01-15-2018, 04:50 AM
Wow. Some of you here could be writing feature articles and reviews with your passion and attention to detail. I'm impressed by the reviews and debates I read here. I'm not as long-winded (long-fingered?) of a writer, but I'll try to get all of the important thoughts out of my head.
Anyway, yesterday was a blast and I'm glad Van got some seat time on the CB. I was happy to provide the opportunity, and I had fun trying out the XSR. First thing I noticed was how tall the thing is. It struck me as an ADV bike stripped down to it's bones. One look at the tires told me otherwise....this was definitely a sport bike.
I'm nearly 6' 2"......I felt like I was on top of the world sitting in that saddle. Van even commented at one point that I looked 10 feet tall in his mirrors. I'm not used to sitting that high, but at no point did I feel uncomfortable on the XSR. I fit well on the bike and from the moment we pulled out into traffic I felt very comfortable operating this new (to me) machine.
No doubt the XSR is a much sportier bike than the CB. I don't think anyone doubted that really, but I cherish first-hand experience. I would say STD mode most closely emulates the throttle response of the CB and that's where I rode mostly. B mode made the throttle just a bit sloggy...not much, but enough to where I could see it being useful either in slippery conditions or splitting lanes through stopped traffic where you just want easy, predictable throttle response.
I rode a little bit with A mode....it's not crazy explosive, but there is a very noticeable difference from the other modes.
The suspension was great. I think Van said he set it a bit on the soft side for me. I found that my foot position on the pegs placed my heels (left more so than right) on the top of the swing arm. With my toes on the pegs and heels on the swing arm I could feel the rear suspension "float" across the road surface, but I didn't have a corroborating sensation from anywhere else to tell my brain that there was any shock to absorb. The bike rode very smooth. So smooth, in fact, that at times I didn't even know the road was bumpy.
Speaking of smooth, the transmission was incredibly smooth and precise. The XSR seems designed to be run up and down through the gears all day. (Side note: when Van mentioned me likening the CB trans to a Soviet farm implement I was actually referring to my old XS1100) I often use the word "smooth" to describe my CB, but I found the XSR to be even more so when I came to the ride and shifting.
Overall I think it's a great bike that I felt comfortable riding. There are some cosmetic things I'm not a fan of. The single instrument pod is too busy and the blocky font of the digital spedo makes it hard to tell the difference between say 35 and 55 at a glance. And man, it that thing bright at night! Even on the dimmest setting I found it distracting and almost blinding. I had moths trying to keep up on the highway.
The turn signal switch is too small for something that is meant to be used frequently. I imagine one would get used to it after a while. One more thing that bothered me a little was the asymmetry of the cockpit. The instrument pod, ignition, and gas cap are all off-center. That just didn't feel right, but I can write that off to OCD.
Van is a helluv a rider. Quite a bit more aggressive and skilled than I am, but willing to put up with a slower rider without giving me the feeling that he's being held back. I pushed myself a bit trying to keep up, but knowing that wasn't actually going to happen when we rode Mosquito Ridge Road I slowed it down and concentrated on my own skill development rather than pushing the envelope. (Note: we were back on our own bikes by this point) It was still a thrill ride for me. Many thanks to Van for showing me some new roads that are right in my backyard!
Quote:Nortoon Wrote:
Lie it or not this is an old man's bike. You have ot be at least 60 to remember the CB750 and appreciate it looks.
Eric is only forty, and I'm fifty-three. While I can't speak in full for Eric, I do know that he loves the look of his bike. That was its main selling feature to him. For my part, I think the CB1100 is the most beautiful regular-production motorcycle available today. I have never ridden an original CB750 from the '60s, but I sure do appreciate and admire its looks, just as I love the looks of this new one.
I'm only 40, but I was born at a very young age.....
Anyway, yesterday was a blast and I'm glad Van got some seat time on the CB. I was happy to provide the opportunity, and I had fun trying out the XSR. First thing I noticed was how tall the thing is. It struck me as an ADV bike stripped down to it's bones. One look at the tires told me otherwise....this was definitely a sport bike.
I'm nearly 6' 2"......I felt like I was on top of the world sitting in that saddle. Van even commented at one point that I looked 10 feet tall in his mirrors. I'm not used to sitting that high, but at no point did I feel uncomfortable on the XSR. I fit well on the bike and from the moment we pulled out into traffic I felt very comfortable operating this new (to me) machine.
No doubt the XSR is a much sportier bike than the CB. I don't think anyone doubted that really, but I cherish first-hand experience. I would say STD mode most closely emulates the throttle response of the CB and that's where I rode mostly. B mode made the throttle just a bit sloggy...not much, but enough to where I could see it being useful either in slippery conditions or splitting lanes through stopped traffic where you just want easy, predictable throttle response.
I rode a little bit with A mode....it's not crazy explosive, but there is a very noticeable difference from the other modes.
The suspension was great. I think Van said he set it a bit on the soft side for me. I found that my foot position on the pegs placed my heels (left more so than right) on the top of the swing arm. With my toes on the pegs and heels on the swing arm I could feel the rear suspension "float" across the road surface, but I didn't have a corroborating sensation from anywhere else to tell my brain that there was any shock to absorb. The bike rode very smooth. So smooth, in fact, that at times I didn't even know the road was bumpy.
Speaking of smooth, the transmission was incredibly smooth and precise. The XSR seems designed to be run up and down through the gears all day. (Side note: when Van mentioned me likening the CB trans to a Soviet farm implement I was actually referring to my old XS1100) I often use the word "smooth" to describe my CB, but I found the XSR to be even more so when I came to the ride and shifting.
Overall I think it's a great bike that I felt comfortable riding. There are some cosmetic things I'm not a fan of. The single instrument pod is too busy and the blocky font of the digital spedo makes it hard to tell the difference between say 35 and 55 at a glance. And man, it that thing bright at night! Even on the dimmest setting I found it distracting and almost blinding. I had moths trying to keep up on the highway.
The turn signal switch is too small for something that is meant to be used frequently. I imagine one would get used to it after a while. One more thing that bothered me a little was the asymmetry of the cockpit. The instrument pod, ignition, and gas cap are all off-center. That just didn't feel right, but I can write that off to OCD.Van is a helluv a rider. Quite a bit more aggressive and skilled than I am, but willing to put up with a slower rider without giving me the feeling that he's being held back. I pushed myself a bit trying to keep up, but knowing that wasn't actually going to happen when we rode Mosquito Ridge Road I slowed it down and concentrated on my own skill development rather than pushing the envelope. (Note: we were back on our own bikes by this point) It was still a thrill ride for me. Many thanks to Van for showing me some new roads that are right in my backyard!
Quote:Nortoon Wrote:
Lie it or not this is an old man's bike. You have ot be at least 60 to remember the CB750 and appreciate it looks.
Eric is only forty, and I'm fifty-three. While I can't speak in full for Eric, I do know that he loves the look of his bike. That was its main selling feature to him. For my part, I think the CB1100 is the most beautiful regular-production motorcycle available today. I have never ridden an original CB750 from the '60s, but I sure do appreciate and admire its looks, just as I love the looks of this new one.
I'm only 40, but I was born at a very young age.....