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Buellnick
| Posted on Monday, April 11, 2011 - 11:48 pm: |
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Check this out... interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qou7EovDH9M |
Agfish18
| Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 09:13 am: |
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Surprisingly my legs do feel better today. it is usually worse on the second day, but oh well. I forgot sunscreen too, so my face is a bit charred too. Definitely an interesting vid from what I have seen. Dont have an hour to watch the entire thing yet. nice find. |
Daschunk
| Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 11:54 am: |
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I am going to watch that tonight then =) |
Syonyk
| Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 11:58 am: |
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Awesome. Will watch! If all goes well, my gf & I should be out at Coffee at Dawn next weekend on two separate bikes. We've been riding around a decent amount, and she's fairly confident on the Blast. Somewhat amusingly, she's a lot better to ride with than many of the Harley types I've had the misfortune to ride in groups with... As far as my initial thoughts on the Blast, I quite like it. More importantly, I like the fact that she likes it. It'll probably get an intake or K&N on it to help with flow, and possibly a pipe down the road. Apparently you can get another 3-5hp out of it with tweaks, which is rather huge on that bike. New tires go on Thursday evening, and then we should be good to do some longer rides! The only real downside to it right now is the mirrors. They're not very adjustable, so I'm planning to stick something different on. Anyone have some stock Lightning "Mickey Mouse" mirrors they want to get rid of? |
Agfish18
| Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 12:15 pm: |
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I was never a fan of those mirrors on my old blast. in fact, mine used to vibrate loose... I switched them out with bar ends. I'm glad she likes it so far, I am toying with the idea of sending my fiancee to the MSF course, but dont want to buy her a bike until she decides she likes operating one. She tried riding my CBR once (a couple friends and I ran along side of her) but she was nervous, but I think mostly because it was too tall for her and she couldnt reach the ground too well. I think once she gets on one that she can manage a bit better she will do fine, but only time will tell. |
Syonyk
| Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 12:34 pm: |
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I tried my gf on the Lightning, and it was the same issue - the bike was just too tall for her. IMO, the best approach would be to have her take the MSF course, and see what she thinks of it. If she doesn't like riding, cool. If she does like it, find something that fits. My gf is short, so the lowered seat on the Blast works wonderfully - she can flatfoot it at stops. |
Agfish18
| Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 02:09 pm: |
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CJ, This weekend is supposed to have some nice weather. Saturday is looking like mid 70's and sunny...and the best part NO WIND! Have you figured out a route yet, or we just winging things? |
Buell_nm
| Posted on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 06:05 pm: |
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Adam, Definitely send your fiancee to the MSF course. There are bikes there that will fit her better and it's an environment that is more suited to learning. Since I coach for them I can answer any questions you might have about the class. |
Agfish18
| Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 11:04 am: |
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I just got her signed up for the May 5th class... She is a bit nervous, but said she would do it. are you teaching then Kim, or no? |
Syonyk
| Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 01:54 pm: |
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Having seem how my gf rides coming straight out of the MSF BRC1, I'm quite impressed. She's got good bike control, rides safely, and is quite honestly a better rider than 80+% of cruiser riders I've had the (not always pleasurable) experience of riding with. She can handle the bike at low speed quite competently, and is just fine at higher speeds. We've been doing a good bit of riding in the evenings. She's getting a good feel for the Blast, and with the communicators we're using (SMH10s), it's easy to discuss minor things she has questions about while riding. So, I definitely consider the $180 or so for the class to be worth it if your fiancee is interested in riding. |
Buell_nm
| Posted on Friday, April 15, 2011 - 11:22 pm: |
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Nope, I'm coaching next weekend, but I won't be doing any others until June. The whole month of May is filled with racing, I'm at a race every single weekend, it's rough but someone has to do it. |
Agfish18
| Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 11:13 am: |
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Kim, Thanks, I'm glad you sacrifice so much for us all it must be a tough job! I met up with CJ yesterday and we rode into Jemez. Traffic wasnt too bad, surprisingly. We ended up going through the Valles Caldera, and Pojoaque, then down to Santa Fe for lunch at Blue Corn, then headed down NM 14 to Madrid and then back to town. Overall it was a good ride, CJ left me in the dust once we got into the mountains. I am still not too comfortable doing high speeds through the mountainous curves with someone else on the back, especially since I wasnt too familiar with them as I had only ridden up there once before...a year ago. I may have been able to keep up a little more if I were by myself... maybe not though...who knows We ended up at PJ's thinking there might be a slim chance that they were still open, but a bit too late to demo anything unfortunately. We got there just after 6, as they were loading loading up the last of demo bikes onto the truck. The ride made for a long day, but we made several stops to stretch. My fiancee has a bum knee and cant ride for too long at a time. We stopped once in Jemez, just before getting to Soda Falls, then again at Valles Caldera, Pojoaque, Santa Fe, and Madrid, with one stop to fill up on gas leaving Santa Fe. Where was everyone else yesterday? |
Bartimus
| Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 04:59 pm: |
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Glad to hear someone finally got out and went for a ride. Adam, don't worry about keeping up, just ride your own ride, and enjoy it! Especially when you are carrying fragile cargo! I always ride slower, when I have Debbie on the back. I would never forgive myself if I had an accident while she was on the back. We went riding around town looking at houses all day. Started off in the Taylor ranch area, and ended up in the NE area... Have a few hopefuls, will see what pans out. Georgeous weekend! we are barbecueing today, and kicking back enjoying the day. Hope you all are doing the same!!! |
Reiver
| Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 05:33 pm: |
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Man i really envy you guys that live up north. You have the most scenic part of the state to ride in,other Buellers nearby and a track in your backyard.Speaking of the track do any of you guys need some spare bodywork for a Firebolt? I'm thinking of selling a used set. |
Syonyk
| Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 05:49 pm: |
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Yesterday... Triumph Demo Day, rode a Tiger 800xc and didn't care for it, rode a Tiger 1050 and loved it. Then some riding. Today, my gf & I rode out to Coffee at Dawn, up to the crest and back (the Blast handled it fine, as did the rider with one week of experience), back over to the track, and then home. We're planning a trip up to Taos next weekend. Great weekend for riding until it got windy today! |
Ghostrider
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 11:16 am: |
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Adam, it was a nice ride on Saturday. Was great to meet up with you guys. I want to start talking about Memorial Day weekend. Anyone have plans? I think many people are off that holiday Monday and I'd like to do a ride somewhere fun but somewhere away from Red River. This is what I was thinking: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=2 48+East+Hwy+550,+Bernalillo,+NM&daddr=604+N.+Guada lupe,+Santa+Fe,+NM+87501+to:US-285+N%2FUS-84+W%2FC hama+Hwy+to:US-285+N+to:US-64+W+to:NM-17+N+to:US-8 4+E+to:NM-30+to:NM-4+W+to:NM-4+W+to:NM-4+W+to:NM-4 +W+to:US-550+S&hl=en&geocode=FSruGgIdSzem-SkLeQo_Z XgihzFPC_yaT_VwIA%3BFZqoIAIdElGv-SlfuRbAFlAYhzGzbM ymFJK_Ww%3BFea5JgIdooCs-Q%3BFd8oLwIdiBCv-Q%3BFXDRL wIdWA2m-Q%3BFXnMMgIdHKal-Q%3BFRi_JgIdbn2s-Q%3BFVec IwIdv0Cs-Q%3BFYsmIwIdSSir-Q%3BFZdMIgIdFNSq-Q%3BFWT JIgIdqBOp-Q%3BFfaJHgIdtK-i-Q%3BFVbuGgId7Tam-Q&mra= ls&sll=35.319625,-106.551654&sspn=0.013446,0.01929 &ie=UTF8&ll=36.193309,-106.811829&spn=1.702298,2.4 69177&z=9 This is a long day at 370 miles. If we need to cut it short for time, we can eliminate the Jemez leg in favor of a freeway return. Any thoughts? |
Agfish18
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 11:34 am: |
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Are you planning on doing this ride on Memorial Day? or just over the weekend? My only concern is that I'm going to be sore as hell after riding the 1125 for that long in one day, and then have to go to work the next day lol... Edit: Spoke to the other half, she said she would be up for it, and we dont have any other plans. (Message edited by agfish18 on April 18, 2011) |
Syonyk
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 11:53 am: |
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I think I'm out of town that weekend, but I'll check and let you know. That looks like an amazing loop... |
Ghostrider
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 05:23 pm: |
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I think it would be ON Memorial Day since there are so many people who are likely to be off of work. |
Buellnick
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 06:23 pm: |
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CJ, looks like a nice route... I'm down on the funeral procession in Jemez but the roads and scenery are great. Syonyk, I'm curious, What didn't you like about the 800XC? I haven't ridden one yet but I was seriously thinking about a BMW F800GS or the new Triumph. |
Agfish18
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 06:32 pm: |
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I suppose I can put up with some soreness at work...Damn, I need to get in shape!, You probably werent even phased from Saturday were you CJ? not to mention your 8 mile run before hand! |
Syonyk
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 07:21 pm: |
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Buellnick - I test rode it 2-up on the street. This is probably the main issue. The bars weren't comfortable seated, and the engine was a bit wound out for my taste/lacking a top end, 2-up. Also, my passenger found it significantly less comfortable than the back of my 1125R. If I were solo on the dirt, on the pegs the whole time, it probably would have been fine, but it's an awfully big, heavy bike for that type of riding. Apparently the street version is better, but if you're not planning on much dirt, OMG the 1050 motor... |
Buellnick
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 11:47 pm: |
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Re the 800xc, the write-ups claim it has good low end (for an 800 triple). Looking for an adventure bike I can take on weekend trips on/off road. I don't want to go to a 1200(GS). Too big/heavy... so that leaves me with Triumph, BMW f800, and KTM. Sorry to say that a Uly is not in the running unless I found a good one really, really cheap. (Message edited by Buellnick on April 19, 2011) |
Buellnick
| Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - 12:11 am: |
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http://www.buell.com/en_US/home.html What remains of the HD/Buell website...HD telling everyone they will service what they've sold... |
Syonyk
| Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - 09:46 am: |
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Buellnick: Feel free to test ride one - it might work for you. I just didn't care for it. The Journey Ends Here. On October 30, 2009, Buell Motorcycle Company closed its doors, bringing an end to a 26-year run. Thanks to all of our customers, dealers and employees for an unforgettable ride. Awww... They lie so sweetly. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like Erik listened about the "Journey ends here" part. And I'd actually say that most of the dealers selling Buells made it a quite forgettable ride, because they weren't interested in selling the silly plastic Jap-clone rice-rockets in the back corner when they had Real American Motorcycles (TM) to sell. <3 Santa Fe Harley. I still can't believe a Harley dealership is sponsoring a track day. *grins* |
Buellnick
| Posted on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - 12:48 pm: |
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I may not care for the 800XC either - just getting opinions right now. I may be putting my STT up for sale first. Anybody interested, let me know. Runs great - low miles. The HD/Buell website... The "unforgettable ride" part hit me the same way... Its quite forgettable the way some dealers treated Buell bikes and owners as "bastard step-children." SFHD is one of the exceptions to an otherwise poor dealer experience across the board. Perhaps SF will be one of the Erik Buell Racing dealers?? If I were a major stock holder of HD (I'm not), I would have questioned the expensive acquisition and sale (at a huge loss) of MV Augusta while marginalizing Buell (which cost more to close than its net worth). In fact, HD made the top ten in poorly run American Companies (I think it was Forbes or Bloomberg that said so...). HD lost huge sums of cash in MV AUgusta and low interest loans. BTW: they also took bailout money from the gov which they have since paid back... Life is tough, Life is even tougher when your troubles are self-inflicted. HOWEVER, sometimes change is good and I hope Erik Buell Racing becomes a great American success story. |
Ghostrider
| Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 05:54 pm: |
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If I was Erik Buell Racing, I wouldn't sell anything from a Harley shop. In NM, I'd say PJ's or Moto-Authority should try to sell them. There probably won't be many available to see and the price is pretty steep, so... |
Syonyk
| Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 06:21 pm: |
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I'd say PJ's is a better option than Moto Authority. They've already got the "high end" traffic. |
Buellnick
| Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 06:34 pm: |
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It would have to be on a dealer by dealer basis. Around here, PJs and Sandia BMW are the only ones with the clientele that would even consider buying such a bike and I think BMW (like HD) has some rules about selling other brands. The bike would have to be BETTER than a Duc 1198R or BMW S1000RR for that kind of money. Where's the ABS and traction control? This is going to be an epic uphill struggle for Erik Buell Racing to get going in a bad economy. I hope the "people's model" Erik Buell Racing 1190RS is cheaper. Otherwise these will become expensive collectables for the few who just have to have one. BTW: Not sure what's going on with Fischer Motorcycles these days but Dan Fischer (famous racer) has taken a different approach. He is trying to build the people's American sportbike using a one piece US Made frame, Ohlins and Brmebo components, and a Suzuki clone 650 motor made by Hyosung (S. Korea). Its supposed to be a great handling bike with enough power (like an SV650). Check it out... http://fischer1.com/Fischer_motorcycles.htm This is America and there are still folks trying to build the American sportbike... |
Ghostrider
| Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - 07:08 pm: |
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"The only sport motorcycle built in America?" That's a bold claim, isn't it? It makes 80hp and is carbureted. Even my 9R makes 95hp with EFI. |
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