First Ride...

Took the new machine out for the first time yesterday up in the local mountains...

The good:
Lightwieght, nice handling, with the larger rear sprocket extremely tractable at walking speeds.
Excellent road manners, even with the aggressive Michelin knobbies.
Starts right up, every time. Even after laying on it's side. However, I found out that it won't start after laying on it's side unless you turn the key off and then on again.
Good suspension, still a little rough over small bumps, but very nice over larger obstacles.

The bad:
Could use a little more oomph. With the larger rear sprocket acceleration was good, but I can't imagine what it would be like with the stock sprocket (I never rode it stock).
Highway speeds not easy, tops out at 70mph on the freeway with the motor screaming (due to the sprocket) but good enough for 99% of the riding I do (off road and twisties).

Of course the best part will be heading up to Mammoth Lakes this summer at over 10,000 feet and not having a sputtering and coughing carb bike.

Some pictures of the blessed day...





Guess I'll need to up the compression if I'm going to do this more... :)



And just for fun





And last a little slo-motion video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoUkWXRdJMo

All in all, the perfect bike for what I like to do, which is mostly slower trail riding, some technical stuff, a few little hops and some twisties...

Awesome pics, so jealous! lol I so could use PCS orders to the West Coast...

1st pic is awesome!

Thanks! Those are hard to take, involves a tripod, motion sensitive camera, and a panorama shot all in one...

so you're saying that's a self portrait?


that makes it so much more awesome!

I ride alone 99% of the time.

The only way to do those shots is with a Casio High Speed Camera (I use the EX-FH100). It is the only camera out there with both a mode for taking pictures as soon as it sees you ride by (it waits until it sees motion), and the ability to take 30 full resolution shots in a single second right after it sees you. That's how I get those right in mid air or fully compressed suspension shots. Each of those is one of about 30 images, I throw the rest away.

Of course the other cool thing is the ability to take slow motion video.

It's not the best quality camera (I still think Nikon and Canon have that distinction) but it has those insane abilities which make it possible to take cool action shots of myself on the go...

Great shots and vids! I love the slo-mo! I almost missed the scenery in the first shot because I was fixated on the bike.

This is a compelling argument to get the Casio, especially when it can be had for $240. Shoot, I may even ask for it for Xmas!

No slo-mo shots of the nudist resort?

I was wearing too many clothes, and it was too cold...

Turtle Turtle!!

The shot at full compression is one of the most amazing photos I've ever seen. DB Mag oughta put that on the cover... I woulda never believed it could be done OR that the suspension would compress that far.

Thanks.