My magnificent black omnipresent Speedie turned one full year old yesterday clocking 13,994.5 miles during the past year. The bike has not yet lost one iota of her appeal and still turns heads when out and about.
Thanks to the able help and advise that is ever present and freely given in this locale I have implemented the vast majority of basic mods. The only basic mod I have not yet implemeted is drillin the airbox but heck Black Speedmasters dont really need that as they are born faster!
Thanks BA.com for all the help , advice and political intrigue over the past year.
A few observations that are beyond debate.
1. Thunderbike pipes are not LOUD. They simply have a touch of character but cannot even remotely be considered loud.
2. These bikes are prettier than Harleys all the time. There are no pretty Harley's when lined up side by side with a Black Speedmaster.
3. An occasional burble and minor pop on decel is a great thing. As you come out of a decel and roll on the throttle the sound of the motor grabbing gas and air is awe inspiring. Roll it on hard for three seconds and then back off slighttly and that sound as she gasps is just MUSIC to the ear. Those decel pops only occur below 3k on a pretty hard decel for the most part or if you are on a downhill descent.
The chain is a pain in the arse. Its the one thing ya gotta do every 500 miles or so and I really wish the bike had come with a belt drive or that belt drive kits were a more reasonable upgrade. I know some view the chain drive as a symbol of the classic motorbike but it needs to be cleaned and lubed and I'd rather just clean the bike and ride.
Thanks Bonneville America.
