It was my only day off that week, and I woke up early and excited for a ride on the bike with my fiancee, unfortunately for her, for I didn't let her sleep in very long, whilst puttering around the house getting everything sorted out for the ride.
We'd done a short trip on the bike prior to this, and she felt as a passenger that bad shifts and throttle inputs made her feel as if she had to hold on all the time, and this put pressure on me for silky smooth handling, so I bought the SW Motech Alu-Rack for the bike so that I could mount my old Givi top box that used to perch on my 2004 Kawasaki KLR650. I ordered it in from A Vicious Cycle and received it in time for this ride to mount it, and the top case.
Previously, the clunky transmission between 1st and 2nd gear, and the throttle snatch of the Versys caused her to hold onto the grab rail and me constantly. Smooth shifting on this bike in the low ranges became my goal, and I always felt her presence on the bike as she would get close to me, sometimes uncomfortably close, causing me to to lean forward, cramping my back and shoulders...
What a difference that top box made! It increased her confidence to the point that if I hadn't known she was back on the pillion seat, I would have thought I was riding solo at times! Not only that, I could now go shopping and wheelie with take away in the top case. lol.
The bike was brilliant on the roads, although I did keep my speeds down as I had no desire to have it impounded on the roadside and my license removed by the constabulary.
This bike really made me think that with the right luggage options, we could go the distance and enjoy the ride.
A sheepskin on the seat made a great deal of difference to the OEM saddle, although I can see the need for a Corbin saddle upgrade in the future when I can afford it. :)
Now I need to convince SWMBO that heated grips are a necessity, not a nice to have. :P
We'd done a short trip on the bike prior to this, and she felt as a passenger that bad shifts and throttle inputs made her feel as if she had to hold on all the time, and this put pressure on me for silky smooth handling, so I bought the SW Motech Alu-Rack for the bike so that I could mount my old Givi top box that used to perch on my 2004 Kawasaki KLR650. I ordered it in from A Vicious Cycle and received it in time for this ride to mount it, and the top case.
Previously, the clunky transmission between 1st and 2nd gear, and the throttle snatch of the Versys caused her to hold onto the grab rail and me constantly. Smooth shifting on this bike in the low ranges became my goal, and I always felt her presence on the bike as she would get close to me, sometimes uncomfortably close, causing me to to lean forward, cramping my back and shoulders...
What a difference that top box made! It increased her confidence to the point that if I hadn't known she was back on the pillion seat, I would have thought I was riding solo at times! Not only that, I could now go shopping and wheelie with take away in the top case. lol.
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| Oshawa ON via Gooderham ON to Ramara Township |
This bike really made me think that with the right luggage options, we could go the distance and enjoy the ride.
A sheepskin on the seat made a great deal of difference to the OEM saddle, although I can see the need for a Corbin saddle upgrade in the future when I can afford it. :)
Now I need to convince SWMBO that heated grips are a necessity, not a nice to have. :P
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