1700 Mile Review

So not even having owned my Stryker for a month I have already put 1700 miles on it. Some people say "smiles", but the seat will start reminding me after about halfway through the ride why aftermarket is better. Having the seat mildly redone has made longer rides bareable though. So in that time frame I have really come to know my bike and its pros and cons.

Pros being that it is a head turner while not running. I constantly catch people walking by and giving the bike a quick look over. The guess that this bike costs at least $18,000 always sets people up for the actual costs that is way lower than that.

Another pro being that the bike is very stable at highway speeds and on rails around corners. This isn't a sportbike by any means, but really does surprise me by not back talking in a tight corner. Even low speed maneuvers are no problem once I came to know the 40 degree rake.

Now for every plus their are minuses that rear their ugly head and the first is the ride. The bike is smooth as glass on good pavement, but any kind of rough bump, pothole, or break in the pavement sends the impact up my spine. The suspension is already set to 3 (factory being 4) and while it has helped a little their is still room for improvement. A good aftermarket seat and maybe would another notch down would send the impacts morse code instead of speed dial.

The factory exhaust also leaves a lot to be desired. I know their are noise and emission laws, but did Yamaha really have to make it sound about a fierce as a 400 Grizzly? The Stryker does loose its luster the second I thumb the starter infront of a crowd and emits a tame purr. At least a mildly pissed growl would fit the bike off the showroom floor.

Running around town or passing a semi on the freeway the bike is more than willing, but holding your own from a stoplight isn't on the transmissions mind. Shifts are very spaced apart which is good, but I really haven't found the bikes sweet spot. At 70-75 your either chugging if fifth or running moderately high in fourth depending on your comfort zone. Going from home to Walmart through town seems more to the Strykers liking. Second or third gear under highway speeds and the Stryker really does feel at home.

So am I unhappy with my purchase? Hell no. I really love my bike and do see it as a blank canvas for improvement.

In a way the Stryker is like Ford factory speakers. They get the job done, but could be a little better.

New Bike+Lay Off=Time To Ride And Worry

So it never fails with me.  I finally get something really nice that I have been wanting for a while and BAM!!!! something bad happens.

Working in the manufacturing industry does have its ups and downs.  Ups being that you get paid a good wage to do work that doesn't really require a degree.  Down is that when you do get laid off or the plant closes you wish you would of had a degree.

I haven't even had my Stryker a month and now I have to worry about what will come next.  The managers are saying hopefully two months business will pick back up, but nothing is certain or for sure.  I had visions of new saddles bags, quick release windshields, and corbra swept exhaust dancing in my head only to be shattered.

And of course the two months couldn't happen during the spring or summer, but fall.  I do like the fair weather, but who wants to go on those magical midnight rides during chilly weather only to sweat your balls off during afternoon because you didn't want to take your liner out?  Give me April, May, or June and you would have seen me smiling all the way to the unemployment office.

But you can't change what you can't control.  I would of like to have had the funds to at least control the damn seat. 

Setting Off

Well I finally got my first real motorcycle less than a week ago, a Star (Yamaha) Stryker 1300.  Moving up from a 750 to a 1300 wasn't near as hard as I thought.  I finally got fuel injection, computer programming, and a modern looking bike.  The was the Stryker turns heads while I'm enjoying a cool beverage at Starbucks always makes me feel a little like a bad ass.

Really hope to share my stories and adventures on this site.