Nice trip and good to know about the bike.Pity you girlfriend wasn't there for some pillion feedback. Would you change anything on the bike ? Rear suspension ?
She did a 280 mile day out with me a week or so before I left and said it was very comfy.
The Le Pera seat for me is brilliant.Gives me 2” more leg room and is extremely comfortable on a long day, like the 10 hours yesterday.
Like all the best seats, it seems firm when you sit on it, but it never stops supporting you,compared to other seats that seem comfy initially but literally become a PITA after an hour or two.
I’m not planning on changing anything else.
The suspension is fine.OK, it is a bit clunky over manhole covers and the like and I understand the standard RK suspension is plusher,but I can’t see the point.
If it was my only bike then I might tinker,but it is what it is.
I’ve just ridden it around some of the tightest and gnarliest hairpins I’ve ever ridden and it coped just fine.Never scraped the boards-should have tried harder.
It’s a great, honest bike, I think.It seems well built-time will tell. I like the solidness.The switchgear is very well made,and I like the L/R indicator switches like proper GSs of old.
Many people have commented on the denim paint and how nice it looks.
The 114 motor is a peach.It purrs.So so smooth yet has plenty of poke.
Yes,I could meddle and change the exhausts, do a Stage 1 or even fit a different cam.You can get big power gains.But why bother ?
I don’t want it louder, it’s fine as it is and I hate the sound of a loud HD.
I bought it for exactly the trip I’ve just done,sitting at 50-60 mph and admiring the view.If I wanted a cruiser with stupid poke I could have bought a new Rocket 3R.
It’ll tour in comfort, with the quick release screen,rack and sissy bar.
The panniers blend well with the bike yet are 100% waterproof,lockable and have held a week’s gear with ease.
Range is a good 230 miles to reserve.
Cruise control works very well.
The extra heated grips I had fitted are the hottest I’ve ever had on any bike.Not had them above 3 and they go up to 6.
It’s not a cheap bike at £20k ish but you get what you pay for.
I like the fact it is just a big,solid lump that holds the road well,goes round corners better than you think and also stops just fine,if you include the rear brake ,yet has a lovely motor out of the box.
It has real soul.
For similar money these days you could get the latest hi tech GS.
Obviously totally different bikes but I don’t want a bike festooned with ESA, a bloody TFT that seems to spend most of it’s time telling you
“YOUR AWESOME STEED IS FUCKED.PLEASE LIMP TO THE NEAREST DEALER”
And I’ve managed without a fucking SOS button for 40 years so think I’ll cope.
And bikes are going the wrong way for me,with shite like radar guided cruise etc .Great if you want to sit on a motorway all day, but why not take the car ??
And all the time build quality is going down.
The RKS has a simple speedo,with digital display which cycles to shows you tyre pressures,ODO,Trip A and B,Range,Time , and Gear/Revs. What more do you need ?
Just to finish off,I’ve had more people stop and talk about the RKS this week in France than any bike I’ve owned.And 90% of riders still give you the wave/nod/leg shake in France.But I would say that about 75% of GS/GSA riders don’t.
Makes me laugh, as it kind of mirrors a number of people on here, who once they own a GS, don the blinkers and never look at a two-wheeled alternative.