This bike got a really bad break when it came out. A review I can no longer find claimed it "shuddered" when it shifted and "wallowed" in turns. All I can say is, mind does neither of those things.
I owned a Yhamha Raider 1900. It DID wallow in turns. Both bikes have huge rear tires, the...
read more
This bike got a really bad break when it came out. A review I can no longer find claimed it "shuddered" when it shifted and "wallowed" in turns. All I can say is, mind does neither of those things.
I owned a Yhamha Raider 1900. It DID wallow in turns. Both bikes have huge rear tires, the c109 mounting 240x65r16 rubber. It is fantastic in any turn, especially when it's 838 pound weight is taken into account!
I name my machines. The c109 is "Brutus." She earns every bit, of that. This is a motorcycle - raw and nasty, in some ways. The transmission in clunky, in a heavy-duty sort of way. The ride is far from cushy. You feel the road every second. The torque is, in a word, brutal. But the handling is sublime - same as any Suzuki, and no less than that.
I've been riding since I was 8 years old. I'm 72, now. It's been quite a while since anything scared me with acceleration. Brutus did! As soon as you get her moving, all the weight and bulk seems to disappear. Even walking her around, she's amazingly easy to handle.
I've ridden hundreds of motorcycles. Including a nasty old flathead 80 Harley, hard tail with a springer front end. And the same, in an ancient Indian. Apart from the foot-activated clutches and the hand shifters alongside their tanks, these bikes let you know you are on a motorcycle. You know you've got a fist full. And they move SOOOO GOOD!
First time on the 109 the heel-toe shifter threw me off, real bad. I could not seem to avoid stepping on the damn thing, at seemingly random intervals, changing gears when I did not know how, or why. When I got her home I cut the heel part of that thing off with my saws-all! It was that bad!
My last bike was a YammerHammer FJR. It is famous for power, speed and reliability. Sadly, it has no soul - not a single gram of it. It is a 'world-class' motorcycle, in every sense of the word, BUT... The riding position is pure torture, and you can not move...
But now, after 6 weeks of trying to learn to ride Brutus, I am reminded of those ancient bikes I rode, only once, but will never forget. "...Cadillac, Cadillac; Long and dark, shiny and black; Open up, them engines let 'em roar; Tearing up the highway, like a big old dinosaur!..."
Show less