Hey Region 6'ers Did you ride today? Show me!

[919]

(probably not until the evening, headed to Worcester for the morning, Woodstock CT for the afternoon.  Text me when you're going and I'll let you know if I can make it)

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.  

I can't ride today due to work work obligations.  

[Sport-Touring]

[02Tac]

Earlier today

[Royal Tiger]

You certainly got those horses' attention!  

[ConPilot1]

They're trying to figure who's going to f*ck it first.  

[Royal Tiger]

They're trying to figure who's going to f*ck it first.  

 

[ConPilot1]

Mortal sin committed today.

Washed the bike. There was a pre-soak involved.  

[Royal Tiger]

Mortal sin committed today.

Washed the bike. There was a pre-soak involved.  

I usually keep both fairly clean.  My poor Tundra on the other hand must be jealous as it's been FOREVER she got a proper wash and not just left out in the rain.

[ConPilot1]

I had a nice coating of mud, salt, and general road spew all over the Connie.

BTW I brought this up in a thread before about brake pads swelling in the wet....no doubt about it. They do. Might depend on the kind of pads, but it's bone dry out today and my brakes felt normal.

Hosed the bike down good and wouldn't you know it by the time I pulled the bike out of the car wash my front brakes felt noticeably tighter, not a lot, but
enough I could feel it.

[919]

Cookie couldn't meet me at the range today as he was being a responsible parent.  Decided to skip the range and go for a ride instead.  No pictures because I didn't feel like stopping until I got back home.

[greidel]

Commuted yesterday on my Vespa 300 Super. I live in Lancaster and had a dentist appt. in Hellam (York Co.) first thing in the morning, about a half hour on the highway one way. The Vespa tops out at about 80. I enjoyed passing sporty cars on a scooter.

My dentist is one that takes your blood pressure before the appointment. The assistant remarked, "You must really enjoy your ride in.... your blood pressure is low!"

Why the Vespa? I had already ridden the Versys this month, and I wanted to run some gas through the Vespa and charge its battery. It turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. I got to use every bit of it, with nothing extra. The problem is that I only used about a half gallon of gas!   Good for economy, but I wanted to empty the tank and refill it with fresh. Oh, well.

[Rincewind]

Hey Greidel - do you use Vespa of Lancaster on Rt 72?  I went by there to check and they seemed mostly a used car lot.

[02Tac]

Rode to work. Frogg Toggs rain gear worked great. Mild rain when I got to work, skies open up a few minutes later .

[ConPilot1]

Yes i did and it was crappy. It's even crappier out now.

[Cablebandit]

Between the rain and the 40 knot breeze it went nowhere today.  I did try to get some of the scratches out of the tank.

[ConPilot1]

It always amazes me how much moisture can make it feel like the temperature is even lower    This morning was 36* and a light mist and 39* when I came home. Yet when I rode the bike in a nice dry 15* I felt fine.

Damn straight. It always feels colder when that damp in in the air. It was a thick, hi humid damp today. Oh hell it was just raining on and off.  

[greidel]

Hey Greidel - do you use Vespa of Lancaster on Rt 72?  I went by there to check and they seemed mostly a used car lot.

Yes, I did buy there. When I did, they were trying to get a Vespa dealership off the ground. They said they were going to send techs to get trained and have a service department, and remodel the showroom. Then the recession hit and I saw none of that happen. The other part of their business is just south of the showroom, on the other side of the gas pumps. They were going to remodel that.

I currently go to Lebanon for service. The Vespa is a fun little bike around town. Easy to park... because it's so cute and stylish, nobody minds if you pull it right up in front of their store. I actually had an Italian cafe owner invite me to park it on his sidewalk. And nobody suspects it's power. Every time I pass a car I think, "You just got passed, by a scooter!". I've used it on rides with friends, and on a curvy back road I will pull away from a less confident rider on a GXR 750.

But on the highway, it is capable... barely. The 12" wheel make it susceptible to wobble and its aerodynamics get it blown around a lot. I have a Versys also, and on that I feel like the king of the road. On the Vespa, you feel like you're a daredevil using a tool for something beyond that which it was designed for. Which is fun sometimes, but the confidence of the Versys is comforting. I find myself dreaming of a Ninja 1000, and I need to keep reminding myself that the Versys is the perfect bike for me and that the Ninja would just get me in trouble.

[Rincewind]

Thanks for the info!

[JReazor]

I took the Sprint in for service today. Martin Motorsports is about 50 miles north of where I live. It was a very pleasant 45 and sunny when I left the house. This what it looked like when I got there...



This is what it looked like about 45 minutes later after they offered to let me take a Tiger 800 for a ride...

[919]

This is what it looked like about 45 minutes later after they offered to let me take a Tiger 800 for a ride...

Very cool!  What are your impressions of the Tiger as compared to the GT for touring?  I have been kicking around the idea of a more dedicated ST rig and a dirt oriented bike, but a bigger ADV bike (800 - 1200 range) may be able to handle both roles for less money......

[JReazor]

Very cool!  What are your impressions of the Tiger as compared to the GT for touring?  I have been kicking around the idea of a more dedicated ST rig and a dirt oriented bike, but a bigger ADV bike (800 - 1200 range) may be able to handle both roles for less money......

They're so different that it's tough to make a direct comparison.

The Tiger is a great bike. Big fun in the twisties, plenty of power, it feels nice and light at speed. The suspension soaks up nasty pavement without being too terribly soft. It would make a great tourer if the bolt upright riding position agrees with you. The Tiger's power comes on a little more gradually. That's not really a criticism. I don't think I'd want the kind of hit you get from the GT on a bike with any off road intent. The Tiger would be much more manageable in a low traction situation.

I prefer the Sprint as a touring mount. The Tiger would be a better choice for plenty of riders just for the ergos if for nothing else.