Nails wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 10:45 pmHey George, who's your new friend?
I still have my 2001 XII. Since I hit 70 this year, may downsize, maybe a 650 Versus with factory hard bags and trunk, but that may be a few years away. Meanwhile, I'm making do with this 23 year old bike.
It's just too bad that the Powers To Be to be haven't brought back the classic UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) like my Voyager. It is lighter than the current twin offerings or the boxer Goldwing, easier to tool around in and nothing beats the 96 horsepower at the rear wheel with this in-line 4. (Why do the PTB put such puny capacity gas tanks on nearly all the mid-sizes these days, no matter the make?)
When younger, I rode around in a 1987 Suzuki LS650 Savage. Would show up at a motorcycle rally 8 hours drive away. Folk would ask me how I could ride such a tiny bike. I'd tell them that a 650 was a large bike back in the 1960's, 1970's. It was odd to be called, "a real biker".
I'd take it on short stretches at 75 mph of I-40, like the 14 miles from Santa Rosa NM west to continue the highway to Las Vegas, NM. Then the portion at 75 mph from there to Santa Fe, NM. Also, the portion from Amarillo, TX to Groom, TX on I-40 at 75 mph.
I was running at 5200 RPM (6500 is red line) on those 75 MPH stretches (universal Drag Specialties double fire electronic tach for Harley twins worked perfectly), but it handled it well considering I was working with 33 BHP. Most of rural NM, TX, CO, AZ are two lane roads, so the Savage was at home there. Put a 14 inch universal mini-windshield to keep the wind off my chest, which worked like a charm. An electronic bicycle speedometer with odometer helped me to know my actual speed. (Motorcycle speedometers are notoriously inaccurate.)
My 2001 Voyager XII, I mount my auto GPS in a water resistant case. It's speed readout helps me to know my actual speed, plus know how much the speedo is off so I can use "Kentucky Windage" to maintain the right speed when not using the GPS.