New bike is here!

[keithj]

Got a call from Jill Loone - the 09 Gassers have landed. I'll zip down to Geelong in the next day or two and collect it.

Woo hoo!

[Neo]

Nice one Keith....you lucky devil .....now you're gonna have to give us a review of your new bike.

Best of new balance.

Neo

[Gary B]

Another Rider has "Seen the light"
Lots of guys in NSW will have big smiles in the next week or so.

[keithj]

Picked it up today.
Rode it for half an hour in the back yard.

First impressions: (Compared with previous bike, a 2000 GG 280)
- lighter, much(!) lighter. Just maneouvering it on/off the trailer the difference is noticable. Riding it, it seems to be more agile when flicking it around.
- turning circle possibly wider than the 2000? Dunno, but I'm sure the old one would've turned a fraction tighter than this one. However, it may just be the rubber stops giving it a funny feeling I'm not used to.
- the brakes need more riding time to bed in.
- rear suspension is much quicker than the old bike.

Need more time on it, and a real ride, to know much more.
But all in all, I like it!

[TooFastTim]

At the mo' I'm hoping that the '10's don't come with the Raga colour scheme.

Nice Keith. I'm insanely jealous!

[Neo]

Hmmmm......

Keith, between your write-up and Gary's "nagging"...Opps, sorry "encouragement" I'm half tempted myself.....as "insanely jealous!" is an understatement from where I'm standing

Hope you enjoy every twist of the throttle.

Roll on 2010.......


Best of balance.

Neo

[keithj]

Hi guys,
I took the new bike out for a decent ride on Sunday, this time with a new CLAKE fitted.
(And thank goodness for that - it's hard going back to a rear brake pedal, but that's another story).

Spent a few hours at the club, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I did manage to leave a bit of red paint from down near the footpeg mounts on some rocks - ah well, that's to be expected. And one big moment when I failed to get up a concrete pipe step - fell off the back of it, but didn't let go and no harm done.

So, how is is now?
- The brakes are getting there... pretty hopeless out of the box, but they'll wear in.
- Turning circle is, to quote gmcdesign, "a bit like an old landrover". Guess I'd better learn to hop it . There was a new Beta EVO there and it ran rings around the Gasser in terms of turning circle. (But it's still a LH kick start, so major points lost there.. ).
- The engine is fantastic - plenty of power for me. Starts easily.
- Gearbox seems quite versatile. First gear seems to cater for most things, whereas it would be second on my old bike.
- suspension seemed ok - certainly better - quicker - than previous bike.

After a few hours I was buggered - too long off a bike - but very, very happy to have a new toy

[Neo]

You doing this deliberately

Just to torture me , just to torture me

But best of balance anyway Keith.

Neo

[keithj]

Yes Neo, you're right, this is deliberate

Today I took the plastic stopper thing off the frame to see what difference that makes to the turning circle. It *feels* better without it, like I'm not fighting the plastic any more.
But I ran out of daylight to get a good go at it.

I might try a flat, level-ground turning-circle test tomorrow, and see what the actual measurable difference is. Should be interesting!

[Neo]

Hi Keith,

You should be able to drop the fork yokes 5mm too.
Makes a big turning circle difference.


Best of balance.

Neo