Well last weekend the Harley dealer I had choosen to by my new Super Glide Custom from got the bike in I wanted. It was Vivid Black and loaded with chrome. From afar it looked like a wonderful machine. Getting closer than i should have before signing the papers it looked like Americans had built it. Yep it was junk. The paint was all orange peeled, the frame welds looked awful and there was splatter on the swing arme from the rear shock mounts being welded on. The more I looked the worse it looked. No way in hell I was going to pay $15.5 for a motorcycle built by the handicap. Frustrated I left and went to my old friend. The Yamaha dealer. As I walked in the door I had developed a death wish to buy a R1, FJ or Vmax. The FJ isnt really a suzi bike but still very fast for a sport touring mount. It was a good thing that the dealer had none of these ubber fast bikes in stock. I cooled down and started chatting with my old buddys. In chatting with staff. From the sales staff, none of who I knew. To the parts and sevice staff, many of them I knew. They pointed me twords a Warrior. Seeing that i was wanting a big bore V-Twin in a Harley anyway. They let me test ride a Stratoliner and a V Star. The V Star is the same displacement at the Warrior. Just a bit milder tune and less quality suspension and brakes. The Stratoliner has a much larger engine at 113 cubic inches and weights alot more. These bikes where a hoot to ride. They handled like log trucks but the lower end grunt was awsome! If Yamaha didnt make such a bike as Warrior I would have bought the stratoliner right then. Now remember i havent owned a bike in 3 or so years. Sure I get to ride. Truth known i get to ride more than some folks ride that own bikes. Theres always a friend that gets a new bike or wants me to ride there bike cause they think somethings wrong with it. or they just feel sorry for me and show up with a grin on there face. Thinking I need a fix. Ive not owned a bike for a few years cause I need to learn to slow down. Ive never broken a bone on a bike and yes Ive seen Jesus streak by alot as a brake marker Ive ignored. Ive been down and never have recieved real bad rash. Mild rash is bad enough. Worse Ive been hurt on a bike was a lay down that involved a turn, a drainage cutter cut into the road, 80+ mph and the side of a hill. I got a good bar gauge in my ribs and a bad pipe burn on my leg. Whiskey and floating in my swiming pool fixed that right up. Anyway this brings me to Warrior. Its a drag style big bore V-Twin with a road racers heart. You would think this wouldnt mix. But Yamaha has done a materful job on this bike. The front forks are detuned R1 forks. They are upside down and thus have a lower suspended weight aspect. The brakes are straight off a R1. Lots of stoping power. The rear lever mono shock is text book Yamahammer. Adjustible and modable to no end. Then there is the wonderful Alum. frame, with its very well done welds and drag style geometry but setup for cornering. The engine is a 102 cubic inche old school V. Its a push rod motor with hydralic lifters with gobs of low end grunt. Basicly as close has one can come to a American V8, minus 6 cylinders. I got to ride a used one yesterday. You better hold on with this bike if you romp on it. It comes out of the hole as fast or faster than many race preped bikes Ive owned and ridden. Its raley beat by anything at the 1/8th mile mark. But then looses ground after that to the rocket bikes. This can be fixed with many a kit out on the market. The bike goes like a frieght train and stops like a race bike. It handels well for such a monster impart due to the wonderful suspension. The bike fits me well and I think over time I can get use to the forward controls. It was a joy to ride a street cruser that felt like this bike. I was sold. I went back to the Harley dealer. Got my deposit back and placed it on a Warrior. The 07's are due in this coming spring. The bike has a really ugly exhaust system on it. The muffler is refered to as the water heater or missile launcher. It will be replaced with a Yamaha speed pipe and a few other goodies. Allow me to present to you Warrior! http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/products/modelhome/60/0/home.aspx psy
Re: New Motorcycle Shoping This would be more my speed http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/AN650AK7/Default.aspx
Hi Psy: ___I do not really care about the low end grunt or its upper reaches of performance as I am certain you are but am interested in its FE possibilities. I hope it can touch 50 with a light throttle myself but that might be wishful thinking from that big a bore and optimized for performance drivetrain? FI and possibly a Drive by Wire solution given the TPS and digital maps might help however? ___Good Luck and enjoy the ride ___Wayne
Wayne its not a FE champ. Im sure it can be pushed into the upper 40's if not lower 50's. Most of its power is well below 3000 rpm mark. As for the higher rpm power. Its really not there. It has 8:3:1 compression ratio. It can be bumped to 9:5:1 with a set of pistons and gaskets. A very simple mod. Its strong suite is its a torque monster. The fun lies down low as well as its FE. It is FI. No drive by wire ,,, thank goodness. It has a air injection system to help with unburnt fuel in the exhaust system. And other minor EPA trickery. Most of with is ripped off within the first 1k miles. My goal is to have a large bike with the ablity to have some creature comforts, but not be a touring bike. I want the big low end torque with the ablity to run down the hwy at some what low rpm's with power at hand if wanted. I want to beable to corner if I want. And a bike with as much brake as possible. psy
