exskibum
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Amen to that! My '97 was pretty much bone stock. I went from living here around 1200 feet back to Lake Tahoe and Gardnerville, NV in '04 - '06 and while it was still fast, there was a marked difference from living at 1200 feet. After I picked up my FJR new in April '05, I started to farkle the '97 and before long, decided I was putting too much money into a soon-to-be 10 year old bike. While my custom wheel order was pending, I spotted the '03 XX at Big Valley Honda in Reno (traded in next door on a H-D and sporting inch wide chicken strips). So, I grabbed it, changed my wheel order in time to accommodate the later model front wheel disk carrier, and went nuts spending on Warchild sponsored group buys for it.
I got most all the farkling I've done finished just in time for a Blackbird meet in Red Bluff in June '06, and had a check out ride over the mountain and back to fine tune things a week earlier. It had the Micron 4-2-1 pipe, a mapped Power Commander, a Speedo Healer, Carozzerria wheels, Traxxion AK-20 suspension and other goodies on it. I figure it weighs around 530 lbs wet with the weight I trimmed off it. Anyway, I took the '03 to Red Bluff via Hwy 1 north from Bodega Bay and over 36, and then rode it all around those amazing roads for the three day weekend before returning.
That trip, it was pure . . . "HOLY ****!" I could hardly believe the power that bike has at sea level, especially since I was living at 4750 feet and riding most of my time above that. Riding with a group of very fast riders (3 or 4 AMA experts) leading our pack over 36 heading west to the coast, I was coming over the crests of those wicked whoop-dee-doos (just west of Red Bluff before it gains much elevation) riding the rear wheel on the throttle. There are faster bikes out there, but between its big torque and broad power band, and the arm stretching power it has from 8000 rpm to redline, it just blurs things. I saw 173 on the Speedo Healer corrected speedometer** that weekend, and it was still pulling hard, but I just didn't have the balls or (greater) stupidity to see how much more it would go.
** My version Speedo Healer stores the highest speed before a reset, and this was on an empty four lane stretch of 299 heading east from Eureka with 2 other Birds and a CBR 954 spread both up front and behind. Bike is at 130 in a blink, especially from the posted limit, so it didn't take long to get to 173 where I backed off -- very much afraid of enforcement "issues." Smart? Absolutely not. Still too much testosterone at this age, I imagine.
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