With a proper chain, and everything given a once over I went for a real ride. First off, the exhaust note inside the helmet is pleasant. Not too loud, and extremely enjoyable, that is untill you start to rip it and redine each gear. That, by the way, was the least enjoyable way to ride it. The bike is not tuned just yet, definitely running rich and robbing me of some power, but the first step to enjoying the little guy is riding it for what it is and not trying to make it something it's not. The riding characteristics are not like what I am used to at all. Where the Hondas i've had are a breeze to ride, this bike felt like much more work at the moment. Much more use of the brakes is needed, downshifting required more creative use of the clutch, and it really felt like having to be more aware of the working the controls. With the 160mm hub now properly adjusted, I had no issues with stopping.
I found it challenging getting used to listening when to shift, since it has a very different sound and I always feel like the rpms are much much lower than they are. After the first 10 mins, the shifting became a non issue, even using my right foot became automatic. Handling wise, I feel like the tires aren't right for the bike. Im no expert, but this bike originally had a 2.75 up front, and 3.00 out back, compared to the 90 90 and 100 90 currentry on it. I noticed avon has a new line coming out, with narrower options I will try out.
Unless going 60 in the right lane is enjoyable to you, I don't recommend the highway. All in all, it's not what I expected it to be at all. Other than being easy to handle, it doesn't do anything particularly well. Acceleration is what would be expected. On my butt dyno, it's a little less hp on the top end than the honda 175 I had, but noticeably more torque down low. The front end dives into corners more than I like, will have to work on that.
Despite all of that, it was a blast to ride, and I am eager to put a ton of miles on it.