I bought a new 2013 base model from Sunrise Honda in Searcy AR. Paid 13.9K before taxes, dealer Preparation H, etc. They were a good group of guys. It's about a 450 mi drive from KC. We started out early Monday morning on June 15th. Got to Searcy around lunch time. I rode to Little Rock and we spent the night there. I got up early on Tue and rode around Little Rock, then we headed back toward KC. My wife was following in our SUV and we managed to hit the road just about the time that tropical storm made its way up from the Gulf. I slogged thru about 250 mi of heavy rain until the wife started hydroplaning up by Springdale AR, so she pulled up alongside and motioned to get off the road at the next exit, and we overnighted in Springdale. The Dark Knight was rock solid in the rain, holding steady at about 75-80 mph the entire way. I have never had a bike that handles so well. The performance is amazing and I love the way the torque kind of sneaks up on you with that whisper quiet engine. The shorty windshield is not very functional for wind or rain, but it managed to keep me dry from about mid-chest down (for the first 200 mi or so, Lol).
I've never had a bike with a shield and I love the wind, but not being able to hear the stereo or a playlist on my phone above about 40 mph is not optimal. I'm struggling with what I'm sure a lot of you have struggled with--whether to change the look of the shorty, which I LOVE, and go with a taller shield, or get a high end helmet with bluetooth and nice speakers, etc.
Definitely needs a backrest for the boss. She's not much of a MC enthusiast, but she does like to cruise around after we get to our destination. So, I'll probably be trailering it on longer hauls and I'll need a backrest for her. I'm looking for one that is smallish and less intrusive looking. Oh, and I'll be shopping for a bike trailer too.
We're considering getting a diesel RV and putting a hydraulic lift platform on the back for the bike. Sorry for being so wordy, but I just love this bike!!
We trailered it (borrowed an old trailer from a buddy) and took it to north central MN in early July and rode it up there a bit. Without fail, someone came up to me at every gas stop, and asked what it was, and then ooohed and ahhhed over it. I get people coming up and asking about it almost everywhere I stop. People really dig the look of this machine.
I have about 3,000 mi on it so far and climbing.
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Originally Posted by Doug44
