patiodadio
Motorcyclist
Friday was Triumph Demo Day at Motohio in Columbus, I had missed it last year so wanted to go this year for sure. Kim and I had planned on riding up but with the forecast for 95 degrees, we decided to drive. We pulled in the parking lot about 12 noon, just as a group of riders were taking off. As I walked over to the sign up tent I heard one of the guys working the demo rides say the heat was "brutal".
I must say that these guys really had it all together and made for a very smooth experience. I got signed up for the demo , picked out a bike (2010 Scrambler) , listened to the safety talk and was ready to ride. They had all the gear , helmets, jackets, gloves etc. I brought my own though, who wants to wear someone else's sweaty gear. They had about 20 bikes available to ride and with the heat the crowd was down so you could pretty much ride anything you wanted. We had to go in a group with a lead rider, tail rider and a kind of floater guy who was there to pick up any stragglers. The ride lasted close to 30 min. and was mostly thru urban streets with suburbs etc. and yes the heat was brutal. Not too bad as long as we were moving, but the many stop lights and traffic made for a hot ride.
The first thing I noticed about the Scrambler was how tall 1st gear was. Impossibly tall for any off road riding, doing a comfy 20-25 mph in 1st. Apart from that the bike was very easy to handle, feeling light in every situation. They had installed an Arrow, 2 into 1 pipe and the bike was tuned perfectly, sounding great with a not too loud note and mellow purr when slowing. The solo seat looked great and worked well for me , I know I would love this bike in everyday riding. To sum up the Scrambler, I would say no surprise here. Its pretty much how I thought it would be, fun , with a heavy dose of cool !
When we got back to the dealer , I went straight to the guy running the show and asked if I could ride the Thruxton with the next group getting ready to leave. He fist said no , that I should wait until the group after them. I thanked him and turned to walk away , taking a few steps when he called out saying " Hey , why don't you ride that Thruxton with this group !" I thanked him and jumped on the bright red bike, thumbing the starter and falling in with the group just leaving. This group had some less experienced riders, was quite a bit slower and spaced out more. About half way thru the 'floater" came up to the front of the group I had ended up in and motioned for some of us to follow him. We picked up the pace and had a nice second half of the ride.
The Thruxton ? Well, lets just say " Oh, Oh, Yeah!!!". I have always liked the looks of the new cafe style bike and I think they have struck a home run. Although I did not get to try any corner carving , the bike was very easy handling, quite peppy but need to be tuned. The after market exhaust popped and cracked quite a bit when you rolled off the throttle. The riding position fit me great and really makes up a lot of how you perceive the bike. The pipes were a little loud but not too loud, really about what you would want in a cafe bike. In traffic a H/D Sportster pulled up beside us in the other lane. I revved the engine, throwing down a challenge, but he would have none of it, refusing to even look my way . That's the way the Thruxton makes you feel, young and full of vinegar !
I would have ridden many more of the line up but the heat had won. I was soaking wet after only two rides and feeling a little sick from the heat. The dealer had plenty of water and soft drinks and after a couple of bottles of water and buying a Triumph Tee shirt for 1/2 price , we reluctantly left for home. Driving along with the AC on full blast the temp on the car said 100 degrees. No wonder I was milked out ! If you ever get the chance to visit a Triumph Demo Days, be sure to go. They put on a first class gig , very professional .
I must say that these guys really had it all together and made for a very smooth experience. I got signed up for the demo , picked out a bike (2010 Scrambler) , listened to the safety talk and was ready to ride. They had all the gear , helmets, jackets, gloves etc. I brought my own though, who wants to wear someone else's sweaty gear. They had about 20 bikes available to ride and with the heat the crowd was down so you could pretty much ride anything you wanted. We had to go in a group with a lead rider, tail rider and a kind of floater guy who was there to pick up any stragglers. The ride lasted close to 30 min. and was mostly thru urban streets with suburbs etc. and yes the heat was brutal. Not too bad as long as we were moving, but the many stop lights and traffic made for a hot ride.
The first thing I noticed about the Scrambler was how tall 1st gear was. Impossibly tall for any off road riding, doing a comfy 20-25 mph in 1st. Apart from that the bike was very easy to handle, feeling light in every situation. They had installed an Arrow, 2 into 1 pipe and the bike was tuned perfectly, sounding great with a not too loud note and mellow purr when slowing. The solo seat looked great and worked well for me , I know I would love this bike in everyday riding. To sum up the Scrambler, I would say no surprise here. Its pretty much how I thought it would be, fun , with a heavy dose of cool !
When we got back to the dealer , I went straight to the guy running the show and asked if I could ride the Thruxton with the next group getting ready to leave. He fist said no , that I should wait until the group after them. I thanked him and turned to walk away , taking a few steps when he called out saying " Hey , why don't you ride that Thruxton with this group !" I thanked him and jumped on the bright red bike, thumbing the starter and falling in with the group just leaving. This group had some less experienced riders, was quite a bit slower and spaced out more. About half way thru the 'floater" came up to the front of the group I had ended up in and motioned for some of us to follow him. We picked up the pace and had a nice second half of the ride.
The Thruxton ? Well, lets just say " Oh, Oh, Yeah!!!". I have always liked the looks of the new cafe style bike and I think they have struck a home run. Although I did not get to try any corner carving , the bike was very easy handling, quite peppy but need to be tuned. The after market exhaust popped and cracked quite a bit when you rolled off the throttle. The riding position fit me great and really makes up a lot of how you perceive the bike. The pipes were a little loud but not too loud, really about what you would want in a cafe bike. In traffic a H/D Sportster pulled up beside us in the other lane. I revved the engine, throwing down a challenge, but he would have none of it, refusing to even look my way . That's the way the Thruxton makes you feel, young and full of vinegar !
I would have ridden many more of the line up but the heat had won. I was soaking wet after only two rides and feeling a little sick from the heat. The dealer had plenty of water and soft drinks and after a couple of bottles of water and buying a Triumph Tee shirt for 1/2 price , we reluctantly left for home. Driving along with the AC on full blast the temp on the car said 100 degrees. No wonder I was milked out ! If you ever get the chance to visit a Triumph Demo Days, be sure to go. They put on a first class gig , very professional .
