The OL is unable to ride due to some temporary medical problems so, at her requst, I took her bike out for some exercise. I put about 70 miles on it and here are my impressions.
Handling:
Excelent low speed stability. There is no question, this bike is able to beat my America in a slow race with no problems. At normal street and freeway speeds, the handling is probably best described as 'majestic'.
Sound:
It *STILL* has the stock pipes on it. It has a reasonably pleasent (although faint) rumble like a blowtorch (a real one not the propane torches that some confuse with blowtorches) far off across the street someplace. When stopped, the fuel injectors make a mildly annoying tick. The belt drive has a slight humming sound that would "go away" with decent pipes.
Ride:
The combination of lots of weight and soft suspension make the ride near as comfortable as a '55 Packard 400. I don't know that I like a ride this 'cushy', but I have a lot of miles on hardtails, and I'm too old to change my ways.
Seating position and riding comfort:
The seat has an exaggerated hump at the back which is fine for the OL, but I'd rather not have that restriction. The handlebars are about right. The factory highway pegs are a slight stretch for me, unreachable for her. The normal pegs could be maybe 2 inches farther forward. At around 60 miles, my right leg started cramping on the outside. Another sore point (at least it could be) is that the rear cylinder head protrudes slightly on the right under the seat, just where the thigh goes when holding the bike up. Yes, it gets hot at a long redlight! The pipes protrude far enough out on the side that they should have put heat shields on them. Even being extra careful after the Piglet tried to shoot her leg off, the OL has managed to burn herself.
Vibration:
Below 2200 rpm's there is a very noticable shake. Above that, there is some buzzing in the handlebars and pegs, but not a lot. This might be a good thing, considering how much they charge to add a vibro-masage dingus in an easy chair.
Performance:
It does have a lot of torque, which is to be expected with 88 cubic inches. But then, the old John Deere 1 cylinder tractors also had a lot of torque. Keep in mind that this bike has less than 500 miles on it, so this could change, but as far as acceleration is concerned, it is hard pressed to match the America.
The stopping power is a (maybe I should leave out the 'a') little better than the mechanical drum brakes on my old Panhead. The Triumph stops better.
Appearance:
It does look good. The chrome is well done. The metalic candy red has a deep look. The cylinders are blacked out with the edges of the cooling fins polished to a chrome like finish.
Breaking the code:
F - Big twin
X - Sports (non-touring) series
D - Dynaglide
L - Lowrider
I - Fuel Injection
