So it's come to this.
#1
08-10-2018, 05:16 PM
So it's come to this.
Much to the dismay of my parents, I've been interested in motorcycles since it first entered my head that such a thing exists. Someone made the unforgivable mistake when I was 15 of letting me ride their old Honda XL125, and at that point there was no further hope. I've had a few road-legal bikes, and a couple of dual sports, one of which I still have. I've always been a fan of smaller, minimal motorcycles. I don't know why, as I'm a 235 pound gorilla, but there it is.
I fulfilled a promise I made to myself almost 20 years ago today. My child support stopped, and I have extra money. And I went out and bought a bike. Nothing huge, nothing fancy, nothing fast. I looked at some of the offerings from Royal Enfield, but was worried about parts and build quality. They DO seem to be very nice little bikes, however.
Just for curiosity one day, I went to the H-D dealer in Tulsa to look at what they had. What caught my eye, were two "Street" models. A 500 and a 750. Water cooled, no less. Little. Simple.
Minimal.
I asked about them, and the salesman all but tossed me the keys and said lets go for a ride. So we did. I tried both the 750 and the 500. The 750 was faster, because of course it was, but I felt the 500 was fast enough. It was smooth and quiet, at least to a guy who is used to bombing his DR650 down the highway.
I went back today, paid the money. They made a big deal out of it at the dealership, ringing a bell, announcing it over a PA, which made me want to crawl away since I don't like to be noticed. Other than that, they did a great job explaining break in, showing me where things were on the bike like fuses and coolant, explaining how to check the oil and start it up. All stuff I could have figured out, but helpful.
I really like how well the bike is painted, as silly as that may seem. You can tell it's not some thin coat of paint that will rub off in 2,000 miles. The bike feels solid. It idles great, once again this is someone speaking from experience of a thumper with a flatslide pumper carb and cam. I've only ever ridden one bike with fuel injection, my brother's R-E Himalayan, and it's great to have smooth throttle response.
I got a black one, since it's cheaper. Still working on that first 500 mile break in.
I fulfilled a promise I made to myself almost 20 years ago today. My child support stopped, and I have extra money. And I went out and bought a bike. Nothing huge, nothing fancy, nothing fast. I looked at some of the offerings from Royal Enfield, but was worried about parts and build quality. They DO seem to be very nice little bikes, however.
Just for curiosity one day, I went to the H-D dealer in Tulsa to look at what they had. What caught my eye, were two "Street" models. A 500 and a 750. Water cooled, no less. Little. Simple.
Minimal.
I asked about them, and the salesman all but tossed me the keys and said lets go for a ride. So we did. I tried both the 750 and the 500. The 750 was faster, because of course it was, but I felt the 500 was fast enough. It was smooth and quiet, at least to a guy who is used to bombing his DR650 down the highway.
I went back today, paid the money. They made a big deal out of it at the dealership, ringing a bell, announcing it over a PA, which made me want to crawl away since I don't like to be noticed. Other than that, they did a great job explaining break in, showing me where things were on the bike like fuses and coolant, explaining how to check the oil and start it up. All stuff I could have figured out, but helpful.
I really like how well the bike is painted, as silly as that may seem. You can tell it's not some thin coat of paint that will rub off in 2,000 miles. The bike feels solid. It idles great, once again this is someone speaking from experience of a thumper with a flatslide pumper carb and cam. I've only ever ridden one bike with fuel injection, my brother's R-E Himalayan, and it's great to have smooth throttle response.
I got a black one, since it's cheaper. Still working on that first 500 mile break in.
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
#4
08-10-2018, 05:24 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
#5
08-10-2018, 05:26 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
#6
08-10-2018, 05:33 PM
Big Kahuna HDF Member
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
#7
08-10-2018, 05:56 PM
Extreme HDF Member
Trending Topics
#9
08-10-2018, 06:44 PM
Club Member
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)
#10
08-10-2018, 06:46 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
Welcome to the Forum lots of great info here enjoy and learn from Stuart Fl. Ride a Lot Ride Safe.
The following users liked this post:
Tinker1980 (08-10-2018)