05-23-2019, 03:37 AM
(05-23-2019, 01:54 AM)2017EX_imp Wrote: The Triumph is a great looking classic bike, no doubt. While I do agree that everything about a bike is a very individual thing, I would have to question the no mid control thing from my own experience. I had a Harley CVO for the 10 years prior to my now beloved CB1100EX. The Harley had forward controls, and when I bought the bike I though it was going to be more comfortable in that riding position. As it turns out, yes it was comfortable for riding in a straight line on the freeway, but had drawbacks that I found, at least for me outweighed that comfort factor. Initially I thought it was just because it was the only forward control bike I had ever owned, and I just needed to get used to it, but 10 years after purchase I never did.
Every bike I had ever owned prior to the Harley, was mid control, upright riding position. For me, it was never about lean angle, it was a sense of balance and control. With mid control the body is basically all in the same line, perpendicular to the bike. That perpendicular to the bike position I think increases the sense of balance and control. By comparison, feet forward control basically puts the body line in a rearward angle to the bike. As a result, feet forward throws the sense of balance and control off when going into curves or turning corners...at least for me it did. I dont know if any of that made sense to the reader, but it is the best I can do to try to explain it.
For anyone considering forward control, I would suggest considerable test driving around town at slower speeds, doing a lot of left and right turns, as well as moderate speed curves left and right, before purchase. I can do a U turn on the CB with my feet on the pegs, but I couldn't do it with feet forward. Like I said, from my experience straight down the road cruising with feet forward is OK, but twisties, curves and turns, not so much fun.
When I got my VTX I was actually surprised how well it does in the curves. I'm still getting used to it so I'm not as comfortable as on the CB but I never feel like I'm pushing the envelope. The only thing I'm not confident about is very low speed cornering only because the thing is like riding the Queen Mary but that wouldn't be a problem with the Triumph.