Extra bits ....
Before .....
Prior to doing the ride I had concerns about the screen and fuel range. I had ridden my own 1400 home from Newcastle the same day I bought it and on that trip was not impressed at all with the screen. At its lowest setting it was like riding a full on sports bike with the wind hitting you solid in the chest. Fully extended it was all ‘messy’ and not at all what I am used to. Having it approx 1/3 up was reasonable but still not good. I have a much taller and wider screen on order for my own bike already from the US.
Fuel range, given the relatively small fuel tank, was also a concern for a bike called a ‘transcontinental’ tourer. The fuel economy I had achieved bringing my own bike home, and comments over the net were worrying given the distances we have between fuel stops in Australia.
On the other hand I felt that the position of bars, pegs and seat was very good. The triangulation was almost identical to the way I had set up my older 1000GTR. Maybe there was just slightly more weight on the bars, but it was minimal.
I felt the location of the sidestand might cause some problems as it was very easy to catch the leg of your pants on the rider’s foot peg. This happened a few times and I know of one rider who dropped his bike because he thought the stand was fully down but it wasn't. It also appears to be hard for a pillion to mount and dismount because of the position of the panniers and pillion pegs, but I have not tested this.
I thought the mirrors might bother me. Although a good size, they offer a good view of the panniers. This didn't prove to be an issue either, but I didn't travel a lot in traffic where you would need them more. I have fitted stick-on curved mirrors to my own bike.
I was also concerned about the lack of protection for the radiator. I rode the bike as I would my own and I do not slow much just because there is roadworks/gravel. The bike ended up with a few minor chips in the radiator from stones but it needs a Radguard (I have one on mine already).
I thought the ‘glove box’ was going to be useless because it’s not lockable and the heat there is so high, but I put spare gloves in there and they stayed nice and warm. So maybe it’s somewhere you can dry small objects!
Overall, a very good ‘look’ and very spacious panniers.
...... and After
I ‘bonded’ with the bike very easily. I found that the fuel range was not a problem at all. The engine management was so good that at legal speeds it was possible to achieve outstanding distances on a tank of fuel. I got 397 km from a tank in WA and 414 km to Broken Hill.
I learnt that the stock screen was also not a big deal. In fact, with a good quality helmet like the Shoei Multitec I wore, it was not a hindrance at all. I had been very concerned about this prior to leaving but not once on the ride did it bother me. I rode with it fully up 90% of the time and the other 10% had it fully down just for fun and a breeze. Felt very sporty like that.
I was determined to ride a stock bike the whole way, so I had my AirHawk in a pannier but after the first day I knew it was not needed. Now I am very road experienced, but I feel sure that most riders will be happy with the seat and seating position. It softened up over the ride, too, which made it even better. I got ‘squirmy’ if that’s a word about the 1500 km mark each day, but how many riders are going to do that? Not painful at all just the ‘gotta find another spot to sit’ feeling.
The brakes are #1 as far as I am concerned. For a large tourer, and remember I was fully loaded with panniers and top box all full, it braked firmly with never a hint of fade. I braked quite hard a few times both when riding and when pulling over for a quick few pictures (hate losing time). It rained for about 500-600 km on day one and drizzled a lot up the west coast on day three. Braking with that much weight in the wet was never a concern.
This bike just loves to change direction. Even at the end of a big day I felt comfortable flicking it through the corners, well, when there were corners. Suspension and steering blend beautifully and the front end is perfect as far as I am concerned.
I am used to very good lighting, my usual long distance bike has aftermarket wiring and headlight plus Hella driving lights. Good vision in the night, and remember I did a lot of night riding on this trip, was a slight concern. However, it also was a non issue. The stock lighting is great, so good in fact that I doubt most will ever want more. Well positioned and well directed, it lights up the road and verges well. Heck, the lights even look great.
Instruments are clear and easily read. The ability to view the fuel range is good as are the duel trip meters.
Bike had no real buzz to the bars and I had no problems with my hands over such an extended period. This is important for those doing bigger distances. I was able to put my feet back on the rear pegs from time to time for a break.
The panniers are not only good looking but very easy to remove and replace. I can tell you, at the end of a 1950 km day you do not want to be fighting with locks and brackets that don’t want to line up! They do mount very high, though, and this makes it hard to get a leg over without kicking or scuffing them. It was not as hard for me, as I am used to having my aux fuel tank on the passenger seat so I ‘hop’ my leg through the gap.
I had all bike gear and backup fuel in one pannier and my clothes in the other. I had my laptop, tripod, cable bag, toiletries, first aid kit and other bits in the top box. I had my other camera and wallet, etc in the tank bag.
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