Alison threw me the keys this morning. I did some crazy lane-splitting in Georgetown on the way to work.

Anyone riding this weekend?

Ugh, this sucks.

AUDIO CLIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet that thing sounds rad! I may have to go watch for you to parade by on it in the morning.

Pleeeeze!

Ha! It's slightly louder than a Prius. But it's also a bit faster than a Prius.

Tomorrow I'm gonna wear a giant sombrero while riding this thing.

I expect to see you dressed up like this:

You having some issues with your 696?

Quote from: mrEnke on August 03, 2010, 10:25:41 AM
I expect to see you dressed up like this:

Exactly! And now I know what movie I'll be watching tonight, too!

Quote from: 696DCRider on August 03, 2010, 10:34:44 AM
You having some issues with your 696?

No, no. Just the 7500 mile maintenance. Normal wear stuff.

Ah okay, gotcha.  Are you planning on letting them do everything for you?  I don't remember if the 7500 is just valve adjustment or if it includes other stuff.

Quote from: sugonaut on August 03, 2010, 10:43:40 AM
Exactly! And now I know what movie I'll be watching tonight, too!

No, no. Just the 7500 mile maintenance. Normal wear stuff.

Quote from: 696DCRider on August 03, 2010, 10:48:54 AM
Ah okay, gotcha.  Are you planning on letting them do everything for you?  I don't remember if the 7500 is just valve adjustment or if it includes other stuff.

Ya, Ima gonna pay up for this one. Plus I'm on warranty for another 6 months and there are a few bulletins since my last stop. They are supposed to do the following at 7500:

- Oil and filter change
- Valves
- Timing belt tension
- Air filter change
- Throttle sync
- Clutch disc pack
- And a bunch of "check this" and "adjust that" items

Including parts and labor about $600-$800 at your local shop depending on what's worn. I need brake pads so I'm on the upper end of that quote.

Quote from: sugonaut on August 03, 2010, 12:26:56 PM
- Oil and filter change
- Air filter change
- Clutch disc pack
- Brake pads

Do these for a few beers... preferably Guinness

I'll keep that in mind Mossimo 

Quote from: mrEnke on August 03, 2010, 12:50:36 PM
Do these for a few beers... preferably Guinness

Quote from: mrEnke on August 03, 2010, 12:50:36 PM
Do these for a few beers... preferably Guinness

I will take you up on it in the future.

You're still on warranty?  Damn, you ride a lot more than I do. My year just ran out in July. Or maybe you got an extended warranty.

So, question for ya.  Did you notice changes in the bike as you got past 3k, 5k in mileage?  I've read others say that the bike starts to get worn in a bit around this time.

Quote from: sugonaut on August 03, 2010, 12:26:56 PM
Ya, Ima gonna pay up for this one. Plus I'm on warranty for another 6 months and there are a few bulletins since my last stop. They are supposed to do the following at 7500:

- Oil and filter change
- Valves
- Timing belt tension
- Air filter change
- Throttle sync
- Clutch disc pack
- And a bunch of "check this" and "adjust that" items

Including parts and labor about $600-$800 at your local shop depending on what's worn. I need brake pads so I'm on the upper end of that quote.

Quote from: 696DCRider on August 03, 2010, 06:21:37 PM
You're still on warranty?  Damn, you ride a lot more than I do. My year just ran out in July. Or maybe you got an extended warranty.

Ya, I have a 2 year warranty for my '09. I'll look into whether or not it's extended. Don't know off the top of my head. Thought that was one of the reasons why I chose a Duc over the others, though.

I did ride a lot in the last year, but I'm slowing down lately. The 7500 reflects a few long-haul road trips, too.

Quote from: 696DCRider on August 03, 2010, 06:21:37 PM
So, question for ya.  Did you notice changes in the bike as you got past 3k, 5k in mileage?  I've read others say that the bike starts to get worn in a bit around this time.

It got easier to find neutral at some point. It starts easier from cold. It got louder. There's a "flat spot" around 4K RPM now, and I find myself cruising at higher RPMs. Generally the bike feels less "snappy" than it did around 1-3K, but I attribute that to a few things: (1) I put on much stickier tires and now more energy is spent moving me forward rather than slipping the rear tire, and (2) I've become a more demanding rider and am used to the bike.

Edit: Forgot to mention better MPG after 1-2K. The fuel indicator used to blink on faithfully at 90-100 miles and, now, it's somewhere between 110 and 125 miles (with ~30 miles on reserve) depending on the terrain and pace.

Quote from: sugonaut on August 04, 2010, 12:39:11 AM
Edit: Forgot to mention better MPG after 1-2K. The fuel indicator used to blink on faithfully at 90-100 miles and, now, it's somewhere between 110 and 125 miles (with ~30 miles on reserve) depending on the terrain and pace.

Wow! Does your tank hold 2 drops of gas or what?!?! My 620's light comes on at 185-190 and I've pushed to ~220 before filling up. If I had to fill up that often, I think I'd consider filling up a camelbak with gas.

Quote from: Chemico on August 04, 2010, 01:58:45 AM
Wow! Does your tank hold 2 drops of gas or what?!?! My 620's light comes on at 185-190 and I've pushed to ~220 before filling up. If I had to fill up that often, I think I'd consider filling up a camelbak with gas.

Ha, actually, the 696 has a slightly larger tank. The specs say to expect 45-55 MPG and I average 40 MPG. It probably has a lot to do with my waistline and how/where I ride. Overall, fuel consumption is improving. But I haven't been paying close attention for the last 1-2K miles; I just fuel up when convenient, never relying on the reserve. You never know when you'll find that road... and where it leads... and maybe there's a gas station...

Don't know much about the 620, but that's some good range.