110 Big Bore 1st Impressions after 850 miles

[Ahodge75]

Well as many of you know Duke and I installed a 110 Big Bore kit several months back, by Duke and I, I really mean Duke I was there as moral support and handing him the right tools…..lol…. If you hadnt seen the post here is the link……https://www.roadstarclinic.com/forum...hotos-and-vids

So after getting her back home with weather and work and the busyness of life I hadn’t got a chance to put miles on it. I’d get 50 miles here 70 miles there but nothing major, with every ride I’d open her up more and more but trying to keep the break in period somewhat conservative( that was very difficult and didn’t always happen). Lol……so this last Monday a buddy of mine I work with picked up a Kawasaki Concours 1400, so we decided to take the bikes out on Tuesday for a little ride.

Our ride Tuesday was great except for one aspect…we were about 8 mins behind a accident involving a car and motorcycle. Car ran a stop sign on side road crossing hwy 97 right in front of a couple on a Goldwing…the goldwing t-boned the car in the drivers door. When we rolled up CPR was being performed on the driver of the bike. Unfortunately he did not make it and passed away while his wife is in critical condition…..after seeing that it really makes you take stock and we really had to overcome that uneasy feeling of that could have been us as we were postponed leaving the house as my buddy’s wife need an address from him…..Sorry just had to throw that experience out there of the day.

So our ride on Tuesday was a mixture of town, hwy and curvy country roads. This was the 1st time that I really just let the Beast do it’s thing. My buddy learning his bike wanted to run them and see what it could do…..his bike is quicker but not by much he never really pulled away from me. His bike is like 250 to 300 lbs lighter plus he has that high reving motor. His bike is definitely set up to corner better than mine but being new to his bike he could not keep up with me in the corners…lol…of course some of you know from last years Starfest coming back from the Dam, I can and do ride hard. The bike just took everything I was giving it and answered with there’s more it can give if you are ready…it was smooth and powerful and everything was effortless. We ended up putting about 160 miles on it and I was very happy.

yesterday I took the bike to the coast putting 250 miles on it. Running hwy and freeway along with some country roads. Running 65-75 mph it is smooth as butter…..coming up on traffic and having to pass on a 2 lane hwy, with a twist of the wrist it was nothing to pass and pass quickly. I averaged about 34 miles to the gallon which isn’t bad considering before the big bore that’s about what I was getting. Got on the freeway running 75-85 mph mostly 85 and again it just cruised along. At 85 I twist the throttle and it pulls you back in the seat, there is just power on demand at any speed. On a side note going through a tunnel V&H Long Shots with no baffles is a GLORIOUS sound and pretty sure scared the guy in the car in front of me….lol…..

I am super impressed with it and love riding it. However there is one negative that I’ve found……my face hurts from grinning so much afterwards……

[Mr. Miyagi]

Good report, I am glad that you missed the T-bone, It doesn't take long for an accident to happen, I lost my XVS950T to a vehicle that just didn't see my red motorcycle, yellow helmet or my yellow jacket. I was fortunate that I was in town and only doing 40 when he cut in front of me.

[Lug Nut]

My buddy has a concourse 1400 2018 model. He can't ride hardly at all but that's a damn fast bike. He must have been shifting about half the RPMs to not run away from you in a straight line. That's basically a ZX-14 motor with saddlebags. Lol. They're not very nice to look at In fact I'm bringing my buddies bike over here again to do another oil change on it Check things out wash it up. I would not want one for looks but they seem to handle fantastic. He's pushed his to 162 so far and it's bone stock. I know that it's just faster and shit in the quarter mile when written correctly Pretty sure they're in the 11th maybe even high tens. You should take his bike out for him sometime and see what it's like. I know Preston Messer loves his. If it wasn't for the fact they're so damn ugly.

Good to hear the 110 is running good and getting decent gas mileage too. Especially at six bucks a gallon.Always sucks coming up to a motorcycle accident thinking that just a few minutes difference it very easily could have been you. I've had that experience a few times.

as hard as you push that road star on turns you would really hustle that ZX-14.When my buddy brings his bike over and we wash it here at my house he's always so happy and thinks man it looks so good now. To me honest to God I can't tell the difference before it was washed and after. It's just kind of gray and plasticky doesn't have any chrome. He is actually looking to get a cruiser also since he knows this bike isn't the best on long distance for him.

[Ahodge75]

Yeah his is a 2008 and I’m sure he just isn’t used to it yet and after he is comfortable he will probably leave me a little more but I’m still happy with the acceleration…..you’re right it is kinda ugly but I rode it around the parking lot and it seemed nimble. I was behind him in the corners at 1st and I scraped my floorboards in the corner and he freaked out thinking he did it lol

[MidnightRide]

Really glad to hear you enjoy the bike, but so sorry to hear about the accident. Brings back too many memories from my firefighting days and beyond.

Mr. Miyagi, looks like that was a close one for you as well. Lucky guy...

The comment about the face hurting from smiling brought back a racing memory from years ago, when I'd first heard that statement.

I raced motocross and also did some announcing at race events. I was announcing an event in Ponca City, OK in the late 80's, for one of the big national amateur motocross events that I don't remember the name of, and back then one of the newest crazes was the YSR bikes, the mini 50cc road race bikes that were really catching on. We had a mini road race track setup there for that portion of the event, in addition to motocross, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of. Yamaha was trying to start a new trend to sell into another genre of bikes, similar to what Suzuki had done with the quad racer back in Anaheim in the mid-80's.

Those Ponca City amateur races were big events and the factories made a huge presence. The motocrossers were the future factory racers, and back then I can recall guys like Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Emig, and others who were coming up through the amateur ranks there at Ponca. But we also had the pros making their factory promo appearances, guys like Bob Hannah, Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Ward, Micky Dymond, and many others, and it was fun hanging out.

But after the YSR final day was finished, the factory pros came over to ride the mini's for fun. It was so funny. They had a blast. O'Mara and Jeff Ward really went at it, with Dymond in the center of the mix, and they just never quit. They were having so much fun, and when it was done they were talking about it and I just remember Jeff Ward laughing and saying, "MY FACE HURTS FROM SMILING SO MUCH!" And he meant it. It was hilarious. The look on his face...

I've got pictures of that somewhere, old 35mm shots, but I wouldn't even know where to begin digging them out.

Always good to generate those kinds of smiles on two wheels! Congrats Ahodge75 !

[Father Pobasturd]

I love the shot of Jeff Ward riding a wheelie in the movie "On any Sunday". He's about 6 years old.

[MidnightRide]

'Wardy' was one of the most talented riders on the planet, and really never got the credit for it. Just a naturally shy guy that shined with talent in every class in motocross, from 80's-500's, indoors and out. Championship after Championship, I'd forgotten about that shot On Any Sunday. I need to watch that again, it's been a while.

[J89k]

This is a great memory. Thanks for sharing.

[Lug Nut]

2018 concourse 1400 is 160hp and 100 lb/torque...they are fast for a bike with saddlebags lol

[MidnightRide]

Only 100 lb. with all that HP?

[Deerkiller]

High revving, high HP bikes typically do not have high TQ numbers. You don’t miss it. Trust me

[SouthernCruizer]

Sorry, but a 110 or 120 or 130 or 140 etc etc big bore kit don't stand a chance against a Connie 14 or a FJR 1300 (bikes on which I have ridden over a quarter million miles on). Don;t know why, but for some reason riders that only ride V-twins are very confused about speed or quickness or torque vs hp or the physics of hp/weight ratios, or really anything performance related. You really should try other types of bikes, will open your eyes. Ride on.

[Ahodge75]

Agreed, again it was a new bike for him and is still learning it as he has not had that style of bike before so yes he should walk away from me but he didnt and i was very happy with what my bike was able to do. Ive rode all types of bikes so i do understand the difference.

[Duke]

Yes, and you won't see a "formula one" at a "tractor pulling" event
either

[davej]

I don't think anyone is confused. The bikes you mention are totally different types of bikes. He likes his Big Bore and is comparing it to other bikes in the same or similar class of bikes. Also don't need to have experience on other types of bikes to enjoy the extra performance of a Big Bore Roadstar.

[Ahodge75]

I love my Big Bore. And other than a new Indian Pursuit i do not want anything else. Ive rode most kinds of bikes and they are fun but i would much rather have my bike over any of them.

[Lug Nut]

160 HP and 100 torque vs roughly 80 HP and 115 torque (big bore stock cams) and I would imagine 150lb weight difference. Can't beat physics. I actually ran real close to my buddy's 2018 C14 on my hopped up Roadliner....but I was banging gears and shifting at 6k while he was not "maximizing" his bike (pretty new rider on a monster bike lol...don't blame him). I know that a different rider would just run away from me. I imagine he shifted 3k early and inconsistently.

Even really built new 114/117 HD that makes 160 HP....ain't gonna touch a sport bike ridden by a decent rider. Cruisers feel fast when you get over 100hp for sure but reality sits in when you go from a 30 roll against a Busa that pops the weel up and runs away shifting into 2nd and 3rd while your wondering why all of a sudden your bike seem to have reverse gear lol. I've experienced that first hand.

Like when I'm on my vmax1200 with 138 hp to the tire and running with my buddies on their Road Stars....they downshift to 2nd and hit it while I stay in 4th and lay on the throttle and pass them pretty easily . They say "man that was close"....then we don't again and I downshift to 2nd at 6-7k and wing it to 10k and bang 3rd and 4th and after a few seconds I'm a football field ahead. Sometimes we "run" an actual fast bike and he just isn't trying that hard.

[Ahodge75]

Agreed........again it was more about him not being comfortable on his new bike. that bike should out run me and out handle me......but he didnt especially in the corners......but again he has not had that style of bike before and before our trip he had only rode it about 25 miles. me being familiar and comfortable on my bike knowing the limits i can push and where i can push just out rode him.

[SouthernCruizer]

I don't think anyone is confused. The bikes you mention are totally different types of bikes. He likes his Big Bore and is comparing it to other bikes in the same or similar class of bikes. Also don't need to have experience on other types of bikes to enjoy the extra performance of a Big Bore Roadstar.

Well, I thought I had misread the OP's post, but no, he was talking about the Big Bore vs Concours 14. Only mentioned the Connie and FJR (very similar to Connie) because that is what his story was about...comparing the Concours (Connie) speed to his big bore V Twin. And yes, he can enjoy the extra performance, but that don't make it almost as "fast" as a Connie.

[MidnightRide]

Now you guys have got me thinking about even MORE bikes to consider for future reference...

For the record, I'm just fine with my RS, 'getting what I paid for', and have experienced the power and handling of my former street ride, the 135 HP Suzuki RF 900R, not to mention my very FIRST self-owned street bike in the '70's, the 'Killer Kawasaki H2 750 triple', a 2-stroke which was ported and polished with tuned expansion chambers, yada yada yada, which was nearly impossible to keep the front wheel down even under 3rd gear acceleration! Very ill-handling dangerous ride for a virtual motorcycle newby to the roads back then. Wish I had it now!

But that big bore has got to be a sweet bike to ride.

[Duke]

It's about the torque feeling while cruising.