metallyguitarded_imp
Road warrior
Thread starter
The bad news is that I had to come into the office today to get some work done. The good news is that the normally 10-mile commute turned into a 100-mile commute. I went through some local winding roads that lead into the mountains then took the freeway back to downtown. This was the longest ride I've done so far on my CB. Here are a few of my impressions:
First and foremost, I love this motorcycle more and more every time I get on it. I could put it into 3rd gear and leave it there and still have plenty of pull when the corners got tight and I needed to slow things down then, of course, as the corners opened up there was just smooth, effortless acceleration. Of course, I didn't just leave in 3rd. I played around with other engine speeds and in the end, believe the gearing and low-end torque make this an incredibly easy bike to ride.
On the big sweepers, it felt securely planted and didn't take much effort at the bar or with the throttle to get her back up and going straight. In the tighter corners, I felt a little uneasy but only because I'm still learning the limits of this bike and establishing my comfort level. I'm used to my VFR which has better suspension and tires. Until I get those dialed in on the CB along with more time in the saddle, I'll continue to be conservative on the tight turns. I'm not sure I trust the stock rubber and the suspension feels so stiff that I'm concerned with losing contact at deeper lean angles.
The stock seat had my butt a little numb within the first 50 miles but not terribly uncomfortable. I was certainly ready to get off and stretch once I made it to the office though! Another thing I noticed is a fair amount of vibration through the bars. Both hands were noticeably numb and tingling (Can hands be both numb and tingling? I suppose so - where they weren't tingling, they were numb!). I ride with a pretty relaxed grip so I'm confident it's not from gripping too tightly. I put some after market bar ends on the VFR that helped a lot. I might have to add some to the CB. They are these: http://www.vibranator.com/default.asp I haven't checked to see if they make ones compatible with our bikes yet.
I mentioned the suspension already. Too stiff in it's stock setting. It looks like I have one more tooth I can adjust on the rear shocks. I'll do that and see how much that helps. At least until I can upgrade to something like the Ikons. And I'll have to investigate what my options are for up front.
I go back and forth on whether I should get a small fairing up front. I like the looks of the Road Comet available on Samurider's website. The wind blast coming back on the freeway was pretty intense. But at lower, around town or back road speeds, I really enjoy feeling the wind. I'm hoping the Road Comet is good compromise. Not too much protection but enough to make the longer jaunts on the freeway more tolerable.
Overall, I give my new CB a 8.5 out of 10. Once I get the suspension, saddle, vibration and possibly wind issues addressed, she'll definitely be in the 9's. What a great bike! With so much potential to become even greater!
First and foremost, I love this motorcycle more and more every time I get on it. I could put it into 3rd gear and leave it there and still have plenty of pull when the corners got tight and I needed to slow things down then, of course, as the corners opened up there was just smooth, effortless acceleration. Of course, I didn't just leave in 3rd. I played around with other engine speeds and in the end, believe the gearing and low-end torque make this an incredibly easy bike to ride.
On the big sweepers, it felt securely planted and didn't take much effort at the bar or with the throttle to get her back up and going straight. In the tighter corners, I felt a little uneasy but only because I'm still learning the limits of this bike and establishing my comfort level. I'm used to my VFR which has better suspension and tires. Until I get those dialed in on the CB along with more time in the saddle, I'll continue to be conservative on the tight turns. I'm not sure I trust the stock rubber and the suspension feels so stiff that I'm concerned with losing contact at deeper lean angles.
The stock seat had my butt a little numb within the first 50 miles but not terribly uncomfortable. I was certainly ready to get off and stretch once I made it to the office though! Another thing I noticed is a fair amount of vibration through the bars. Both hands were noticeably numb and tingling (Can hands be both numb and tingling? I suppose so - where they weren't tingling, they were numb!). I ride with a pretty relaxed grip so I'm confident it's not from gripping too tightly. I put some after market bar ends on the VFR that helped a lot. I might have to add some to the CB. They are these: http://www.vibranator.com/default.asp I haven't checked to see if they make ones compatible with our bikes yet.
I mentioned the suspension already. Too stiff in it's stock setting. It looks like I have one more tooth I can adjust on the rear shocks. I'll do that and see how much that helps. At least until I can upgrade to something like the Ikons. And I'll have to investigate what my options are for up front.
I go back and forth on whether I should get a small fairing up front. I like the looks of the Road Comet available on Samurider's website. The wind blast coming back on the freeway was pretty intense. But at lower, around town or back road speeds, I really enjoy feeling the wind. I'm hoping the Road Comet is good compromise. Not too much protection but enough to make the longer jaunts on the freeway more tolerable.
Overall, I give my new CB a 8.5 out of 10. Once I get the suspension, saddle, vibration and possibly wind issues addressed, she'll definitely be in the 9's. What a great bike! With so much potential to become even greater!
Weeeeeeeeee...
I just arrived home yesterday around 8:15 pm after a few hundred miles.
