Classic Velocity

After doing a bit of dirt, and some highway miles, and some back roads, it was time to round out the other aspects of a truly versatile machine. Commuting is not the main purpose of the 1190R, but it was pressed into service as the G650GS was half apart for a lighting upgrade. Several hundred miles round trip provided a chance to try the heated grips on low and medium settings. They were hardly noticeable on low, but good on the medium setting. The windshield is pretty effective, and provides minimal turbulence due to the design. The TKC80s are not the ideal tire, but they are not bad on the highway. Of course, they are being wasted by doing interstate miles…..The Powersports seat is fine for a tankful of gas (250-300 miles), and feels like a longer stint would work as well. TBD.

A Two-up test of 150 miles or so was next. The seat is similarly good for a tankfull, but the pegs are in a comfortable ergonomic position, and the ride is reported as smoother despite the TKCs. The route was twisty, so it was a good chance to test the Hamelin capability while having a passenger. The bike handled great on slow speed twisty roads and switchbacks. The clutch feels a lot smoother now, so I must be getting used to it, and the brakes are stellar under all conditions. The luggage also presented no problems in terms of its location, so we finally have things configured for long distance touring. All told, a good shakedown.