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Tuesday, 18 September 2001 |
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Page 3 of 4
| So, that front really was the only gatecrasher. We wanted to speed up the steering and whilst bumping up the rear preload, we just compounded the problem with the front. To get this bike to steer (relatively quickly) you'll have to give it lots of good old-fashioned body English. Get your bum sliding around that seat and you can hustle the bike around the twisties with aplomb, I wouldn't want to get out of shape though, considering the weight we have under us, but to be honest I didn't come close, cause I always wimped out, especially when the front tire started howling. |
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The twin rear shocks, although looking rather old fashioned or yesteryear, were surprisingly effective too. They offered three way adjustment and with their ramped preload adjusters, and could be set up cruiser soft for one or two up touring style or, if so inclined, wound full on to tip the rear up for better turn in. Retro cool and retro function.
The tires fitted to the bike were the Bridgestone 020's. The rear wheel sees a half-inch increase in size to aid in rear drive and grip. I think I would be tempted to upgrade the front tire to an 010. The extra grip might work in your favor considering the collapsible front forks; wear rate should be negligible compared to the stock offering too.
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| When we wanted to stop, we could stop. No dramatics here because the brakes are six piston Tokico's resting on 310 mm floating rotors. Feel was two finger licking good and with adjustable levers, easy to set up for any sized hand.
The passenger accommodations were exemplary too. Seating is wide enough to be comfortable and tall enough to give your partner a view of the proceedings, but not so tall as to make her feel exposed or vulnerable. The padding is a little soft for the pilot and chief tester though, and wasn't supportive for very long. Easy to remedy, I'm sure.
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