greetings and thank yous

[Bruce McCurdy <bmccurdy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy everyone,

I discovered the Triumphnet site a few months back, but only recently
subscribed to the email list.  My mistake for waiting this long as I can
see that you folks have a good deal going on here with shared info and
the like.  

I picked up my ST on the first day of spring here in San Francisco, a
sharp looking black one.  I'd like to thank Eric for the idea of
photographing the grand uncrating.  I asked my dealer, Nick Hayman at
Munroe Motors, for the privilege and it was a real hoot.  Better than
Christmas!  

I'm averaging about 1000 miles a month so far, a little commuting, but
most of which is weekend recreational riding in the SF Bay Area.  So far
I've only added a tank bra, tank bag, Gorilla alarm, and the carbon
silencer to the basic model.  The race can is a must have, as some of
you have already observed, but I agree that the mapping is off a tad.
I'm starting to see a little carbon soot on the tip of the exhaust as
the mix is a little rich.  But the throttle became noticeably crisper
with the new can and the sound!  The sound keeps me grinning like an
idiot all day.  Not so loud, but very sweet.  I've noticed throttle
blipping at stops is not advisable, however.  My last ride, a Triumph
Trident with Micron cans, begged to have her throttle wrung, but the ST
will occasionally just up and die when I do the same to her.  A function
of the otherwise excellent fuel injection?

I get nothing but compliments on the looks of the bike and in the last
month or so have relaxed enough about my new baby to swap rides with a
few of my regular riding buddies.  Again, universal enthusiasm abounds,
with even my hardcore Honda buddy agreeing that the ST is simultaneously
as exciting and forgiving as his beloved VFR.  After side-by-side
comparisons with a Honda VFR and SuperHawk, I was a little surprised at
how loose the rear end felt on the ST.  I had quickly gotten used to it
without even realizing it and was becoming comfortably accustomed to the
feel of the rear tire breaking loose from time-to-time.  It always hooks
back up smoothly so it never bothered me.  Now, I'm not exactly Ricky
Racer, but I do like a spirited jaunt.  I've been thinking about trying
a softer tire and wondered if anybody had fitted the stickier version of
the Bridgestone BT56 (I think it's a BT56S).  I've been following the
threads about the Pirelli's with great interest as well.

I also have a question on riding style.  A number of my buddies have
attended track schools, mostly Reg Pridmore's school.  They appear to
advocate weighting up the inside footpeg in a turn and hanging off
slightly (when necessary).  Conversely, I am also seeing several new
schools on dirt riding where they seem to teach the opposite, weighting
the outside peg while keeping the body up over the CG to slide the rear
purposely.  My question, has anybody tried this on an ST?  If I'm
sliding the rear already while weighting the inside peg, how loose will
the rear get with the opposing style?   Frankly, as an intermediate
level rider (70,000 miles in seven years on four different cycles) and
as one who relies on my bike as my sole transportation, I have been
hesitant to experiment.  

Last comment for now, the Gorilla alarm system paid for itself.  The
reduction in my insurance premium (from Progressive) was greater than
the cost of the alarm and it only took twenty minutes to install.  I'm
also saving the cost of replacing stolen cycle covers (they're a hit
with homeless people here as they cover those shopping carts quite
nicely).

Bruce McCurdy

I may be going to Hell in a bucket, baby, 
but at least I'm enjoying the ride!

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End of st-digest V1999 #134
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