...plus I've added a few years to my life log book. I look forward to my next long trip on my Ultimate seat.
BTW, there were a couple of Victory bikes on the ride, the one's with that funky tour pack. Couldn't they make it any uglier?
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Originally Posted by hoglaw
