Dirt_Dad
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No, not a ride report, but a report about how the bike performed and things I learned. (by the way, do we have a place for ride reports here?)
The course was from the Washington, DC area to the top of Nova Scotia, as far west as Ontario, Canada and back. Temps ranged from 50 degrees F to 96 F. Elevation from 10 feet MSL to over 6,000 MSL. Weather was everything from perfectly clear and low humidity to riding in the vicious winds and rain of Tropical Storm Irene.
No one will be surprised to learn the bike performed flawlessly during the entire ride. The heat issue that was so prevalent in the higher 90+ temps totally disappears when the temps drop below 80 degrees. Spending 8 to 12 hours a day on the bike for the last 11 days has cemented my opinion that this is the right bike for me and a huge step up from my DL1000.
After gaining so much seat time I'm left with the overall impression how stable, yet how maneuverable this bike is. I have no idea how Yamaha achieved both of these feats, but I'm so impressed. Having TCS1 and Touring mode was so reassuring when Irene unexpectedly caught up to us in Northern Vermont. The rain was hard and steady, but the wind gust were extraordinary. The bike never slipped, can't say the same for my wife's Spyder. I was pleased with the performance of the Battlewings during this episode. The only thing that failed in the storm was the after market Hyperlite that I removed from my Vee and put on the S10. Nothing on the Yamaha failed in these extreme conditions. Again, can't say the same for the Spyder which did suffer from a waterlogged related issue from the storm.
So after a nearly 4K mile ride I can say this bike only gets better and impresses you more the more you ride it.
Now about that seat comfort...
The course was from the Washington, DC area to the top of Nova Scotia, as far west as Ontario, Canada and back. Temps ranged from 50 degrees F to 96 F. Elevation from 10 feet MSL to over 6,000 MSL. Weather was everything from perfectly clear and low humidity to riding in the vicious winds and rain of Tropical Storm Irene.
No one will be surprised to learn the bike performed flawlessly during the entire ride. The heat issue that was so prevalent in the higher 90+ temps totally disappears when the temps drop below 80 degrees. Spending 8 to 12 hours a day on the bike for the last 11 days has cemented my opinion that this is the right bike for me and a huge step up from my DL1000.
After gaining so much seat time I'm left with the overall impression how stable, yet how maneuverable this bike is. I have no idea how Yamaha achieved both of these feats, but I'm so impressed. Having TCS1 and Touring mode was so reassuring when Irene unexpectedly caught up to us in Northern Vermont. The rain was hard and steady, but the wind gust were extraordinary. The bike never slipped, can't say the same for my wife's Spyder. I was pleased with the performance of the Battlewings during this episode. The only thing that failed in the storm was the after market Hyperlite that I removed from my Vee and put on the S10. Nothing on the Yamaha failed in these extreme conditions. Again, can't say the same for the Spyder which did suffer from a waterlogged related issue from the storm.
So after a nearly 4K mile ride I can say this bike only gets better and impresses you more the more you ride it.
Now about that seat comfort...