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Very nice word-smithery!

Toyuzu wrote:Very nice word-smithery!

I'll second that!

With the rain coming down and lightning flashing the background I'm braving the loss of my 3rd network card to bring you all this post.

I think that since I'm at almost 1500 km in a little under 4 weeks it's time to run down what I think of the bike.

The standard seating position makes me feel a lot more comfortable then a cruiser or sportbike ever could. It's confidence inspiring to be sitting up on a bike instead of leaned forward or slouched back. There is a slight lean to it, just enough to take the weight off your spine and save your tailbone. But not so much that it is an effort to stay upright. My feet end up just slightly behind my knees, which is a comfortable position for me... though I've taken a fair bit of hazing from my cruiser buddies. I'm apparently riding a crotch rocket now.

So far I've used it mostly for in and around town, short jaunts rarely on the bike for more then 2 hours at a time. As most riders can tell you pretty much any bike can be comfortable for this long. Which is true, it isn't until a true long distance trip that you realize just how right or wrong a bike is for you.

In the city this bike is a dream, small, light and powerful. For lack of a better term I'd call it abbreviated. As far as wheel base and length are concerned it feels far shorter then any other sport bike I've ever seen. This is something that I really appreciate, considering my small stature. I'm only 5'10" and 110 lbs. The bike itself only wieghs 400lbs so I don't constantly feel like it will be a challenge to hold it up when I stop. Everytime I sit on the bike from a standstill and have to start at a turn I feel apprehensive, I can't fully explain it, but I always think I'm going to fall over. But the bike just won't. The second I get underway it transforms from a hunk of cold steel into liquid. It flows through the forms I require of it and curves through reality like it has a mind of its own.

The engine generates about 95hp at the crank which translates into slightly less at the wheel, but at that point I'm not completely sure that it matters. I mean it has SNAP! to it. Dumping the clutch in any gear sends a shudder through the whole bike and tosses your head back unless you're expecting it. Make no mistake this is a powerful bike, and I would not recomend it to learn on. I've almost never taken it above 7000 rpms because I don't need to. When I'm in 6th (yes 6th not 5th) I can do 140km/h at 6000 rpms. For the record highway speed in most of Canada is 100-110km/h . There is a very noticable buzz in the footpegs at just over 5000rpm, but this settles out as you get a little higher in the range. It'll redline at 13500 rpm, but I cannot imagine getting that high.

Steering is precise almost to a fault. I mentioned before that I small movements I used to make on my cruiser that had no result on it made a big change on this bike. Well after getting used to it I'm loving it. I don't change lanes anymore so much as tip the bike at high speed and recover it is... an amazing feeling. I wish there were more twisties around here. I would love to see what it can actually do, instead of just seeing how fast I can go through the turns of the highway on and off ramps.

I've taken one long ride so far fully 441 km in the space of about 5 hours. We stopped for a meal and a rest about 1/2 way through. I can tell you that the bike was comfortable for me to sit on, the position was GREAT, but the seat is very hard. Owing to my lack of body fat I can only assume that it wouldn't be as bad for someone with... "a fat "O Ring"" but it became a problem for me after a while. I found however that there was enough room on the seat for me to take 3 different seating positions: humping the tank, middleground, and shoved against the hump to the passenger pad. I spent the whole time on my section of the seat, but I could move around. I'm thinking that I'll either need to switch to the McDonalds diet or have the seat recovered. I'm opting for the latter over the winter.

I've been asked about the exhaust before, whether or not it's a problem as far as luggage or passengers go. It looks like the exhaust literally sits against the leg of anyone who dares get on the back of this beast. It's only partially true. What you actually see is a set of heatshields that are not attached to the true exhaust pipe in any way. They will heat up a little... I'd call it comfortably warm, but definately not hot. It's sort of like the way the sink feels after you drain hot water out of it. It isn't cold enough to suck energy out of your hand, but its not exactly releasing heat either. I've seen pics of hornets from the UK outfitted with hardshell saddlebags so that isn't a problem either.

I've had 2 passengers so far, and neither have voiced any complaints... of course I didn't ask either.

I've come to the decision that I need a windscreen of some sort. The windblast at highway speeds (while not as bad as on a cruiser) can be pretty substantial. So I've ordered a national cycle f-16 sportshield which I'm hoping will put most of the wind above me. I'll let everyone know what it's like when I finally get it installed.

3rd gear will take me to 100km/h easily and I still have tons of throttle left. I can't even imagine how fast it would be possible to make this bike go. Fast enough to make me regret it is a for sure. I've hit 150km/h so far and I'm not willing to go faster then that.

I do have to say that the suspension is not perfect, though it's better then most cruisers HAHA. It'll absorb small bumps without flinching, but larger ones will stack up sometimes. Nothing awful and I've yet to pogostick or bottem out, and I try to avoid bumps in general, but rumblestrips at highway stopsigns and the like are VERY annoying.

All in all, I have to say it's a wonderful bike. But obviously not for everyone, and like I've said several times, it's not a first bike.

Hey Sevulturus

I agree with all your comments, as I find my 599 A Perfect Euro Sport Tourer. Comfortable with variable riding positions, plenty of power and superb handling. Wait until you get into those twisty turns.... it's what motorcycle ridings all about, and yes the pure acceleration.

I recently turned over 23,000km and look forward to getting in some good rides this year. I especially like the Northern Cascades with it's great scenery and clean mountain roads. You should head down to Montana and visit the Highway to the Sun in Glacier National Park. I understand it's one very scenic ride up over 6,600 ft(go in July or August to miss any chance of snow).

Keep the rubber side down.

Sevulturus,

Interesting reading. I own a CBR 600F4. Once you hit the power band you will know it. I think it feels like a video game. The one way that I determine what gear I'm in outside of memory (memory doesn't work that well for me) is the differential between the rate of speed that you are going and the actually RPM's. For my bike if I'm travelling at 65 mph my RPM's are about 5000 it means I'm in 6th gear and 65 at 5500 means I'm in 5th. This only takes a quick second for me to check and I can focus on more important things. When you get a chance you should "open her up" a bit under safe conditions because, ulitmately, at some point your going to need that power to get yourself out of an unsafe situation and you're going to want to know what to expect. It is FAST! I can't even imagine what a 750 or a 1000cc bike has to offer. I don't think that I will outgrow my 600 anytime soon.

GMM,
That sounds about right, and it's something that I had been testing and playing with since I got the bike. Though having learned on an LS650 (no tach, no trip meter, no heat guage) I ride my bike more by the feel and engine noise. At 5k rpm I start to get a buzz in my left footpeg, at 5500 I start getting a buzz in the right, at 6000 there is a thump in the buzz, and it gets heavier from there. My problem has not been getting used to the power of the motor, but the sound. When you have a single piston (ls650) pumping at 10km/h it is a heavy thud thud. When you have the inline 4, it just screams, or so it sounds. And my problem at the start was I associated the 599 sound with the savages speed. So it sounded to me like I was doing well over 100, when I was really doing 10. I've been pushing certain gears and stuff like that eg 2nd at 9000 rpm = 100km/h. And I've got 4k to redline. That's a scary thought. A couple of days ago at work I opened it up on the freeway home... WOW I chickened out at 160km/h... At that speed all the white dashes in the road become a single strip and the wind is actively lifting me up and trying to pull me off the back. I'm really looking forward to having a windscreen.

I just got back from the ultimate ride in excess. Otherwise known as the PIE RUN. The idea is that a group of us (Retreads) from my Aunt's and Uncle's club all get together and ride around the outer Edmonton area looking for the best pie. Once again we met at the yellowhead inn for breakfast around 8:30, and left for a the ride around... oh 10:00.



We did a long steady pull North and West through Barrhead, up to Assinboine where we stopped to look at the museum and have our first piece of pie. That was an easy 200km to get there. 200 km for a slice of pie. WOW, now whose crazy???

At that point my friends Russell (1982 Yamaha Maxim) and Gord (2004 Suzuki Marauder) and I decided we were going to peel off by ourselves and stop for a Garage Burger. Located at 106th street and 102 ave it is literally the best burgers in the Edmonton area. They have the award for 5 years running, and there's a pic of us on the wall. I would go so far as to say they are the best in Alberta, maybe even Canada . The owner is trying to get permission to close off the street in front of the bar every thursday night for a bike show. Let all the local riders come through and show off their bikes. We were ALL over that idea. The owner came and sat with us for a while (like he always does...) he was feeling more then a little rough though having been up all night with the whole staff for the Gay Pride Party they threw. Still it was great to catch up with him again.


This is an old pic of the Garage when I still had the Savage



Because we took off early we ended up taking a different... and slightly off the wall route home. We were told that we could either retrace our steps or take the ferry... Well a chance to take bikes across the river on a fairy is totally awsome, lets do that. "There's 8km of Gravel road, but it's good dirt road." If you go that way. LIEZZZZZZZZZZ Never take directions from Gerry, NEVER! We headed off and encountered this "nice dirt road," 10km of loosepacked, covered with rocks, white knuckled, forget to breath, God AWFULL Gravel Road. But the three of us made it to the ferry without incident. We got some strange looks from the people sitting on the side of the road. What the "fudge" are 3 guys on street bikes doing out here??? I STILL DON'T "procreating" KNOW!!! But we made it there safely, when we got there the ferry was at the far side, so we stopped in the middle and waited, he came across with one truck. So after a brief discussion we figured (since we were blocking the one lane off) that we'd just pull in real quick when he stopped and the truck could go around.



He stops and yells, "You guys have to get out of the way." So we are forced to manhandle our several hundred pounds of steel to the side of the road on a steep incline on the above stated gravel. A vengeance I shall wreak upon your family sir! He absolutely would not let us board before the truck got off, nevermind there was easily enough room to fit a car on either side of it. So we get on, and take up the front right single spot with our three bikes and in behind us pulls a double long tanker truck. He parks to our left. We chit chat for a bit and wait to cross, while we do, the lady in the passenger spot miraculously turns into a dog... literally. One second it was a lady sitting there, the next it was a golder retriever... a collective WTF went up from the seats. When we got to the far side we decided that 18 wheels have senority over 6 and motioned for the semi to go first. We would be going A LOT slower then he would. We hear from the far side of the semi, "you guys have to go first!"
"We don't want to, we'll be to slow for him."
"Get off, I don't care."



So we get off the fairy and as soon as possible pull to the side to wait. Another 2km and we're off the damn gravel... this stuff was a little better then the crap going in. Victory punches to the air, we survived the crap! Hard acceleration out onto the highway, we're all just hammering our bikes and swervies in the lane (well spaced out) to clean the dirt and dust off our tires. Well actually I did it to celebrate being alive and back on cement.... but that's just me!



We got back into the city and headed for the garage (mentioned above) found a sweet little road 60km/h that follows the river valley. BEAUTIFUL. We turned left onto 105th across heavy traffic. I was last in line so I had to wait for a gap. Russ and Gord were pretty far ahead. It was a one way street with 3 lanes. We're all in the middle... it's uphill so I'm hitting it pretty hard when all of a sudden some lady pulls out into the MIDDLE LANE!! Infront of me! Like WTF? 3 lanes to choose from, if she pulls out infront of me and it's close. I brake briefly, honk hard and pop into the left hand lane shoot around her and catch up to my friends at the red. She pulls up along side us. I sit there and glare through my tinted visor. Both her windows roll up. Her husband tries to roll his down. It rolls back up. He takes off his hat and throws it at the dash. I'm still glaring, but no one is looking back at me. His window comes down a quarter inch, it goes back up a quarter inch. The light turns green I rev hard, but take off SLOW. She turns left. I wish I had her license plate...

Food, then we head home. It's been a good day for the most part. 400km for a slice of pie, I'd do it again. Gravel... never again!

I've been asked by a couple of people why I bike. I've been in an accident before (hit a patch of ice while braking) and obviously hurt myself. In fact, I'm still healing... so why would I subject myself to this? Well the only thing I can say is this:

Imagine, all the stress you've ever felt, every mistake you've ever made, every thought good or bad that you've ever had. All of it sitting on your shoulders, pressing down with relentless force. Weighting your thoughts and your actions, everything you've ever done is hovering above you, and you remember it all. I feel like this constantly, I remember everything I've done, especially the bad stuff.

So you suit up, full leathers, nice helmet and push your bike out onto the driveway. You throw your leg over the tank and settle into the seat. Every fear and doubt you've ever had comes back and is multiplied over and over. What are you doing? You're sitting on 450+lbs of cold steel precaiously balanced on 2 tires, with contact patches not much bigger then a stamp. It doesn't care about you, it doesn't care if you live or die, laugh or cry, it's just metal.

Momentarily shouldering aside all of your hidden doubts, you turn the key and pull in the clutch. A gentle caress of the starter spins the engine to life. With a gently purr the engine idles at the ready (I never thought something man made could purr). It emanates up from beneath the gastank, the merest hint of the power hidden within the steel frame. "Don't worry," it whispers, "I'll take care of you."

Placing yourself in its hands you pull in the clutch and toe down on the shift lever. One of the most satisflying sounds in the world, a motorcycle transmission thunking into first while still cold greets your actions. A small smile plays across your lips as you recall previous adventures that started with this simple sound. Revving high you slowly release the clutch and the reality warps around you. A collection of inanimate steel objects transforms itself into a sentient wave of motion. Like riding an air current the bike pulls forward effortlessly, warping reality and denying the relentless pull of gravity.

Your worries and cares are swept away, forgotten for the moment on the side of the road. The self breaks down, and you lose yourself in the howl of the wind, and the rush of the speed.

Sevulturus, I think that's a great description of riding. Do you write for a hobby outside of this forum? You're good at it.

TheReaper wrote:Sevulturus, I think that's a great description of riding. Do you write for a hobby outside of this forum? You're good at it.

That's one of the things I didn't mention above... my mind is to put it politely hyperactive. Constantly! All I do is think and there are very few ways for me to shut it down. I'll think about what I did today, what I have to do, what I'm doing tomorrow, what my friends said, what it means, what I'm going to say to them. I plan entire conversations in my head. Chances are good that if I know you well, I'll have predicted everything that you're going to say over the course of a conversation (if it's important enough for me to bring up) before the convo even starts. It really bothers me sometimes. I'll write essays, papers, stories, poems in my head, and never really mean to. It can be especially bad at work where I don't really need to focus on anything. Actually riding is one of the few times my brain shuts up.

I wrote all of that above sitting in the crane. The following is something I've been... composing? since last night. Lets see how it goes.

The call is made and the destination set. I grab my helmet and jacket and thunder down the stairs. My jackets done up before I hit the 5th step. I throw on my boots and chaps and step out into the garage. There she sits, like some prehistoric beast crouched over her two tires. The dull light playing across the tank and tail highlighting the smooth curves, drawing my eyes from the headlight past the handlebars along the tank and over the tail. I cannot help but smile, it just screams to be ridden.
Standing in front of the bike an putting on my helmet the headlight catches the light just right and for a split-second I can see the feral intellegence behind the lens. The will to fly screaming down the roads running down cars and attacking corners.

I hop on and carefully back out of the garage, with a fierce roar the engine springs to life. Four pistons pumping in harmony, the sound reverberating off the walls and cars. A loud buzz with a pleasantly heavy thumping underneath. My face cracks into a wide grin, and we're free of the confines of the garage. A quick turn to the right lines me up to pull off the driveway, so I pull in the clutch and stomp down on the shifter. *THUNK* and we're ready to go, the engine starts to howl as I rev up to speed, and let out the clutch. The beast is loose, with a purr of satisfaction it takes off and we're around the corner before I can blink. Waiting at the light she growls and snaps at me. We shouldn't be just sitting here, we should be flying! Move, I want to move, lets go. The light turns green and we thunder around the left turn, hitting 2nd halfway through.
The contented muttering of the engine surrounds me as I work my way up through the gears, alternately howling and falling silent. My ears dissapear into my smile. A couple of quick turns while I play with compression braking and hard pulls out of the corners giving my pet a workout and I'm at my friends house. He's already sitting on his bike and ready to go. I took the long way, so he's impatient, we take off imediately, all that's required is a quick nod.
As is our custom he takes the lead and sets the pace. The bikes roar back and forth at each other, sharing their joy at the ride. We smile and love every second of it. Pushing harder and harder the wind adds it's scream to the general cacophony, trying in vain to drown out the bikes. We search for twisties, but Albertas roads defy us. So we settle for a couple of long, practically useless sweepers and search for food.
We start taking turns leading. I'll pull out ahead and decide on a new route, he'll follow till he gets tired of my tailpipe, and I'll get bumped to the back again. The bikes are loving every second of it.
Fellow riders wave back at us as we fly down the road. Kinship without having ever met. There is no better feeling.

hey man, if youre ever in sacramento drop me a line and we can hook up our 599's. great writting and riding...