VT750C - Good Bike ?? - Page 3

 Well, I'd be neglectful if I didn't follow up with my experience. The first
day out was actually kind of scary, having triple the amount of power going
from a 250 to the 750. Like somebody mentioned, I had to relearn all slow
speed manoeuvrings like turning sharp corners at low speed, balance at low
RPM and speed. The change in braking was exceptionally noticeable. Too many
times, the light went yellow, and I was forced to decide if I should stop
and end up 1/3 of the way into the intersection, or speed up to get through
the light before it turned red, and get caught in a red light/speed camera.
I locked up the back wheel 3 times before I was comfortable with hard
braking. I came close to dropping the bike when the front wheel locked up
when I was braking on some sand on the road. Fortunately, I've had a lot of
experience with off-road biking that I recovered my balance before I went
down. I really have to watch for sand. The front brake on this bike is
excellent. I will have to use it sparingly when there is sand or other grit
on the road.



I never worried about getting a speeding ticket on my old 250. The power and
gearing made it almost impossible to speed. It seemed to hum along perfectly
at 30MPK/50KPH in 3rd gear. Now with the 750, even idling in 3rd gear puts
me dangerously close to 10MPH over, the threshold for a ticket, and 2nd gear
seems to idle a little too fast and vibratory for 30MPK/50KPH, which
constitutes the majority of my city riding. I'll have to choose more routes
that have a 40MPH/60KPH zones. This 750 seems to be at peak efficiency
idling along about 40MPH. I haven't figured out the gas mileage yet, since I
haven't filled up since I bought it, but I will probably have to fill up
this weekend.



I actually miss the nimble mobility of the 250. The little bike was SO easy
to control. By comparison, the 750 seems like a boat. I find that the
turning radius is at least 50% greater. where I park, I usually had to drag
my 250 a little sideways gong through the gate of our chain link fence,
which wasn't a problem with the weight of a 250; but the 750 is a different
story altogether. Its very hard to manoeuvre the handlebars, windshield and
mirrors through the gate, which is 3" too short. I will probably add another
gate, a real wide one, between two of the other posts so I can just ride my
bike through without having to go through contortions and risking scratches,
possible cuts, etc.



All in all, this has been a very positive experience for me. I think this
was the best move I could of done. I still have cheap city transportation
and I'm now capable of some touring. I've got a Service appointment for
Monday and Tuesday, and I'm gong to add both a drivers and passenger
backrest, a luggage rack, and a real well thought out tailbag. This tailbag
doubles as a piece of luggage, with collapsible handle and small wheels, and
a separate padded compartment for a laptop. Lots of tough loops for cables
and locks to secure it against theft. I haven't decided on an alarm yet. I'm
kind of disappointed with the Scorpio Alarm. It gave off too many false
alarms when it rained. I've been looking at one of those lock/alarms, that
look like a thick C, where the pin goes through a small hole in the front
disc brake, and an infrared sensor and a motion sensor trigger the alarm. I
am concerned about this lock running on small watch batteries though. Not
only are they very expensive and can't be recharged, there doesn't seem to
be a low battery indicator, other than setting off the alarm, and burning up
electricity.



Anyway, I thank everyone for their comments and helping me decide on the
VT750 upgrade, and I will share some more stories when I get some.



Cheers

Roger

 Roger wrote:


That MIGHT mean that your idle speed is set too high.  Is it a 5 speed or 6
??


Having been there before, my 250>600 Shadow transition didn't take very long
but the first couple of curves almost went wide !!  While not as "nimble",
you should find the bigger bike more accurate and stable once you really get
comfortable with it.  The 250's tend to be "twitchy" in the handling
department.

 
It is a 5 speed. I don't think the idle is too high. This bike
goes into the shop for a complete service on Monday, and
I will mention this to them. I'm really looking forward to
getting all the accessories on it, especially the drivers
backrest.


Yeah, the first few curves and turns went wide. I'm slowly getting more
comfortable in the handling. I will ride more when the weather here in
Edmonton warms up some more. We had snow right after the May 24
long weekend. Edmonton doesn't get a lot of good riding weather.
Summer comes late, Fall comes early. Winter comes early and goes
on and on and on.......

 I got my VT750 back from the shop today. $1,114.24.  I had all the
accessories I wanted installed after they did a complete inspection and
service. Both Drivers and Passenger Backrests, Luggage Rack and related
mounting brackets, and a real nice luggage bag that looks like it will hold
a lot of gear, with a pocket specifically designed to carry and protect a
laptop. Only the Crash Bar and Hi-Way pegs were on BackOrder.

They could find absolutely "nothing" wrong with this bike. It is in as
excellent condition mechanically as it looks. So I'm all set up for some
touring, and I'm going to take a short tour tomorrow, for 3-4 days. I hope
to take some photos over the next few days, and I would like to share them
with whomever is interested. When I get back, I will post again.

Cheers
Roger

 Roger wrote:

Be careful. The bike is heavier and will react differently. Take your
time getting used to it.

Have fun!

Clay