Summary:
Great mid-weight bike for people who like Cruisers, but have the good taste not to buy a Harley
Faults:
Nothing has gone wrong.
Replaced the rear tire at 7k miles, and the front one will need replacing before the end of the summer.
General Comments:
THE GOOD:
For an 800cc bike, this has lots of torque, and great low end power. It's a twin-pin motor, which makes for a very nice smooth engine, but it still has that v-twin throb that all cruisers need. The transmission shifts smoothly, and the gear ratios are spaced so that you've always got power, no lumps or dead spots.
Low maintenance shaft-drive without any sign of shaft jacking under hard acceleration.
Lots of chrome to twinkle in the sun, and it's nicely placed.
Low seat height lets people with shorter legs (namely myself) flat-foot comfortably when stopped.
The fuel injection feature coupled with the electronic ignition is great; no more babysitting the choke in the mornings, just turn the key and push the starter. The downside to this is that the fuel pump makes just enough noise to be audible at an idle. The computer has an auto enrichment program for when it's first started, so the bike runs at a slightly faster idle when you first start it, and then drops back down once the engine is warm.
Has a cruiser style with slightly higher ground clearance and higher pegs, so you can corner harder than on a traditional cruiser. That being said, however, you still drag a boot heel A LOT sooner than on a sport bike.
THE BAD:
Needs either a taller fifth gear, or even better, a sixth one. Bike has great power and is comfortable to ride up until about 60-65mph, and then it starts getting a little more vibration. Wouldn't want to spend hours on the highway, that's for sure. The shorter top gear also hurts fuel economy.
Difficult to get the rear shock adjusted right; it's either so soft that you bottom it out on a lumpy road, or it's so stiff that it rattles your bones on the same road.
Can be ridden two-up, but the back seat is really a joke. It seems to be sized for a 12-year-old Japanese boy more than a adult. But perhaps that's just as well, because you notice a serious change in your acceleration when riding two-up.
Lots of CHROME!! Takes at least two hours just to polish the metal/coated plastic on this bike, let alone washing and waxing the rest of it.
Headlight has too much space between high and low beam. Low beam points at the ground directly in front of the bike; high beam illuminates the branches of the trees ahead of you, but not the road.
THE UGLY:
The exhaust pipes on this are HUGE!! They stick out practically past the rear fender, and look like cannons or artillery or something. Each muffler is the same size as the single unit on an older Honda Shadow ACE. This is just personal taste, but still! Thinner cans would greatly improve the look of this motorcycle.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th July, 2011