About a month ago I started planning a roadtrip (http://g.co/maps/pc8j) to see my sister in SW Portland OR and it finally happened last week so I thought I would post a review. I did the pre trip oil change (Mobil 1 15W50), final drive oil change (Royal Purple 75W90) along with a relatively detailed honda polish session to get everything non stick for the bugs.
Left Friday, 8/19 at 4am from Frisco, TX (N Dallas) and needed tires in Albuquerque, NM as both front and rear finally succumbed to squaring off from 3500 miles of previous slabbing. Put on some roadsmarts and hit Farmington, NM for the night (Courtyard).
Farmington to Boise was through CO and UT and the scenery was spectacular with great twisties with some elevation changes for fun (RoadSmarts held up well). Boise had both Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine (On DDD) and Spearmint Rhino across the street.
Boise to Portland nice scenic ride, curves, elevation, following the river on 84 all good.
Spent a couple days with sister and dropped bike off with Dave at GP Suspension for some fork internals and Ohlins shock installs. 2000+ miles with stock suspension is great unless you've had better and the bike fought me the entire way. Fun but harsh front end and soft rear was punishing due to the extra preload to gain control. Dave is an expert, designs and makes his own parts and gave me a "How It's Made" on the parts he was using in my forks with cad software demonstrating milling from bar stock (COOL). Dropped bike off at 9:15am and waited and watch dave until sister picked me up at 11am, forks were already apart getting cleaned. Picked up bike Tuesday at 4pm everything installed and spent about 1 hr shooting the breeze and setting up front and rear suspension.
WOW.....I mean WOW, the forks actually travel, don't just transmit jolts. First test, lane changes in OR have you crossing center line with divots for reflectors. Could feel them big time before, after just heard not felt...Nice. Front and rear are compliant, plush but controlled at speed and in twisties, just how suspension is supposed to work. Dave is top notch and does great work, would drive 2000 mile to get a suspension upgrade from him anytime and BTW I called him the day before I left to set it up so he fit me in and did me a solid.
OK ride back needed adjustment for heat, so I went northern route, to boise (curves in OR were better faster smoother) and I wasn't as tired as the other way.
Boise to Denver, rain, curves, rain, curves, just cooled off stayed smooth and kept it at 75-80.
Denver to Frisco, long day, tiring, but arrived by 10:30PM unpacked had some wine and went to bed.
THE GOOD
Road Trip....enough said
Aerostich, 10 years old and still going
Courtyard by Marriots easy, clean, inexpensive and let you park under cover with overnight security.
GP Suspension Upgrade
Alaska Sheepskin on stock seat
Autocom
Pandora
Kaoko Throttle Lock
GPS
UT
OR
CO
NM
WY
KS
OK
THE BAD
Fuel Range about 200 miles at 75 MPH making stops at 150 necessary during certain legs
Stock Suspension maybe good by stock suspension standards for the right weight rider, but harsh and exhausting
Metzler Interact Z6's will never by a single compound tire again
TX Heat on way back (105+)
THE UGLY
Stock C14 Seat...criminal just criminal
75MPH bugs (beetle, dragonfly, bumblebee) skirting side of windshield and hitting arms (left a welt through a 'Stich, still can't believe people ride without full face helmets)
WHAT NEVER CAME UP
Famed 08-09 C14 Heat fine even in UT Desert
Hand Numbness at all but I have BMW grips
Drive Clunking
KiPass
Average driving speed ~75mph
http://g.co/maps/pc8j
Left Friday, 8/19 at 4am from Frisco, TX (N Dallas) and needed tires in Albuquerque, NM as both front and rear finally succumbed to squaring off from 3500 miles of previous slabbing. Put on some roadsmarts and hit Farmington, NM for the night (Courtyard).
Farmington to Boise was through CO and UT and the scenery was spectacular with great twisties with some elevation changes for fun (RoadSmarts held up well). Boise had both Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine (On DDD) and Spearmint Rhino across the street.
Boise to Portland nice scenic ride, curves, elevation, following the river on 84 all good.
Spent a couple days with sister and dropped bike off with Dave at GP Suspension for some fork internals and Ohlins shock installs. 2000+ miles with stock suspension is great unless you've had better and the bike fought me the entire way. Fun but harsh front end and soft rear was punishing due to the extra preload to gain control. Dave is an expert, designs and makes his own parts and gave me a "How It's Made" on the parts he was using in my forks with cad software demonstrating milling from bar stock (COOL). Dropped bike off at 9:15am and waited and watch dave until sister picked me up at 11am, forks were already apart getting cleaned. Picked up bike Tuesday at 4pm everything installed and spent about 1 hr shooting the breeze and setting up front and rear suspension.
WOW.....I mean WOW, the forks actually travel, don't just transmit jolts. First test, lane changes in OR have you crossing center line with divots for reflectors. Could feel them big time before, after just heard not felt...Nice. Front and rear are compliant, plush but controlled at speed and in twisties, just how suspension is supposed to work. Dave is top notch and does great work, would drive 2000 mile to get a suspension upgrade from him anytime and BTW I called him the day before I left to set it up so he fit me in and did me a solid.
OK ride back needed adjustment for heat, so I went northern route, to boise (curves in OR were better faster smoother) and I wasn't as tired as the other way.
Boise to Denver, rain, curves, rain, curves, just cooled off stayed smooth and kept it at 75-80.
Denver to Frisco, long day, tiring, but arrived by 10:30PM unpacked had some wine and went to bed.
THE GOOD
Road Trip....enough said
Aerostich, 10 years old and still going
Courtyard by Marriots easy, clean, inexpensive and let you park under cover with overnight security.
GP Suspension Upgrade
Alaska Sheepskin on stock seat
Autocom
Pandora
Kaoko Throttle Lock
GPS
UT
OR
CO
NM
WY
KS
OK
THE BAD
Fuel Range about 200 miles at 75 MPH making stops at 150 necessary during certain legs
Stock Suspension maybe good by stock suspension standards for the right weight rider, but harsh and exhausting
Metzler Interact Z6's will never by a single compound tire again
TX Heat on way back (105+)
THE UGLY
Stock C14 Seat...criminal just criminal
75MPH bugs (beetle, dragonfly, bumblebee) skirting side of windshield and hitting arms (left a welt through a 'Stich, still can't believe people ride without full face helmets)
WHAT NEVER CAME UP
Famed 08-09 C14 Heat fine even in UT Desert
Hand Numbness at all but I have BMW grips
Drive Clunking
KiPass
Average driving speed ~75mph
http://g.co/maps/pc8j
