monkey needed

[Eddie]

Hey all, I got to ride a demo Star "Bolt" cruiser this afternoon. It reminded me of my 04' 1200 Sportster in a lot of ways. Some good. Some bad. Here are my 1st impressions: It's a little bike. The 950 engine is the center piece. Great sound from a stock exhaust! Rumbly without being loud. Good handling. Good brakes. Comfortable enough as a short hop bike. Not sure about longer rides, though. My back was a little tweaked after the short stint. Protruding rear cylinder on the left could be a problem for some because of heat and it's proximity to an inner thigh. On my roughly 5 mile ride, it ended up not being an issue. The 950's air-cooled, fuel injected engine was willing and quite tractable. The clutch pull? Moderately light - albeit with an odd engagement point at the end of the lever throw. That took getting used to at 1st. The seat didn't send my backside and other parts into shock like my old Sportster's did. Whew! Although I really didn't spend a whole lot of time on the bike. Wish I had it for an afternoon. The ride was better than expected considering the short rear shocks and limited wheelbase. The Bolt would make a terrific around town/limited countryside ride. However, I had no idea how fast I was going {slow, for sure} because the speedometer is pretty much obscured in daylight by the smoked glass cover. I had to look really closely to see the neutral light. Hate to say they goofed big time in the form over function of that one. My girlfriend REALLY, REALLY wanted one until she actually sat on it and expressed concerns about the cylinder heat and especially the speedometer. Would I buy a new one? I was set to buy two. One for each of us. But, that plan evaporated once we actually got ahold of one. Is it a bad bike? No. They'll sell a ton of 'em and folks will ride the crap out of them without any trouble. I just wished it didn't have the few issues it did. -eddie in Ga.

[ron criswell]

It is beyond me why so many bike seats fail the ride for long test. Do the designers never sit on them? A friend just bought a $23,000 Harley. I asked him how he liked it.....Great he said ....but he was going to have to replace the seat, bars......and pipes. But.....my much cheaper '99 KLR failed the seat test also as did my Versys. My 2001 Concours has a pretty good stock seat....but still needs a sheepskin pad for long days. And dirt bike seats are awful.....I know, I know....you are supposed to ride standing on the pegs in dirt but I am getting old and sit more these days. My old Hodaka of years past had a great seat. I sat on a new Harley (I forget what ad men named it), waaaay forward pegs my little short legs could barely reach, waaaay forward bars for my short arms. How do people ride these things I asked myself? Have you ever sat on a Ducati??? Makes my knees and wrists hurt just thinking about it. Your ass would probably never see a 900 mile day on one. Much less a 90 mile day in city traffic. Criswell who doesn't get it. My KLR still has the most comfortable seating position for a long day in the saddle. My Versys hurts my right knee. Sent from my iPad

On Apr 27, 2013, at 7:48 PM, "eddie" wrote: > Hey all, > > I got to ride a demo Star "Bolt" cruiser this afternoon. > It reminded me of my 04' 1200 Sportster in a lot of ways. Some good. Some > bad. > Here are my 1st impressions: > It's a little bike. The 950 engine is the center piece. > Great sound from a stock exhaust! Rumbly without being loud. > Good handling. Good brakes. Comfortable enough as a short hop bike. > Not sure about longer rides, though. My back was a little tweaked after the > short stint. > Protruding rear cylinder on the left could be a problem for some because of > heat and it's proximity to an inner thigh. > On my roughly 5 mile ride, it ended up not being an issue. > The 950's air-cooled, fuel injected engine was willing and quite tractable. > The clutch pull? Moderately light - albeit with an odd engagement point at > the end of the lever throw. > That took getting used to at 1st. The seat didn't send my backside and > other parts into shock like my old Sportster's did. Whew! > Although I really didn't spend a whole lot of time on the bike. Wish I had > it for an afternoon. > The ride was better than expected considering the short rear shocks and > limited wheelbase. > The Bolt would make a terrific around town/limited countryside ride. > However, I had no idea how fast I was going {slow, for sure} because the > speedometer is pretty much obscured in daylight by the smoked glass cover. > I had to look really closely to see the neutral light. Hate to say they > goofed big time in the form over function of that one. > My girlfriend REALLY, REALLY wanted one until she actually sat on it and > expressed concerns about the cylinder heat and especially the speedometer. > > Would I buy a new one? I was set to buy two. One for each of us. > But, that plan evaporated once we actually got ahold of one. > Is it a bad bike? No. They'll sell a ton of 'em and folks will ride the crap > out of them without any trouble. > I just wished it didn't have the few issues it did. > > -eddie in Ga. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jud]

At least you can replace a bad seat. If the seating position is bad, that can be a lot harder to put right. Almost any dirt bike or dual sport can be made tolerably comfortable. There is no way to fix the feet-forward cruiser riding position. Spine in compression, feet too far forward to stand on the pegs; it will always fail, no matter how good the seat is. Friends don't let friends ride cruisers.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ron Criswell wrote: > > It is beyond me why so many bike seats fail the ride for long test. Do the designers never sit on them? A friend just bought a $23,000 Harley. I asked him how he liked it.....Great he said ....but he was going to have to replace the seat, bars......and pipes. But.....my much cheaper '99 KLR failed the seat test also as did my Versys. My 2001 Concours has a pretty good stock seat....but still needs a sheepskin pad for long days. And dirt bike seats are awful.....I know, I know....you are supposed to ride standing on the pegs in dirt but I am getting old and sit more these days. My old Hodaka of years past had a great seat. I sat on a new Harley (I forget what ad men named it), waaaay forward pegs my little short legs could barely reach, waaaay forward bars for my short arms. How do people ride these things I asked myself? Have you ever sat on a Ducati??? Makes my knees and wrists hurt just thinking about it. Your ass would probably never see a 900 mile day on one. Much less a 90 mile day in city traffic. > > Criswell > who doesn't get it. My KLR still has the most comfortable seating position for a long day in the saddle. My Versys hurts my right knee. > > Sent from my iPad > > On Apr 27, 2013, at 7:48 PM, "eddie" wrote: > > > Hey all, > > > > I got to ride a demo Star "Bolt" cruiser this afternoon. > > It reminded me of my 04' 1200 Sportster in a lot of ways. Some good. Some > > bad. > > Here are my 1st impressions: > > It's a little bike. The 950 engine is the center piece. > > Great sound from a stock exhaust! Rumbly without being loud. > > Good handling. Good brakes. Comfortable enough as a short hop bike. > > Not sure about longer rides, though. My back was a little tweaked after the > > short stint. > > Protruding rear cylinder on the left could be a problem for some because of > > heat and it's proximity to an inner thigh. > > On my roughly 5 mile ride, it ended up not being an issue. > > The 950's air-cooled, fuel injected engine was willing and quite tractable. > > The clutch pull? Moderately light - albeit with an odd engagement point at > > the end of the lever throw. > > That took getting used to at 1st. The seat didn't send my backside and > > other parts into shock like my old Sportster's did. Whew! > > Although I really didn't spend a whole lot of time on the bike. Wish I had > > it for an afternoon. > > The ride was better than expected considering the short rear shocks and > > limited wheelbase. > > The Bolt would make a terrific around town/limited countryside ride. > > However, I had no idea how fast I was going {slow, for sure} because the > > speedometer is pretty much obscured in daylight by the smoked glass cover. > > I had to look really closely to see the neutral light. Hate to say they > > goofed big time in the form over function of that one. > > My girlfriend REALLY, REALLY wanted one until she actually sat on it and > > expressed concerns about the cylinder heat and especially the speedometer. > > > > Would I buy a new one? I was set to buy two. One for each of us. > > But, that plan evaporated once we actually got ahold of one. > > Is it a bad bike? No. They'll sell a ton of 'em and folks will ride the crap > > out of them without any trouble. > > I just wished it didn't have the few issues it did. > > > > -eddie in Ga. > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Eddie]

It may be a cruiser. But, the footpegs are mids: It's not so much the seat as the ergonomics and geometry of the seating position coupled with really short travel rear suspension. The rear axle, lower & upper shock bolts and the rider's backside all line up. The seat was actually okay (shape & firmness). That is, your feet are under your knees as one review online stated, "'As God and Steve McQueen intended." -eddie

----- Original Message ----- From: Jud To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 6:50 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: NKLR Star "Bolt" At least you can replace a bad seat. If the seating position is bad, that can be a lot harder to put right. Almost any dirt bike or dual sport can be made tolerably comfortable. There is no way to fix the feet-forward cruiser riding position. Spine in compression, feet too far forward to stand on the pegs; it will always fail, no matter how good the seat is. Friends don't let friends ride cruisers. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ron Criswell wrote: > > It is beyond me why so many bike seats fail the ride for long test. Do the designers never sit on them? A friend just bought a $23,000 Harley. I asked him how he liked it.....Great he said ....but he was going to have to replace the seat, bars......and pipes. But.....my much cheaper '99 KLR failed the seat test also as did my Versys. My 2001 Concours has a pretty good stock seat....but still needs a sheepskin pad for long days. And dirt bike seats are awful.....I know, I know....you are supposed to ride standing on the pegs in dirt but I am getting old and sit more these days. My old Hodaka of years past had a great seat. I sat on a new Harley (I forget what ad men named it), waaaay forward pegs my little short legs could barely reach, waaaay forward bars for my short arms. How do people ride these things I asked myself? Have you ever sat on a Ducati??? Makes my knees and wrists hurt just thinking about it. Your ass would probably never see a 900 mile day on one. Much less a 90 mile day in city traffic. > > Criswell > who doesn't get it. My KLR still has the most comfortable seating position for a long day in the saddle. My Versys hurts my right knee. > > Sent from my iPad > > On Apr 27, 2013, at 7:48 PM, "eddie" wrote: > > > Hey all, > > > > I got to ride a demo Star "Bolt" cruiser this afternoon. > > It reminded me of my 04' 1200 Sportster in a lot of ways. Some good. Some > > bad. > > Here are my 1st impressions: > > It's a little bike. The 950 engine is the center piece. > > Great sound from a stock exhaust! Rumbly without being loud. > > Good handling. Good brakes. Comfortable enough as a short hop bike. > > Not sure about longer rides, though. My back was a little tweaked after the > > short stint. > > Protruding rear cylinder on the left could be a problem for some because of > > heat and it's proximity to an inner thigh. > > On my roughly 5 mile ride, it ended up not being an issue. > > The 950's air-cooled, fuel injected engine was willing and quite tractable. > > The clutch pull? Moderately light - albeit with an odd engagement point at > > the end of the lever throw. > > That took getting used to at 1st. The seat didn't send my backside and > > other parts into shock like my old Sportster's did. Whew! > > Although I really didn't spend a whole lot of time on the bike. Wish I had > > it for an afternoon. > > The ride was better than expected considering the short rear shocks and > > limited wheelbase. > > The Bolt would make a terrific around town/limited countryside ride. > > However, I had no idea how fast I was going {slow, for sure} because the > > speedometer is pretty much obscured in daylight by the smoked glass cover. > > I had to look really closely to see the neutral light. Hate to say they > > goofed big time in the form over function of that one. > > My girlfriend REALLY, REALLY wanted one until she actually sat on it and > > expressed concerns about the cylinder heat and especially the speedometer. > > > > Would I buy a new one? I was set to buy two. One for each of us. > > But, that plan evaporated once we actually got ahold of one. > > Is it a bad bike? No. They'll sell a ton of 'em and folks will ride the crap > > out of them without any trouble. > > I just wished it didn't have the few issues it did. > > > > -eddie in Ga. > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[achesley43@ymail.com]

I really just wish the factories would sell you the bike without a seat and give you off what they charge for said seat. I've never , ever, found a stock seat I like. And, the older I get, the more the bike has to conform to me and not me to it. . I spent near 1200 bucks on seats for my DL1000 and never found one I like. So far on the Bandit 1250s , just a change to the Corbin has helped my survive over 66 thousand miles on it. I tried a Sargent but sat me up too high on the bike and I had it set up for the lower corbin so it went on the sales block pretty fast. The KLR I've been having since '99 had done it's 33,900 miles with just a flattop Corbin. Everything else is as came from the windshield to handlebars to footpegs. The Bandit hmmmmmm, 2" Rox risers on the handlebars, reversed footpegs that put them about an inch down and forward. Had to cut about an inch off the foot shift pedal for that to work good. Plus a lot of windshields before settling on a Touring Zero Gravity with a Laminar lip bolted on also. You learn fast what your body likes when your on the road for a few weeks doing 3 to 5 hundred miles a day. Even more when I was chasing BMW rallies around the country doing 600 to thousand mile days. You learn even more then. Andy in Jennings.

>

[Jeff Khoury]

Andy, For me, anyway, the DL1K seat is one of the best stock seats I've found. On that bike, the singular thing that made the biggest difference in all-day riding on it was Richland Rick's footpeg lowering kit. Before I put it on, my legs would cramp from being flexed so much and it shifted my weight onto my tailbone on the seat. That little 1" drop releases the strain on my legs and lets my hips rotate forward enough so that the riding position is more like the KLR. (I'm 6' tall with a 32" inseam) It's the best farkle of all, beating out the "Perfect 'Strom" windshield by a nose. -Jeff Khoury

----- Original Message ----- From: achesley43@... To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 9:59:32 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: NKLR Star "Bolt" I really just wish the factories would sell you the bike without a seat and give you off what they charge for said seat. I've never , ever, found a stock seat I like. And, the older I get, the more the bike has to conform to me and not me to it. . I spent near 1200 bucks on seats for my DL1000 and never found one I like. So far on the Bandit 1250s , just a change to the Corbin has helped my survive over 66 thousand miles on it. I tried a Sargent but sat me up too high on the bike and I had it set up for the lower corbin so it went on the sales block pretty fast. The KLR I've been having since '99 had done it's 33,900 miles with just a flattop Corbin. Everything else is as came from the windshield to handlebars to footpegs. The Bandit hmmmmmm, 2" Rox risers on the handlebars, reversed footpegs that put them about an inch down and forward. Had to cut about an inch off the foot shift pedal for that to work good. Plus a lot of windshields before settling on a Touring Zero Gravity with a Laminar lip bolted on also. You learn fast what your body likes when your on the road for a few weeks doing 3 to 5 hundred miles a day. Even more when I was chasing BMW rallies around the country doing 600 to thousand mile days. You learn even more then. Andy in Jennings. >

[Fred Hink]

See just how good your friends really are.... http://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2010-EML---ZABEL-MOTOCROSS-SIDECAR-RIG-107909398 Fred http://www.arrowheadmotorsports.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]