2012 Daytona Bike Week Demo Rides

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wisart
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:04 pm
Current Ride: Honda Nighthawk 650
Location: Stoneham, Massachusetts, USA

2012 Daytona Bike Week Demo Rides

Post by wisart »

I had spent a week down in Florida and three days of that were attending the sights and sounds of bike week. While there I tried to get as many demo rides in as I could. It's more difficult than it sounds because if you don't get to the booths early in the morning the bikes and or time slots are picked over quickly. I thought getting there at 9am would be sufficient but learned and the following day I arrived an hour earlier. 8am doesn't sound too difficult but I had to ride an hour and a half to get to the show.

For the most part I got to ride almost all the bikes I had hoped to try and some more than once. Again this year Honda wasn't doing test rides, I was hoping the news would be different but it's just the way they have been doing Daytona. The biggest disappointment for me was Triumph not even being at the show. I had hoped to ride the Tiger 800, Tiger 1050, Thruxton and Daytona, Sprint and or the Street Triple. I had the misfortune this year to ride with a lot of groups with poor riding skills or poor group riding manners.

So here is my take on the bikes I got to ride.

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The Ninja 650. I have been on this model before but earlier versions. My biggest beef in the past was the vibey motor. It still is vibey but much less so and I had no discomfort in my hands or feet this time. The motor itself sounds and feels a bit coarse, especially when compared to one of it's competitors, the Yamaha FZ6r. Even though the motor sounds coarse it has a lot of grunt and accelerates briskly. I didn't get the chance to wind it out too much because the rider in front of me was very timid. The best part of the new Ninja is the handling. I generally have to work up slowly to a new bikes lean angles, not so with the Ninja, it handles twists and turns almost effortlessly and I felt like I was in complete control. The new seat is very comfortable, according to Kawasaki the seat is deeper under the pan and padded better than previous models. The new instrument is cluster is also quite nice but they have this dumb eco display that does nothing more than turn on when you are riding in the most efficient rpm's. The space could have been much better used as a gear shift indicator. I also didn't care for the fit of a piece of plastic at the front of the tank. It looks cool but it doesn't seat itself well and cheapens the look of the bike. Overall I really enjoyed riding the updated Ninja 650 and it is still high on my list as a new bike. Plus I really like the metallic green paint job.

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At the Honda booth they weren't allowing demo rides. They did have the new NC700x on display. My first reaction, the bike looks so much better in person than it does in photos. I had always felt it looked kind of plasticy and cheap but it's fit and finish is beautiful. I usually don't like grey/black paint schemes but this looks really nice. The first thing you notice when you hop on the bike is that the seat is comfortable but hard. After you grab the handlebars and sway the bike back and forth you realize how low the center of gravity is on the NC700. Of course this is due to it's scooter design heritage, the motor almost lies flat in the chassis and the fuel tank is below the seat. I spoke with a regional Honda representative for a few minutes about the bike but he didn't know as much about the machine as I thought he would, even admitting that it was new and he wasn't sure about some details. He mostly stayed on his talking points and any deeper questions were dismissed. He did tell me that in general Honda USA is trying to get back to being an all around motorcycle company saying that it has focused too much on cruisers, sportbikes and tourers recently and the NC700 is the first step in that directions. He also told me that the low intro price for the CBR250 would be increased a great deal this year and he justified it (against the Kawasaki 250 without mentioning it by name) by the inclusion of fuel injection.

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The VStrom was my biggest disappointment of the day. Not that it is a bad bike by any stretch it just wasn't the bike for me. The seat is just a bit too high but that isn't a big deal as the bike is light as a feather and very well balanced. I thought the riding position would be comfortable but it really wasn't for me and I didn't find the saddle all that great. I felt like I had to fit the bike rather than the bike fitting me. The other big let down was the handling. It cornered okay but I didn't have the confidence that I had on the Ninja 650 or most of the other bikes I had tried. Also at high speeds the bike feels a bit flakey, around 65 and higher it doesn't feel planted or secure again compared to other bikes I had tested. What I did like about the VStrom was the motor, it was so grunty and fun to wind out with a great sounding exhaust. Plus the transmission is slick and easy to use, maybe the best I tried that day. I also really like the instrument panel, it looks good without being over-designed.

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My friends Bill and Vicki tried the Burgman 650. From all accounts they seemed to really enjoy it. Having been on it before I wasn't surprised. Currently they own a Burgman 400 and riding two up they can reach about 85 mph. The Burgman 400 is a very nice maxi-scoot but it is night and day compared to the Burgman 650. The Burgman 650 has a parallel twin motor that is very smooth. The bike has a large footprint and is very stable and motorcycle-like in it's handling. Unlike the CVT belt of most large scooters the B650 uses a different drive system that has lots of engine braking. Plus the extra cc's make this a great bike to ride two-up. If I read my friends correctly they will be looking for a B650 in the near future.

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The Yamaha FZ6r was tied for the biggest pleasant surprise at the show. The ergos on this bike are only rivaled by the Ninja 650, immediately comfortable. I absolutely loved the motor, it's potent, high revving and silky smooth. I couldn't feel the vibration from the motor at all. The bike also handled quite well but I felt a bit more secure on the Ninja 650 but not much. Parts of the bike feel cheap to me, especially around the instrument cluster and the plastic air intakes at the front of the fairing. The turn signal indicator is a single light with opposing arrows drawn on it. I suppose it's not a big deal but compared to all other competitive bikes it seems a cheap design. I also think the entire front fairing design and fuel tank is kind of nebulous and I don't like the look of the headlight. I know these are aesthetic issues but they bother me. A shame really because the bike is comfortable and handles like the dickens.

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Bill and Vicki on the Victory Cross Country Tourer. I think this is such a good looking bike. Even though it is a land yacht it handles very well, I had been on the Cross Roads a few years ago. While Bill isn't used to riding a manual bike he didn't have any problems, being a former air force pilot may have something to do with it, the guy is cool as a cucumber. They did have a rider in front of him having issues handling a Victory Vision, the guy had dumped it twice right in front of them.

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The other pleasant surprise of the day, the Victory Judge. I had read enough reviews that this bike piqued my interest. First off Victory handles it's demo rides differently than everyone else. Instead of signing up for a bike and a time you instead get into a line that is either designated cruiser/bagger/tourer. Then you just wait in line until the bike you want to ride is available and then go out with that group. The other neat thing Victory does is send a chase bike out with each group, on the chase bike is a photographer who snaps a few photos of you. That evening Victory puts them up on their Daytona website and you can download them later, what a great marketing idea. Nobody else was doing this. So the bike itself is larger than I'm used to, I checked the specs when I got home and was surprised that it is over 660 pounds. The weight is very manageable. Even though the bike has mid-mount controls the first three times I had started to roll from a stop I kept reaching for phantom controls that were farther back, it took a little getting used to. I liked the seat, it looks and feels like it is scooped out and was okay comfort wise. A bit of a reach to the bars but it wasn't uncomfortable for me, maybe after a longer day in the saddle. I did have a problem with the shifter, I had seemed to skip gears when downshifting a few times and I made the back tire peel out and hop. The bike also has a gear shift indicator but I would almost rather it didn't. The indicator doesn't react until after the bike is in gear and you have released the clutch while it doesn't sound bad it is compared to other bikes with this feature where the gear indicator changes when you tap the toe shifter. The motor also has a very low redline, I had read that it is around 5000 rpm. I bounced it off the rev limiter a few times as I'm not used to it being so low. The motor is potent and torquey and the bike feels fast. I found the motor to have character but also quite smooth. Even though the bike has a frame the motor is a stressed member. The Victory rep said you could cut away parts of the frame and the bike would still handle just as well. The best part about the Judge was it's handling. I had been on the Hammer before and while it is a great looking bike it handles like a pig. The Judge is very easy to corner with, it is actually quite fun to take through the twists and turns of the course. Unfortunately I had a rider on a Hammer in front of me that was having all kinds of issues on his bike that prevented me enjoying my ride more than a few times. I really liked the Victory Judge much more than I thought I would. I tested just because it was available and I was standing at the Victory booth but I have to be honest with myself and say that it was really a fun bike and one that I wouldn't mine owning.

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I have never rode a Harley before. I have liked the XR1200 since it's release and now was the perfect time to give it a whirl. First off Harley does its test rides differently from everybody. They essentially have a marked trail and instead of going out with a group you ride by yourself. For the most part this is best other than making sure you are navigating properly you don't have to suffer the pack problems. The bike itself is flawless in it's fit and finish and I think is real good looking. Took me some time to find the ignition and then blam, I turned it over and the whole bike is shaking. I guess that is the character of the bike and is normal but I didn't like it. The first issue I had with the XR1200 were the turn signals. They have one button on either side of the handlebar, this would just take some getting used to. I don't think it is a better or worse design it just requires repetition to get it down. The bike is okay ergo wise but I'm used to hugging the tank but because of it's skinny size I felt like my legs were flapping in the breeze. If you did try to squeeze down on the tank your legs would be turned inward and isn't a very natural position. The bike roars when you twist the throttle in a cool stock car kind of way. It sounds faster than it is but it is fast enough. You can feel the shaking of the motor when riding hard but it doesn't really throw off the bike. The XR1200 corners quite nicely and was fun to push around. I've been told that the larger Harleys, especially the tourers are smooth, the XR1200 is not. It's a nice bike that handles well and has lots of character but I could never own it as a daily rider.

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The Kawasaki Versys. This was a very popular bike at the show and difficult to get a test ride because they only brought two and all the time slots were taken up if you weren't early enough. The first day another rider two people in front of me got the last one. I had come back the second day very early to make sure that wouldn't happen again. I've been on the last model Versys so I knew what to expect. The best part was this time the bikes vibrations didn't bother me as much. I find the Versys very comfortable and even though it's tallish and I can't flat foot I don't have a problem. We only did bursts of speed on the bike so I don't know what sustained highway speeds would feel like with the fly screen like windshield. The bike is very similar to the Ninja in many respects only I found the motor and the transmission on the Versys I demoed much rougher than the Ninja. According to the Kawasaki representatives this shouldn't be the case as they are virtually identical. One of the best aspects of the Versys is how well it corners, especially compared to the VStrom. Both bikes take a bit of getting used to because of the higher center of gravity but once you get used to the falling into the corner sensation the Versys handles corners with such sure footedness that VStrom can't seem to match. It's a quirky looking bike for sure but I really like it especially the yellow/black paint combo.

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The Vulcan 900 Custom. Much like the XR1200 it probably sounds faster than what it really is. Kawasaki interestingly enough has a different course for it's cruiser demos. They take you on the expressway and loop back around on a highway. Very few curves if an at all. The 900 Custom does not have a windscreen and on the expressway when we hit speeds over 65mph it was intolerable. The bike had enough power but the wind blast against the body was too strong. I still like this bike though and as cruisers go I like the entire package it's comfortable, good looking and sounds great.

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While Triumph didn't have a booth at the Speedway with the rest of the manufacturers they did have a small display at a Triumph dealer downtown. This is the new Triumph Tiger Explorer. It has a 1215cc triple motor. It's a big bike but only weighs 570lbs. It's also quite comfortable. Shaft drive, traction control, ABS, with the optional bags this would make one sweet touring rig.

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Finally we come to the last bike I had for an extended demo, the Yamaha FZ1 on loan from my buddy Norm. I used this bike as my main transportation for seven days. It's rip-snorting powerful, downshifting is optional when you want to pass most traffic. You can and I did reach 72 mph in first gear. The most amazing thing about all the power is how much control you get along with it. At highway speeds it is rock solid, passing semi-trailers at over 90 mph and the bike doesn't falter. It's really rather amazing as I have had my share of bikes to try and not one has given me the confidence as much as the FZ1. It's not all good for me though, the bike has a gasoline drinking problem, it sucks fuel down fast. Getting 40 mpg is considered outstanding and the mid 30's is much more typical. I also find the aggressive seating posture tiring for extended riding days. You can feel the motor when you ride, it's not annoying but the vibrations are there. The fuel tank can get very, very hot on a sunny Florida day. It also took me a bit to come to terms with the throttle, to manage the bike in slow speed situations takes a more delicate control that I'm used to. After I adapted it was much better. The brakes are also quite strong as I hauled myself down from speed on a few occasions. One of my favorite features were the headlights, I had to do a bit a night time riding and the illumination from the headlights were as good as a car, better than some I have owned. And while most of Florida is flat with straight roads my time up in central Florida provided me with enough twisties to really appreciate the handling characteristics of the bike. I didn't trust it right away but after I became more comfortable I would get more and more lean out of it and was able to go through the turns faster.

All and all this was a lot of fun. Bike week is so much more than demo rides as there are camps set up all over the Daytona Beach area with all sorts of activities, people watching and great street food. Plus I found most of the people pleasant and fun to talk to. If you like bikes it's worthwhile to check it out.
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Dan

1984 Honda cb650sc Nighthawk (manual scootin')
2007 KYMCO Grand Vista (Sold)
2003 Honda Reflex (Sold)

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