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1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 02:19 am: | 
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After nearly getting all this up on the 'net, I'm about ready for a Martini...
Black and blue never looked so good...
Up next is the XR1200 demo ride story,
1313 |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:08 am: |
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Well, here's the time where I finally tell my story of taking a demo ride on a Harley-Davidson XR1200 in Germany in June of 2008. Recently, as most of the informed members of BadWeB know, it was announced that the XR1200 would finally be coming to the US market. But being in Germany, with these bikes fairly plentiful and in a time when it wasn't known that these bikes would be coming to the US market. made me want to ride one even more. Compound this with the fact that I balked on taking a demo ride on any bikes at all at Hamburg Harley Days and I was ready for the XR1200 by the time of the MSM. I had signed up for the XR1200 demo ride about the same time I signed up for the 1125R demo ride, but with only 1 XR1200 it would be a little bit longer to wait. This was fine by me as there was plenty to see at the MSM while I was waiting to ride. As my scheduled demo ride time approaches, I walk over to the demo tent with my gear. As the lead rider (who's on the XB12XT) starts speaking I mention that I'm a stupid Ami and don't understand (much) Deutsch. Switching to English he asks me what bike I'm riding. When I responded the XR1200 he immediately asks me what bikes I currently own. When I listed off my 1995 Buell S2 Thunderbolt, 2008 XB12XT and 2003 H-D V-Rod, he was at ease and said "OK, you'll do fine!". As we gear up and start the bikes, I take in the ergonomics of the XR1200 a little bit more than I'd previously done. The bars are rather high for something sporty (but pretty appropriate for a Sportster), the footpegs are in a kind of awkward location for my tastes, but all this fades as I get used to the bike. As we are rolling down the road in the German countryside we come to a small town where we slow down some. As I roll through the town around 50 KM/hr or so I notice what I originally presumed to be the 'Keihin cough' programmed into the Fuel Injection. Then I slap some sense into myself by realizing that the 'Keihin cough' is only noticed at take off when cold, not when warm and going at a decent rate of speed relatively constant. It's at this point that I realize that the low fuel light is on! And I was totally oblivious to whether the low fuel light wason when we started the ride or even when it first came on. Then I became apprehensious about when I would run out of gas completely. Further along the route, under areas of relatively heavy acceleration the bike would spit and sputter, getting worse and worse the further we went. Until this one stretch where very light application of throttle caused no reaction and the bike stopped running - as the rest of the demo riders just kept getting further and further out ahead. I pushed the XR1200 to the shoulder, put the sidestand down on the very edge of the pavement and turned on the emergency flashers (you gotta love them 1" H-D hand controls...) and began to wait. After what seemed like an eternity, the lead rider on the XB12XT came back and started asking questions in Deutsch. After reminding him that I only understood English I tell him that it ran out of gas and that I was not sure how long the low fuel light was on. He goes over to the XR1200 and couldn't figure out how to turn the hazzards off - so in Germany, the Buell demo ride staff know more about the Buell's than the Harley's... I explained it to him, but I had to show him in order to turn them off. He then started the bike and suggested that I follow him really slowly. It worked for about 20 meters and then the XR1200 died again. He told me to wait while he went to get some gas in a gas can. After what seemed like another eternity, he was back. We pour the gas into the tank and fire the XR1200 up and then head immediately to the gas station to make sure that the tank is completely full. Ok, so to this point, it was an interesting demo ride - but wait - it's gonna get better. I get in the line up behind the 3 1125R's and before the rest of the demo bikes. Since the reiders of the 1125R's want to see what they got it's a challenge for me to keep up, but I do manage a much better line of sight by following them. So I take the XR1200 up to a higher speed than I had the 1125R up to on my previous demo ride. And I think to myself, come on - let's see what this things got. I had plenty of a line of sight following the 3 1125R's and the road was relatively straight for a good stretch so I decided to continue climbing from my present speed of 172 KM/hr. I twist the throttle and the speedo climbs rather rapidly...
Before I know it I'm doing 180...
181...
182...
183...
184...
still climbing at the same pace...
185...
186...
187...
and then the rate of increase is slowing down...
188...
and finally 189 - which I held for awhile - before I had to slow down for the next curve as the road got considerably tighter.
Estimates I've seen for the top speed of an XR1200 list it as 120 MPH, so the 189 KM/hr (which equates to just over 117 MPH) I was able to muster out of it seemed to be pretty much topped out.
Being the good friend that Frank is, he offered to take some pictures of me out on the demo ride on the XR1200. He took my camera and went and parked along the demo route to get in position. And snapped this nice picture-
of his bike...
Now, let's see...I was under the assumption that the purpose was to take a couple of pictures of me riding the XR1200...Let's try that again...
OK, that's a little better.
OK, picture proof of my demo ride on an XR1200. Hey wait. In that second shot of the XR1200, what is that silver X1? Hey, that's Frank's X1 again... No harm, no foul. I still love his bike, and always will.
So, in the end, what is my review of the XR1200? It seems to be the modern day tube-framed Buell that people occasionally claim to have an inkling for. But it really misses the mark for a Buell by a considerable amount. For a Sportster, it's not bad. I had previously had thoughts of getting one if:
1. I had to go to work in Germany for an extended period of time, and
2. If the XR1200 was not going to be sold in the US.
Then I would've bought one while I was working in Germany, put sufficient miles on it to import it as a grey-bike when I was due to come back to the US. Now that we knwo the XR1200 is available in the US, my desire to own one has gone down to nearly nothing. If I someday become the next Jay Leno I will have one, but untill then there are plenty of other bikes I'd rather include in my fleet.
Hopefully there won't be too many words to the rest of this...
1313 |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:21 am: |
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I mentioned previously that it's not uncommon to see some interesting bikes at the MSM. Well, when I got back from my exciting demo ride on the XR1200 I was welcomed by a Benelli TNT Cafe Racer, that was nearly on it's way out.
As Frank and I meet up after we got back from our rides, we decide to have some dinner.
Essentially a doener kebap without the bread and some fries. And don't forget the Bier!
While we are eating I notice that Spiderman was trying to sneak into the MSM. Not the BadWeB Spiderman...
And, YES, the originals (full size and res) were also sent to Spidey many moons ago,
1313 |
Sleez
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:24 am: |
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1313,
great pics, thanks.
how can i get one of those decals???? |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:37 am: |
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As Saturday rolls into Saturday night, the group putting on the MSM gives a little talk over the loudpseaker. Actuall in the picture below, the person with the mic is the new Buell Brand Manager in Europe (or maybe just Germany), Joachim (I forget his last name, but I have it in one of the Motorrad magazines I picked up during that trip - which are conveniently in North Carolina right now...). Joachim and the person he is replacing, and a few other German Buell officials came over for Homecoming in 2008 and hung out with Scott (far right in the picture) and Jens (far left in the picture). Also, in the picture is Gunter 'Mr. ECMSpy'.
After some live music and the German tradition of a Stripperin - OK, so I lied, it's not really a tradition... - as I take this next picture I can only assume what's on the docket for the rest of the night...
The stage is being set...
It's on now!
OK, a little time to rest...
Not for long, however...
1313 |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:42 am: |
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Remember the building that was used for 'beverage sales' that I tried describing before? Well, here's a few interesting pictures related to it...
But when you've come this far, you only need to go a little bit further to do it up right...
Right proper!
1313 |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:46 am: |
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As the night was winding down I took some 'experimental' shots of the bonfire from inside the building (after the smoke had cleared). I was pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out.
After a final nights rest at the MSM it will be time to return the S1 to Frankfurt and get in my rental car to head back to Berlin.
And then get ready to fly back to Milwaukee for Homecoming,
1313 |
1313
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 03:53 am: |
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After swapping out rides back at Scott's place in Frankfurt, and sampling a little of the 'culture' that Frankfurt offers it's time to head back to Berlin. Below are a few misc. pics taken between Frankfurt and Berlin to close out my experiences in Germany in June 2008.
And now, finally,
THE END!
At least for this trip...
1313 |
Sleez
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 04:07 pm: |
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thanks again!! |
Ebear
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 - 10:04 am: |
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Excellent!
Thank You for the fun trip sharing! |
Buffalobolt
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 - 06:09 pm: |
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Thanks for sharing all of those pictures of unique Buell's!
Frank's X1 rocks! |
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