Cruisin Dave
11-14-2009, 08:10 PM
What a beautiful November day in Illinois today! Not only was the weather extrememly nice, but Phil Lithgow (Lithgow Motorsports, Hoopeston, IL) called at 9AM and said the RT was here and ready to ride! Obviously, it didn't take long for us to jump on the Boss and head an hour north! :D
We invited our pastor and his wife (on their Harley) as they had shown some interest in the RT also.
Observations:
Fit/finish/paint - All very nice. The metallic in the black really shines in the sun. I heard no squeaks or rattles during the ride. The storage compartments all seem to seal tightly although a little hard to close...probably just due to new tight seals. I even like the smoked chrome wheels (didn't think I was going to...)
Ride - Wonderful...smooth...comfy...like a Cadillac compared to our Boss trike.
Power - No complaints here! And I'm used to a 110hp Valkyrie and 355hp Boss! Just have to keep the revs up on the RT. (I did stall it once though.....:opps:) I thought the power was more than acceptable. As Scotty said in his review, once it's loaded down and pulling a trailer it might strain some, but I still think it will be at least adequate.
Rider comfort - The handlebar position was perfect. The pegs are a little too far back for me compared to my other bikes, but not uncomfortable. The pastor felt more cramped, but he's used to floorboards on the Harley.
Passenger comfort - Cheryl liked the seat, but the boards were too low for her feet. We should have raised them up. She is vertically challenged....
Stereo - Sounded great except it was tuned to country...:sour: But I changed the station and then all was OK...:D
Windshield - Love the power windshield!! I think I'd have to swap for a slightly shorter one or trim an inch or two off the top. When down I was barely able to see over it. (I'm 5'9"). However, when it was down Cheryl said she was getting too much wind...raising the shield illiminated the wind for her.
Brakes - Very good. A little weird not having a hand brake lever, but I got used to it pretty quick. The pedal seemed too low to me, but I think it can be adjusted.
Handling - OK, I gotta be honest...it is completely different than anything I'm used too. The steering felt way too sensitive and at first I was all over the road, even a straight road! Having said that I must put it into perspective...the Boss steers fairly quick but requires a lot more effort. I'm sure I was pushing too much on the bars. Near the end of the ride I was starting to get a feel for it. I think with time I'd be fine.
Body lean - Gotta be honest here again...in the first corner we felt like we were going to get pitched right off! There is a substantial amount of body lean in the corners...again compared to our Boss trike which has about zero body lean regardless of how sharp or fast a corner is taken. We were beginning to learn that it's necessary to lean into the turn to counteract the feeling of falling off (or to keep from actually falling off! :shocked:). This is something I'm not sure we'll be able to get used to over time. I didn't think to check where they had the front spring pre-load set. That might make a difference. Personally I think it needs a front sway bar. :(
The RT was a manual, so Phil let me take a RS with semi-auto for a ride. I'm not much of a sport bike fan and wasn't crazy about the riding position, but it sure was fun to ride!! If we order a RT it will definitely have the SE5 trans option!! :thumbup:
I am still impressed with the overall RT package. However, today's test ride was not yet a decision maker for us. We'll need some more miles on one to make up our minds. Phil offered to let us do that at some point in the near future, weather permitting. :doorag:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/Cruisin32/Spyder/IMG_5197.jpg
We invited our pastor and his wife (on their Harley) as they had shown some interest in the RT also.
Observations:
Fit/finish/paint - All very nice. The metallic in the black really shines in the sun. I heard no squeaks or rattles during the ride. The storage compartments all seem to seal tightly although a little hard to close...probably just due to new tight seals. I even like the smoked chrome wheels (didn't think I was going to...)
Ride - Wonderful...smooth...comfy...like a Cadillac compared to our Boss trike.
Power - No complaints here! And I'm used to a 110hp Valkyrie and 355hp Boss! Just have to keep the revs up on the RT. (I did stall it once though.....:opps:) I thought the power was more than acceptable. As Scotty said in his review, once it's loaded down and pulling a trailer it might strain some, but I still think it will be at least adequate.
Rider comfort - The handlebar position was perfect. The pegs are a little too far back for me compared to my other bikes, but not uncomfortable. The pastor felt more cramped, but he's used to floorboards on the Harley.
Passenger comfort - Cheryl liked the seat, but the boards were too low for her feet. We should have raised them up. She is vertically challenged....
Stereo - Sounded great except it was tuned to country...:sour: But I changed the station and then all was OK...:D
Windshield - Love the power windshield!! I think I'd have to swap for a slightly shorter one or trim an inch or two off the top. When down I was barely able to see over it. (I'm 5'9"). However, when it was down Cheryl said she was getting too much wind...raising the shield illiminated the wind for her.
Brakes - Very good. A little weird not having a hand brake lever, but I got used to it pretty quick. The pedal seemed too low to me, but I think it can be adjusted.
Handling - OK, I gotta be honest...it is completely different than anything I'm used too. The steering felt way too sensitive and at first I was all over the road, even a straight road! Having said that I must put it into perspective...the Boss steers fairly quick but requires a lot more effort. I'm sure I was pushing too much on the bars. Near the end of the ride I was starting to get a feel for it. I think with time I'd be fine.
Body lean - Gotta be honest here again...in the first corner we felt like we were going to get pitched right off! There is a substantial amount of body lean in the corners...again compared to our Boss trike which has about zero body lean regardless of how sharp or fast a corner is taken. We were beginning to learn that it's necessary to lean into the turn to counteract the feeling of falling off (or to keep from actually falling off! :shocked:). This is something I'm not sure we'll be able to get used to over time. I didn't think to check where they had the front spring pre-load set. That might make a difference. Personally I think it needs a front sway bar. :(
The RT was a manual, so Phil let me take a RS with semi-auto for a ride. I'm not much of a sport bike fan and wasn't crazy about the riding position, but it sure was fun to ride!! If we order a RT it will definitely have the SE5 trans option!! :thumbup:
I am still impressed with the overall RT package. However, today's test ride was not yet a decision maker for us. We'll need some more miles on one to make up our minds. Phil offered to let us do that at some point in the near future, weather permitting. :doorag:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll2/Cruisin32/Spyder/IMG_5197.jpg