Posh Tourer :P
25th January 2005, 10:49
Specs:
Power: Unknown
Torque: Unknown, but from seat of the pants, quite a bit.
Weight: 9kg "dry", 75kg fully loaded (estimate)
Top Speed: Enough to be illegal, but on the test ride only reached 56km/h
0-100: Didnt want to try
100-0: see above
0-50: Surprisingly fast, does power wheelies easily
50-0: see above, does rolling stoppies easily
Gearbox: 7-speed, with high and low ratio selector.
Mileage: Unknown, but over 2000km
I took this wee baby for a cruise over the weekend, down to Mission Bay and back. Only 35km, but enough to get a good feel for it.
Firstly, the bike itself. I've had it for about 8 years, bought it for $250. It is a dedicated hill-climber, being *very* light. Alan, a French make, with Galli brakes, Shimano gears, Campagnolo head, Look pedals and Mavic rims....Original equipment included anodised rims with tubeless tyres, and a 17-22 rear cluster, which were replaced with the current rims, after they were re-spoked when the spokes started snapping (re-lacing was done with normal round spokes, not the aerodynamic originals). This bike also has a splash of carbon-fibre on it too...
Having not ridden it for a while (read at least a year), it was like first impressions all over again. The first thing I noticed was how close to the road it felt, and how narrow it was. The bars are very narrow as well. The seat is quite hard, and also quite small. Riding off down the road, and taking off from a few lights, I noticed that there was an impressive amount of torque still there, enough to do power wheelies despite not really wanting to..... I felt it would easily be flippable for the unwary. Power was ok as well.
The powerplant worked well, especially off the line, and I'd put my money on it over most things 0-25kmh. Beyond that it runs out a bit, and the constant gearchanging, while fast, is a hassle. Getting into high ratio is also hard, as you have to move both the ratio, and also re-select a correct gear as well, all taking time. Most of the time was spent in low ratio.
The engine was rather badly out of tune, and tended to get a bit wheezy when warm. Constant inputs of water were needed, but it may just need to be run in gently, after such a long time sitting doing nothing. I suspect with another 100km on the clock, these issues will be rectified, as will be the tendency to stop when it got too hot. The average speed for the ride was still a respectable 27.7kmh. 3/10 (but will improve with use)
The handling was very interesting... I found it incredibly twitchy, and it didnt track very well through corners, especially on rough roads, unless you were *absolutely* still on the bars. The inputs required are very subtle, and using great big gobs of countersteer a la BMW really throws things out of whack. Once I got used to this, it was very nice however. 7/10
The suspension left a lot to be desired, and was only really effective at high speeds (40kmh plus). The method of suspension is mainly frame flex, and this works well over most surfaces, except large holes and at low-speed. Gravel is to be avoided completely, as the bike feels very skittish on loose surfaces. 5/10
Seating position is surprisingly comfortable, especially when working hard, or at speed. The weight on the wrists isnt huge, and compares well with bikes such as the ZXR400. It is also fully adjustable. 7/10
Despite the powerplant issues, there was still plenty of torque there, and the ride was an enjoyable one. Would like to ride this bike more often, and overall, given the fun factor, I'd give it about 8/10.
Somehow the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.
Power: Unknown
Torque: Unknown, but from seat of the pants, quite a bit.
Weight: 9kg "dry", 75kg fully loaded (estimate)
Top Speed: Enough to be illegal, but on the test ride only reached 56km/h
0-100: Didnt want to try
100-0: see above
0-50: Surprisingly fast, does power wheelies easily
50-0: see above, does rolling stoppies easily
Gearbox: 7-speed, with high and low ratio selector.
Mileage: Unknown, but over 2000km
I took this wee baby for a cruise over the weekend, down to Mission Bay and back. Only 35km, but enough to get a good feel for it.
Firstly, the bike itself. I've had it for about 8 years, bought it for $250. It is a dedicated hill-climber, being *very* light. Alan, a French make, with Galli brakes, Shimano gears, Campagnolo head, Look pedals and Mavic rims....Original equipment included anodised rims with tubeless tyres, and a 17-22 rear cluster, which were replaced with the current rims, after they were re-spoked when the spokes started snapping (re-lacing was done with normal round spokes, not the aerodynamic originals). This bike also has a splash of carbon-fibre on it too...
Having not ridden it for a while (read at least a year), it was like first impressions all over again. The first thing I noticed was how close to the road it felt, and how narrow it was. The bars are very narrow as well. The seat is quite hard, and also quite small. Riding off down the road, and taking off from a few lights, I noticed that there was an impressive amount of torque still there, enough to do power wheelies despite not really wanting to..... I felt it would easily be flippable for the unwary. Power was ok as well.
The powerplant worked well, especially off the line, and I'd put my money on it over most things 0-25kmh. Beyond that it runs out a bit, and the constant gearchanging, while fast, is a hassle. Getting into high ratio is also hard, as you have to move both the ratio, and also re-select a correct gear as well, all taking time. Most of the time was spent in low ratio.
The engine was rather badly out of tune, and tended to get a bit wheezy when warm. Constant inputs of water were needed, but it may just need to be run in gently, after such a long time sitting doing nothing. I suspect with another 100km on the clock, these issues will be rectified, as will be the tendency to stop when it got too hot. The average speed for the ride was still a respectable 27.7kmh. 3/10 (but will improve with use)
The handling was very interesting... I found it incredibly twitchy, and it didnt track very well through corners, especially on rough roads, unless you were *absolutely* still on the bars. The inputs required are very subtle, and using great big gobs of countersteer a la BMW really throws things out of whack. Once I got used to this, it was very nice however. 7/10
The suspension left a lot to be desired, and was only really effective at high speeds (40kmh plus). The method of suspension is mainly frame flex, and this works well over most surfaces, except large holes and at low-speed. Gravel is to be avoided completely, as the bike feels very skittish on loose surfaces. 5/10
Seating position is surprisingly comfortable, especially when working hard, or at speed. The weight on the wrists isnt huge, and compares well with bikes such as the ZXR400. It is also fully adjustable. 7/10
Despite the powerplant issues, there was still plenty of torque there, and the ride was an enjoyable one. Would like to ride this bike more often, and overall, given the fun factor, I'd give it about 8/10.
Somehow the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.