I managed to get a ride on the GSX1400 last night that I had seen advertised down at Springwood Suzuki and wow, I was impressed.
The bike itself is a second hand 2004 model with just over 30k on the clock and a few little extras such as pipes, guards, wheels and indicators. As soon as I was in the saddle I knew that this was going to be fun - my feet fell into place and the upright position was just right. Unlike the Buell that I am currently riding, the seat is quite soft and perfect for all day touring.
I took off along Kingston Road and opened her up a little and holy shit - plenty of power with no vibration and it was so, so quiet. I fell in love with it pretty well straight away. I turned down Paradise Road heading towards the motorway and whilst there were no cars around I tried some straight line hard braking from about 70kmh - again it exceeded my expectations by pulling up in a very short distance without any noticable diving. I took a turn off into one of the side streets and put the bike through a few corners, accelerating hard and then braking hard and it performed really well, hugging the tighter curves, pulling up admirably and then accelerating very quickly.
I turned back onto Paradise Road and merged onto the motorway - I opened her up and this was the one thing that really stuck with me - the speed at which I got up to 120 whilst only in third and with the GSX still wanting a whole lot more. There are another 3 gears to go - almost scary!!! I quickly backed off and re-joined the flow in awe at the gee-gees in this thing. I made my way back to the shop but did pick up one thing on the way. I could feel the heat from the motor on my left leg and wondered how much hotter it would be in the middle of a summers day with only air/oil cooling.
Once back at the dealer I took some time to have a good look over the bike - it is in very good nick with no motor noise (unlike the rattling Buell) and no obvious leaks or problems. The chain is new, tyres near new and she is ready to roll. I do need to bring Kat up and take her for a ride before confirming but I ended up putting a holding deposit on it, subject to the insurance company writing off the VTX and a second ride with Kat on the back. Provided the insurance pay out, I will more than likely walk away with the GSX and a couple of G's in my fist - much better value.
It definitely is a different ride to a vee-twin, feet forward cruiser but after noticing a couple of things to do with the handling on the VTX last weekend, I feel it is time to step up. All that is left for me to do is to harass the insurance company for a decision.....
The bike itself is a second hand 2004 model with just over 30k on the clock and a few little extras such as pipes, guards, wheels and indicators. As soon as I was in the saddle I knew that this was going to be fun - my feet fell into place and the upright position was just right. Unlike the Buell that I am currently riding, the seat is quite soft and perfect for all day touring.
I took off along Kingston Road and opened her up a little and holy shit - plenty of power with no vibration and it was so, so quiet. I fell in love with it pretty well straight away. I turned down Paradise Road heading towards the motorway and whilst there were no cars around I tried some straight line hard braking from about 70kmh - again it exceeded my expectations by pulling up in a very short distance without any noticable diving. I took a turn off into one of the side streets and put the bike through a few corners, accelerating hard and then braking hard and it performed really well, hugging the tighter curves, pulling up admirably and then accelerating very quickly.
I turned back onto Paradise Road and merged onto the motorway - I opened her up and this was the one thing that really stuck with me - the speed at which I got up to 120 whilst only in third and with the GSX still wanting a whole lot more. There are another 3 gears to go - almost scary!!! I quickly backed off and re-joined the flow in awe at the gee-gees in this thing. I made my way back to the shop but did pick up one thing on the way. I could feel the heat from the motor on my left leg and wondered how much hotter it would be in the middle of a summers day with only air/oil cooling.
Once back at the dealer I took some time to have a good look over the bike - it is in very good nick with no motor noise (unlike the rattling Buell) and no obvious leaks or problems. The chain is new, tyres near new and she is ready to roll. I do need to bring Kat up and take her for a ride before confirming but I ended up putting a holding deposit on it, subject to the insurance company writing off the VTX and a second ride with Kat on the back. Provided the insurance pay out, I will more than likely walk away with the GSX and a couple of G's in my fist - much better value.
Side view of a stock 06 model
It definitely is a different ride to a vee-twin, feet forward cruiser but after noticing a couple of things to do with the handling on the VTX last weekend, I feel it is time to step up. All that is left for me to do is to harass the insurance company for a decision.....
Labels: GSX, VTX Write Off
posted by Beaker at 12:52 PM
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1 Comments:
Very cool looking bike. I will be interested to hear how Kat likes it. Very different from a cruiser. I've looked at a BMW 650, but they can't get it low enough for my 5'2" height, lol. I hope your insurance company works fast for you.
Betty :)
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