Selling the Honda...

[emptysea]

.....
.....
................................................................................​.............
No no no.....
......not MY Honda.

Cheryl is about a phone call and a short ride away from trading her CTX700 in on a Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster. She likes the increased power and the riding position of the Triumph. The bike will be their black and white version because the there is not an all black 2018 available and she flat out refuses to get a red bike since I have one. Good looking bike. She's probably going to take a longer demo ride on it Saturday just to be sure and then we'll likely be a Triumph/Honda family by June 1.

 

[Stichill]

Ooo Speedmaster in black and white! That's the halo paint scheme used to promote the bike, nice. Ride-by-wire with ride modes and cruise control, too. I love that bike...fits me like a glove.

If you guys decide to pull the trigger, as a negotiating angle (and if she's interested), you might ask the dealer to convert the bike to mid-controls. Apparently it's not hard to do because it's the same Bonneville platform. It will noticeably increase the available banking angle although it will also decrease knee angle. But all that extraneous hardware down low in front of the frame goes away. As a side benefit, it would make the pipes look cooler too.

Some pics I took at the IMS show in Cleveland this past winter.

Speedmaster:

Speedmaster controls:

Bobber controls:

 

[emptysea]

Mid controls are a non-starter for Cheryl. She. Does. Not. Want. Them. (emphasis added to provide a representation of how she responded to my suggestion of this at the dealer last Saturday).

The bike is really pretty and has that classic look that I, and increasingly she, likes.

 

[Offroad]

Glad to hear you are keeping yours!

Mine may be heading to a home near you.

My son, 30 lives near Schaumburg has completed his motorcycle classes to get his motorcycle license.

I told him you would be a good source for places to ride, places not to ride to avoid as much traffic as possible.

First got to get him geared up and sone seat time with me.

We need to get together sometime over the summer (I'm a free bird until August), email me if you have any free days.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Mid controls are a non-starter for Cheryl. She. Does. Not. Want. Them. (emphasis added to provide a representation of how she responded to my suggestion of this at the dealer last Saturday).

The bike is really pretty and has that classic look that I, and increasingly she, likes.

Sneak in some midnight rides, eh?

 

[emptysea]

OffRoad -- Check your calendar for June 21 (if that's the Friday of that week).

Goldie -- Maybe not midnight rides, but there are a few Triumph bike nights around town

 

[Offroad]

OffRoad -- Check your calendar for June 21 (if that's the Friday of that week).
I leave for the Canadian Rockies that day (17 days)

The Friday's I have open are June 7th, July 12 th and 19th.

 

[Cormanus]

That Cheryl has excellent taste. Well, except for the mid control decision.

Good looking bike.

 

[Stichill]

Mid controls are a non-starter for Cheryl. She. Does. Not. Want. Them. (emphasis added to provide a representation of how she responded to my suggestion of this at the dealer last Saturday).

The bike is really pretty and has that classic look that I, and increasingly she, likes.

Lean angle probably not that big of an issue in N. Illinois anyway, now that I think about it.

 

[emptysea]

The lean angle on her CTX wasn’t an issue for her on US129 or in Arkansas. I can’t imagine that the Speedmaster’s lean angle is less than the CTX’s, but she’ll test it a little on Saturday, weather permitting.

 

[Mtneers]

The lean angle on her CTX wasn’t an issue for her on US129 or in Arkansas. I can’t imagine that the Speedmaster’s lean angle is less than the CTX’s, but she’ll test it a little on Saturday, weather permitting.

So we might see a Triumph at the Sept. rally?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[the Ferret]

Well cool doggies. My brother has a Bonnie. Nice bike.

 

[emptysea]

The lean angle on her CTX wasn’t an issue for her on US129 or in Arkansas. I can’t imagine that the Speedmaster’s lean angle is less than the CTX’s, but she’ll test it a little on Saturday, weather permitting.

So we might see a Triumph at the Sept. rally?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So we might see a Triumph at the Sept. rally?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm still working on that particular problem, but yes, if I'm at the rally, then a Triumph (and a pretty girl) will be there, too.

 

[rboe]

That bike has a lot of good going for it. Unless you have inseam galore then it's too short.

 

[Stichill]

That bike has a lot of good going for it. Unless you have inseam galore then it's too short.

I love this. Usually it's the opposite situation, e.g. sky-high ADV bikes.

 

[2017EX_imp]

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.

 

[emptysea]

Thanks, EX. I have tried to make this argument to the future owner of this bike, but she counters with "I have 30,000 miles with my feet forward and I get through the corners just fine, thanks" I shut up at that point.

 

[2017EX_imp]

The most important words in the married mans vocabulary "yes dear". Kudos that she is an accomplished rider. My better half wont even ride on the back of my bike anymore. I couldnt help but notice in the picture she appears to be leaning forward at the waist. Maybe trying to get more of the body in a vertical line to compensate for feet forward?

If that is what she likes and what she is accustomed to, that is all that matters. My comments were more intended as a heads up for those who have not previously experienced the forward control thing.

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

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.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I equate it to riding a horse. With your feet below you in stirrups, you ride in a neutral stance and can easily balance and control the beast using your thighs, and you can stand up if needed to mitigate the shock of terrain irregularities. I can't imagine having the same level of confidence and control if my feet were forward and all of my weight was on my tush. Same thing with riding a motorbike.