Popular demand being the key part of your post.
I'm working on that one rider at a time... so far I've gotten some favorable comments...
Quote DOC WONG 996 Ducati:
Hey Larry, Thanks for letting me ride your RC 45. The bike was pretty amazing. It was
deceptively fast and very light. How big is the motor on that thing? I was pretty impressed
with how comfortable the bike was even on the track. Your footpeg, handle bar and seat mods
made it easier to circulate around the track! My 996 felt like a tractor-tank compared to Mr RC45.
Quote Andrew S3 Triumph Triple
"OMG. The RC45 is amazing. It feels nothing like a VFR motor (Which I don't think is anything
special, anyhow.) The RC45 motor is amazing, smooth, torquey, not at all lumpy like I think of
the VFR. Larry may have converted me to a V4 aficionado."
Quote Denise Howard ARM racer #732 Honda 929 Aprilia RS250
I'm here to tell ya, Larry is right--V4's are a hoot! and I've ridden a VFR, it was nothing like
this, not the same! not at all. He offered to let me ride Mr. RC45 #2 for a few miles today, and
my only regret is that I didn't get to do any freeway squirts. The engine is sneaky-fast--it
doesn't rip your arms out of their sockets, and the engine doesn't sound like it's doing any
work, you just very (VERY) quickly realize "Hey, how come everything's going by so fast?!?"
Nice ergos, too--the only sportbike I've ever sat on that comes close to that much comfort is
the Aprilia RS250. Everyone should have one of these. Not the same! Not at all. I've ridden a
VFR, and it was nothing like this. How do we get Honda to start making them again? I'd even
trade in my 929. I've ridden a VFR, and it was nothing like this 8-)
Quote Holly Obert Honda VTR SuperHawk
Seeing as how I had ridden Andrew's Speed Triple, I had no decent way
to refuse Larry's offer to ride the RC45 later when we stopped at
Moskowite Corners. Poor Larry's heart sank at my enthusiasm for the
Triumph, and I began to feel like a Honda traitor. I would hate to be
the one who wrecks that bike, mostly because it is so special to
Larry. I was terrified of dropping it, terrified of the quick throttle
he put on it... just plain terrified, I suppose. But I settled into
that comfy seat he made, gently twisted the throttle, eased out the
clutch and sauntered on down the road.
And didn't come back for another ten miles! Compared to the Speed
Triple, the RC45 had a familiar V4 torquiness and sound, but it
vibrated a lot more than my old Magna, although in a totally different
way from my Superhawk. You know Larry's .sig, "music to the seat of my
pants?" I always wondered what that meant but now I know. I have only
ridden one inline four, but I don't remember it being like that,
either, so I think this must be a peculiar quality of the RC45 or
something. It was infinitely more flickable than my VTR, and super
light. I haven't ridden anything like an R6 or R1 or GSXR, so I can't
really compare it against a wide range of sportbikes. Maybe some of
this is just generic sportbike-ness, but to me, it certainly seemed
different and lots of fun.
It's also hard to say how much of it is due to the bike itself and how
much is due to Larry's modifications. He's got it so set up according
to his own preferences and mechanical inclinations, that riding his
RC45 is like getting to know him a little bit. I rolled back to the
Corners just as Larry was beginning to get a little worried. Thanks
for trusting me to ride it, Larry. Not many people will get a chance
to ride one of those.
