Re: Newbie II

[Cees De Groot <cdegroot@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 8/26/05, Tom Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Well, I don't know your old instructor, [...]

He's a senior instructor at the Dutch Royal Motorcyclist's
Association. Apart from helping poor sods like me to driving licenses,
he trains instructors to qualify above legal requirements, plus the
assorted advanced courses for various law enforcement types. He
handles the RT like it's a small trial bike, so to say. If there's
anyone who can teach me RT riding tricks, it is him.

> Quiet is good!  You get away with a lot
> more.  If you have to make noise to have fun, you're not trying hard enough.
>
Haha. Will keep that one in mind.

But as it is - I have to do a lot of traffic jams, lane-splitting and
stuff. With all the sleepy cagers on the road, every little bit
helped. I noticed that when I rode the R1100S with not-so-legal pipes
last week through a couple of traffic jams....
 
> Well, good!  I was afraid you bought the wrong bike.   It's probably not the
> best machine for a 10 mile daily commute.
>
I'd do that on a bipedal bike - my bike's never started unless it is
for at least, say, 20 miles.

The old R80 RT was the best machine I could wish for. I'm sure the
R1100 won't disappoint me, as soon as I've gotten used to the increase
in weight...
 
> OK.  I'm sure everyone else will also explain it, but here goes anyway....
> When you run the bike at a steady speed in 2nd or 3rd or even 4th gear at 3000
> RPM or so, does it not want to stay at that speed?   Does it hunt around or
> buck?    If you don't know what I'm even talking about, you have a good bike
> that doesn't need help.
>
As smooth as the skin of a new-born baby. I will pay some extra
attention to it, but so far I haven't noticed anything. And I think
I've been spoilt with the Bings as far as the relation between
throttle and engine behavior goes...
 
>  Because the screen is only half way up or so, you still have a lead
> angle at the bottom... no buffeting or getting hit in the back by the wind.
>
I'll shop around - biggest problem is deciding on screen size, given my 6'5"...
 > Bar-Baks are easy to add to the 1100.   A few bolts and follow the
> instructions. 

I ordered a mostly equivalent Wunderlich kit today. Ditto for the
throttle friction thing.

> This bike is a large displacement twin.   Whenever you have two big cylinders,
> you've got to synch.  It smooths things out unbelievably when it's done right.

Well, I couldn't feel *any* vibration at all yesterday on the highway
back (doing a leisurely 80-85mph), so I think that the local BMW chaps
have got this synching thing nailed down ;-). Won't go near it until I
notice something I don't like.

> The real fun starts when you remove and replace the side fairings...only about
> 30 screws....to do most any service on the bike. 

I noticed some bad words in relation to the side panels here and there
on the 'net, yeah. I'm going to remove them just for fun whenever it's
nice weather (a screwdriver, beer, stool, and see what hides
underneath ;-)).

> Also check out Big Mak tank bags while you're on the cyclegadgets site.  The
> "SS" size (4"deep) is the one I like.

I've spotted them. Think I'll buy them, they look really useful and
cheaper than the OEM stuff.

> All three of my
> RTs got more miles than my car gets in a year.   I bought a Ducati ST4 and
> traded it because it was less comfy and wasn't any more fun to ride than the
> RT and the RT was much easier to service.

I plan to do some 20,000 miles per year on that bike, so... I *am*
going to spend a bit of dough on setting it up just right ;)

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