Introduction to cruising

May 18, 9:19 AMSeattle Motorcycle ExaminerPhil Herring

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 In our last episode I decided it was unfair to snark at cruisers without having ridden one, so I called my buddies over at Eastside Motosports, where I have purchased my last two bikes.  They're the eastside dealer for Yamaha, Suzuki, and Ducati.

Senior Sales Advisor Brett Fladseth graciously set me up with a beautiful 1700cc Road Star Midnight Silverado, a gleaming black and chrome monolith.

Just throwing a leg over I was struck by the comfort:  a broad, low, plush seat and easy to reach bars that had me sitting bolt upright.  But that was nothing compared to the shock of lifting the bike off the side stand.

Are you kidding me?

Note to self:  Be careful where you park this rig.

Pushing the starter button immediately caused a nice throaty burble and lots of big twin vibration, as expected.  After flirting with the friction zone a couple times I engaged the clutch and -- WOW! -- that is some kinda torque.

And at that moment I experienced my first culture shock.  Where do I put my feet?  Dropping them behind me -- as is my habit -- landed me somewhere around the pipes, passenger floorboards, or heel shifter.  I looked like a tap dancer as I frantically searched for footing.

Big chrome nacelles, and lots of them.

Call it "Dancing with the Star" if you must, but this tango continued through the entire ride.  I never did get used to putting my feet forward.

It was pretty cool though, cruising down Northup Way behind the three big chromed nacelles.  I swept onto I-90 and that's where everything started to make sense.  On the freeway I enjoyed having all that bike under me.  The screen keep the cockpit still, so much that I could flip up my shield and enjoy the air.  The protection, the v-twin rumble, and the low revs make for a peaceful, almost zen-like ride.  It was easy to hunker down and motor on.  Clearly, this is a bike with an appetite for miles.

Good thing I didn't go east; I might still be riding.

I returned the Star and thanked the guys at Eastside for their generosity.   They had a demo event going on and walking by the Ducati's and the Yamaha FZ6R I still had that pang of, "Damn, I want to ride that!"

My first cruiser experience left me with an intellectual understanding, but that down-in-the-gut, visceral excitement had eluded me.  There was only one thing to do.  Go directly to the shrine, the source, the wellspring of all cruisers.  And that shrine was just down the street.

To be continued...

For more info: Eastside Motosports has one of the best selections of bikes you'll find under one roof.  There were at least a half dozen Stars on the floor, plus virtually every model from Ducati, Yamaha, and Suzuki, including the new FZ6R, Gladius, 1198, B-King, you name it.  That I made the trek over there from Kitsap County to buy my last two rides speaks volumes about the loyalty of their customers.

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