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Having the bike for less than 2 weeks and after more than 5 years of
moto-dormancy, how better to catch up on lost time (while giving it a thorough break-in) than banging out 900 miles in 3 days?
This is exactly what my wife and I did the past weekend. Its been unusually cold here in Southern California so Phoenix seemed an ideal destination.
I gave the bike it's first oil change (at 758 miles) and did thorough chain-cleaning and lube prior to departure. Worth noting the used oil had an almost metallic shimmer, lending to the importance of changing oil early on as prescribed.
With my wife on the back, we headed out at 11am and arrived in Phoenix at 9pm, stopping every 40-60 miles to stretch and get refreshments. Our longest, uninterrupted leg was 90 miles.
Being avid cyclists certainly helped our stamina and ability to hold a prone position for long periods of time. Breathable mesh jackets helped us deal with temperatures that reached 100°F.
Some posters have cited vibration in the foot pegs at high speed. Perceptibly, this is much less pronounced after break-in. Speeds of 70-80mph held for long periods yielded no foot discomfort, but we did wear touring boots. I did however experience a buzzing effect in my hands when stopping after long distance, which quickly dissipated.
Considering our combined weight of 334 lbs, this bike was a surprise on the open road. It'll never be mistaken for a 1K but I was genuinely surprised by its ability to accelerate at speed. Sure, at 22hp you're limited but 6-8K on the tach gives you plenty of pull to get past other vehicles.
You do have to be judicious with when and where you apply power. Having a cycling background, I'm used to measuring tempo on climbs and making use of slipstreams when available.
We scored 76.4 mpg on the first tank, largely assisted by a strong tailwind (20mph winds that day). Subsequent tanks yielded 64.3, 67.1, and 65.9, which included city driving.
The long distance seems to have done the bike good. It had already been past it's break-in but seemed even smoother and more powerful when we got back.
Here's a shot of us before the ride home
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moto-dormancy, how better to catch up on lost time (while giving it a thorough break-in) than banging out 900 miles in 3 days?
This is exactly what my wife and I did the past weekend. Its been unusually cold here in Southern California so Phoenix seemed an ideal destination.
I gave the bike it's first oil change (at 758 miles) and did thorough chain-cleaning and lube prior to departure. Worth noting the used oil had an almost metallic shimmer, lending to the importance of changing oil early on as prescribed.
With my wife on the back, we headed out at 11am and arrived in Phoenix at 9pm, stopping every 40-60 miles to stretch and get refreshments. Our longest, uninterrupted leg was 90 miles.
Being avid cyclists certainly helped our stamina and ability to hold a prone position for long periods of time. Breathable mesh jackets helped us deal with temperatures that reached 100°F.
Some posters have cited vibration in the foot pegs at high speed. Perceptibly, this is much less pronounced after break-in. Speeds of 70-80mph held for long periods yielded no foot discomfort, but we did wear touring boots. I did however experience a buzzing effect in my hands when stopping after long distance, which quickly dissipated.
Considering our combined weight of 334 lbs, this bike was a surprise on the open road. It'll never be mistaken for a 1K but I was genuinely surprised by its ability to accelerate at speed. Sure, at 22hp you're limited but 6-8K on the tach gives you plenty of pull to get past other vehicles.
You do have to be judicious with when and where you apply power. Having a cycling background, I'm used to measuring tempo on climbs and making use of slipstreams when available.
We scored 76.4 mpg on the first tank, largely assisted by a strong tailwind (20mph winds that day). Subsequent tanks yielded 64.3, 67.1, and 65.9, which included city driving.
The long distance seems to have done the bike good. It had already been past it's break-in but seemed even smoother and more powerful when we got back.
Here's a shot of us before the ride home
