So the Rockster is entertaining... I mean really fun and different. Good Power, smooth running and fun. Quirky but a lot of fun. Very well balanced, and the suspension is a gem.
So yeah.... I thought well hell I should at least ride a Ulysses, I've been reading good things about it, why not?
I'll tell ya why not!!! It's embarrassing it is so bad. Here is a machine that only Moto-Journalists chasing ad dollars or a poor bastard that has never ridden anything but Harley's could love...
It is a good handling, comfortable machine, this is true. BUT, it rattles and shakes like a damned paint mixer at anything below about 2200 RPMS... Really it's embarrassing to be sitting in traffic on this thing whilst it's doing it best impression of a damned epileptic in mid seize... NO, an epileptic full of caffeine and crank duct taped to the paint mixer in mid seize. Then once underway it quits trying to shake itself to pieces in big beefy Vibes, instead focusing it's wrath on the foot pegs and smaller high frequency vibes... My foot was Numb after about 5 minutes, no fooling numb from the vibes channeled straight into my feet. Not to mention that these very foot pegs get super slippery when wet. WTF? I'd swear they polished the crown of the pegs... It was very slippery, spooky they were so slippery in fact.
OK, once on the highway things do smooth out nicely, BUT now the front end weaves, and twitches a little here and there. No ****! Freaking feels like the beginnings of a low speed tank slapper, only in a straight line at 70mph.
OH and lemme tell you about the SATANIC HAIRDRYER that lives under the seat... The apparent purpose of which is to scare small animals and children away from a just parked bike. The freakin Huge fan kicks on, screaming like a bearing in pain after you shut off the bike and walk away. It's embarrassing it's so damn loud, comical in it's horrific absurdity.
Hell it's so bad I dunno what I am going to tell my co-workers who were telling me what a fantastic bike it was... WTF are they smoking??? Have none of them ever ridden a damned Honda???
Probably not and that's a good thing, it's the only way people are going to buy these bikes. We are counting on a demographic that has NEVER EVER ridden a bike other than a Harley, it's the only way that a reasonable person could think the Buells were "AWESOME"...
I'm sad it is so bad...
The Rockster though, a kick in the butt, great handling and very solid and comfy feeling. Good stuff and the heated grips were a bonus.
So, I ride a VFR on Tuesday and then decide between the VFR and it's creamy Goodness, or the Rockster and it's Funky weirdness. I'll tell ya the 25th ANN VFR is a sexy Beetch... But the Rockster is like $7500 used and entertaining in a different way, so we'll see... I've always wanted a VFR. Hell since 1994 I've wanted a VFR, but if it doesn't just blow me away? I'll be buying a funky Boxster and having it custom painted.
Cheers.
BMW Rockster... Huge fun, not serious fun like the Busa, but light hearted good time fun, reminded me of why I started riding.
The 25th Anniversary VFR is a Calling me though: Reminds me of the VFRs I wanted back int he Early 90s before I even had my license... Love the Colors.
So yeah.... I thought well hell I should at least ride a Ulysses, I've been reading good things about it, why not?
I'll tell ya why not!!! It's embarrassing it is so bad. Here is a machine that only Moto-Journalists chasing ad dollars or a poor bastard that has never ridden anything but Harley's could love...
It is a good handling, comfortable machine, this is true. BUT, it rattles and shakes like a damned paint mixer at anything below about 2200 RPMS... Really it's embarrassing to be sitting in traffic on this thing whilst it's doing it best impression of a damned epileptic in mid seize... NO, an epileptic full of caffeine and crank duct taped to the paint mixer in mid seize. Then once underway it quits trying to shake itself to pieces in big beefy Vibes, instead focusing it's wrath on the foot pegs and smaller high frequency vibes... My foot was Numb after about 5 minutes, no fooling numb from the vibes channeled straight into my feet. Not to mention that these very foot pegs get super slippery when wet. WTF? I'd swear they polished the crown of the pegs... It was very slippery, spooky they were so slippery in fact.
OK, once on the highway things do smooth out nicely, BUT now the front end weaves, and twitches a little here and there. No ****! Freaking feels like the beginnings of a low speed tank slapper, only in a straight line at 70mph.
OH and lemme tell you about the SATANIC HAIRDRYER that lives under the seat... The apparent purpose of which is to scare small animals and children away from a just parked bike. The freakin Huge fan kicks on, screaming like a bearing in pain after you shut off the bike and walk away. It's embarrassing it's so damn loud, comical in it's horrific absurdity.
Hell it's so bad I dunno what I am going to tell my co-workers who were telling me what a fantastic bike it was... WTF are they smoking??? Have none of them ever ridden a damned Honda???
Probably not and that's a good thing, it's the only way people are going to buy these bikes. We are counting on a demographic that has NEVER EVER ridden a bike other than a Harley, it's the only way that a reasonable person could think the Buells were "AWESOME"...
I'm sad it is so bad...
The Rockster though, a kick in the butt, great handling and very solid and comfy feeling. Good stuff and the heated grips were a bonus.
So, I ride a VFR on Tuesday and then decide between the VFR and it's creamy Goodness, or the Rockster and it's Funky weirdness. I'll tell ya the 25th ANN VFR is a sexy Beetch... But the Rockster is like $7500 used and entertaining in a different way, so we'll see... I've always wanted a VFR. Hell since 1994 I've wanted a VFR, but if it doesn't just blow me away? I'll be buying a funky Boxster and having it custom painted.
Cheers.
BMW Rockster... Huge fun, not serious fun like the Busa, but light hearted good time fun, reminded me of why I started riding.
The 25th Anniversary VFR is a Calling me though: Reminds me of the VFRs I wanted back int he Early 90s before I even had my license... Love the Colors.