Posts Tagged ‘ XR1200 ’

ducati gt1000 vs monster (updated)

Why I did it:
Since the the two bikes are so similar on the spec sheet it is difficult to see the differences in ride and comfort.

How I did it:
I downloaded photos of the GT1000 and the monster from ducati.com and lined them up in photoshop. I used an approximation for wheelbase in order to scale them properly. I then traced some of the key elements (forks, seat, handles, pegs) using red for the GT1000 and yellow for the Monster.

What it shows:
This image shows that the GT1000 has a much more relaxed riding position. This is of course to be expected. I was a little surprised by the fork angle since on paper they have the same rake angle.

Update: added XR1200, R1200R, and my current bike XL 883 to the image. Due to the slightly differing photo angles, this data is less than scientific.

2009
07/07
CATEGORY
motorcycle
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a sleeper of a demo ride

click here for an explanation on the title.

The other day I received a call from Cape Cod Harley-Davidson informing me that the demo fleet would be there for demo rides. I have passed on several of these demo days in the past, but decided to go to this one.
I wanted to ride the XR1200 and if I had time the Nightster but as we all know. if we have been reading this blahg, I was already sold on the Nightster and it would just be a joy ride of sorts.

…I am skipping the frustrating part of the pseudo organized registration line…

After a 30 min wait I am up to go for a ride on the XR1200. I throw my leg over and it feels nice. The seat is about 2″ higher than my current 883. The seat is also angled slightly forward. The hand controls are very familiar though the bars are wider. The foot control are quite different. They are set back, with short brake and shift levers. The shift lever also has a short nub of a post. It starts up quick. The sound of the engine is also lighter and quite different than any other Harley. A twist of the throttle reveals a light feeling engine, like whipped cream compared to the custard that is a regular Harley engine. (I owe thanks to my wife for the whipped analogy.)

We are off and the XR1200 feels nice. It’s a smooth ride and the engine feels smooth in its power delivery. There is an excessive amount of foot peg jiggle around 4000 rpm. Around the first corner I notice that my feet have a little trouble finding the controls and that the bike tips into corners very nicely on the sporty tires. This makes me excited for how I might ride it outside of the guided demo ride. The suspension feels firm but not too stiff. The only thing that bothered me was that I found myself sliding down towards the tank making for a cramped ride, if you know what I mean. At the first stop I noticed the difference in seat height as my feet kept going for what felt like an uneasy minute till the pavement was reached. The front brakes felt great and the rear breaks felt a little under powered due to the short break lever. This is probably preferable due to the slightly more weight forward design of this bike.

Next the acceleration onto the highway. This was slightly marred by my unfamiliarity with the foot peg position. But it was still fun and seemed to keep going in each gear much longer than my current bike.

Back at the dealer I was all grins. I was surprised by how much I liked it.


It was the last ride of the day and there was space for me so I asked if I could take the Nightster out and boy am I glad I did. By the way I was the only person all day to have taken either of the Sportsters out on the demo rides.

I walk up to the Nightster and I notice how drastically low the seat is. “That’s cool,” I think to myself. It is very comfortable to sit on when not moving. This bike feels a lot like my current bike only with wider bars (same as the XR1200). The sound is also more familiar than the XR1200.
The minute we get on the road I can not believe how uncomfortable this bike is. It rides pretty much like a hard tail bike. I feel every single bump go up my spine. This is due to the slammed suspension and minimal seat. Around the first left turn I scrape the kick stand. Feeling every bump in the road also makes me feel every hot spot in my helmet and gives me a headache. It was mind blowingly awful. I also felt that the power delivery was patchy when accelerating slowly. This made for an even more bumpy and uncomfortable ride. The acceleration onto the highway was fun with short high torque shifts but that only lasts a few sweet seconds and it is back to riding the hard tail. Notice my face, it is much less happy and excited than after the XR1200 ride.
The Nightster was my default upgrade bike. It was the sure thing in my mind. I can’t believe how awful it was. Yes, it looks very cool but it feels very painful. It took me hours to process this paradigm shift.

As I continue to think about it, the XR1200 is much more suited to my current riding needs. I would want to get a different seat. One that has a bit of a bucket to it and will keep me from sliding forward. I may also want to get a bigger shift peg.

If I had to buy today and choose between these two, it would be hands down the XR1200. This is really surprising to me. Both how great the XR1200 was and how awful the Nightster was.

Needless to say my spreadsheet has been updated.

thanks for reading and happy riding.

2009
05/24
CATEGORY
motorcycle
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3 comments

motorcycle dreaming on such a winter’s day

While trapped inside for so many hours my mind can’t help but wander to open roads on powerful two wheeled machines. What would any motorcycle enthusiast do but dream about what his next bike is going to be and rank them in order of preference. I took a more realistic approach at least and also considered the cost of ownership.
If I had my druthers, my bike of choice would be a hybrid of two bikes which may or may not be possible to build, and even if it is, it may prove to be cost prohibitive. It would be a Harley Nightster with the front end and rear swing arm of the XR1200. Here is a rough photoshopping of my idea. I didn’t bother to make the wheels match.
The reason for this is that I really like the look and feel of the nightster but I want more up to date components like suspension, brakes, and electronics. The cost of this would probably be a nightster with several thousand in parts and tools or labor depending on whether I did the work or not.

Now on to bikes that actually exist and there order. I first made a spreadsheet of the bikes in question.
I then considered the styling and potential ride characteristics of each bike and how they fit my current riding preferences and needs.
1st Place:
The first bike is still the Harley-Davidson Nightster, even without major alterations. This bike wins for several reason. The first is that it is a Harley and I really like the look and feel of the sportsters. For the most part I like to use my bike for fun commutes to and from places. I prefer to take back roads and take in the scenery. The sportsters do this well and they accelerate relatively quickly. I do not need to go 150mph or even 100mph. As for cost of ownership, sportsters with their belt drive and 50mpg fuel economy are relatively cheap to maintain. The downsides are behind the times technologies and weight. The nightster is the lightest sportster but still weighs 100lbs more than the non-harley bikes on my spreadsheet. Low horsepower is also a down side but this can be partially remedied through add-ons and upgrades.
2nd Place:
The second bike is the Yamaha FZ1. This is because it has so much horsepower (150) and is cheaper (retail) than the nightster. This bike also offers a relatively comfortable ride. The down sides are the styling and the fuel economy of 35 mpg. The styling is much better on the European version. Also, I don’t need to go 172mph which is the top speed for this bike. I want to get from zero to 45 really quickly and then maintain that speed comfortably.
3rd Place:
The third bike might be a tie between the Triumph Speed Triple and the BMW R1200R. I am not really crazy about the styling of either and both have similar power ratings. They both have similar to the yamaha fuel economy and would be similar to each other in terms of maintenance since parts would need to be imported and dealerships get more spread out than Harley and/or Yamaha dealers. I am however partial to Triumphs since I learned to ride on a 1974 Triumph Trident (never mind the neighbor’s tomato plants in the background). BMW is always a front runner in new technology which is why I am drawn to their bikes.
Honorable Mention:
The new Ducati Monster 1100 is a beast (aided by its absurdly light 370lbs of dry weight)  but is also a beast to maintain. The KTM Super Duke looks to be a downright blast but is too exotic and would require imports for every fix and dealers are ever so scarce. It is also the most expensive of the lot. Finally the Harley-Davidson XR1200. I like it but not enough to make me want to buy the whole bike. I just want the front suspension, brakes, electronics, and rear swing arm (which is stiffer and lighter than the stock) on my Nightster which would have a stage one upgrade to increase the power rating to something more respectable.

Please suggest any other bikes I may have left out, however please note that I will not consider Kawasaki or Suzuki bikes for reasons of personal experience, taste, and opinions. Honda doesn’t sell any standard motorcycles in the USA. They have plenty in Europe, even though their styling is uninspired. I have also been warned by many to steer clear of Buell.

2009
03/12
CATEGORY
motorcycle
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