It was with great emotion yesterday that I got the news that Harley Davidson will be discontinuing the Buell brand, in an effort to cover their own losses, particularly while Buell in itself was doing very well in the current climate.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Legendary Passion
Monday, July 20, 2009
Café Racer on Steroids
As far as I recall the only difference between the R and CR other than cosmetics, is that the gearing is shorter, thus offering more acceleration and less useless top end, since it's a more naked bike than the R.
It makes for a crazy, absolutely manic formula, and I think my girlfriend might never want to get on a bike ever again.
The bike has a number of on/off switches, you either brake or you don't, you either accelerate or you don't, you stop or you go....very fast. Okay maybe I'm lying a little about the acceleration, and it had everything to do with my complete lack of self-control, and just wanting to whack the throttle open. On the very first stretch of open road the nose already came up just a little, and I can't wheelie if I tried so that says it all.
The brakes however know only one thing...STOP. There is no progressive easing into a stop here, it simply bites and bolts down on the ground and you stop dead...no questions asked, except from the person on the back trying not to roll over your head.
Apparently the pillion seat is very hard, but I figured that had more to do with clenching butt cheeks than anything else,and possibly a minor fear of death just to round things off. For a sportsbike, where pillions are usually an afterthought I felt quite comfortable as a rider carrying a passenger, with none of the usual issues racking my brain. The passenger in question didn't like it at all however, and would much prefer riding it herself.
Initially I thought it would be a horribly uncomfortable experience when first sitting on the thing, but the moment we got going the anime-inspired Akira-esque riding position was strangely comfortable. You literally sit with your head on top of the headlight, sort of hanging into the bars. The mirrors dictate your tucked in riding position, as you see bugger all in them when sitting upright, and I couldn't adjust them at all, which leads me to believe that's just the way it is.
Cornering speeds are crazy. I just couldn't acclimatize to the dramatic increase in speed, and the ease with which the bike cuts through corners. When you are comfortable enough to look down at the clocks while going through a corner at warp-speed, it says a whole lot about the abilities of the bike.
I honestly don't think I could ever ride this bike at full tilt, unless I quit my day job and only rode bikes all day long to equalise my skills to the abilities of the bike. Coming into corners my brain would say you are going much too fast, while the bike wasn't even really trying yet, and I noted about a 30-40km/h cornering speed increase, this on a bike that I had just gotten onto. If I had to own it, or ride it for an extended period of time I could push up those speeds significantly, and probably kill myself in the process or just get into a whole lot of trouble.
Sadly, at the end of the day I feel that, just like the 1125R this simply isn't a Buell. Sure it does almost everything brilliantly well, lots of power and torque, superb braking ability, and astonishing handling with massive cornering speeds, but it simply has no soul, unlike my vibrating Harley-engined quirky Lightning does.
It is almost too purposeful, almost too clinical...almost like everything else.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
2009 Buell Ulysses XB12XT Ride Report
Recently I had the privilege of taking my CityX in for it's 32 000km service. Now I won't moan about the cost of that little adventure, nor the fact that my head/neck bearings are shot because I've got more exciting things to talk about.
Buell Tygervalley, as always were nice enough to provide a demo bike for the day, which turned into the night and the next day...but anyway. I got a brand spanking new 2009 Ulysses XB12XT with only about 200km on the clocks, in a gorgeous Racing Red. The colour is a little bit flat next to the flashy Translucent colours of my own bike and others in the Buell stable, but by the end of the day I decided it suited the bike, and it's purposes well.
Now the XT is mostly the same as the regular Ulysses in the looks department, with the main visual change being the colour coded front tyre hugger instead of the offroad mudguard on the regular bike. The XT is pretty much a more road going version of it's adventure inclined sibling, with road-biased suspension and a much lower seat height. It also comes standard with the Top Box and Panniers, which is optional on the regular Ulysses, and further alludes towards long distance touring with the addition of an extended windscreen, also optional on the adventure version.
So basically where the Ulysses was dubbed an Adventure bike, instead of a full blown offroad bike, with the idea that it's owners are the types who would like to take the odd gravel road off the beaten track, but spend most of their time on road, the XT is for those who prefer to stay in the saddle a little bit longer and preferably all the way on tarmac. The tyres are Pirelli Diablo Stradas, full road touring tyres, a change from the Pirelli Scorpion Syncs which are geared towards easy offroading.
Getting on the bike I noticed the bike was a hell of a lot lower than the Ulysses I had ridden before, and I could flat foot this one comfortably, whereas before I needed to put one cheek off the seat just to feel secure. It doesn't feel much lower than my own bike, which it is supposed to be, but I write this off to the fact that the seat is much wider and the footpegs also much larger, pushing your legs out further. Getting on is a wee bit more tricky since I got the bike with the panniers and top box fitted, and thus you have to hurdle yourself over it, instead of just throwing a leg up.
A couple of kilometres from the dealership I thought I was getting feverish, just to eventualy figure out that the bloody thing has heated grips as standard fitment, something I've never actually used before, and it was turned up to it's maximum setting of Level 2. At the time it was quite warm and I didn't see the point, but the next morning it was very much appreciated when I hit some colder weather. I won't exactly fork out two grand to have them fitted to my bike, but as a standard feature it is most welcome and I would definitely make use of it.
Immediately the bike feels quite familiar, with the same lounge in front of the TV seating arrangement as found on it's bigger, or rather taller brother. I might be lying about this one, but I think the handlebars are slightly different from the normal Ulysses, but it could just be the extended screen throwing my scale out. Either way the riding position is the same, very commanding, perched high up in the sky, back straight yet relaxed...I will conquer the roads of the world, and go on forever fare. Instantly you realise that as massive as this thing is, it is ridiculously easy to manoeuvre, panniers and all. One would expect the thing to topple over at the first hint of a sharp turn, yet you simply point and shoot, without even needing to throw your weight into it, riding on handlebar input alone.
Throughout the day I didn't once feel like I needed to get off the seat to take a corner, I simply sat bolt upright and maybe put some pressure on the foot pegs and that was it. The bike turns on it's own ear, with the only fear being the potential of scratching the panniers along the ground. Having never ridden a bike with hard cases before, I was quite weary when entering traffic, until much later when I realised the panniers are only slightly wider than the handlebars, meaning that if they were going to make it the rest would surely follow without drama. Those cases will make a long distance journey absolutely effortless, and Buell even sell custom made luggage which fits them perfectly, so you don't need to take them off when you reach your destination. That being said for day to day use the Topbox is more than sufficient, and with it's wide bed I'm sure you could fit an overly large notebook computer inside a bag, and possibly even a smallish briefcase.
Having a highly modified exhaust on my own Buell, anything else is quite underwhelming, and the case is no different here. The 1203cc Thunderstorm engine putters along quietly and is expectantly vibey shaking everything along with enthusiasm. Being a stock standard setup you don't expect much from it, but I think the catalytic converters fitted since 2008 have really murdered the poor thing, because even at higher revs it's quite boring, where my own free breathing stock exhaust used to leave it's VW Beetle idle behind when it hit 3500rpm to overpower the senses with an evil rumble putting a big smile on your face. Sadly the noise the XT makes is nothing more inspiring than just that, noise, and the linear power delivery of the bigger bore engine doesn't help to unlock any powerful emotions about the engine note. Torque is there in abundance, as is the case with all Buells and most V-Twins, and here it is delivered from start to finish in a curve so flat it is almost boring. I blame the treehuggers for the silly catalytic converter, and I'm sure my 984cc pushes more horses than the bike in question. Generally I find the XB9 motor somewhat more entertaining than the 12, simply because you feel the power come in as you go up the rev range, but I'm sure an aftermarket muffler would greatly improve the aural appreciation.
Fortunately the bike corners so well that a massive grin is ever present, even with the uninspiring engine characteristics. Actually that flat power delivery will gets you in trouble quite easily, because travelling speed just sneaks up on you, and next thing you know you are doing double the speed limit in residential areas. The bike is so easy to handle, that you never really feel in danger, and the abundance of torque means that you can just power out of corners in any gear.
Strangely the Ulysses range is not fitted with the new 8-pot calipers originally fitted to the 1125R, like all the other XB12's of 2009. Well I soon realised why not, because it simply doesn't need them. Maybe my brakes aren't quite what they used to be, but being fitted with the same 6-pot single rotor braking system the Ulysses felt a lot stronger when pressure was applied to the lever, than I remember my XB9 being when still running the stock pads.
To test the XT's touring capabilities I decided to take a pillion, as that would typically be the kind of arrangement I would buy this bike for, doing more long distance trips two-up. Normally when someone gets on the back the entire ride changes, more throttle is needed to get away from the lights, handling is slow and troublesome, and braking is normally accompanied by massive pressure from behind. Not the case with the Ulysses in the slightest. In this regard the engine is perfect, as the torque makes extra weight pretty much irrelevant. The massive seat is so accommodating that I had to look in my mirror more than once to make sure I actually had a passenger on the back. Braking is drastically improved by means of the passenger having a grab rail to hold onto behind them, or if the panniers are fitted holding onto their handholds, meaning the weight is completely removed from the rider. I did a number of hard braking tests, and my passenger hardly even noticed, and I was oblivious to their presence. Speaking of the panniers, they make getting on a little bit tricky for the passenger, as well as the rider needing to carry the weight, but it's one of those things where I'm sure one will find a method over time, making things much easier.
Handling I can honestly say is unaffected by adding a passenger to the mix. Where I would normally take special precautions when taking corners with passengers, often spoiling the ride for me, in this case I could effectively just ignore their existence and carry on as usual, and this without any complaints from behind. I did however manage to bottom the suspension out, for the first time in my life, going over a harsh bump in the road. This was easily rectified at the next stop by simply turning the easily adjustable rear preload a couple of notches up, compensating for the additional weight of the passenger. Normally this would be quite the drama with the seat needing to come off, and tools needing to be taken out, normally resulting in an injury.
The bike is so easy to ride with a passenger, and so comfortable for a passenger that even my mother, who has never been on a bike in her life, decided that I needed to take her for a ride. Even that proved to be easy to manage, with a passenger sitting bolt upright in corners instead of leaning with the bike.
So the perfect bike then? Well not quite. Firstly a problem that I hope applies only to this particular bike, and not the entire range, but it runs ridiculously hot. And by ridiculous I mean that I needed to get off it at one point simply because I couldn't handle it any longer. My own Buell which is mostly the same as this one runs the fan for a minute maximum after you switch it off, this one however ran for ten minutes at one point until I had to manually override it before it would shut up. Now it might be a case of the electronics sitting right underneath me, where on my own bike they sit more to the back, but even so I feel the heat was mostly trapped in the frame, leading me to believe it comes straight from the engine. Now my own bike has gotten a bit hot at times, but never to the point that it would actually burn me, and only on the hottest days of summer. In this case we are well into winter already, and the only thing I can think is that the bike is still brand new and might have been treated a little bit roughly, probably well outside normal run-in boundaries. Since noticing the problem I have done some reading on the matter of Buells running hot, and it seems this can be sorted out by adjusting the fuel management system. Now I know the new Buells are running DDFI3 where my own bike is still using DDFI2, so maybe it's just an initial glitch in the system, or maybe it just needs a little bit more time to adjust since it is a dynamic system. Still regardless of the cause, the problem is bad enough that I wouldn't be able to live with this particular bike.
The other issue is a minor build/design quality issue related to the windscreen. The see-through section of the windscreen is quite long as you can see in the pictures, and mounted very low on a the coloured fairing with four Allen bolts. Initially I thought one of these were simply loose when I noted a bit of "flapping" on the left side. I tightened the screw hoping it was a simple matter of adjustment, but then when riding again I realised that the flex was actually in the lower fairing. Logic tells me that the windscreen is simply too long, and mounted to low putting too much leverage on the lower fairing, and without some "give" it would simply snap clean off. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but I don't recall the same thing happening on the normal Ulysses which has the smaller screen fitted.
On the topic of wind, I found my head buffeting quite a bit more on this bike than on my own, and I was very much aware of the wind hitting my upper body and helmet. My Lightning has zero protection from the belly button upwards, but when you've gotten use to it you don't really notice except at extreme speeds. Now in this case the wind feels concentrated because of the additional protection, and thus you are made much more aware of it where it does hit you. Strangely I would like to try this bike with the shorter windscreen, which might alleviate this "problem" and also resolve the flex issue I mentioned above.
At the end of the day I can see myself riding thousands and thousands of kilometres on end with a passenger, and a regular car boot capacity of luggage, for days on end and loving every single moment of it.
So why wouldn't I buy one? Well mostly because I feel the bike is much too similar to my own Lightning, after all the frame is the same only longer, the engine is much the same and I prefer the power-biased nature of my 984cc. Ultimately I could even swap the handlebars on my bike for those of the XT, and have most of the comfort benefits, and only loose out on the hard luggage options, yet at a vastly reduced price compared to upgrading.
All of that said, if I didn't have a Lightning already and had to start fresh I would definitely opt for the Ulysses XT over my Lightning, it simply offers so much more on so many levels.
Here's hoping that Buell bring out something much the same, but 1125 powered in the coming year, then I might just find myself in a pickle.
Buell Tygervalley, as always were nice enough to provide a demo bike for the day, which turned into the night and the next day...but anyway. I got a brand spanking new 2009 Ulysses XB12XT with only about 200km on the clocks, in a gorgeous Racing Red. The colour is a little bit flat next to the flashy Translucent colours of my own bike and others in the Buell stable, but by the end of the day I decided it suited the bike, and it's purposes well.
Now the XT is mostly the same as the regular Ulysses in the looks department, with the main visual change being the colour coded front tyre hugger instead of the offroad mudguard on the regular bike. The XT is pretty much a more road going version of it's adventure inclined sibling, with road-biased suspension and a much lower seat height. It also comes standard with the Top Box and Panniers, which is optional on the regular Ulysses, and further alludes towards long distance touring with the addition of an extended windscreen, also optional on the adventure version.
So basically where the Ulysses was dubbed an Adventure bike, instead of a full blown offroad bike, with the idea that it's owners are the types who would like to take the odd gravel road off the beaten track, but spend most of their time on road, the XT is for those who prefer to stay in the saddle a little bit longer and preferably all the way on tarmac. The tyres are Pirelli Diablo Stradas, full road touring tyres, a change from the Pirelli Scorpion Syncs which are geared towards easy offroading.
Getting on the bike I noticed the bike was a hell of a lot lower than the Ulysses I had ridden before, and I could flat foot this one comfortably, whereas before I needed to put one cheek off the seat just to feel secure. It doesn't feel much lower than my own bike, which it is supposed to be, but I write this off to the fact that the seat is much wider and the footpegs also much larger, pushing your legs out further. Getting on is a wee bit more tricky since I got the bike with the panniers and top box fitted, and thus you have to hurdle yourself over it, instead of just throwing a leg up.
A couple of kilometres from the dealership I thought I was getting feverish, just to eventualy figure out that the bloody thing has heated grips as standard fitment, something I've never actually used before, and it was turned up to it's maximum setting of Level 2. At the time it was quite warm and I didn't see the point, but the next morning it was very much appreciated when I hit some colder weather. I won't exactly fork out two grand to have them fitted to my bike, but as a standard feature it is most welcome and I would definitely make use of it.
Immediately the bike feels quite familiar, with the same lounge in front of the TV seating arrangement as found on it's bigger, or rather taller brother. I might be lying about this one, but I think the handlebars are slightly different from the normal Ulysses, but it could just be the extended screen throwing my scale out. Either way the riding position is the same, very commanding, perched high up in the sky, back straight yet relaxed...I will conquer the roads of the world, and go on forever fare. Instantly you realise that as massive as this thing is, it is ridiculously easy to manoeuvre, panniers and all. One would expect the thing to topple over at the first hint of a sharp turn, yet you simply point and shoot, without even needing to throw your weight into it, riding on handlebar input alone.
Throughout the day I didn't once feel like I needed to get off the seat to take a corner, I simply sat bolt upright and maybe put some pressure on the foot pegs and that was it. The bike turns on it's own ear, with the only fear being the potential of scratching the panniers along the ground. Having never ridden a bike with hard cases before, I was quite weary when entering traffic, until much later when I realised the panniers are only slightly wider than the handlebars, meaning that if they were going to make it the rest would surely follow without drama. Those cases will make a long distance journey absolutely effortless, and Buell even sell custom made luggage which fits them perfectly, so you don't need to take them off when you reach your destination. That being said for day to day use the Topbox is more than sufficient, and with it's wide bed I'm sure you could fit an overly large notebook computer inside a bag, and possibly even a smallish briefcase.
Having a highly modified exhaust on my own Buell, anything else is quite underwhelming, and the case is no different here. The 1203cc Thunderstorm engine putters along quietly and is expectantly vibey shaking everything along with enthusiasm. Being a stock standard setup you don't expect much from it, but I think the catalytic converters fitted since 2008 have really murdered the poor thing, because even at higher revs it's quite boring, where my own free breathing stock exhaust used to leave it's VW Beetle idle behind when it hit 3500rpm to overpower the senses with an evil rumble putting a big smile on your face. Sadly the noise the XT makes is nothing more inspiring than just that, noise, and the linear power delivery of the bigger bore engine doesn't help to unlock any powerful emotions about the engine note. Torque is there in abundance, as is the case with all Buells and most V-Twins, and here it is delivered from start to finish in a curve so flat it is almost boring. I blame the treehuggers for the silly catalytic converter, and I'm sure my 984cc pushes more horses than the bike in question. Generally I find the XB9 motor somewhat more entertaining than the 12, simply because you feel the power come in as you go up the rev range, but I'm sure an aftermarket muffler would greatly improve the aural appreciation.
Fortunately the bike corners so well that a massive grin is ever present, even with the uninspiring engine characteristics. Actually that flat power delivery will gets you in trouble quite easily, because travelling speed just sneaks up on you, and next thing you know you are doing double the speed limit in residential areas. The bike is so easy to handle, that you never really feel in danger, and the abundance of torque means that you can just power out of corners in any gear.
Strangely the Ulysses range is not fitted with the new 8-pot calipers originally fitted to the 1125R, like all the other XB12's of 2009. Well I soon realised why not, because it simply doesn't need them. Maybe my brakes aren't quite what they used to be, but being fitted with the same 6-pot single rotor braking system the Ulysses felt a lot stronger when pressure was applied to the lever, than I remember my XB9 being when still running the stock pads.
To test the XT's touring capabilities I decided to take a pillion, as that would typically be the kind of arrangement I would buy this bike for, doing more long distance trips two-up. Normally when someone gets on the back the entire ride changes, more throttle is needed to get away from the lights, handling is slow and troublesome, and braking is normally accompanied by massive pressure from behind. Not the case with the Ulysses in the slightest. In this regard the engine is perfect, as the torque makes extra weight pretty much irrelevant. The massive seat is so accommodating that I had to look in my mirror more than once to make sure I actually had a passenger on the back. Braking is drastically improved by means of the passenger having a grab rail to hold onto behind them, or if the panniers are fitted holding onto their handholds, meaning the weight is completely removed from the rider. I did a number of hard braking tests, and my passenger hardly even noticed, and I was oblivious to their presence. Speaking of the panniers, they make getting on a little bit tricky for the passenger, as well as the rider needing to carry the weight, but it's one of those things where I'm sure one will find a method over time, making things much easier.
Handling I can honestly say is unaffected by adding a passenger to the mix. Where I would normally take special precautions when taking corners with passengers, often spoiling the ride for me, in this case I could effectively just ignore their existence and carry on as usual, and this without any complaints from behind. I did however manage to bottom the suspension out, for the first time in my life, going over a harsh bump in the road. This was easily rectified at the next stop by simply turning the easily adjustable rear preload a couple of notches up, compensating for the additional weight of the passenger. Normally this would be quite the drama with the seat needing to come off, and tools needing to be taken out, normally resulting in an injury.
The bike is so easy to ride with a passenger, and so comfortable for a passenger that even my mother, who has never been on a bike in her life, decided that I needed to take her for a ride. Even that proved to be easy to manage, with a passenger sitting bolt upright in corners instead of leaning with the bike.
So the perfect bike then? Well not quite. Firstly a problem that I hope applies only to this particular bike, and not the entire range, but it runs ridiculously hot. And by ridiculous I mean that I needed to get off it at one point simply because I couldn't handle it any longer. My own Buell which is mostly the same as this one runs the fan for a minute maximum after you switch it off, this one however ran for ten minutes at one point until I had to manually override it before it would shut up. Now it might be a case of the electronics sitting right underneath me, where on my own bike they sit more to the back, but even so I feel the heat was mostly trapped in the frame, leading me to believe it comes straight from the engine. Now my own bike has gotten a bit hot at times, but never to the point that it would actually burn me, and only on the hottest days of summer. In this case we are well into winter already, and the only thing I can think is that the bike is still brand new and might have been treated a little bit roughly, probably well outside normal run-in boundaries. Since noticing the problem I have done some reading on the matter of Buells running hot, and it seems this can be sorted out by adjusting the fuel management system. Now I know the new Buells are running DDFI3 where my own bike is still using DDFI2, so maybe it's just an initial glitch in the system, or maybe it just needs a little bit more time to adjust since it is a dynamic system. Still regardless of the cause, the problem is bad enough that I wouldn't be able to live with this particular bike.
The other issue is a minor build/design quality issue related to the windscreen. The see-through section of the windscreen is quite long as you can see in the pictures, and mounted very low on a the coloured fairing with four Allen bolts. Initially I thought one of these were simply loose when I noted a bit of "flapping" on the left side. I tightened the screw hoping it was a simple matter of adjustment, but then when riding again I realised that the flex was actually in the lower fairing. Logic tells me that the windscreen is simply too long, and mounted to low putting too much leverage on the lower fairing, and without some "give" it would simply snap clean off. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but I don't recall the same thing happening on the normal Ulysses which has the smaller screen fitted.
On the topic of wind, I found my head buffeting quite a bit more on this bike than on my own, and I was very much aware of the wind hitting my upper body and helmet. My Lightning has zero protection from the belly button upwards, but when you've gotten use to it you don't really notice except at extreme speeds. Now in this case the wind feels concentrated because of the additional protection, and thus you are made much more aware of it where it does hit you. Strangely I would like to try this bike with the shorter windscreen, which might alleviate this "problem" and also resolve the flex issue I mentioned above.
At the end of the day I can see myself riding thousands and thousands of kilometres on end with a passenger, and a regular car boot capacity of luggage, for days on end and loving every single moment of it.
So why wouldn't I buy one? Well mostly because I feel the bike is much too similar to my own Lightning, after all the frame is the same only longer, the engine is much the same and I prefer the power-biased nature of my 984cc. Ultimately I could even swap the handlebars on my bike for those of the XT, and have most of the comfort benefits, and only loose out on the hard luggage options, yet at a vastly reduced price compared to upgrading.
All of that said, if I didn't have a Lightning already and had to start fresh I would definitely opt for the Ulysses XT over my Lightning, it simply offers so much more on so many levels.
Here's hoping that Buell bring out something much the same, but 1125 powered in the coming year, then I might just find myself in a pickle.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Madness!!! This is V-Max!
Not having been around, or at least not old enough to ride bikes, in the days when the original V-Max was launched, I missed most of what the fuss was all about. In the couple of years I have been riding I have unfortunately not had the pleasure to find out what the original V-Max was all about.
Thus when the very rare opportunity came to ride the brand new V-Max, I honestly didn't have a clue what to expect. I had heard about this ludicrously powerful "muscle" bike, yet to me it still looked like nothing more than an overpriced cruiser. And then by cruiser standards my experience has mostly been riding Harley Davidsons of all sorts, which foolishly led me to believe that the V-Max would be much like a V-Rod, the names are virtually the same after all...what a mistake.
When I first saw photos of the final release version of the bike, I didn't exactly think it was ugly, but it was a hell of a long way from drop dead gorgeous. Having met the bike in person now, my opinion has changed quite drastically. It's not that the bike has become better looking, but rather that the details you see up close and personal give you a real appreciation for the amount of thought put into producing this motorcycle.
When I first saw photos of the final release version of the bike, I didn't exactly think it was ugly, but it was a hell of a long way from drop dead gorgeous. Having met the bike in person now, my opinion has changed quite drastically. It's not that the bike has become better looking, but rather that the details you see up close and personal give you a real appreciation for the amount of thought put into producing this motorcycle.
Being a limited production bike, no cost was spared on specially machined aluminium covers, with even the exhaust header being covered in aluminium presumably to keep the bike looking as good as the day it left the factory, and hiding the discolouration of the actual header pipes over time (or it might just serve the purpose of heat shielding, as some Yamaha fans have pointed out to me). Maroon accents can be found all over the bike, breaking the typical Black & Chrome combination, but adding a very exclusive and classy touch to the overall package. Everything has an immense sense of quality, and of course at the higher than average purchase price this is exactly what one would expect.
Everything on the bike looks fairly normal, except for those massive air intakes either side of the tank, the massive exhausts coming out of both sides and then the rear end which I don't like all that much but suits the bike very well with it's Mad Max styling. Looking at the bike it reminds me of a game I played many years ago Full Throttle. It's almost like it comes straight out of a comic book, for once the bean counters at Yamaha were told to bugger off so the designers and engineers could have their fun.
Yamaha build quality has always been phenomenal, and you would be hard pushed to find anything out of place on this bike. There are no wires or cable ties anywhere in plain sight, which can't be said for most bikes these days. If I have to be nitpicking then the only problem I experience with build quality was that the padding on the left side of the seat leading up to the tank, felt just a little bit more than on the right which might be fixed with a slight adjustment or fitting change on this specific bike.
Getting on the bike for the first time, knowing it weighs just over 300kg, it is a pleasant surprise to find that it feels much lighter than expected. My only real gripe with the bike is that the seat is too wide, making it feel much taller than it really is, because you can't put your feet down as firmly as you would like to. Quite possibly this is only an issue for someone of my stature, because generally it feels like the bike was built for people much larger than myself, which is strange for something of Japanese origin. Still cruisers are usually quite easy to flat foot due to their being so low, and it especially helps since they are always heavier than other bikes. It's tricky putting ones feet down when stopping, partly because of the wide seat but more so the protrusion of the rubberised foot pegs, which is of course the norm for cruisers so it shouldn't be a problem for anyone used to these kinds of bikes.
Initially the bike is somewhat scary, not because of the power from the 1679cc V4 engine as you would expect, but because of a strange dip when almost at full steering lock. Navigating the parking lot to get to the world outside was somewhat daunting, especially when you remember the price of the bike underneath you, never mind the fact that it's not even yours and one of only a few in the country. Coming from a sportbike background the low speed handling probably feels normal to regular cruiser riders, but in my case I had to over think every move just to make sure I don't topple over.
Surprisingly the moment I got into second gear and on the move, the initial fears of toppling over dissipated completely. I had told myself that I wouldn't be lane splitting on my journey, cutting out potential damage as much as possible. That was until the first gap in traffic presented itself, and I took a quick look around the bike to check clearance, and then proceeded through the gap and continued doing so for the rest of the trip. The only real worry when splitting cars, are the exhausts sticking out from either side of the bike, but amazingly the bike handles traffic so well I could easily live with it on a day to day basis. The turning circle is quite wide, so you won't be making any quick lane changes between cars, but then again with this being a cruiser you generally wouldn't be in a hurry to get anywhere would you?
Breaking free from stagnant city traffic, I finally got to open up the throttle and experience the massive V4 engine between my legs. I was told you don't need anything other than top gear, which is 5th, because it feels like you are breaking away from the traffic lights in 1st on any other bike. Hearing that statement I figured it was the typical marketing push, but I was astounded to find it to be absolutely the truth, and the realisation was shortly followed by a massive grin on my face. And then I did it again, and again, and again to the point that my face started hurting.
Spanking the V-Max away from the lights the weight of the bike is actually quite comforting, because you know that although it feels like the nose is going to come up any second it simply won't, at least not without some serious man handling of the clutch. Of course with that much power, breaking traction is a concern, but ultimately anyone should be able to launch the V-Max at warp speed much more easily
Sadly the engine note isn't quite as exciting as I had dreamed, which I'm sure has more to do with the environmental regulations of late, rather than by Yamaha's own choosing. Of course fitting some aftermarket exhausts would resolve that problem, but at an exponential cost I'm sure. That being said, having a quiet sleeper bike is exactly what you need to scare the daylights out of unsuspecting superbikes at the lights, or even better non-biker boy racers.
The V-Max will go from 60 to it's limited 220 km/h in top gear without hesitating, and without even breaking a sweat. I have never overtaken other vehicles as easily as I have with this bike, and I think it would make for a fantastic tourer if it weren't for the limited tank range I'm guessing the 15l tank offers. Which brings me back to my only real issue with the bike, the seat. Riding around town sitting up against the tank is quite comfortable with reach to the bars quite relaxed, and the gear and brake levers easily accessible. However when you approach highway speeds and you want to employ the crazy acceleration on offer, you have no other option than to sit back against the stop in the seat, otherwise you will slide right off. The problem is that in that position the reach to the bars becomes somewhat taxing, and at the same time the angle of the gear shifter a little sharp, not that you need to change gears, but it means you can't really grow into the position over time, and train yourself to sit against the stop permanently. Ultimately if the stop was adjustable the seat would have been perfect, but that would be asking too much, especially since the stop pops up to reveal the fuel filler cap.
The wind is surprisingly not much of an issue. Granted I ride a Naked bike everyday, so I'm easy to please compared to most, but for a wide which doesn't even try to keep the wind out it does a surprisingly good job. Naturally under extreme acceleration one's head gets pushed around a bit, but generally the torso and arms are well covered as well as the upper leg area. If anything the wind is a problem from the knee down where your feet are completely open to the elements and you need to make some effort to keep them on the pegs. Still overall I went out on a moderately windy day and it honestly didn't bother me in the slightest. As heavy as the bike is it should be really comfortable in cross wind conditions, not something that can be said for most.
At cruising speeds of 160-180km/h the V-Max is most comfortable, not only from a wind protection and ergonomic perspective, but also because the engine simply settles there. Acceleration from that speed is almost exactly the same as anywhere else in the range, but aerodynamics count against you and anything over 200km/h becomes a chore. Braking is phenomenal, simply because you expect something this big not to stop at all, never mind as well as it does. The ABS is a nice to have feature, although I didn't specifically test it out, and I'm not sure I'd want to. Besides who needs brakes, this bike just wants to go, go, go.
Although I only rode about 60km, I did so on familiar roads and again you just don't expect the bike to handle so well. Sure it's not a superbike, but it storms into corners with confidence, instead of the wobbliness experienced with all the cruisers I've ever ridden. Although the turning circle is quite wide, you don't want a bike like this to turn on a dime either. I much prefer slower steering, over twitchy snappy handling with this kind of motorcycle. The tyres are normal by all standards with the usual 120 up front, and a 200 at the rear, which means replacing them shouldn't be too much trouble.
One would need to have a Get-out-of-jail-free card if you plan to ride the V-Max on a day to day basis, as it simply does not do slow, at least not on the highway. Whenever I looked down I found myself at 160+km/h, even though it didn't feel like that at all. At the same time it idles along at 60km/h without complaint, so it's all about your mental ability to control that right hand, but then again why buy this bike if you only want to cruise. The power is a little tricky in slow corners, as you need to be on the throttle to steer the bike, but putting in those small throttle inputs around those corners can be a mental battle of extreme proportions. Strangely, I expected engine braking to be very strong but it's not, possibly due to the slipper clutch and shaft drive combination, as I can't remember ever riding a shaft driven bike which had a slipper before. The clutch itself is very easy to operate, although the reach was a bit far, and thinking back now I never even checked to see if it was adjustable. Although the gearbox is a bit clunky and quite loud, it's soft to operate and very accurate never missing a shift or hitting a false neutral.
Looking back I don't have anything particular to comment about the suspension, which leads me to believe it's more than adequate. Normally after getting off a bike the complaint is generally that the suspension is either too hard, or too soft. In this case I honestly can't say that I found the suspension bothering me in either manner, and that tells me it's perfect. Should you find yourself unhappy with the suspension it is fully adjustable, which is something you rarely find on a cruiser.
On top of the tank is a small screen hidden under more machined aluminium, indicating the usual odometer, trip meter, time and temperature gauge as well as a half-circle fuel gauge and gear indicator. The gear indicator is a strange one, since I honestly don't see why you would need it with this bike, but mostly because it's location is impractical since you need to look down between your legs to view it. Maybe Yamaha just put it there to add another feature to the list, just in case someone felt it was lacking.
In front you will find the usual dashboard with analog rev counter, digital speedometer, the usual warning lights and a massive dragster style shift light.
Maybe I should stop referring to it as a cruiser, because as much as it looks like one, it's nothing like any cruiser I've ever ridden, except maybe for typical tractor gearbox. As I said at the beginning, I expected the V-Max to be something like a Harley Davidson V-Rod, which is not even remotely the case. The V-Max is a truly unique experience, and not having the money for one I find it difficult to justify paying R235 000 for a motorcycle, but I'm dead certain if I had that kind of money, it would already be on it's way into Yamaha's account.
The Key is a somewhat strange entity. It is so large and oddly shaped that I doubt any biker would be able to pocket it comfortably. Yamaha must have done this on purpose to get people to place it where everyone can see it, thus scoring some free marketing. I couldn't figure out if it's possible to attach it to anything, but then again it would be quite difficult to lose something that big.
Which actually brings me back to a thought I had before riding the V-Max. I wondered why anyone would pay this kind of money for a generic Japanese bike, when they could have a Harley with a true heritage. Well I found that the V-Max isn't generic at all, if anything the Harleys seems generic in comparison, but most of all it might not have a heritage, but it sure is the start of one.
Regarding generic, one thing I simply cannot get over are the indicators straight from the Yamaha sportsbike parts bin, which spoils the dark and handsome looks of the bike completely with their screaming orange covers. Personally I would have fitted smoked or clear indicators with orange bulbs, instead of orange covers. Other than the indicators I have personal issues with the seat, which would probably be perfect if you carry a little bit more than average weight.
The V-Max is so solid that it almost feels immortal. When you approach an obstacle you think to yourself that if things should go wrong, you'll just fly straight through it, and out the other side in one piece without a scratch.
If you have the money, I doubt you will find anything else in this class as entertaining. If only Yamaha built a smaller engine, smaller chassis and somewhat lighter version at half the price, then I would have one parked in my garage...but then again that would completely defeat the purpose of the V-Max.Initially the bike is somewhat scary, not because of the power from the 1679cc V4 engine as you would expect, but because of a strange dip when almost at full steering lock. Navigating the parking lot to get to the world outside was somewhat daunting, especially when you remember the price of the bike underneath you, never mind the fact that it's not even yours and one of only a few in the country. Coming from a sportbike background the low speed handling probably feels normal to regular cruiser riders, but in my case I had to over think every move just to make sure I don't topple over.
Surprisingly the moment I got into second gear and on the move, the initial fears of toppling over dissipated completely. I had told myself that I wouldn't be lane splitting on my journey, cutting out potential damage as much as possible. That was until the first gap in traffic presented itself, and I took a quick look around the bike to check clearance, and then proceeded through the gap and continued doing so for the rest of the trip. The only real worry when splitting cars, are the exhausts sticking out from either side of the bike, but amazingly the bike handles traffic so well I could easily live with it on a day to day basis. The turning circle is quite wide, so you won't be making any quick lane changes between cars, but then again with this being a cruiser you generally wouldn't be in a hurry to get anywhere would you?
Breaking free from stagnant city traffic, I finally got to open up the throttle and experience the massive V4 engine between my legs. I was told you don't need anything other than top gear, which is 5th, because it feels like you are breaking away from the traffic lights in 1st on any other bike. Hearing that statement I figured it was the typical marketing push, but I was astounded to find it to be absolutely the truth, and the realisation was shortly followed by a massive grin on my face. And then I did it again, and again, and again to the point that my face started hurting.
Spanking the V-Max away from the lights the weight of the bike is actually quite comforting, because you know that although it feels like the nose is going to come up any second it simply won't, at least not without some serious man handling of the clutch. Of course with that much power, breaking traction is a concern, but ultimately anyone should be able to launch the V-Max at warp speed much more easily
Sadly the engine note isn't quite as exciting as I had dreamed, which I'm sure has more to do with the environmental regulations of late, rather than by Yamaha's own choosing. Of course fitting some aftermarket exhausts would resolve that problem, but at an exponential cost I'm sure. That being said, having a quiet sleeper bike is exactly what you need to scare the daylights out of unsuspecting superbikes at the lights, or even better non-biker boy racers.
The V-Max will go from 60 to it's limited 220 km/h in top gear without hesitating, and without even breaking a sweat. I have never overtaken other vehicles as easily as I have with this bike, and I think it would make for a fantastic tourer if it weren't for the limited tank range I'm guessing the 15l tank offers. Which brings me back to my only real issue with the bike, the seat. Riding around town sitting up against the tank is quite comfortable with reach to the bars quite relaxed, and the gear and brake levers easily accessible. However when you approach highway speeds and you want to employ the crazy acceleration on offer, you have no other option than to sit back against the stop in the seat, otherwise you will slide right off. The problem is that in that position the reach to the bars becomes somewhat taxing, and at the same time the angle of the gear shifter a little sharp, not that you need to change gears, but it means you can't really grow into the position over time, and train yourself to sit against the stop permanently. Ultimately if the stop was adjustable the seat would have been perfect, but that would be asking too much, especially since the stop pops up to reveal the fuel filler cap.
The wind is surprisingly not much of an issue. Granted I ride a Naked bike everyday, so I'm easy to please compared to most, but for a wide which doesn't even try to keep the wind out it does a surprisingly good job. Naturally under extreme acceleration one's head gets pushed around a bit, but generally the torso and arms are well covered as well as the upper leg area. If anything the wind is a problem from the knee down where your feet are completely open to the elements and you need to make some effort to keep them on the pegs. Still overall I went out on a moderately windy day and it honestly didn't bother me in the slightest. As heavy as the bike is it should be really comfortable in cross wind conditions, not something that can be said for most.
At cruising speeds of 160-180km/h the V-Max is most comfortable, not only from a wind protection and ergonomic perspective, but also because the engine simply settles there. Acceleration from that speed is almost exactly the same as anywhere else in the range, but aerodynamics count against you and anything over 200km/h becomes a chore. Braking is phenomenal, simply because you expect something this big not to stop at all, never mind as well as it does. The ABS is a nice to have feature, although I didn't specifically test it out, and I'm not sure I'd want to. Besides who needs brakes, this bike just wants to go, go, go.
Although I only rode about 60km, I did so on familiar roads and again you just don't expect the bike to handle so well. Sure it's not a superbike, but it storms into corners with confidence, instead of the wobbliness experienced with all the cruisers I've ever ridden. Although the turning circle is quite wide, you don't want a bike like this to turn on a dime either. I much prefer slower steering, over twitchy snappy handling with this kind of motorcycle. The tyres are normal by all standards with the usual 120 up front, and a 200 at the rear, which means replacing them shouldn't be too much trouble.
One would need to have a Get-out-of-jail-free card if you plan to ride the V-Max on a day to day basis, as it simply does not do slow, at least not on the highway. Whenever I looked down I found myself at 160+km/h, even though it didn't feel like that at all. At the same time it idles along at 60km/h without complaint, so it's all about your mental ability to control that right hand, but then again why buy this bike if you only want to cruise. The power is a little tricky in slow corners, as you need to be on the throttle to steer the bike, but putting in those small throttle inputs around those corners can be a mental battle of extreme proportions. Strangely, I expected engine braking to be very strong but it's not, possibly due to the slipper clutch and shaft drive combination, as I can't remember ever riding a shaft driven bike which had a slipper before. The clutch itself is very easy to operate, although the reach was a bit far, and thinking back now I never even checked to see if it was adjustable. Although the gearbox is a bit clunky and quite loud, it's soft to operate and very accurate never missing a shift or hitting a false neutral.
Looking back I don't have anything particular to comment about the suspension, which leads me to believe it's more than adequate. Normally after getting off a bike the complaint is generally that the suspension is either too hard, or too soft. In this case I honestly can't say that I found the suspension bothering me in either manner, and that tells me it's perfect. Should you find yourself unhappy with the suspension it is fully adjustable, which is something you rarely find on a cruiser.
On top of the tank is a small screen hidden under more machined aluminium, indicating the usual odometer, trip meter, time and temperature gauge as well as a half-circle fuel gauge and gear indicator. The gear indicator is a strange one, since I honestly don't see why you would need it with this bike, but mostly because it's location is impractical since you need to look down between your legs to view it. Maybe Yamaha just put it there to add another feature to the list, just in case someone felt it was lacking.
In front you will find the usual dashboard with analog rev counter, digital speedometer, the usual warning lights and a massive dragster style shift light.
Maybe I should stop referring to it as a cruiser, because as much as it looks like one, it's nothing like any cruiser I've ever ridden, except maybe for typical tractor gearbox. As I said at the beginning, I expected the V-Max to be something like a Harley Davidson V-Rod, which is not even remotely the case. The V-Max is a truly unique experience, and not having the money for one I find it difficult to justify paying R235 000 for a motorcycle, but I'm dead certain if I had that kind of money, it would already be on it's way into Yamaha's account.
The Key is a somewhat strange entity. It is so large and oddly shaped that I doubt any biker would be able to pocket it comfortably. Yamaha must have done this on purpose to get people to place it where everyone can see it, thus scoring some free marketing. I couldn't figure out if it's possible to attach it to anything, but then again it would be quite difficult to lose something that big.
Which actually brings me back to a thought I had before riding the V-Max. I wondered why anyone would pay this kind of money for a generic Japanese bike, when they could have a Harley with a true heritage. Well I found that the V-Max isn't generic at all, if anything the Harleys seems generic in comparison, but most of all it might not have a heritage, but it sure is the start of one.
Regarding generic, one thing I simply cannot get over are the indicators straight from the Yamaha sportsbike parts bin, which spoils the dark and handsome looks of the bike completely with their screaming orange covers. Personally I would have fitted smoked or clear indicators with orange bulbs, instead of orange covers. Other than the indicators I have personal issues with the seat, which would probably be perfect if you carry a little bit more than average weight.
The V-Max is so solid that it almost feels immortal. When you approach an obstacle you think to yourself that if things should go wrong, you'll just fly straight through it, and out the other side in one piece without a scratch.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Recession this way comes
And I'm happier for it, since it seems that fitting the Special Ops and K&N Lifetime filter couldn't have come at a better time.
I now average 20-30km more per tank (read frame), and this is without trying very hard. Short shifting at about 4500rpm like I always do, keeping a steady speed of 120-140 on the highway and overtaking at pretty much full throttle still gives me roughly 230km for 12 litres amounting to a little over 19km/l.
Not bad at all for a big American V-Twin of the old school air cooled variety. Previously I managed just about 200km and then the light would come on, so all in all not a bad deal.
Of course I haven't done the Race EEPROM just yet, as money has been a little tight of late and shipping the cable from the US won't be exactly free either. Needless to say I suspect the Race EEPROM might give me even better mileage going by what I've heard, and failing that I'm sure the custom Xopti tune will sort everything out, including the bit of a backfire every so often.
Backfire isn't the end of the world though, it's quite bad ass and I like it, but I believe it's a good indication of fuel being wasted on all the wrong reasons so it would be nice to get that sorted.
Hopefully there's enough money left after the festive season to organise the ECMSpy cable from Xopti and play around with the Lightning some more.
I now average 20-30km more per tank (read frame), and this is without trying very hard. Short shifting at about 4500rpm like I always do, keeping a steady speed of 120-140 on the highway and overtaking at pretty much full throttle still gives me roughly 230km for 12 litres amounting to a little over 19km/l.
Not bad at all for a big American V-Twin of the old school air cooled variety. Previously I managed just about 200km and then the light would come on, so all in all not a bad deal.
Of course I haven't done the Race EEPROM just yet, as money has been a little tight of late and shipping the cable from the US won't be exactly free either. Needless to say I suspect the Race EEPROM might give me even better mileage going by what I've heard, and failing that I'm sure the custom Xopti tune will sort everything out, including the bit of a backfire every so often.
Backfire isn't the end of the world though, it's quite bad ass and I like it, but I believe it's a good indication of fuel being wasted on all the wrong reasons so it would be nice to get that sorted.
Hopefully there's enough money left after the festive season to organise the ECMSpy cable from Xopti and play around with the Lightning some more.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Special Operations
Well some time ago my Jardine exhaust blew up spectacularly on a low ride where I was unable to attend to the loosened rivets.
The Drummer pipes have always been rated as some of the best in the business, but since I was having trouble supplying a stock exhaust being half way around the world, and the outright pipe was too expensive at $700 and also didn't support the stock chin cowl mounts it was not to be.
Next up on my list of options was Michael Oldfield at Special Ops who does mostly the same kind of thing as Kevin (Drummer) by making modifications to the stock exhaust to allow better breathing, and of course a much better sound.
Mike is the only stock modifier who is also willing to sell a pipe outright, without the need to send in you stock pipe, so this helped greatly. However he didn't have any stock of XB9 pipes, so I was put on his waiting list.
In the meanwhile I went and made a Wanted post on Buelletinboard just in case someone was keen on sponsoring me a stock XB9 pipe, which Odie could work into a Special Ops wonder. Problem is that Buelletinboard doesn't have a pop-up on private messages by default, and thus I completely missed the messages from SpdKls who was willing to hook me up with a stock exhaust which he would drop off with Odie on the weekend.
What a surprise then, when Odie lets me know that he'll be done with my pipe on the weekend, ready to ship the following week. A shock to the budget but a welcome surprise nonetheless, and while I was at it I got a K&N Filter shipped to Odie so he could ship me one package with all the goodies.
Two weeks later and the goods finally arrived on local shores, with customs not screwing me over as expected.
As you can see it looks exactly the same as the stock exhaust, just some what shorter with the outlet at the back, instead of at the side. A much better paintjob than the stock part as well, lets hope it lasts.
I much prefer this option, as the chin cowl mountings are the same, and thus don't require silly additional brackets to be fitted, as is the case with many of the other options available. Also it helps that it looks stock, because that means nobody will notice, and thus will be caught by surprise.
The sound is fantastic. Many people will cringe at the thought that it sounds more like a pissed off Harley than ever, but I quite like it. At the moment there's a lot of decel popping, which is pretty bad ass, but I think will need to be sorted out later.
The bike definitely pulls stronger, but maybe not as smoothly. I find myself in the higher gears much faster than I remember, and it seems like the bike revs up faster and more easily especially the higher ranges.
XoptimizedrsX has offered to help me out with some fuelling maps, and I'll definitely be taking him up on that offer once I have the cash to hook myself up with an ECMSpy cable. Hopefully that will sort out the minor fuelling issue midway through the rev range, and will result in a smoother and even more potent bike.
Oddly enough I've only done one tank of petrol since the pipe and filter were installed, and it saw lots of pretty hard riding, and lots of needless revving, yet tank range was only 5km less than my result. So in theory if I ride "nicely" the bike might even be more economical with mods, than without.
Problem is, with such a bad ass sound you just want to spank it all the time!
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