|
Posted by Ryder Rick on September 20, 2008, 1:01 am
On 2008-09-19 21:18:03 -0700, spunky hussein tuna
> OK, I did it today.
>
> Went down to Destination Daytona to kick tires and ended up riding a
> gnu FLHX home. Not much in the way of bells and whistles, no ABS, no
> nav system, just the basic bike, security, and LoJack. Oh, and a
> chopped tourpack on order.
>
> I'm in love. Took it out in an empty parking lot near the dealership
> and rode donuts and eights until I was comfortable with how the weight
> shift feels as it leans and how far it would go over before thing
> dragged. I never really did find the answer to the last part, it leans
> over as far as I'll need it to under normal circumstances without
> dragging anything.
>
> Rode a lap of the Loop, which is the best of the local low speed
> twisties. Damn, this bike handles nicely. Everything TL said,
> everything Banker Bob said is absolutely dead on. The gnu frame is a
> really stable platform, but it doesn't fight when you bend it into a
> corner and it doesn't seem to have any interest in standing up when
> braking in a corner.
>
> And the brakes are the best HD brakes I've felt. No more spongy,
> squashy front brake lever. Nice and firm, very linear, easy to
> modulate.
>
> Of course I wasn't going to get away with riding a gnu bike ninety
> miles to home and stay dry. Not in Florida. No way. Got caught in a
> typical Florida frog stranger complete with light show and percussion.
> And where was my rain gear? I'd taken it out of the bags on the Duc
> before I rode it down and traded it on the gnu bike, so my FrogToggs
> were sitting in their little pouch on the workbench in my garage.
> Perfectly safe. Of course I got soaked to the bone. It's Florida.
>
> But before I got completely soaked I was impressed with how much
> protection the old style rhino (or I guess bat wing is the current
> term) fairing gives. Excellent wind protection (probably will get a
> slightly taller windshield for trips, though), even to my hands.
>
> Rode well and was completely stable in the rain on some fairly deep
> water running across the road. I like these tires.
>
> As I was riding down the coast road in and out of downpours I realized
> that this bike (which now has like 90 miles on it) is so comfortable,
> so competent, so outright accommodating that it seems to almost
> disappear under me. That's the best way I can describe it. Ever
> ridden a really good horse, or a bicycle that was really fit to you?
> They have a way of being so competent but so unobtrusive that they
> become as much an extension of your body as your arm or your leg. This
> bike feels that way. I think this is going to be a long and satisfying
> relationship.
>
> Oh, yeah, it's not black. I got a gray one.
>
> Like my hair.
Don't do it.
Must resist..
Must not test drive...
Don't even look at one.....
First year is never good........
Can't be that good...........
Remember payments?..............
--
Ryder Rick
< it's not working >
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap