Rally in the Valley brings 500 motorcycle enthusiasts to Corbin

Yesterday was the close of a two-day run, the first 'real' distance tour with the Bagger. I had to do an emergency service call to a customer's site in central Wisconsin. It's cranberry season up there; at the customer's facility the cranberries are harvested, washed, crated and stored in a giant Lambeau Field sized freezer. It is the worst possible time for a refrigeration control system to fail, and fail it did. Hence, the need for an emergency trip at a moment's notice. A quick scan of the weather predicted cool but dry conditions, so I decided to put the Bagger through a shakedown run up nort'. 550 miles total; not exactly an iron butt ride, but enough to get an impression of the bike's ability as a tourer.

On the way up time was of the essence, which equated to blasting over the Interstate in order to make good time (ugh!). Fortunately, the fall color season is at it's peak right now. Once out of the city, the scenery was summarily gorgeous. The last sixty miles consisted of desolate, perfectly paved two-lane cutting through hardwood forests and tall grass prairies. I've taken this route many times on four wheels and was looking forward to running the stretch on two.

The pavement was cut & grooved parallel to the direction of travel on a good portion of the freeway run (approx. 120 miles). The Bagger didn't roll so much as slither down the road. Initially disconcerting, I quickly came to the conclusion if I didn't relax my death grip on the bars my arms & shoulders would eventually lock up. As I forced myself to relax and go with the flow I discovered the bike's handling of the grooved pavement was predictable enough. I amused myself by playing with the pavement, riding the shallow grooves then riding the deep grooves in comparison. Like all the bikes I've ridden, the Bagger has a tendency to hunt & dart over the grooves. This tendency wasn't more prevalent than on other bikes I've owned, but the 850+ lb. weight of this road leviathan adds a unique quality to the groove dance. All in all, I wasn't looking forward to the encounter on the return leg of the trip.

This is the first bike I've owned equipped with floorboards. I've come to the conclusion that floorboards are so magnificently superior to footpegs it's difficult to put into words. The ability to shift the position of your feet (and legs) at will is a huge benefit in rider comfort over the long haul. Now I know why floorboards have been around since the invention of the motorcycle!

The handlebar mounted fairing on the FLH is not without it's drawbacks; there is a price to be paid for sticking with the timeless styling of the 'batwing'. The violence done to the airstream by semis, SUVs and minivans turns into anomalous steering inputs, disrupting the otherwise precise feel of the steering. While it never rose above the level of annoying, it nevertheless detracts from the 'riding on a throne' feel of the bike. Ironically, as the pace quickens, the effect lessens. By the time you're doing the Ton, the effect disappears altogether. It is a strange feeling sitting bolt upright at 100 mph, with the wind roaring off the fairing while you sit in nearly still air. Protection from the elements is better than I thought possible.

The difference in mileage between 65 mph and 75 mph is profound. When I ran at 75 mph or above, I cut nearly 10 mpg off the bike's economical nature. Still, the absolute worst mileage logged was a paltry 38 mpg; impressive for a bike with so much frontal area. There was no detectable difference in fuel quality; whether it was reformulated (ugh!), non-reformulated, fresh, stale or in between, the bike ran the same, which is to say flawlessly. The sequential port fuel injection imparts a dramatic improvement in ridability; the bike simply starts and runs perfectly in any throttle position, at any rpm, under any load with any fuel. What an amazing improvement over the days of old!

If glass smooth operation is of paramount importance, first & foremost in your book of requirements, then the FLH is not for you. A big inch V-Twin will never match the paper smooth, Swiss watch feel of a Gold Wing powerplant. For me personally, I rather enjoy the minimal vibes that make it through the rubber mounts to the handlebars and floorboards. The visceral feel to me is pleasant. There is a curious exception that I find damnable and highly annoying, however. At precisely 50 mph, the fairing transmits the shaking unabated into the windstream, hitting you right at head level. Wearing a helmet (mine, anyway) seems to capture every bit of the vibrating windstream, transmitting all of it right to your skull. I found myself avoiding 50 mph in top gear like the plague, to avoid the effect. If I dropped down to fourth gear the 50 mph vibrating skull effect thankfully goes away. Still, this is one major annoyance that I'm not at all happy about.

After 6000 miles the transmission is finally starting to break in. I was beginning to worry the hard shifting, mechanical THWACK during shifts and extreme difficulty finding neutral while stopped would haunt me forever. I am pleased to report these tendencies are fading away and the tranny is acquiring a precise (dare I say Japanese) feel fully expected in a $20,000 motorcycle. Even still, the stock 5-speed box doesn't have the jewel like precision of the V-Rod transmission. I'll be upgrading to the optional six speed V-Rod inspired design, along with the hydraulic clutch, as soon as my finances permit.

The front tire wear at the recommended inflation is disappointing. At 6000 miles the front tire is nearly at it's service limit, exhibiting a classic over-inflation wear pattern. I WILL be dropping a few PSI in the next front tire. The rear tire shows hardly any wear at all (1/32") at the factory recommended pressures. Odd.

I love the cruise control! Droning down the freeway is so much more tolerable (and less fatiguing) with the cruise set. The accuracy of the control is better than any four wheeled vehicle I've driven; maybe a 1 mph variance up or down the steepest hills. Along with a tap of the brake or the clutch, the cruise releases control if the rider rolls the throttle shut. I inadvertently and unconsciously did this twice; both times it scared the hell out of me.

The motorcycle's lighting is superb. With all the Kamakaze deer in scenic Wisconsin leaping out onto the roadway at night, this is no small deal. I lost count of the number of carcasses and pavement stains I witnessed on the trip. With five lenses of brake lights at the rear, cars behind you are bathed in red whenever you apply the brakes. You can't help but think the most inattentive driver is acutely aware you're on the brakes.

I had initially planned to take the two-lane scenic route on the return leg. Alas, the system repair took longer than I expected (apparently 4:30PM qualifies as AM delivery to FedEx in central Wisconsin). With mid-thrities temperatures and perpetual rain looming my way, I decided it would be prudent to forgo the road less travelled and opted instead for the timeliness of more freeway travel. Better warm, dry & bored than cold, wet & apprehensive. All in all, I'm happy with the touring prowess of the mount and I'm looking forward to piling on some serious miles next year. The ability to pack the bike like a Conestoga wagon is a definite plus in an area where t-shirt weather can turn to light snow in a day. My fantasy of a trip from scenic Wisconsin to Alaska looks eminently doable on the FLH, a very comfortable ride indeed.

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