grogsym Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 It was a sunny Edinburgh morning yesterday. I called the boss - "I'm not coming in, off out on my motorbike, see you tomorrow". So I got suited and booted, text my sister in Aberdeen saying I was stopping for lunch and headed off. Edinburgh, Perth, Glenshee (ski resort in the cairngorm Mountains), Ballater, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh. 280 miles all in. Initial thoughts: Great. But my word that Yamaha touring screen is noisy. At 6'7" I sit just nicely inside the turbulance it creates, interestingly it varies from bad to worse depending how you adjust the screen. I think for big fellas the standard screen would be better and use the wind to support your body. Earplugs next time. The heated grips are great. Kept them on low all day, occasionally popped them up to "2" to give my throttle hand a quick scorch. Speaking of throttle hand, the grips are designed for people with Japanese sized hands! On the rougher 'A' roads that Scotland has to offer (think of potholes, grit, large lorries and lots of twists and turns over hills) the bike was a little harsh and not as composed as it could be. This is where the cost of purchase shows a little. However... on the nice flowing 'A' roads (everyhting is an 'A' road in Scotland!) the bike is sublime. The North Deeside road from Glenshee to Aberdeen was just perfect. The bike has a real good balance of comfort, power, control, maneuverability and stability that leads to confidence and rapid progress. Talking of comfort, the stock seat is very good. I would have been in a worse condition getting out of my car after that distance than I was on the bike. Vibration through the pegs and bars is almost non existent also - well done Yamaha. Oh, and 51 mpg on a new engine - wow! All in all, very pleased with the bike. It will be a good companion on short blasts, weekends away and European tours. I need to put on my mirror extenders, adjust the gear lever position, sort out the wind blast a little and set the springs for my weight; once this is done it will be all good. I might get the forks done in the future, time will tell! Until then, enjoy your riding - I sure will. (PS - my phone died, I have no stunning pictures of Scotland's mountains... next time!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panooch Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Nice write up, thank you Everyday's a good day when your able to ride 15 FJ-09 - 2WDW ECU flash, Givi SV201, Nelson Rigg tail bag, OES sliders, Koubalink extenders, Ermax Sport, Vista Cruise, OEM seat mod, (smiles) 07 Honda ST1300A (sold) 06 Kawi KLR650 - Big Gun full exhaust, Corbin, Givi, PMR racks, carb mod (keeper) 97 Honda VFR750 - Traxxion Dynamics, Penske, Givi 3 piece, carbon exhaust (keeper?) 20+ years of snowmobiles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmidd Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Good for you taking the day off! I never get one of those! I agree with your assessment of the grips too, I may go so far as to take off the handguards and brackets. I tend to grasp the grip with just my first 2 fingers and thumb and the bar end usually hits me in the middle of the palm. Do you have the taller accessory screen? I'm 6'4" with a long torso and the stock screen works best for me on the low setting and I'm thinking of ordering a shorty screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papac2000 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Nice ride review 2015 Matte Grey Modded stock exhaust, modded stock screen, modded stock seat, OEM heated grips, LED indicators, FlashTuned ECU, ZX10R shock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grogsym Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Do you have the taller accessory screen? I do have the taller accessory screen bmidd, it a) looks less handsome and b) creates a lot of noise for no gain. So I think I will probably try a shorter screen and see how I get on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Great write up. The demo bike I rode had the touring screen and I found it too noisy. Lovely route you did there, however I remember stopping at Glenshee ski resort last year, cold and a bit wet :-/ This wouldn't have been part of your route today - Dukes Pass, took that way to Braemar last year, what an invitation (freeze shot from my bike cam) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted March 20, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 those Go Apes get everywhere! This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracerforme Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Great write up Grogsym, All bikes need a little adjustment and subtle changes to turn them into the best bike for you. Enjoy your rides, keep up the reports and these changes you make. Cheers, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fzrcraig Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Am I correct to assume that 51 mpg was to the imperial gallon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grogsym Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Am I correct to assume that 51 mpg was to the imperial gallon?Correct, 42.4 US mpg or 5.54 l/100km Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grim Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Nice write up! One of my buds is 6'5" and is curious about the bike. Too bad about the pics... Looking forward to your next one posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.