Woke up at 6 to steady rain. By 8, rain was gone, so I headed out.
As I got within few miles of Daytona, the skies opened up pretty good. Got to the demo area and sure enough.. all demos are on hold until weather improves.. expected 1st demo time: 1pm.
I turned around and rode back in torrential downpour. My raingear kept me warm, but it did nothing to keep me dry. I was completely soaked within an hour. In a weird way, I actually enjoyed it.. been a while since I got caught in one of those.
Relaxed for a bit and had lunch while my stuff was drying up. Checked the forecast and it showed no more rain .. so I rode down to Daytona again (took a different route just to mix it up).
Got to demo V-Strom DL650
Another excellent bike! Riding this after trying out the new V-Strom 1k was a lot like riding FZ6 after FZ1. Ergonomics are nearly identical with 650 possibly having slightly lower saddle (very slightly). Exhaust note is very similar on both.. relatively quiet, but not at all whiny. Clutch requires very little effort and friction zone is very progressive and right in the middle of lever travel (same on both bikes). As to be expected, the 650 requires more shifting to keep it *fast*, unlike the 1k which can be left in one gear and it'll pull like a train all day. Don't get me wrong though.. loads of torque and power on the 650 and it's delivered in a very smooth and linear manner. Buffeting is somewhat bad and unlike on 1k, the screen is not adjustable on this one.
It does feel a bit more nimble than the 1k version, but the gap between the 2 is not as big as the gap between FZ1 and FZ6, when it comes to flickability. Both will happily dip from side to side.
If I wanted a V-Strom and had to choose between those 2, I'd go for the new 1k bike. I'm spoiled by FZ1 though. I am pretty sure I would be very happy to own either 1k or the 650.. both very enjoyable bikes.
Tried to demo 2 more zukes (M109R and Busa.. but all gone for the day), so I headed over to the *zoo* (the main area with all the Harley folk.. but that's where the manufacturer tents are).
Confirmed that the new smaller VFR was not present at the show, but did check out and sat on CBR650F
No clue how it rides, but as far as static weight.. it feels very similar to its competitors. Forward reach is slightly more aggressive than FZ6.. much more like VFR. Not a bad looking bike, but would need to ride one to see if it's worthy.
Also spotted Yami SR400.
What a great looking little thing. Threw a leg over it and as expected.. the thing is light as a feather (reminds me of the GN125 we use in our school). Would love to take one for a spin!
Check out this little number they built on SR400 platform
As I got within few miles of Daytona, the skies opened up pretty good. Got to the demo area and sure enough.. all demos are on hold until weather improves.. expected 1st demo time: 1pm.
I turned around and rode back in torrential downpour. My raingear kept me warm, but it did nothing to keep me dry. I was completely soaked within an hour. In a weird way, I actually enjoyed it.. been a while since I got caught in one of those.
Relaxed for a bit and had lunch while my stuff was drying up. Checked the forecast and it showed no more rain .. so I rode down to Daytona again (took a different route just to mix it up).
Got to demo V-Strom DL650
Another excellent bike! Riding this after trying out the new V-Strom 1k was a lot like riding FZ6 after FZ1. Ergonomics are nearly identical with 650 possibly having slightly lower saddle (very slightly). Exhaust note is very similar on both.. relatively quiet, but not at all whiny. Clutch requires very little effort and friction zone is very progressive and right in the middle of lever travel (same on both bikes). As to be expected, the 650 requires more shifting to keep it *fast*, unlike the 1k which can be left in one gear and it'll pull like a train all day. Don't get me wrong though.. loads of torque and power on the 650 and it's delivered in a very smooth and linear manner. Buffeting is somewhat bad and unlike on 1k, the screen is not adjustable on this one.
It does feel a bit more nimble than the 1k version, but the gap between the 2 is not as big as the gap between FZ1 and FZ6, when it comes to flickability. Both will happily dip from side to side.
If I wanted a V-Strom and had to choose between those 2, I'd go for the new 1k bike. I'm spoiled by FZ1 though. I am pretty sure I would be very happy to own either 1k or the 650.. both very enjoyable bikes.
Tried to demo 2 more zukes (M109R and Busa.. but all gone for the day), so I headed over to the *zoo* (the main area with all the Harley folk.. but that's where the manufacturer tents are).
Confirmed that the new smaller VFR was not present at the show, but did check out and sat on CBR650F
No clue how it rides, but as far as static weight.. it feels very similar to its competitors. Forward reach is slightly more aggressive than FZ6.. much more like VFR. Not a bad looking bike, but would need to ride one to see if it's worthy.
Also spotted Yami SR400.
What a great looking little thing. Threw a leg over it and as expected.. the thing is light as a feather (reminds me of the GN125 we use in our school). Would love to take one for a spin!
Check out this little number they built on SR400 platform
