Posted by saddlebag on July 25, 2011, 10:40 pm
> It sat in storage since March while I recovered from surgery
> and a few other tiresome issues... but the thing wasn't made
> just to sit around looking pretty...!
> So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> a shakedown cruise. My first impression:
> :-) <---- big happy smile
> It feels like I'm riding a for real motorcycle. And furthermore,
> it *sounds* like one, too! I roll on the throttle and it responds
> with that distinctive Harley growl. When I demo'd an XL1200
> a while back the stock pipes muted all the character right out of it.
> But mine has Screamin' Eagle slip-ons that speak volumes without
> making an obnoxious car-alarm-tripping earache-inducing
> sleep-depriving lease-braking citation-attracting racket.
> I used to think of the Sporty as a "Harley Lite", but at close
> to 600 lbs curb weight (100 lbs heavier than my Bonneville)
> it isn't exactly a lightweight. But I guess that's the American
> style these days; build it big and solid -- the Jeep may have
> been good enough for WW2 and Korea (you could do just about
> anything with a Jeep except make it fly) (and mebbe even
> that too FAIK) but now the Armed Forces think they gotta have
> no less than 3-ton Humvees (and just try floating one of *them*
> across some muddy river in Burma on a tiny log raft).
> Anyway the Sportster isn't what I'd call "nimble" or "flickable",
> either, even with a track racing pedigree. The 883 motor is fine
> for now; maybe I'll upgrade some winter when I get around to it.
I often wonder why people bother. I rode an 883 with my wife on the
back in Alaska and for traveling back roads at 60 mph or less it had
plenty of pop. The only place I find some cruisers lacking is in
making enough to power to pass at freeway speeds i.e. making good
power up to at least 90 mph. Now I realize that just about any of
them will go that fast, but most take a month of Sundays to get
there. But if one isn't going to use it as a freeway commuter or long
haul tourer, why not just save the money and enjoy the good gas
mileage and increased tire life?
Posted by gus on July 26, 2011, 12:37 am
> So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> a shakedown cruise.
Just *one* ride?
You're really not into the riding part, are you?
You're just a collector of macho objects.
Posted by The Older Gentleman on July 26, 2011, 2:25 am
>
> > So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> > a shakedown cruise.
>
> Just *one* ride?
>
Krusty gets it wrong again. No film at eleven, because it's not worth
the electrons.
--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Kawasaki GPz750 Honda CB400F
Triumph Street Triple Suzuki Freewind, TS250ERx2, GN250.
Higgler Supreme
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com
Posted by Road Glidin' Don on July 26, 2011, 9:44 am
> > So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> > a shakedown cruise.
> Just *one* ride?
> You're really not into the riding part, are you?
> You're just a collector of macho objects.
Coming from a geezer who rides the same 200 mile loop over and over,
that's rich.
Posted by The Older Gentleman on July 26, 2011, 2:21 am
> It sat in storage since March while I recovered from surgery
> and a few other tiresome issues... but the thing wasn't made
> just to sit around looking pretty...!
>
> So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> a shakedown cruise. My first impression:
>
> :-) <---- big happy smile
>
<snip>
Very nice.
Pix?
--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Kawasaki GPz750 Honda CB400F
Triumph Street Triple Suzuki Freewind, TS250ERx2, GN250.
Higgler Supreme
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com
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> and a few other tiresome issues... but the thing wasn't made
> just to sit around looking pretty...!
> So last week I finally put it on the road and went for
> a shakedown cruise. My first impression:
> :-) <---- big happy smile
> It feels like I'm riding a for real motorcycle. And furthermore,
> it *sounds* like one, too! I roll on the throttle and it responds
> with that distinctive Harley growl. When I demo'd an XL1200
> a while back the stock pipes muted all the character right out of it.
> But mine has Screamin' Eagle slip-ons that speak volumes without
> making an obnoxious car-alarm-tripping earache-inducing
> sleep-depriving lease-braking citation-attracting racket.
> I used to think of the Sporty as a "Harley Lite", but at close
> to 600 lbs curb weight (100 lbs heavier than my Bonneville)
> it isn't exactly a lightweight. But I guess that's the American
> style these days; build it big and solid -- the Jeep may have
> been good enough for WW2 and Korea (you could do just about
> anything with a Jeep except make it fly) (and mebbe even
> that too FAIK) but now the Armed Forces think they gotta have
> no less than 3-ton Humvees (and just try floating one of *them*
> across some muddy river in Burma on a tiny log raft).
> Anyway the Sportster isn't what I'd call "nimble" or "flickable",
> either, even with a track racing pedigree. The 883 motor is fine
> for now; maybe I'll upgrade some winter when I get around to it.