Foxtrot Tango
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2011
- Messages
- 12
I suppose I spend too much time on this forum when something goes wrong (HALP, SPEEDO NOT WORKING) so let's talk about riding.
I've been riding for about two years now. My previous bike is an '02 Suzuki GS500E, which is a great starter bike, but it has some minor issues. The suspension never really settles down, so it's "wiggly" in the corners, a fact not helped by the nicely squared-off tires from daily commuting of 30 miles and about 2 turns (one-way). There's not a lot of power -- 47 ponies, tops. It's got carburetors instead of fuel injection, so it's VERY reluctant to start in anything below 50 degrees F. (If you're part of Generation Playstation like I am, carburetors are an Ancient Egyptian method of mixing air and fuel.)
Obviously something with more performance was needed, so earlier this year I picked up an 06 Buell XB9SX for below 3,000 dead presidents. I only really got around to riding it a month or two ago. Some stuff needed fixing, I was busy, and it was sort of cold. You know how it goes. But after a while, you have to say "Screw it. Let's ride."
The first thing that struck me was the power. I'm no speed freak -- if I was I'd be posting about my "bangin' new 'Busa" -- but the thing has rip-your-face-off torque EVERYWHERE in the band, and it keeps going farther than I care to on public highways. The California Highway Patrol appreciates your donations. It's also comfortable, noisy, and great. In a world of gluten-free, fair-trade espresso, this is cousin Billy Bob's white lightning. It's great.
The thing that took some getting used to, though, is the suspension. I was used to making the aforementioned constant corrections through a turn. While it's great for super newbies (myself formerly included) who really shouldn't be committing themselves to a vector through a turn, it's not so for anyone who's on their second bike. So I was a little scared when my buddies wanted to drag me to the canyons....
I solved this problem with two steps:
1) Dunlop Q3s
Inexplicably, the -SX flavor of the Buell XB9 shipped with these Pirelli Scorpion tires which aren't very grippy. I believe they may have been chosen for an aggressive look. If they wanted aggressiveness, they should have spot-welded machetes to the frame. So I dumped them and got the new Dunlop Q3s. Seriously, these tires rock. I can't speak to longevity yet, but they don't seem to be wearing out excessively quickly (60 miles/day commuter speaking). They also stick like napalm to Viet Cong guerillas, or poop to a blanket. I felt JUST as stable upright as I did leaned over at 50 MPH on Angeles Crest Highway or Upper Big Tujunga. Highly recommended.
2) Put the balls of your feet -- not the arch -- on the pegs
Remember at the MSF class when you were doing that "Turn the bike around inside the box" thing, without touching the ground? Once you started just looking at where you wanted to go, this black magic happened, and you made the turn without falling. Same deal with this. It sounds stupid, but it works. So it's not stupid. Inexplicably you get more stable, which means you get safer and faster.
I don't know about you, but when I ride on those canyons I'm not going all-out. I go at about 80-90% because I still want that reserve in case there are really big rocks in the road, oncoming traffic in my lane, lobsters, etc. Once I get on a track, we'll to to 95-100%.
The side effect, though, is that I experience this duality.
On the one hand, I have every right to be in full fury and panic. There's 984cc of thunder between my legs, pumping out up to 80 ponies with 70 torques on demand. The wind blast is incredible, even with earplugs. It's hot, and I'm 6,900 feet up on a mountain highway with one lane.
On the other hand. I'm calm. The bike leans on demand, with a great mix of lean-ability and stability. The grip is incredible, I never feel like I'm going to fall. The rhythm of the road takes me left....right....left.....right....
And I enter this trance state. I swear that if you could map my brain's activity, it would look just like I was meditating. Quietly I thank a loving God for spending extra time when carving out Southern California.
In short, the Buell XB9SX and Dunlop Q3 combination rocks.
Life is good.
I've been riding for about two years now. My previous bike is an '02 Suzuki GS500E, which is a great starter bike, but it has some minor issues. The suspension never really settles down, so it's "wiggly" in the corners, a fact not helped by the nicely squared-off tires from daily commuting of 30 miles and about 2 turns (one-way). There's not a lot of power -- 47 ponies, tops. It's got carburetors instead of fuel injection, so it's VERY reluctant to start in anything below 50 degrees F. (If you're part of Generation Playstation like I am, carburetors are an Ancient Egyptian method of mixing air and fuel.)
Obviously something with more performance was needed, so earlier this year I picked up an 06 Buell XB9SX for below 3,000 dead presidents. I only really got around to riding it a month or two ago. Some stuff needed fixing, I was busy, and it was sort of cold. You know how it goes. But after a while, you have to say "Screw it. Let's ride."
The first thing that struck me was the power. I'm no speed freak -- if I was I'd be posting about my "bangin' new 'Busa" -- but the thing has rip-your-face-off torque EVERYWHERE in the band, and it keeps going farther than I care to on public highways. The California Highway Patrol appreciates your donations. It's also comfortable, noisy, and great. In a world of gluten-free, fair-trade espresso, this is cousin Billy Bob's white lightning. It's great.
The thing that took some getting used to, though, is the suspension. I was used to making the aforementioned constant corrections through a turn. While it's great for super newbies (myself formerly included) who really shouldn't be committing themselves to a vector through a turn, it's not so for anyone who's on their second bike. So I was a little scared when my buddies wanted to drag me to the canyons....
I solved this problem with two steps:
1) Dunlop Q3s
Inexplicably, the -SX flavor of the Buell XB9 shipped with these Pirelli Scorpion tires which aren't very grippy. I believe they may have been chosen for an aggressive look. If they wanted aggressiveness, they should have spot-welded machetes to the frame. So I dumped them and got the new Dunlop Q3s. Seriously, these tires rock. I can't speak to longevity yet, but they don't seem to be wearing out excessively quickly (60 miles/day commuter speaking). They also stick like napalm to Viet Cong guerillas, or poop to a blanket. I felt JUST as stable upright as I did leaned over at 50 MPH on Angeles Crest Highway or Upper Big Tujunga. Highly recommended.
2) Put the balls of your feet -- not the arch -- on the pegs
Remember at the MSF class when you were doing that "Turn the bike around inside the box" thing, without touching the ground? Once you started just looking at where you wanted to go, this black magic happened, and you made the turn without falling. Same deal with this. It sounds stupid, but it works. So it's not stupid. Inexplicably you get more stable, which means you get safer and faster.
I don't know about you, but when I ride on those canyons I'm not going all-out. I go at about 80-90% because I still want that reserve in case there are really big rocks in the road, oncoming traffic in my lane, lobsters, etc. Once I get on a track, we'll to to 95-100%.
The side effect, though, is that I experience this duality.
On the one hand, I have every right to be in full fury and panic. There's 984cc of thunder between my legs, pumping out up to 80 ponies with 70 torques on demand. The wind blast is incredible, even with earplugs. It's hot, and I'm 6,900 feet up on a mountain highway with one lane.
On the other hand. I'm calm. The bike leans on demand, with a great mix of lean-ability and stability. The grip is incredible, I never feel like I'm going to fall. The rhythm of the road takes me left....right....left.....right....
And I enter this trance state. I swear that if you could map my brain's activity, it would look just like I was meditating. Quietly I thank a loving God for spending extra time when carving out Southern California.
In short, the Buell XB9SX and Dunlop Q3 combination rocks.
Life is good.
