My goal is to get a bike together than will be an efficient utility machine while allowing Ms. G and I to pop over to Robbinsville or do ultralight overnights as we see fit.
I've been primarily examining other bikes, but they're all bigger, heavier, more expensive, or all of the above. While they're better in some ways (e.g., the shifting on the Honda Shadow), the 650 Suzi looks very good. But it would need mods. So I'm thinking maybe we can modify Suzi to have a bit more protection, a bit more room, a bit more comfort. Is this reasonable?
Corbin Seat - if I understand the recent thread correctly, the position is slightly forward. I tried this and it makes the drag bars comfortable. But I would need the 4" forward controls. I believe this would give an extra 1" or a bit for the passenger, which is about what we need.
Forward Controls - The $100 available from another member are what I had in mind. Will these perhaps more easily fit fancy pegs? I kind of hate the stock pegs! I believe my position will be very nice with these and the Corbin seat.
Position effect: I rode home tucked forward a bit. The bike had more weight on the front end and handled better. Interesting. More stable, turn in on cornering is better. Nice.
Windscreen. Currently I have the S40 Boulevard small screen, which works but leaves my head and hands exposed. Light bike mostly ridden solo by a fairly light (170) rider over bridges with strong crosswinds and on some highways with big trucks. I get a very little bit of kiting and bashing from the current screen, but I'd get that from chest airstream anyway. How big a screen can I fit? I'm looking at Slipstreamer models. The bars are only something like 28" across.
http://slipstreamer.com/Product/Touring/touring.html I notice the S-00, S-02, S-03 have lower bottom edges. Is this really important? Most of the touring screens are too wide. 35" I really could use 30 or 32 and be perfectly well sheltered with the drag bars. But if I change . . . . So maybe 32 would be good. Recommendations? S-03 Original, S-05 Turbo. One wide, one tight and narrower. Would the S-03 Original maybe have too much kite effect? I'm sure the S-05 Turbo wouldn't give much more kick than the current screen, but it wouldn't give much more protection.
Then theres the SS-20 Stealth - which might give much more protection than first appears:
http://slipstreamer.com/Product/Cruisers/cruisers.htmlAnd SS-28 is cool looking
http://slipstreamer.com/Product/Sport/sport.htmlReally, I mainly want hand protection and maybe just a little more head, although the stock screen is good enough for the head/chest. Air whipping around the hand area is the problem.
BAGS: Have to find something big enough to cobble on there. The throwovers aren't going to do it.
Then I'll have more protection in the front from wind, forward position with forward controls, more passenger room. Is this a reasonable approach?