the road(s) ahead
I’ve spent the last few days being enamored. Not quite in love, but infatuated enough to rack up 500+ miles on my ST. Many of them around town, some out in the country and more than a couple out on the Natchez Trace. I’ve come to two conclusions, the ST might be the most perfect bike and I’m ready to get out of town on a long haul.
The ST(eed) -
My last bike could be best described as a ’starter bike’. It taught me a few things about good riding habits, maintenance and comfort (or lack of such).
Now, remember when I said “might be”? Well, there are a few small issues…the seat is adjustable into three positions for a total travel of just over an inch of height. I have it set to the lowest one for comfort but that also means the seat slopes down in front a bit more than I’d like. I’m constantly pushing myself off of the gas tank and further back into the saddle. As my performance comfort on the bike grows I find I want to sit further back.
The mirror sightlines are near perfect for most riding positions. I had originally thought that their height might bother me - they’re very low on the fairing. But, now I’ve got them sighted in and I like the view.
The Metzler tires (or tyres for you Brits) are very nice. The standard tires for this bike are Dunlop but since it was a rental bike in another life the dealership decided to put some more expensive rubber into action. My previous bike had Metzler tires, so, I’m pretty familiar with the feel albeit this bike is an apple to my previous pomegranate. When the time comes to change, I would like to try out a pair of Avon ST tires.
Towns, as viewed through a rearview mirror -
Yeah. That bike moves pretty darn fast. In fact, it moves so fast I’ve been wondering exactly how long it would take me to get from one state to the next…like, say, Tennessee to Arizona. ..or maybe further. And, since I’m thinking of ‘motoring west’ perhaps I should take the trip that’s the best, the one where I can get my kicks. You know what I mean?
Oh, if only the summer weren’t as full of work as I know it will be. Weekend trips are, as they tell me, what the work-week is made to support. I guess we’ll just see how it all goes.
Shawn King on 27 Mar 2007 at 11:28 am #
“this bike is an apple to my previous pomegranate. ”
LOL WTF does that mean?
J. Curtis on 27 Mar 2007 at 12:15 pm #
Well, most people compare things as apples and oranges. I prefer to think of my old bike as pomegranate than an orange.
Would you prefer strawberries to bananas? or bok choy to kale?
Ric on 27 Mar 2007 at 5:49 pm #
That’s the problem with working. A weekend is good for trips within a couple hundred miles. Oh, you could go farther but then sweat getting back “on time”. One needs a week or two at the least. Believe me, 900-mile-plus days are not the way to go even if the bike is a rolling sofa.
It is better comparing apples and oranges than, say, apples and lemons! Glad to hear you love it.
editblog on 28 Mar 2007 at 8:12 am #
I recently put a set of Avon’s on my RX-8. While car tyres are different than bike tyres I can say that so far comfort is good and road noise is very low. They grip well as should be expected with 4 wheels on the ground. Avon good some great reviews on Tire Rack. there were a few complaints about excessive tread wear. As a performance driver I wanted to find a happy medium between grip and wear so the verdict is still out on wear….
Shawn King on 30 Mar 2007 at 10:20 am #
“I prefer to think of my old bike as pomegranate than an orange.”
Unfortunately - that makes sense to me….