Xclimation
Well-Known Member
AS I WAS!!!!
I had another demo ride but much more extensive at ADV fest in Sturgis. Harley was there and they brought a huge presentation and a large fleet of demo bikes. I rode it again, and got to REALLY test it out including off road.
I said in my first demo ride it felt like my Tenere has more pull and acceleration and even more power. NO WAY! The first demo ride at the dealership I did...the bike had to be restricted in some way! I put it in sport mode. During this latest demo ride in Sturgis, the rule was rain mode for the parking lot then whatever mode you want when you get on the road. Was a little ways (about a mile) to get to the main road at the Buffalo Chip where the ADV fest was held based on the route. In rain mode it is just like riding our Tenere. Got it out to the main rode and it took off like a missile!!! WAY more power than our Tenere! I said it seemed liked there was limited rev range in each gear my first post....NOPE, not in Sport mode! Man, did that revolution engine come alive! As y'all probably guessed it...they sell Screaming Eagle stuff for it....I can only imagine more power....but I don't think it's needed!
After riding on the road for a bit...accidentally took it off road.....our small group took a wrong turn.... the turn went down a dirt road. It kept going. Turned into a 2 strip narrow gravel road quickly. Kept going steep hills up and down on the gravel. Was thinking, "Wow, Harely really wants us to test this bike and is assuming we have the off road skills for this road and has a lot of trust!" Was not an easy road necessarily. Then a steep hill down to wet thick mud at the bottom of the hill.....We had been going down this road for quite some time and stopped. We couldn't see where this road ended as we were coming up to another hill. 2 riders in the group decided to keep going forward up over the hill. A white pickup showed up blocking 2 of us. A scruffy dirty looking dude gets out wearing a Harley Tshirt. Me and the other guy thought it was Harley coming to get us because they were tracking us? NOPE, the dude right away threatened to shoot us and went on a Loooooong profane laced rant on how he can and might shoot us and that he had the right to shoot us!!! Also, said that on the other side of the hill was someone else who was going to shoot the other 2 riders who pushed ahead! The whacko dork wouldn't shut up and kept going on and on. Like a chick when she is nagging about the toilet seat and just keeps talking about it! I did the talking and explained and apologized profusely (trying not to get shot.) It just wasn't good enough as he kept on his tirade, then bragging about how much land he owns, this , that and the other.....He then decided to let us go back. And just at that time the 2 other riders who pushed ahead came down from the hill at hastily pace back to us! Had to leave hastily on that gravel hilly road on a new bike that wasn't mine......
Got back from the demo ride...stressed not only because of potentially getting shot....my boss left me a voicemail and that had me worried on top of it. Luckily it was a nothing burger from my boss...
We told Harley what happened...and they understood and saw how we made the wrong turn. For some reason they apologized to us profusely for this whacko dork behavior! Whacko dork said he was going to go to the demo set up and have words with Harley and tell them to F*** off, etc.!
Turns out he called Black Hills Harley and ranted to them. Black Hills Harley called the demo guys at Buffalo Chip and told. Whacko Dork then showed up to the demo and ranted to the demo guy in charge. I wasn't there, but the demo guy came to me later in the evening. I ask him if the whacko dork went on a long tirade with him and he said YEP!
The Harley guy went to the local Sheriff and NO the guy can't just shoot us by law for a wrong turn. Also, a guy who was there for the ADV fest who is a police officer told me...No he just can't shoot someone for going on his property. Forgot to mention that Whacko dork looked at me straight in the eye and told me that "South Dakota law is just like Texas and I have the right to shoot you!" I wonder if he knew that I was a Texan? When he said that to me, I actually wondered if this was a prank? I wasn't wearing anything to indicate that I'm a Texan? Just amazes me what people think Texas is like based on television! This guy had a look like he sits on the couch all day drinking and not showering...
Back to the bike...I got a much better impression of it this time. bike road excellent. Lots of settings that one would have to dial in and i'm sure the bike would ride even better based on ones preference. Some that is really cool....the front fairing pops right pretty easily for access to things right behind it and one can switch it for a different color. It pops off via interference type fitting. But not to where it would just fall off while riding. So....like that one that has the orange tank and white fairing....one can switch out that white fairing for say like a gray one....or that had this one Pan America that was this nice looking Army green color. Harley said that the army green color was at first only offered overseas...but too many people wanted it....and actually 2 people who came to ADVfest had the Army green colored Pan Americas. I think there were about 5 people who showed up to the ADV fest had Pan Americas and had nothing but good things to say. I asked them myself.
I also asked Harley about the battery and rectifier location and they said they've had the bike through water crossings and there were no problems. I asked do they know what would happen if I switched the battery to say something like a LI-On battery, and they were not sure. I did see 2 of the demo bikes cake with mud and the mud did accumulate big time on the rectifier and the battery.
Also, discovered that the spark plug coils and wires and rear master cylinder locations are not the best, especially for off road. They would need some type of protector or guard. They just kind of stick out the side. I'll try and post pictures.
Sorry about the long post about our wrong turn...but I thought it made for a good story and a warning because had another incident the next day where a couple of us went on an off road ride hit some trails.....and I got hit with bug spray from an angry old man who claimed we were on a private drive......well the police officer I told you about was with me. He looked it up and it was NOT a private road, but a county maintained road....We kept going (the 3 of us) and I was the only one who got sprayed (luckily I ducked and it got my helmet) as I was the last behind the other 2. So the warning is.....watch out when riding the Sturgis, Needles/Mount Rushmore area...some people seem to not like motorcyclist there....
I had another demo ride but much more extensive at ADV fest in Sturgis. Harley was there and they brought a huge presentation and a large fleet of demo bikes. I rode it again, and got to REALLY test it out including off road.
I said in my first demo ride it felt like my Tenere has more pull and acceleration and even more power. NO WAY! The first demo ride at the dealership I did...the bike had to be restricted in some way! I put it in sport mode. During this latest demo ride in Sturgis, the rule was rain mode for the parking lot then whatever mode you want when you get on the road. Was a little ways (about a mile) to get to the main road at the Buffalo Chip where the ADV fest was held based on the route. In rain mode it is just like riding our Tenere. Got it out to the main rode and it took off like a missile!!! WAY more power than our Tenere! I said it seemed liked there was limited rev range in each gear my first post....NOPE, not in Sport mode! Man, did that revolution engine come alive! As y'all probably guessed it...they sell Screaming Eagle stuff for it....I can only imagine more power....but I don't think it's needed!
After riding on the road for a bit...accidentally took it off road.....our small group took a wrong turn.... the turn went down a dirt road. It kept going. Turned into a 2 strip narrow gravel road quickly. Kept going steep hills up and down on the gravel. Was thinking, "Wow, Harely really wants us to test this bike and is assuming we have the off road skills for this road and has a lot of trust!" Was not an easy road necessarily. Then a steep hill down to wet thick mud at the bottom of the hill.....We had been going down this road for quite some time and stopped. We couldn't see where this road ended as we were coming up to another hill. 2 riders in the group decided to keep going forward up over the hill. A white pickup showed up blocking 2 of us. A scruffy dirty looking dude gets out wearing a Harley Tshirt. Me and the other guy thought it was Harley coming to get us because they were tracking us? NOPE, the dude right away threatened to shoot us and went on a Loooooong profane laced rant on how he can and might shoot us and that he had the right to shoot us!!! Also, said that on the other side of the hill was someone else who was going to shoot the other 2 riders who pushed ahead! The whacko dork wouldn't shut up and kept going on and on. Like a chick when she is nagging about the toilet seat and just keeps talking about it! I did the talking and explained and apologized profusely (trying not to get shot.) It just wasn't good enough as he kept on his tirade, then bragging about how much land he owns, this , that and the other.....He then decided to let us go back. And just at that time the 2 other riders who pushed ahead came down from the hill at hastily pace back to us! Had to leave hastily on that gravel hilly road on a new bike that wasn't mine......
Got back from the demo ride...stressed not only because of potentially getting shot....my boss left me a voicemail and that had me worried on top of it. Luckily it was a nothing burger from my boss...
We told Harley what happened...and they understood and saw how we made the wrong turn. For some reason they apologized to us profusely for this whacko dork behavior! Whacko dork said he was going to go to the demo set up and have words with Harley and tell them to F*** off, etc.!
Turns out he called Black Hills Harley and ranted to them. Black Hills Harley called the demo guys at Buffalo Chip and told. Whacko Dork then showed up to the demo and ranted to the demo guy in charge. I wasn't there, but the demo guy came to me later in the evening. I ask him if the whacko dork went on a long tirade with him and he said YEP!
The Harley guy went to the local Sheriff and NO the guy can't just shoot us by law for a wrong turn. Also, a guy who was there for the ADV fest who is a police officer told me...No he just can't shoot someone for going on his property. Forgot to mention that Whacko dork looked at me straight in the eye and told me that "South Dakota law is just like Texas and I have the right to shoot you!" I wonder if he knew that I was a Texan? When he said that to me, I actually wondered if this was a prank? I wasn't wearing anything to indicate that I'm a Texan? Just amazes me what people think Texas is like based on television! This guy had a look like he sits on the couch all day drinking and not showering...
Back to the bike...I got a much better impression of it this time. bike road excellent. Lots of settings that one would have to dial in and i'm sure the bike would ride even better based on ones preference. Some that is really cool....the front fairing pops right pretty easily for access to things right behind it and one can switch it for a different color. It pops off via interference type fitting. But not to where it would just fall off while riding. So....like that one that has the orange tank and white fairing....one can switch out that white fairing for say like a gray one....or that had this one Pan America that was this nice looking Army green color. Harley said that the army green color was at first only offered overseas...but too many people wanted it....and actually 2 people who came to ADVfest had the Army green colored Pan Americas. I think there were about 5 people who showed up to the ADV fest had Pan Americas and had nothing but good things to say. I asked them myself.
I also asked Harley about the battery and rectifier location and they said they've had the bike through water crossings and there were no problems. I asked do they know what would happen if I switched the battery to say something like a LI-On battery, and they were not sure. I did see 2 of the demo bikes cake with mud and the mud did accumulate big time on the rectifier and the battery.
Also, discovered that the spark plug coils and wires and rear master cylinder locations are not the best, especially for off road. They would need some type of protector or guard. They just kind of stick out the side. I'll try and post pictures.
Sorry about the long post about our wrong turn...but I thought it made for a good story and a warning because had another incident the next day where a couple of us went on an off road ride hit some trails.....and I got hit with bug spray from an angry old man who claimed we were on a private drive......well the police officer I told you about was with me. He looked it up and it was NOT a private road, but a county maintained road....We kept going (the 3 of us) and I was the only one who got sprayed (luckily I ducked and it got my helmet) as I was the last behind the other 2. So the warning is.....watch out when riding the Sturgis, Needles/Mount Rushmore area...some people seem to not like motorcyclist there....
