Post by Charlie on Apr 11, 2007 22:58:20 GMT -5
Well despite the rotten, cold and damp weather I haven't missed a day of riding. When I got the "Schwing" she had 222 miles on her. I now have 1304 on her. So, I guess I am breaking it in quickly.
First I want to state that I am using "Hard break in" as always (ride it like you stole it). The SW is incredibly responsive for a big bike. I cannot reliably compare it to my Roketa Bali 150 so my comparision here will be against my BMW R1100Rt.
This morning the weather finally cleared off enough to ride! I decided to do the "Table Rock Lake" loop. It ended up being almost 360 miles .
It was misting this morning when I left the house. I put on my Frog Toggs and headed to Golden, Missouri and then to Branson. I set my out this morning to really put the SW to the coals but had to wait for the sun to shine and the roads to dry.
The wing is a magnificent machine. Smooth, powerful, poised and handling is very good but not as good as my beemer.
As I headed toward Kimberling City, MO. on highway 86 and 13 which is very hilly and twistie I nearly lost it in a turn from what I perceive to be "front end push" through the tighter turns likely from the way I have adjusted the seat rest because of short legs (weight further forward).
However, I have resolved that it was more of a problem with my inexperience with the SW than a problem with the weight distribution of the scoot. Both the BMW and the SW are fast bikes and I have a tendancy toward challenging the twisties.
The seating height on the SW is great. Very comfortable with a seat height of 31.5". I can pull up to a stop sign with no worries and place both feet flat on the pavement.
As I got to Branson I found myself in bumper traffic (customary in Branson) and found the SW somewhat heavy in turns under 10 MPH and once again I attribute this to inexperience with the scoot.
Next I had a 30+ mile ride on open secondary highway. With Radar detector on I throttled the SW up to about 103 indicated and then back down to 55. All I can say is wow! My beemer will cruise all day at one hundred but I would put the SW against it for sustained cruising speeds. Acceleration is equally "wow"! 0-60 in about 8 seconds. At the top speed of 103 (indicated) I had throttle left. I am guessing there is about a 4-5 mph error at that speed. At 55 the speedo is dead on verified by a LEO friend of mine via his on board radar.
As for the comfort of the SW. My seat is a corbin (came that way) and it is way comfortable. I will add a sheepskin for the long distance rides to help keep away "monkey butt".
My fuel consumption is very mild compared to my BMW. The BMW averages about 38-42 MPH. The SW (on this trip) averaged about 56 MPH with regular oil.
Wind protection is very good but could be vastly improved. I will soon be getting a clearview wind screen 4" taller and 3" wider. The stock screen lets bugs wack ya and just doesn't do a good job of directing the wind around you. The BMW has an electric screen that moves up and down at your whim...I love it.
Shocks and overall rideability of the SW are exemplary. It compares to the BMW in both ride and comfort.
I ran into winds gusting to 45 MPH today..it was a b___tch! The SW handled it better than I did! I got rocked today but no involuntary lane changes. The BMW weighs more and thus, the ride is better but not that much better.
Features like the clock, dual trip meter, speedo in mph are a definite change over my Bali and BMW. The best scenario would be a fuel consumption computer but hey...it's not a perfect world.
Memorial weekend I will be taking a road trip to Sycamore, IL. for my first Vietnam Veterans Renunion (67-71). This will be my first trip on the SW of any consequence. I am really looking forward to a road trip. I will be taking my camera and will document the trip and give my impressions of this awesome machine.
For now I have to get a new wind screen and get it mounted prior to the trip.
.
First I want to state that I am using "Hard break in" as always (ride it like you stole it). The SW is incredibly responsive for a big bike. I cannot reliably compare it to my Roketa Bali 150 so my comparision here will be against my BMW R1100Rt.
This morning the weather finally cleared off enough to ride! I decided to do the "Table Rock Lake" loop. It ended up being almost 360 miles .
It was misting this morning when I left the house. I put on my Frog Toggs and headed to Golden, Missouri and then to Branson. I set my out this morning to really put the SW to the coals but had to wait for the sun to shine and the roads to dry.
The wing is a magnificent machine. Smooth, powerful, poised and handling is very good but not as good as my beemer.
As I headed toward Kimberling City, MO. on highway 86 and 13 which is very hilly and twistie I nearly lost it in a turn from what I perceive to be "front end push" through the tighter turns likely from the way I have adjusted the seat rest because of short legs (weight further forward).
However, I have resolved that it was more of a problem with my inexperience with the SW than a problem with the weight distribution of the scoot. Both the BMW and the SW are fast bikes and I have a tendancy toward challenging the twisties.
The seating height on the SW is great. Very comfortable with a seat height of 31.5". I can pull up to a stop sign with no worries and place both feet flat on the pavement.
As I got to Branson I found myself in bumper traffic (customary in Branson) and found the SW somewhat heavy in turns under 10 MPH and once again I attribute this to inexperience with the scoot.
Next I had a 30+ mile ride on open secondary highway. With Radar detector on I throttled the SW up to about 103 indicated and then back down to 55. All I can say is wow! My beemer will cruise all day at one hundred but I would put the SW against it for sustained cruising speeds. Acceleration is equally "wow"! 0-60 in about 8 seconds. At the top speed of 103 (indicated) I had throttle left. I am guessing there is about a 4-5 mph error at that speed. At 55 the speedo is dead on verified by a LEO friend of mine via his on board radar.
As for the comfort of the SW. My seat is a corbin (came that way) and it is way comfortable. I will add a sheepskin for the long distance rides to help keep away "monkey butt".
My fuel consumption is very mild compared to my BMW. The BMW averages about 38-42 MPH. The SW (on this trip) averaged about 56 MPH with regular oil.
Wind protection is very good but could be vastly improved. I will soon be getting a clearview wind screen 4" taller and 3" wider. The stock screen lets bugs wack ya and just doesn't do a good job of directing the wind around you. The BMW has an electric screen that moves up and down at your whim...I love it.
Shocks and overall rideability of the SW are exemplary. It compares to the BMW in both ride and comfort.
I ran into winds gusting to 45 MPH today..it was a b___tch! The SW handled it better than I did! I got rocked today but no involuntary lane changes. The BMW weighs more and thus, the ride is better but not that much better.
Features like the clock, dual trip meter, speedo in mph are a definite change over my Bali and BMW. The best scenario would be a fuel consumption computer but hey...it's not a perfect world.
Memorial weekend I will be taking a road trip to Sycamore, IL. for my first Vietnam Veterans Renunion (67-71). This will be my first trip on the SW of any consequence. I am really looking forward to a road trip. I will be taking my camera and will document the trip and give my impressions of this awesome machine.
For now I have to get a new wind screen and get it mounted prior to the trip.
.
