roadster vs sports bikes
Well, I ve done two runs this week to the west coast. First with guys on a 1250 bandit, Zed1000 and Buell 1125, 250 miles, and yesterday another 300 with a mate on an SV650.(who usually uses his 1150 BMW)
First, a good rider on a sports bike will leave the roadster behind on the really tight twisties unless you know the road, as the Roadster needs a bit more setting up for the corners-if you chuck it into an unknown and nasty tight corner too fast, there's no way you're going to stay on your side of the road unless you get you a*se off the seat and hang off pdq, because 800+lbs of metal has a mind of its own with a 240 back tyre to wrestle with! Nothing serious hits the road, only the footrests (which fold up) but laws of physics do win in the end.
We swapped a few times between the SV and the Roadster during the 300 miles, and with either of us on the SV, it was leaving the Rocket astern due to better ground clearance and "chuckability" on the really tight bends (and we're talking Scottish narrow single carriageway roads here, damp patches, washout gravel, and wet leaves too now, where a bus or an artic will fill the whole road)
The Rocket soon pulled back on the straighter bits, and once the road became less twisty there was no contest as the Rocket's power left it for dead. Both my mate and I have been riding for 40 years and our conclusion is that the Rocket is astonishingly competent for its size, but it demands more of the rider than any other bike out there.
A good Roadster rider will not lose out to sports bikes on most roads but might drop back a few yards if it gets really twisty - and of course you need to de-limit the 125mph limiter built in to the Roadster.
Pillions make no difference, get the tall backrest to keep them secure but you won't be able to shift your body weight about as much with her on the back, unless she likes cornering hard. Comfort for me on the Roadster is 100% fine, I'm 5-11 , 180lbs, and could ride 500 miles + no problem in a day, although the rear shocks could be better.I like a more upright riding position , not a "sports touring" one which is why my Sprint ST is going up for sale next spring.
It depends if you want to just go fast, head down all the time, or have the ability to chill out and ride comfortably at 40mph on a sunny day on a little back road, looking around and talking to your pillion. You can't do that on a Blade but the Roadster is perfect, smooth and so torquey you never have to change gear.
And be prepared for attention everywhere you stop!
Well, I ve done two runs this week to the west coast. First with guys on a 1250 bandit, Zed1000 and Buell 1125, 250 miles, and yesterday another 300 with a mate on an SV650.(who usually uses his 1150 BMW)
First, a good rider on a sports bike will leave the roadster behind on the really tight twisties unless you know the road, as the Roadster needs a bit more setting up for the corners-if you chuck it into an unknown and nasty tight corner too fast, there's no way you're going to stay on your side of the road unless you get you a*se off the seat and hang off pdq, because 800+lbs of metal has a mind of its own with a 240 back tyre to wrestle with! Nothing serious hits the road, only the footrests (which fold up) but laws of physics do win in the end.
We swapped a few times between the SV and the Roadster during the 300 miles, and with either of us on the SV, it was leaving the Rocket astern due to better ground clearance and "chuckability" on the really tight bends (and we're talking Scottish narrow single carriageway roads here, damp patches, washout gravel, and wet leaves too now, where a bus or an artic will fill the whole road)
The Rocket soon pulled back on the straighter bits, and once the road became less twisty there was no contest as the Rocket's power left it for dead. Both my mate and I have been riding for 40 years and our conclusion is that the Rocket is astonishingly competent for its size, but it demands more of the rider than any other bike out there.
A good Roadster rider will not lose out to sports bikes on most roads but might drop back a few yards if it gets really twisty - and of course you need to de-limit the 125mph limiter built in to the Roadster.
Pillions make no difference, get the tall backrest to keep them secure but you won't be able to shift your body weight about as much with her on the back, unless she likes cornering hard. Comfort for me on the Roadster is 100% fine, I'm 5-11 , 180lbs, and could ride 500 miles + no problem in a day, although the rear shocks could be better.I like a more upright riding position , not a "sports touring" one which is why my Sprint ST is going up for sale next spring.
It depends if you want to just go fast, head down all the time, or have the ability to chill out and ride comfortably at 40mph on a sunny day on a little back road, looking around and talking to your pillion. You can't do that on a Blade but the Roadster is perfect, smooth and so torquey you never have to change gear.
And be prepared for attention everywhere you stop!
sometimes lol) but not always.
