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Just in case anyone gives a half a ___ (probably not), I took the Grom out for a 25 mile ride yesterday. These are the same turns where i feel like I'm *hauling* on the sv and all the prior bikes. They feel too easy on the grom.
It's a very bizzare experience groming around bucks county and I will try to explain why.
Handling: in a parking lot, it turns like a crf. MSF figure 8 can be done in about half the width. Cornering it's awesome, but I discovered that even "twisty" corners can still be done at full speed. Because our roads just aren't that tight. You can throw the bike around very easily. Suspension is better than the crf but a bit softer than the NSR. So are the brakes (probably because the dealer didn't bleed them right, they should be equivalent to the nsr). At full speed, it feels pretty stable. The suspension kinda handles bumps but not that well. Doing the "weave in the lane" is sketchy since the bike is very twitchy. Cornering at full speed is "too easy" but does require competency since "smooth" is needed. The tires suck and I will be getting at least Dunlops for it and if I'm feeling generous bridgestones.
Sound: you don't really hear the bike idling. You don't really hear the bike running. The wind noise is much louder than the bike even at red line.
Speed: there is none (but DUH, what did you think was gonna happen?). There is no throttle modulation. There is no riding it at quarter throttle. There is only FULL THROTTLE EVERYWHERE. With me on it, without tucking it does 55 in the flat, 59 downhill, and 45 uphill (indicated so cut off 5-10% because of speedometer error). Acceleration is glacial. I barely beat a lady in a honda civic off the line. So basically i'm never going to get a speeding ticket on it (maybe in a school zone or something but why would i be speeding there). If you catch up to a car, it will take a very slow car, a very long straight, and everything it has to pass said car (yes I did pass one, it was a bit of a weird experience).
Ergonomics:
I fit on it just fine. No, not like NSR where i have to pretend i'm a tiny kitten. The bars are high (this will change when I put some protapers on since I need them lower), there's plenty of space between the seat and pegs, and they're mid controlls, not rearsets. You want to foot-out everywhere on this bike, and it's actually a bit awkward to knee-down (the bar will fix that, rearsets would fix that better)
Summary:
I have to take this baby out on carting tracks to really see how it stacks up. As far as riding it around, yes it will do it. Yes it will be fun. No, i'm not taking it on a day group ride (that would be retarded even if slow cruiser riders are around, i'd need someone with a tow rope to "get to the ride"). Yes it's kinda noob friendly. Its strength is every other motorcycle's weakness, and its weakness is every other motorcycle strength.
Stay tuned for when i take it to the city on tuesday night. There I have a feeling it's going to SHINE!
It's a very bizzare experience groming around bucks county and I will try to explain why.
Handling: in a parking lot, it turns like a crf. MSF figure 8 can be done in about half the width. Cornering it's awesome, but I discovered that even "twisty" corners can still be done at full speed. Because our roads just aren't that tight. You can throw the bike around very easily. Suspension is better than the crf but a bit softer than the NSR. So are the brakes (probably because the dealer didn't bleed them right, they should be equivalent to the nsr). At full speed, it feels pretty stable. The suspension kinda handles bumps but not that well. Doing the "weave in the lane" is sketchy since the bike is very twitchy. Cornering at full speed is "too easy" but does require competency since "smooth" is needed. The tires suck and I will be getting at least Dunlops for it and if I'm feeling generous bridgestones.
Sound: you don't really hear the bike idling. You don't really hear the bike running. The wind noise is much louder than the bike even at red line.
Speed: there is none (but DUH, what did you think was gonna happen?). There is no throttle modulation. There is no riding it at quarter throttle. There is only FULL THROTTLE EVERYWHERE. With me on it, without tucking it does 55 in the flat, 59 downhill, and 45 uphill (indicated so cut off 5-10% because of speedometer error). Acceleration is glacial. I barely beat a lady in a honda civic off the line. So basically i'm never going to get a speeding ticket on it (maybe in a school zone or something but why would i be speeding there). If you catch up to a car, it will take a very slow car, a very long straight, and everything it has to pass said car (yes I did pass one, it was a bit of a weird experience).
Ergonomics:
I fit on it just fine. No, not like NSR where i have to pretend i'm a tiny kitten. The bars are high (this will change when I put some protapers on since I need them lower), there's plenty of space between the seat and pegs, and they're mid controlls, not rearsets. You want to foot-out everywhere on this bike, and it's actually a bit awkward to knee-down (the bar will fix that, rearsets would fix that better)
Summary:
I have to take this baby out on carting tracks to really see how it stacks up. As far as riding it around, yes it will do it. Yes it will be fun. No, i'm not taking it on a day group ride (that would be retarded even if slow cruiser riders are around, i'd need someone with a tow rope to "get to the ride"). Yes it's kinda noob friendly. Its strength is every other motorcycle's weakness, and its weakness is every other motorcycle strength.
Stay tuned for when i take it to the city on tuesday night. There I have a feeling it's going to SHINE!
