[MattyBoy1976]

So my bike arrived with 36 miles on the odometer, and I just changed the oil today, at 333 miles.

So far, here are my impressions:

While Roadrunner Freight is probably a great shipping company, their local contractor (Colorado Motor Express) dropped the ball. However, I blame that on the lady who called to set the delivery appointment, as she was going on vacation the next day-she had a case of vacation brain. When it didn't show up on Thursday between noon and 5 like they said, I spent 50 bucks on a Uhaul trailer and went and picked it up myself Friday morning. So if anyone in the Denver Metro area is thinking of ordering one, make sure you nail down your delivery date with CMX!

The hardest part of putting together what was left to put together was installing the windshield-the nuts are hard to hold. I used the closed end of a combination wrench with a 3M foam mounting square holding the nut in the wrench, and that seemed to work. I also put blue Loctite on the bolts, as well as the bolts for the top box.

The next hardest part was having the bike sitting there looking at me all weekend, and not being able to ride it! I planned on getting it registered on Friday, but due to the shipping mixup, that didn't happen. I went in Monday and was able to get a temporary registration while Arapahoe County tries to figure out a four-character code for CSC-not sure how that's going to work, but until they do, I can't get a permanent plate.

As far as riding it goes, you must remember that all I have to compare it to is about 1200 miles on a TW200-that's the sum total of my riding experience. However, it's night and day-what a difference! I've never ridden a fuel injected motorcycle, so the throttle response is phenomenal compared to the ol' T-Dub. It shifts smoothly, marches right through the gears, and for the first time, I actually have to be careful not to exceed the speed limit!

Comfort-wise, I bought the sheepskin gel pad, and it came already attached to the saddle. I rode almost 175 miles yesterday, and I'd never even know it. I rode T-Dub 150 miles once, and felt it in my sitter for a week!

I agree with some of the other guys-it's a bit louder than I thought it would be. It's not unpleasant, though, and I always ride with earplugs, so it's not a big deal. I would like to make it a bit quieter, though-I've been watching that other thread with some interest.

The speedometer reads 3 MPH fast up to about 45, and then 4-5 MPH fast after that, with a 19 inch front wheel, as compared to my GPS. I can live with that-I'd rather have it read fast than slow, I guess.

The stock tires are just fine on pavement, but on some of the gravel roads I was on yesterday, the rear tire in particular wanted to come out from under me when the road got a little soft or sandy, especially in the outside of curves. I never hesitated going around those curves with the big knobbies on the T-Dub, but I had to be very careful yesterday. I think some more aggressive tires are in order, for sure.

I changed the oil today while it rained-I'm a fair-weather rider! The service manual says it's not necessary to remove the skid pan to change the oil, but I will next time-I think that skid pan holds about a quart of oil! What a mess! Oh well, live and learn. I noticed that the oil screens were both installed backwards from what the service manual specifies, too-I triple checked, and yep, they were backwards.

I purchased a set of heated grips on Amazon, and will install them next week, I guess. I go back to work tomorrow, and it's just as well, as the weather is supposed to be cool and rainy for the next few days, and then warm up just in time for my days off next week. I hope to put on another few hundred miles then. I'll have to remember to keep my face shield down, or I'll get too many bugs in my teeth-it's hard not to smile while riding this bike!

I made it into Pikes Peak country yesterday...rode through Aurora, Parker, Franktown, Elizabeth, Kiowa, Elbert, Colorado Springs, and then back to Aurora via Black Forest, a bunch of dirt roads that spit me back out in Elbert, and then back through Kiowa, Elizabeth, and Parker to home. About 175 miles, and never once stopped for gas.