RaWarrior
Well-Known Member
I played hooky from work today to go test drive bikes at Americade today. I know, tough break but someone had to do it. Since it's mid-week, the schedules didn't fill up instantly and I managed to get four rides in today, apart from cruising the vendor expo and other stuff. I wanted to ride the Triumph Speed Triple, but they had some retarded policy that you had to be 21 (all other OEMs were 18) to ride. Oh well. Kawasaki was right next, so I hit there first and booked up a Z1000
'11 Kawi Z1000
It's no understatement that this is the best bike I have ever ridden. WOW. It shines in every area. I was wondering a bit at first since "on paper", it's not really that much more powerful than my Vmax (albeit ~150lbs lighter wet to wet). However, the worry about a lack of power went out the window the instant we set off. Holy powerband, Batman. This thing has mondo torque everywhere, easily beating out my Vmax down low. You can roll on from 1500 in 6th and it smoothly pulls away without so much as a vibration or "jitter" from too much load at low RPM like the Max mill does. There's just gobs and gobs of torque. However, once you get the tach to push past 7 grand, it's like hitting v-boost, except twice as dramatic. I did a roll-on in third, it caught about 7000, there was a huge rush of power and all of a sudden I was looking at the sky...mega power wheelie. On the highway, 6th gear is around 5000 RPM, and at that speed you've got effortless power on tap...puts my Max to shame. Just a tiny crack of the gas pulls you back and sends it north of 100 in an instant. No downshift needed. The guide said he'd had it past 160, which I can definitely believe. The motor is flat out amazing. Massive torque everywhere with screaming power up top. In a light, rock solid chassis(like, it doesn't jiggle when I hit bumps in corners....lol) that handles like a sportbike. All with a comfortable, sport-touring riding posture. Not as "demanding" as a total sportbike, but not on-your-butt cruising either. It's perfect, felt totally in control of the bike all the time. I strongly think the Z1000 will be my next bike.
Yamaha FZ8 (new for '11)
This is in a similar class and aimed as a competitor to the Z...the sporty naked bike. All in all, they're rather similar in size, weight, style, ect. However, the little things were what ended up detracting from the Yam compared to the Z.
First, the top end punch isn't there compared to the Z....which isn't a major surprise, it's an 800 against a 1000. By no means pokey, but it couldn't power the front end up. Low end torque was super super smooth, it felt like an electric motor putting around. Like the Z, low RPM accelerating in top gear was no problemo. It handed very well, I'd say on-par with the Z, no complaints there either.
However, there were some differences. First, the Yam's seat height is noticeably taller. I could flat-foot the Z, needed tippy-toes on the FZ8. Being short, I appreciate a low seat. Also, the actual seat pad on the Yam is much more angled down, so after a couple bumps your nuts end up smashed into the tank from your butt sliding down the seat, the Z's seat is angled, but much less so and my butt didn't slide down it. The Z's seat was also MUCH more comfortable. The Yam's transmission was good, but the Z was better. Like my Vmax, neutral was a bit finicky to grab, where it was ultra easy on the Z. Overall it didn't feel as smooth and confident as the Kawi's. The throttle feel was also a bit strange, when going from "coast" to "accelerate", it always felt like there was a lag from when you twisted the grip to when it started to move....not a big problem, but was a bit weird at first. This is a very solid bike and really scoots along, it also has a big surge of power in the top end, though not as mind-blowing as the Kawi when at WOT.
'11 Star Raider
Rode this in-between the times for the Kawi and FZ8, just for the hell of it. A 1900cc v-twin tourer. Not really my bag, but figured I'd give it a go. First things first....apparently Yamaha still hasn't learned the lesson about putting TINY gauges OUT OF SIGHT. The gauge cluster is low on the tank, as in you need to look at your crotch to see it. The speedometer is huge, the gas gauge is about 1/2 the size of a Vmax tach and in the corner. No tach.
Clutch was surprisingly light, however the motor has ZERO power at idle. I mean, even hinting at letting the clutch off the bar at idle will stall it out. I can get my Vmax rolling with no throttle if I try, or just the tiniest hint the rest of the time. Again, just getting used to a new bike but I thought an enormous V-twin wouldn't need to be revved like a 600 sportbike to get going. First gear is pretty tall, probably why you have to slip the clutch a bit to get moving. Power.....for 1900cc, I wasn't blown away. Vmax would smoke it no effort. There's no tach so I have no idea how fast the motor was going, but just as soon as it started to really pull and get moving....blahblahblahblah rev limiter. Shift, another rush of torque....rev limiter. Guess that's a big v-twin for your. Handling was surprisingly light and nimble given the bike's size....that was impressive. Transmission was good by cruiser standards, much better than the clunky box of rocks on my buddy's M109. Nice bike, if cruisers were my thing I'd buy one.
Last, and definitely least...
'11 Harley XR1200 Sportster. The "XR" is the supposedly "hot" one, with a claimed 90hp and "track day handing", or so says the sales brochure. The one plus to H-D demo rides is they just let you take the bike, you don't have to follow a set route or stay behind a guide in a group. Started it up....and got the typical H-D idle, as in the entire bike shakes like a giant dildo. To be fair, it smooths out almost immediately once you get the revs up, though the mirrors are not terribly useful at any speed. This 1200 V-twin will rev to the stratospheric speed of 7000 rpm, and believe me, you'll need all of it, considering 75mph in top gear is 4500rpm. Yes, it's got very low gearing. No, that doesn't help it be fast. Smashing it in first results in moderately entertaining acceleration until it hits the rev limiter at like 20mph. Then you get second, and it feels like a Vmax in fifth. Bottom line, the acceleration is "adequate" at best and "slow as ****" at worst. I could not get the rear tire to break loose, even going on-off-on snapping the throttle in first. Using the front brake for a burnout is cheating, the motor needs to be able to do it on it's own.
Anyway, so I got going and felt something smacking my foot. It was the shift lever going a wild dance from a combination of loose mounting and the motor's vibration. Since I could do as I please, my first thought was to take it on the highway and see how fast it goes. Romp it up the on ramp and only manage to match highway speed by the end the the ramp. I know my Max will hit 110 in the exact same space, this barely hit 70. Merge onto the highway and twist it to the stop. (Cue Jeopardy music). It rumbles into the 80's, and starts creeping through the 90's. It took exactly 14 seconds to go from 70-100, fifth gear roll on. So much for big v-twin torque. YAWN. Undeterred and determined to get some enjoyment, I kept it pinned and hoped it wouldn't **** the bed in a catastrophic manner. After probably a minute, I had my result....112 mph, which was just shy of redline in fifth. It might hit 120 if you were doing downhill. Though was did really surprise me, it has amazing brakes. Seriously, one finger will slow this thing down like a sportbike. Guess if it can't go, it might as well stop well. I got off the highway and hit a road with a couple quick turns. Garbage. Like a Vmax, only crappier. Doesn't want to lean over, somehow countersteering has virtually no effect, and it wiggled on me when hitting bumps.
But here came the worst part...the trip through gridlock LG village to return this dildo yacht. I never figured out what it was, maybe the oil tank or something, but there's a bit of metal that sticks out on the right side under the seat that gets SCORCHING hot. When you're standing the bike, the back of your thigh can't help but hit it. I was doing a little chicken dance balancing the bike between my left and right foot to avoid the super hot mystery thing. It, of course, shakes like hell, which I found to become very annoying very quick. As the motor (and my legs) heat up from sitting in traffic, the idle got kind of irregular and even shittier than usual, causing it to shake, even more. I got back on my Max after riding that and felt like I was on riding the bike of the gods in comparison. So yeah....it sucks. I can't say I was expecting much from a H-D, my expectations were suitably low going in, and yet I still managed to be disappointed. This was supposedly the up-tuned version of the 1200. I can't imagine what the regular 1200 or....*shudder* the 883 must be like.
On another note, I talked for a while with the guy at the Kymco scooters area. Apparently their demo group was out and was at a stoplight with a couple people on demo HDs. One of them made a comment about the sexual orientation of scooter riders. Once of the "scooters" was the 500R, which will top 100mph and do 60 in under 5 seconds. He dropped it and smoked the HD to the next stoplight....:rofl_200:
So yeah, if you see a Kymco "Xciting R", it's a lot faster than it would appear to be given it's "scooterish" appearance.
Also...ran into and talked for a bit with another Vmaxer. Name was John, said the bike was a '99. Carbon color, some kind of aftermarket pipe, and a big Givi tail bag. NJ plate....anybody here?
'11 Kawi Z1000
It's no understatement that this is the best bike I have ever ridden. WOW. It shines in every area. I was wondering a bit at first since "on paper", it's not really that much more powerful than my Vmax (albeit ~150lbs lighter wet to wet). However, the worry about a lack of power went out the window the instant we set off. Holy powerband, Batman. This thing has mondo torque everywhere, easily beating out my Vmax down low. You can roll on from 1500 in 6th and it smoothly pulls away without so much as a vibration or "jitter" from too much load at low RPM like the Max mill does. There's just gobs and gobs of torque. However, once you get the tach to push past 7 grand, it's like hitting v-boost, except twice as dramatic. I did a roll-on in third, it caught about 7000, there was a huge rush of power and all of a sudden I was looking at the sky...mega power wheelie. On the highway, 6th gear is around 5000 RPM, and at that speed you've got effortless power on tap...puts my Max to shame. Just a tiny crack of the gas pulls you back and sends it north of 100 in an instant. No downshift needed. The guide said he'd had it past 160, which I can definitely believe. The motor is flat out amazing. Massive torque everywhere with screaming power up top. In a light, rock solid chassis(like, it doesn't jiggle when I hit bumps in corners....lol) that handles like a sportbike. All with a comfortable, sport-touring riding posture. Not as "demanding" as a total sportbike, but not on-your-butt cruising either. It's perfect, felt totally in control of the bike all the time. I strongly think the Z1000 will be my next bike.
Yamaha FZ8 (new for '11)
This is in a similar class and aimed as a competitor to the Z...the sporty naked bike. All in all, they're rather similar in size, weight, style, ect. However, the little things were what ended up detracting from the Yam compared to the Z.
First, the top end punch isn't there compared to the Z....which isn't a major surprise, it's an 800 against a 1000. By no means pokey, but it couldn't power the front end up. Low end torque was super super smooth, it felt like an electric motor putting around. Like the Z, low RPM accelerating in top gear was no problemo. It handed very well, I'd say on-par with the Z, no complaints there either.
However, there were some differences. First, the Yam's seat height is noticeably taller. I could flat-foot the Z, needed tippy-toes on the FZ8. Being short, I appreciate a low seat. Also, the actual seat pad on the Yam is much more angled down, so after a couple bumps your nuts end up smashed into the tank from your butt sliding down the seat, the Z's seat is angled, but much less so and my butt didn't slide down it. The Z's seat was also MUCH more comfortable. The Yam's transmission was good, but the Z was better. Like my Vmax, neutral was a bit finicky to grab, where it was ultra easy on the Z. Overall it didn't feel as smooth and confident as the Kawi's. The throttle feel was also a bit strange, when going from "coast" to "accelerate", it always felt like there was a lag from when you twisted the grip to when it started to move....not a big problem, but was a bit weird at first. This is a very solid bike and really scoots along, it also has a big surge of power in the top end, though not as mind-blowing as the Kawi when at WOT.
'11 Star Raider
Rode this in-between the times for the Kawi and FZ8, just for the hell of it. A 1900cc v-twin tourer. Not really my bag, but figured I'd give it a go. First things first....apparently Yamaha still hasn't learned the lesson about putting TINY gauges OUT OF SIGHT. The gauge cluster is low on the tank, as in you need to look at your crotch to see it. The speedometer is huge, the gas gauge is about 1/2 the size of a Vmax tach and in the corner. No tach.
Clutch was surprisingly light, however the motor has ZERO power at idle. I mean, even hinting at letting the clutch off the bar at idle will stall it out. I can get my Vmax rolling with no throttle if I try, or just the tiniest hint the rest of the time. Again, just getting used to a new bike but I thought an enormous V-twin wouldn't need to be revved like a 600 sportbike to get going. First gear is pretty tall, probably why you have to slip the clutch a bit to get moving. Power.....for 1900cc, I wasn't blown away. Vmax would smoke it no effort. There's no tach so I have no idea how fast the motor was going, but just as soon as it started to really pull and get moving....blahblahblahblah rev limiter. Shift, another rush of torque....rev limiter. Guess that's a big v-twin for your. Handling was surprisingly light and nimble given the bike's size....that was impressive. Transmission was good by cruiser standards, much better than the clunky box of rocks on my buddy's M109. Nice bike, if cruisers were my thing I'd buy one.
Last, and definitely least...
'11 Harley XR1200 Sportster. The "XR" is the supposedly "hot" one, with a claimed 90hp and "track day handing", or so says the sales brochure. The one plus to H-D demo rides is they just let you take the bike, you don't have to follow a set route or stay behind a guide in a group. Started it up....and got the typical H-D idle, as in the entire bike shakes like a giant dildo. To be fair, it smooths out almost immediately once you get the revs up, though the mirrors are not terribly useful at any speed. This 1200 V-twin will rev to the stratospheric speed of 7000 rpm, and believe me, you'll need all of it, considering 75mph in top gear is 4500rpm. Yes, it's got very low gearing. No, that doesn't help it be fast. Smashing it in first results in moderately entertaining acceleration until it hits the rev limiter at like 20mph. Then you get second, and it feels like a Vmax in fifth. Bottom line, the acceleration is "adequate" at best and "slow as ****" at worst. I could not get the rear tire to break loose, even going on-off-on snapping the throttle in first. Using the front brake for a burnout is cheating, the motor needs to be able to do it on it's own.
Anyway, so I got going and felt something smacking my foot. It was the shift lever going a wild dance from a combination of loose mounting and the motor's vibration. Since I could do as I please, my first thought was to take it on the highway and see how fast it goes. Romp it up the on ramp and only manage to match highway speed by the end the the ramp. I know my Max will hit 110 in the exact same space, this barely hit 70. Merge onto the highway and twist it to the stop. (Cue Jeopardy music). It rumbles into the 80's, and starts creeping through the 90's. It took exactly 14 seconds to go from 70-100, fifth gear roll on. So much for big v-twin torque. YAWN. Undeterred and determined to get some enjoyment, I kept it pinned and hoped it wouldn't **** the bed in a catastrophic manner. After probably a minute, I had my result....112 mph, which was just shy of redline in fifth. It might hit 120 if you were doing downhill. Though was did really surprise me, it has amazing brakes. Seriously, one finger will slow this thing down like a sportbike. Guess if it can't go, it might as well stop well. I got off the highway and hit a road with a couple quick turns. Garbage. Like a Vmax, only crappier. Doesn't want to lean over, somehow countersteering has virtually no effect, and it wiggled on me when hitting bumps.
But here came the worst part...the trip through gridlock LG village to return this dildo yacht. I never figured out what it was, maybe the oil tank or something, but there's a bit of metal that sticks out on the right side under the seat that gets SCORCHING hot. When you're standing the bike, the back of your thigh can't help but hit it. I was doing a little chicken dance balancing the bike between my left and right foot to avoid the super hot mystery thing. It, of course, shakes like hell, which I found to become very annoying very quick. As the motor (and my legs) heat up from sitting in traffic, the idle got kind of irregular and even shittier than usual, causing it to shake, even more. I got back on my Max after riding that and felt like I was on riding the bike of the gods in comparison. So yeah....it sucks. I can't say I was expecting much from a H-D, my expectations were suitably low going in, and yet I still managed to be disappointed. This was supposedly the up-tuned version of the 1200. I can't imagine what the regular 1200 or....*shudder* the 883 must be like.
On another note, I talked for a while with the guy at the Kymco scooters area. Apparently their demo group was out and was at a stoplight with a couple people on demo HDs. One of them made a comment about the sexual orientation of scooter riders. Once of the "scooters" was the 500R, which will top 100mph and do 60 in under 5 seconds. He dropped it and smoked the HD to the next stoplight....:rofl_200:
So yeah, if you see a Kymco "Xciting R", it's a lot faster than it would appear to be given it's "scooterish" appearance.
Also...ran into and talked for a bit with another Vmaxer. Name was John, said the bike was a '99. Carbon color, some kind of aftermarket pipe, and a big Givi tail bag. NJ plate....anybody here?
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