About three months after I bought this bike, a friend sent me an email to check out a bike review she'd found on the web about my new scooter. I did and was very pleased. What I found was that a California based zine had a road test on my year and model and called it the Decades Best Bike for the...
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About three months after I bought this bike, a friend sent me an email to check out a bike review she'd found on the web about my new scooter. I did and was very pleased. What I found was that a California based zine had a road test on my year and model and called it the Decades Best Bike for the Money. Pretty strong words. Well, I've had the bike for 18 months and have put almost 30,000 miles on it, and I'd have to totally agree with them. My last ride was an 800 plus touring bike. I wanted a lighter, more responsive canyon carver, but one that I could still set up for touring. Working with a clean slate, as a naked bike is, I was able to set it up my way. First, the canyon carver part. While the ergonomic are a tad bit cramped for my sub 6 foot frame, it's not uncomfortable. But the slightly agressive riding position puts me where I need to be to really get into a curve. The effort on my part is minimal. The bike really reads my mind. I found out early that I'd better be ready for the next curve, because the bike was already there. At 80 hp, it's the power baby of the Beemer twin lineup, but that's still a hell of lot more than I've ever had before. It's a speeding ticket waiting to happen. You just don't realize you're going as fast as you are. Although it doesn't have ABS, this scoot has the best brakes I've ever used. The bike is so forgiving. And with gobs of torque, I can still shortshift it and lug around town like I used to on my cruiser. Now, the touring part. Since its purchase, my Roadster has sprouted an Aeroflow windscreen, Russell seats, a luggage rack, padded passenger backrest with a T-Bag, OEM hard bags on the side, OEM tankbag, ThrottleMeister speed control, padded grips, and more I'm probably not remembering. I love this bike. With BMW's reputation for reliability, this may be my last bike.
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