and recharging. My problem is I'm so damned used to "I need to be at X by Y" that it's hard to just ride and enjoy it. But I'm working on it.
I'm still getting used to the VFR in some ways. This is the hottest bike I've ever owned, and I still haven't been in a place where it'd be relatively safe(other traffic, etc.) to really push it. The VTEC doesn't kick in on this thing until about 6800 rpm; considering that- in sixth- the thing is only turning about 6k at 90mph...
About the third week I had it was coming down a ramp to I44 and punched it a bit, and it half-scared me: I'm not used to a bike that makes the front end that light at 70-75 when you upshift and hit it. I think I hit about 7500 that night, but I'm not sure as I was too busy watching the highway I was approaching at higher-than-expected speed and the aforementioned front end that- I think- came a bit off the road to look at the tach. Happily the thing handles very well, making that a exciting-scary vs. "I'm going to die" moment. About a week after that I stopped by the shop where I bought it to ask about bags and spent a while talking to the lady; mentioned the feeling and she said "Yeah, when you crank it it can be hard to keep the front end down on those", with an approving smile.
Realistically this bike has more power than I'll ever actually need, but I'd far rather have that than the alternative: ever been in a tight spot and not had the power to get the hell out of it fast? It sucks.
Oh, that 90mph? Got caught in some nasty(people changing lanes in too-tight spaces and such) traffic on I40 and decided to get clear and rolled on some throttle; when I was clear of it noticed- though it didn't feel that fast- the speed and tach. One of those "Y'know, if all these people'd get off my road..." moments.
You want to see someone very skilled and flat insane on a bike, go to YouTube and search 'ghostrider' and watch some of the video. Scary as hell.
5 comments:
I remember the first time I rode my magna 1100 (the original one, not the fatboy semicruiser form the 90s), and pulled a wheelie in 4th gear at 70.
IT was a total change of concept for me.
Got my 350 Duc cafe up to 135 one time - just briefly. Late at night, no traffic, 6-lane divided highway, for about half-mile.
When he pulled up behind me at my exit, Mr. Po-Po wasn't happy, but he admitted that he couldn't get a lock on me with his radar gun. NEVER did that again...
emdfl
Those V4 engines with redlines over 10K sure are a thing of beauty.
My magna has less displacement, carbs instead of FI, and my chassis has got to be 100 lbs heavier than yours. But still when I crank the throttle it is enough to make my nerves tingle.
I can only imagine what it is like on yours :)
I want to find a track, where I can really push this thing without worrying about traffic. I realized that once when I took a curving ramp from one highway to another about 15mph higher than I'd ever done before and realized the bike as just loafing along.
I want to find a track, where I can really push this thing without worrying about traffic. I realized that once when I took a curving ramp from one highway to another about 15mph higher than I'd ever done before and realized the bike as just loafing along.
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