Back in 2005 when I was shopping for a new bike, I test rode 4 different motorcycle, including my VTX. I test rode at (Yamaha) V-Star 1100, a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, and a Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom.
From what I've been told, owning a Harley gets you into the cool-kids club when it comes to riding. Being one of those guys that preferred to hang out with the weirder bunch in high school, I kinda thought Harley wouldn't be for me. More importantly, HD's reputation for reliability was sorely lacking. Most people I spoke to either had issues with oil leaks or some other foolishness from their HD's, and I wanted none of that. If I'm going to spend good money on a big toy, I want it to run, and run well.
My experience at the HD dealership was decent. The only bike in their lineup that I liked as far as specs and price range was the 1200 Sportster Custom. It was an ok ride, but the thing shook me like a paint can. I left their thinking "maybe", but was then swayed when I test rode the Vulcan and the VTX, both rides being much smoother. Strangely enough, I ended up choosing the VTX over the Vulcan (honestly, touch choice) just due to the fact the VTX looked less like a Harley.
And fast forward 9 years later! My Aunt Cathy chose a HD dealership to rent from. Their cheapest option was the HD 1200 Custom, which had been revamped a few years prior, and looked even better than the last one I tried. I thought, "why not?" and signed the papers for the rental. My two sets of aunts/uncles got HD Electra Glides (think HD's version of the Goldwing). We picked up the bikes the day after my mom's birthday party.
I was immediately impressed with this revamped version. It had bigger tires, clean basic look. Most important, very little vibration! It sits a couple inches higher than the VTX, but I could still place my feet flat on the ground. My VTX is a 1300, and I figured the HD 1200 would feel about the same since the engine size is similar. But what a difference! The HD felt quite agile and nimble compared to my heavier bike. However it also felt that much lighter, that if I wanted another person to ride with me, that they wouldn't be as comfortable as my VTX.
We had the bike for 48 hours. and the first day kicked us in rears with 100 degree weather in the Phoenix area. That first night we rode to Alice Cooperstown (yep, Alice Cooper's themed restaurant) in downtown Phoenix. Uncle Dave and I got separated from Aunt Cathy & Uncle Rick due to heavy Interstate traffic and confusion with the GPS. Took my Uncle and I about an hour longer to get to the restaurant due to strange road closures because of some event downtown, and the GPS not making up it's mind on my Uncle's bike. We got there, had a good meal, and enjoyed some night time riding, even though I gotta admit that motorcycle riding on the interstates at night in the big city can be rather sketchy.
The next day my father led us on a long day trip. My father, in pure snowbird old man style, owns a BMW 650cc scooter. This was the luxury style scooter. I took it for a ride around his neighborhood the day before. Fun ride. So my old man, in his silver helmet and long sleeved nitro yellow-green Reebok shirt led the way on his red BMW. My Aunt Cathy was not happy with this, being the cool chick that she was. I told her tough cookies, and I'm following the guy that lives here and knows all these roads.
We started up Interstate 17, with 75 mph speed limits. The old man was cruisin' well ahead of us slow pokes on this ride! We then shot up route 179 to Sedona. which is essentially Mars on Earth. Lots of red rocks. Big tourist town. And now we were in the elevations, so we were riding in 80 something degree weather instead of 100. We got lunch in Sedona, then road down Route 89A, eventually getting to Jerome, an old mining town turned tourist attraction (thanks hippies!) with a lot of steep hills and quick turns. Pretty cool place. Next we went down to Prescott, with the ride over the mountain being the curviest and scenic stretcher I've ever ridden. This made me thankful for the agile HD 1200, which performed beautifully. We stopped in Prescott at it's oldest Saloon for a frosty adult beverage and then made the long ride back to Surprise at the rental house.
We put over 285 miles on the bikes (and scooter) that day. My old man was an excellent tour guide, especially considering how much we fit into a day. Our butt's were a little sore, but we were all quite happy. There was also the realization early on how special it was to go on such a trip with my father, and my aunt's/uncles that day. Considering we all collectively live in 4 different states now. Yes it was a very good day.
My next post will be the last as far as the AZ trip goes. Thanks for reading!
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