| Author | Message | ||
     Danger_dave |
You guys get a preview: First draft of my Kiwi Rider bit.(UK Speelings in NZ, scuse the typos.)  Words & Pics - Big Dave. Hijinks (plural noun) antics, pranks, escapades, stunts, practical jokes, tricks; fun, fun and games, skylarking, mischief, silliness, horseplay, tomfoolery, clowning; informal shenanigans, capers, monkey business.’ There were days with the Buell Lightning Super TT when that one definition from the Oxford summed it all up rather nicely. The Buell marketing blurb proclaims the TT to be an ‘Urban Assault Weapon’, and while I get that angle, and I certainly did attack plenty of urbanity on it, I actually thought of it more as an Urban Adventure Bike. I had the best time exploring the nooks, crannies, laneways, alleys, paths, off the beaten tracks, extra steep bits and the general ‘badlands’ of Auckland. I had some ‘epic’ adventures – in Ellerslie. If there is a serious side to this report it’s that this may the first bike of its kind – The Urban Adventure bike. It borrows aspects from a motard, a commuter, a sports bike and an adventure bike and combines them in a package that is quite spectacular fun to ride. As regularly reported, most of the Kiwi Rider crew have developed a taste for Adventure riding. Getting off the beaten track, spot of dirt road, cross the odd paddock, that sort of carry on. Events like the Capital Coast or one of the Publisher’s organised runs. Hanging the bum out on a big dual sport bike on a dirt road, a little jump here or there. Rarkin’ up. Nothing too radical. We love that stuff! Unfortunately the opportunity to get away from it all to go ADV riding doesn’t present itself too often.  Enter the TT. I live in a big city, pretty close to the geographic centre. The start of the nearest decent dirt road is an hour away on a good run. Thus a bike that is optimum for coping with the urban traffic environment is more a day to day necessity than the distance capacity of a big bore dual sport, and the TT is my idea of optimum in the city. Brilliant in traffic, upright, balanced, torquey, narrow and comfortable. My favoured ergonomics for city commutes or city street and town work, but the problem with a strictly town bike is that I do miss the buzz that a good Adventure style session presents. Fortunately I found there are tons of places to explore in between here and the start of that dirt road. Somewhere along one of those paths I fell in love with the TT. Its dual purpose Pirelli Scorpion Sync Tyres, off road style guards, superb 3 way adjustable suspension both ends and the brilliant handling means you can find a little of that ADV buzz right around town. The ramp down to the empty car park becomes a traverse. A deserted skate park the ‘wall of death’. The slippery grass of a small vacant section of land on suburban Ladies Mile resembled crossing a wooded valley. Late at night the big industrial area car parks and ramps turn into your own private TT course. The gravel tracks alongside the rail line become an MX track. Even the ugly Saturday morning industrial wasteland becomes remarkable fun as you bounce, balance and scoot about - seeking to challenge gravity.   Adventures in un-urbanity. Some of these Adventure revealed a darker side of the city too. I found where most of the Guerrilla art is. The tagging. The bike is near perfect for carving up those areas between the transport corridors and the urban zones, the industrial areas and the grunge. I had a ball riding hard out, at quite low speeds, away from it all – right in the heart of the city. The hairpins and alleys and lanes and ramps and bridges and paths and the mostly unused byways of the sprawl slipped effortlessly by. I rode past where the hookers hook. I saw where the boys park up for a smoke, I know where the hoodied individuals gather and do whatever it is the hoodied individuals do.  Dangerous you say? Nah - I just rocked on by, and no-one without flashing blue and reds was going to catch me on this confidence inspiring and capable machine. The extreme styling wanted me to take it to extremes. ‘Stuff that you normally wouldn’t try on a twelve hundred’ Said the Trashman after the photo shoot. Add the 103hp ‘twist and wheelie’ delight of the Harley-Davidson Thunderstorm engine in a package weighing 179kg and it does inspire spirited ‘attacking’. Ooops, now I’m back on hijinks. Although it doesn’t pretend to be a dedicated adventure bike, you can take the TT so many places you wouldn’t take a road bike. And then the real beauty of the TT is that back on the beaten track it has the manners and handling and brakes of a super sport. Plus it has enough comfort and open road ability to be up for a longer day in the saddle too. The Adventure trails often lead me out of town and into the scratch roads to the south and north of the city. Superb. Like all the XB range it features Buell’s mass centralisation, perimeter brake, and remarkable cornering. It corners so well. I found that I was counter-steering and staying upright and letting the bike do all the work at significantly higher speeds than normal. Ooh bugger! – back on hijinks again. Style. The first thing everyone mentioned about the bike was the striking white bodywork, and more specifically questioning the racing style number plates with a huge ‘What the?’ I thought they were cool and used the space to promote the ‘KR number 1’ message for the most part.  We went to #13 when the Trashman modelled the Urban Adventure shots. That’s the whole idea - you personalise to suit. The way we had it decorated was certainly a crowd pleaser. I had pedestrians stop and ask questions about the bike as they were crossing the Queen street lights. I enjoyed its unique styling and looks and adding the various numbers made a difference. The bike screams look at me. There are no passenger accommodations of any sort, No rear pegs and what feels like a steel rail just aft of the rider’s allotment of saddle. The vinyl goes all the way back – but the padding doesn’t. Strictly solo. A passenger would get in the way of what the bike is about anyway. See opening paragraph re hijinks (again). I ‘get’ this bike. There are riders who won’t like its wide turning circle or the way it vibrates at idle or the fact that it’s not a contender in the high-speed stakes. None of that bothers me at all. I was far too busy with the…hijinks and having a laugh a minute. Great in the city, OK in the unmade going, comfortable enough for a decent day’s ride. Wonderful handling, balance and an engine that is ideally suited to road – and a touch of off-road - riding. It’s sharp looking, puts a huge grin on my face (and tears in the Co-pilots eyes as I disappear into the distance) and it makes great sense for the urban riding that makes up 80% of the time I spend in the saddle. Whatever number you stick on it, I thought it’s a winner. And then there’s ‘Tomfoolery’. More pics here: http://homepage.mac.com/david_cohen_design/Menu33. html (Message edited by danger_dave on May 02, 2007) | ||
| Diablobrian |
Outstanding! | ||
| Crusty |
 I guess that I'll just have to Demo ride one. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
I guess that I'll just have to Demo ride one. Mee Too!! anybody got a step-ladder??  Nice article, though! | ||
| Blake |
Excellent and entertaining article Dave. May one really ride a Kiwi? | ||
| Danger_dave |
Yea - but you usually have to buy it dinner first.  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I had a TT out for an hour today on my favourite local roads, the verdict? Well after I'd put the top of my head back on, I sat & had a think about it, the nearest I can describe the experience, is..... Ohyeahaaarghwowyeahyeahyeahwowhahahahawoohoooooaaa rrghyeehaagogogowaaaahwowohbabyessss...phew! Comparison to the M2? M2 is a cleaver TT is a razor, I got on a bike I've never ridden before & rode it down my favourite roads faster & more confidently than on a bike that I've been riding for over 3 years! Just got to figure out how to scrape up the shekels now. | ||
| Blake |
Dave,  Wait-ah-min-ute... aren't you a Kiwi? ![: ]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) Grump, Leave it to a Frenchman to put into English the most concise review yet of the TT.  | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Dave, Wait-ah-min-ute... aren't you a Kiwi? <<  "Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah) Where women glow and men plunder? Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover." (Message edited by danger_dave on May 03, 2007) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Grumpy... don't dismiss the XB9SX out of hand. The TT is no doubt a better bike all around, but these 05 9sx's going for $5000 should not be ignored. I think my 9sx is faster everywhere then my M2 was. If the TT is a razor, the 9sx is a scalpel. | ||
| Court |
Buell, with the introduction of the 9SX made a quiet statement about what a motorcycle was capable of. As the initial baseless whining about the TT is replaced with a series, based on fact, of "ohmygawds", that information is coming into the public domain. The TT is an excellent motorcycle. ........and there's more. | ||
| Danger_dave |
11pm watching friday night football - South Sydney v Brisbane with the sound off and working on my beethoven. (theme from 9th) She's gone to Melbourne to play golf. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Dave, That's the lamest excuse I've heard for coming home late! is she playing in the dark? are there no local courses? & which version of Beethovens 9th, Chuck Berry or ELO? (prefer the ELO version myself) | ||
| Danger_dave |
We have a running gag about my mum. 9th Still needs work on the bass/thumb: http://web.mac.com/david_cohen_design/iWeb/Site/In dex/92A42466-042B-4303-A757-6A0F4337ECFA.html | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I got to ride the TT on the track last week, never mind that it was my last session of the day, or my first day ever on the track, the TT was sweet! When I looked at the bike in the dealership I thought it was just a bunch of miscellaneus parts from the other models, well even if it is - they put everything together just right in my opinion, especially since I rode the 12r and 12ss the same day. The session prior I rode my M2, the TT made grinding up my lovely Buell pucks easy. (I was a bit tense riding the M2, not wanting to drop it and never got a knee down on my own bike). Very smooth power and the suspension was great. The flat seat made for super easy transitions through a chicane section and quick switch back transitions on the course. Not the "perfect" track weapon though, it gets uncomfortable up around 110-120mph but oh man the handling in the curves was awesome! Dave's review is great, this bike will be good for all sorts of stuff. -Mike | ||
| Blake |
Will it brew a good espresso? I'm still confused about how to use an espresso machine. The things scare me. They often act too much like my old Yamaha, spitting out scalding hot steam under pressure. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Blake, I can't function without espresso, but I can assure you, a TT will give you as much of a buzz as a double espresso & a large coke.  |
