Phreon Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) It seems as a SW Ohio native, there aren't as many epic twisty roads nearby as what you Eastern Ohioans have. To the East of Cincinnati is some great scenery and some nice roads, to the west, a small ball of good roads that are a bit too urban, nice cruising further west into Indiana and to the north, a flat wasteland. But then there's south... We decided to revisit KY 10 and 22. Last time it was earlier in the year on a day that turned out to be chillier than the forecast had us believing. My friend on his DR650 and me on my Vulcan 500. That was a 200 mile trip that took use out to Aberdeen and by the time we were in the meat of 22, I was hanging off of the little Vulcan for all it was worth. This time we skipped the cruising and went straight for the meat. Dave, still on the DR650, but me on on my "new" 1993 Nighthawk 750 I recently acquired. The '750 is actually much slower to transition / chicane than the 500, but the upside is it's much more planted and predictable and the powerband is much wider. The Vulcan 500 is about as sporty of a small cruiser as I can imagine, but that little 6 speed twin needs to be wound out to keep it in the power band and behind a DR650 which has immediate torque, it becomes an hour long exercise in constant shifting. The '750 however, was "stick it in 2nd or 3rd and go" I can't say we were burning up the road like the sport bikers, but I feel pretty good about my first technical run on the Nighthawk. There are large sections where there are *no* straght-aways. The image below doesn't do it justice. Follow the link and zoom in. http://goo.gl/maps/QdiXR Having to haul the top heavy, 500 lb. 'hawk over meant there were plenty of spots where just going the speed limit felt plenty aggressive. I'll admit it, I'm a pretty new rider (started last year) and I'm sure a better rider would have destroyed me on an identical bike. On the other hand, I refuse to take liberties with the yellow centerline. Somebody on a 2 up, maroon Goldwing or Concours blew past and dusted us - it was humbling. I also noticed my chicken strips on the right were bigger - leaning with mailboxes whipping a few feet past one's head is "interesting". Never the less, it was the most fun I've had on any road around here, bar none. Edited April 20, 2014 by Phreon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomike Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Kentucky is just a fun place to ride, period. Try riding US 68 from Lexington westward, man is that a great road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Doug: If you want to ride some other routes in NKY, send me a msg. That's where I do the bulk of my riding, since the roads in OH have apparently turned to sh-t from our hard winter and no maintenance. Rts 10 and 22 are probably the best known around the Cinti area, but there are other/better roads that are less traveled. Check out the LocalRiders.com forum. Not as large a membership as OR, but several hard-core riders that are a wealth of route info. Welcome to OR!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phreon Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I'm always up for learning what's around here, meeting other riders. On a side note, am I nuts for thinking that though it's slower, thumpier, peakier and quirkier, the Vulcan is more fun than the 'Hawk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Nope. Not necessarily. Depends on what kind of fun you're talking. Given that both are bikes are wrapped in 20+ year-old technology, the performance envelope of the two bikes you're comparing isn't that wide. Nighthawk is your standard UJM with upright seating position and certainly more top-heavy than your lighter, lower Vulcan cruiser. Cruiser should take a bit less work to transition from side-to-side, but you're gonna run out of clearance and suspension competence way before you reach the higher levels of the fun quotient. Plus the V2 motor of the Vulcan will put out more useable torque at lower RPMs than the Hawk's I4, and you'd have to stir the Hawk's gear box with more regularity to keep things on a boil. So….more fun? Maybe. Better? Wait until you ride a modern sport bike to define 'better'!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 +1 to you for a nice write up and unabashedly admitting your self imposed limitations. You'll ride long with a smart approach like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phreon Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) All I know is the Vulcan *always* puts a smile on my face. A true sport bike probably isn't in the cards for me. I have a 40 year old neck that has absorbed auto crashes... I couldn't tell you what "fun" is to me, except pure speed isn't necessarily the end all, be all, but I do get supremely irritated getting stuck behind a bunch of Harleys on a windy road puttering along (yes, the Vulcan can spank most of 'em). And I'd rather *ride* a beater 'hawk I've wrenched on than a mega-buck, chrome art bike most folks treat as trophies Even the Nighthawk position is slightly forward and leg cramped for me ; 5' 11", 32" inseam. I don't care how "uncool" it seems, upright is just more comfortable. Honestly, the best ergonomics I've encountered so far are my friend's DR650. Since I already know the engine, I had considered a clean ol' Ninja 500. I'm not looking for a scorchingly fast bike, just fun to toss around, cruise and take trips on. Honestly, a Vstrom 650, as butt ugly as it is, is a strong contender. Yes, I semi-lust after an FZ-09, but a good deal on a well cared for bike that doesn't break the bank and is less than $150 a year to insure, full coverage, is hard to pass. And I'm not ready for a bike that is more than able to throw itself right out from under me. I've cleared *most* of the stupid from my system over the years, but not all of it. PS, the Vulcan has an inline twin. Same as the ol' Ninja 500, but cammed for a bit more lower end grunt and broader range. Still, it doesn't peak until 7800 RPM and redlines around 11k. Edited April 20, 2014 by Phreon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Doug: I agree with you on the WeeStrom. That's my main go-to bike for day rides and week-long tours. Definitely has more capability as far as motor and suspension than can reasonably used at the limits on the street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3.504 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Somebody on a 2 up, maroon Goldwing or Concours blew past and dusted us - it was humbling.My apologies. Hopefully I chose a place to pass where I didn't scare you.It's a BMW k1200LT. I'm not opposed to leading groups down there, I know a couple roads in that area. You're more than welcome to hit me up and check out some other roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phreon Posted April 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 Neither of us noticed you coming, but your engine sure got our attention. Sounded great! "DumpsterHawk" is down for the count for a while so I'm back to the Vulcan. The petcock is trashed - I'm waiting for a used one (and rebuild kit) to arrive. Thanks for the offer, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolsdime92 Posted April 24, 2014 Report Share Posted April 24, 2014 (edited) I'm always up for learning what's around here, meeting other riders.On a side note, am I nuts for thinking that though it's slower, thumpier, peakier and quirkier, the Vulcan is more fun than the 'Hawk?Nope- I have an sv650 and an fz1 and the sv650 is my main choice for fun!Great write up! Keep that approach to riding and knowing your personal limitations and you will have a long, enjoyable riding career. Edited April 24, 2014 by oldschoolsdime92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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