I Hate This Bike ...

[bradzdotcom]

TM,
i've seen it in a lot of threads, and i've heard many people say "oh shaft drive, no chain, how nice!"
even though they're talking about my bike, i tend to disagree.

i like chain better, even though it took me years to learn to leave chains alone and not over-lube 'em.

kinda like turkey gravy. seems like you can't put too much on, then suddenly the stuffing turns to mush.

just saw a guy on the street the other day with that black, speckled racing stripe up the left side of his back and shoulder. classic example of too much lube sprayed on a too cold chain.

the only drawback to chain is that it makes noise if not lubed properly. the girlie next door has a 250 honda rebel. i'm the designated chain adjuster/luber godfather.
just can't stand to see one being abused.

disclaimer: i like belt drives too. at one point i was given a "maytag" (the belt-driven 440 kawasaki), with the chore of trying to snap or stretch the belt. spent three weeks torturing the thing every way imaginable. couldn't do it.
we even cocked the rear wheel adjusters to all kinds of wrong (to the point where it crabbed down the road) and it still wouldn't give up.

only problem with belts is that it's kinda hard to make sprocket gearing changes...

i lust for that aprilla. maybe it's the shiny gold parts that are making my throttle hand twitch.

[ckcarr]

Originally Posted by throttlemeister

What attitude Brad? All I see is 1 single person that also has a chain bike mentioning they don't like messing with chains and everybody else saying it's no issue.

Yah!
And that guy has denial issues as he calls his 99 R1100s color "baby red..." when the real truth will do!

[WAJohnson]

Okay, no rags on my "baby red" -- it's not the color, it's the bike!!! And maybe I just haven't had it long enough to encounter the shaft drive issues you guys bring up, but I love this R11S and all it's foibles. I have two chain-drive bikes in addition to the R, and I just don't like the hassles associated with chains on a touring or sport-touring bike that's obviously meant to go long distances. For a sport bike it's fine, and that's what my FZ6 is mainly used for, but for touring, I'll take the shaft drive every time. And, for the record, I like belt drive over either shaft or chain drive -- I love the new F800GT and the old F800ST's.

[1100s nut]

If you compare the BMW to a inline bike, the BMW has a certain Rube Goldberg design to it, a lot of seals, shafts, splines, bearings, U-joints and weight, that most bikes don`t have. I like chains ok, they are simple, they got that going for`em! It seems they are loud, but only for the people riding behind one, I don't notice them much when riding. If I were to ride around the world, I would want a chain drive...but I would rather ride and own shaft drives...its my gear head side.

[OwenM]

Originally Posted by sgoodwin

Nice Ape Owen, my bud has an '07 R & really wants your exhaust system, seems the stocker is basically an ankle fryer.

The factory option Akropovic titanium cans dont have a CAT converter in their lower end like the standard items and therefore dont radiate much heat. They are also have no baffles so give a wonderful BIG deep V twin sound without any offensive or annoying bark.
However, most of the heat issues with the Aprilia are due to the pipes under the fairing which vent a lot of hot air onto the inner thigh area of the rider, especially at low speeds.
I have insulated the header pipes, mainly to limit the radiated heat on the rear shock, which certainly helps comfort, but the Aprilia is still not an ideal hot weather bike or well suited to slow traffic situations due to heat on the rider.

The Ape is a lot more user friendly than my 1098 Duc, which really cooked my arse in anything other than cold weather.
I really have to give it to the air cooled flat twin BMW layout in hot conditions, no heat issues what so ever. I doubt the water boxers will be as good as far as heat on the rider is concerned.

[throttlemeister]

Originally Posted by OwenM

I really have to give it to the air cooled flat twin BMW layout in hot conditions, no heat issues what so ever. I doubt the water boxers will be as good as far as heat on the rider is concerned.

I have had my shins burn on the boxer, but I have admit when that happened I was wearing jeans and not my normal leather riding attire.

[Rapid Dog]

...variety is the spice!