littlefish
Well-known member
Just got back to Tampa from D&H in Cullman, Alabama. No pictures to speak of my friends, you've seen every angle of the bike and this one looks exactly the same as the others. I tried to stay on back roads but wound up on I-65 and I-10 for a small part of the trip. I predominantly ran US 31, 98, 331, 52, 88, 81 and FL SR 19 for the bulk of the miles. By the time I parked it wet and dirty in the garage my new cruise missile had 640 miles. My observations? Before I write those, allow me to tell you what my past rides were. In order of ownership:
I've owned and severly tortured the following bikes:
Kawasaki ZRX1109 - 140 rwhp / 80 ft/lbs
Suzuki SV650 - track bikes with Penske shocks
Yamaha R6 - track bike
Aprilia Falco 118 rwhp
Triumph Sprint ST 1050
BMW GS1200 - 2008 Ohlins shocks, scotts damper, motor tweaks
KTM 990 - with pro dyno tune setup
KTM 525 EXC - pro setup
Yamaha FJR 1300
Here is a brain dump after JUST getting in the door:
Even staying within break-in parameters, this motor is strong. I passed folks like they were standing still and I didn't exceed 4099 rpms.
A 540 mile day is bearable on the stock seat using an Alaska Leather sheep skin pad. ( I
sheep! )
After 600 miles, I ran the tach up to 6000 rpms a few times, all I can say is YOWZER! ( I
warp speed )
Cruise control stops working on mine at 82 mph and I can see uses for this at these "excessive" speeds.
The electrically adjustable windscreen is un-freaking-believable because it creates a calm pocket of air at every speed. Yamaha is the first OEM to get this right that I have many miles on a ton of brands. ( I
adjustable screens! )
The tupperware on this cruise missile provides good weather protection. I had to ride through rain and spray and I stayed dry w/o rain pants and a mostly water-resistant jacket.
I shipped 38 lbs of gear and gadgets to D&H so I wouldn't have to carry it on the plane. The luggage was able to ingest most of the stuff I didn't wear w/o breaking. The factory liners are pretty cool and VERY useful. (Some had to go in a waterproof duffle bag, but that strapped nicely onto the tail and stayed put using Knot Bone bungies and a Rox strap.)
The headlight was adequate and the bright light setting must have been signaling aliens. I officially apologize for blinding them before they could land and take over earth. If you are heading home at night on a new one, I would adjust them down 5-10*.
The dash is pretty cool. I liked the average and instantaneous mpg and outside temp. Average MPG over the total 645 miles was around 41 mpg.
The heated grips work very well. My vented, short, full on summer gloves were fine at 56F as long as I turned on the heat.
When I first got on the bike, it wanted to fall into turns. After more riding, that tendency went away. The handling is very neutral for me now.
The stock suspension settings from Nick at D&H worked great for me. Plush and planted. I think I hit two pavement anomalies that made me go "OUCH!". I liked the settings very much.
The mode switch is effective. For times when I wanted to be lazy with the throttle, Touring mode worked great. When I wanted precise control, Sport mode punched the ticket. Neither stuttered. The fueling was amazing and I have been on bikes eddy-current dyno tuned using 4 gas analyzers that weren't as good as these two modes. I will say my favorite is both! I think Touring mode can be compared to a 1/2 turn throttle and Sport mode a 1/4 turn. Small inputs get noticed using Sport mode and Touring mode allowed me to concentrate on other things going on in the ride w/o turning her into a bucking bronco.
I need to get my Passport X50 hooked up quick or I won't have a license for long.
My apologies if this is long and drawn out, but in short, I think I'm in
!!!
I've owned and severly tortured the following bikes:
Kawasaki ZRX1109 - 140 rwhp / 80 ft/lbs
Suzuki SV650 - track bikes with Penske shocks
Yamaha R6 - track bike
Aprilia Falco 118 rwhp
Triumph Sprint ST 1050
BMW GS1200 - 2008 Ohlins shocks, scotts damper, motor tweaks
KTM 990 - with pro dyno tune setup
KTM 525 EXC - pro setup
Yamaha FJR 1300
Here is a brain dump after JUST getting in the door:
Even staying within break-in parameters, this motor is strong. I passed folks like they were standing still and I didn't exceed 4099 rpms.
A 540 mile day is bearable on the stock seat using an Alaska Leather sheep skin pad. ( I
After 600 miles, I ran the tach up to 6000 rpms a few times, all I can say is YOWZER! ( I
Cruise control stops working on mine at 82 mph and I can see uses for this at these "excessive" speeds.
The electrically adjustable windscreen is un-freaking-believable because it creates a calm pocket of air at every speed. Yamaha is the first OEM to get this right that I have many miles on a ton of brands. ( I
The tupperware on this cruise missile provides good weather protection. I had to ride through rain and spray and I stayed dry w/o rain pants and a mostly water-resistant jacket.
I shipped 38 lbs of gear and gadgets to D&H so I wouldn't have to carry it on the plane. The luggage was able to ingest most of the stuff I didn't wear w/o breaking. The factory liners are pretty cool and VERY useful. (Some had to go in a waterproof duffle bag, but that strapped nicely onto the tail and stayed put using Knot Bone bungies and a Rox strap.)
The headlight was adequate and the bright light setting must have been signaling aliens. I officially apologize for blinding them before they could land and take over earth. If you are heading home at night on a new one, I would adjust them down 5-10*.
The dash is pretty cool. I liked the average and instantaneous mpg and outside temp. Average MPG over the total 645 miles was around 41 mpg.
The heated grips work very well. My vented, short, full on summer gloves were fine at 56F as long as I turned on the heat.
When I first got on the bike, it wanted to fall into turns. After more riding, that tendency went away. The handling is very neutral for me now.
The stock suspension settings from Nick at D&H worked great for me. Plush and planted. I think I hit two pavement anomalies that made me go "OUCH!". I liked the settings very much.
The mode switch is effective. For times when I wanted to be lazy with the throttle, Touring mode worked great. When I wanted precise control, Sport mode punched the ticket. Neither stuttered. The fueling was amazing and I have been on bikes eddy-current dyno tuned using 4 gas analyzers that weren't as good as these two modes. I will say my favorite is both! I think Touring mode can be compared to a 1/2 turn throttle and Sport mode a 1/4 turn. Small inputs get noticed using Sport mode and Touring mode allowed me to concentrate on other things going on in the ride w/o turning her into a bucking bronco.
I need to get my Passport X50 hooked up quick or I won't have a license for long.
My apologies if this is long and drawn out, but in short, I think I'm in
Last edited by a moderator:
