CloudMobile Ride Report

[Dinero]

It's been a month as of tomorrow. I've got about 1,500 miles on it and I ride almost every day, at least a little.

I've got about a 400 mile round tripper planned for next weekend and I ain't skeered.

The only issue I have is on sharp right turns at intersections and I think that will be corrected when I put the car brake pedal back on. Braking and downshifting help on left turns but both fight you on right turns. I end up making the turn too slowly (I think) dealing with down shifting and braking and steering into the effect while wanting to go the other direction. I have to deal with the clutch, the throttle, the brakes (and those damn curbs) all at the same time. The car brake will help me pivot on right turns. I just need to fabricate a plate to bring the pedal up a little higher in line with the bike's pedal.

The push pull on the handle bars is getting easier and I have pretty much relaxed my death grip on the grips. That was one of my throttle problems. Holding on too tight to the throttle grip in turns provides some interesting highlights. The push-pull would turn my wrist a little.

Those 50 mph curves that I used to take at 70 are a thing of the past. I ride a whole lot closer to the speed limit now. I'm looking forward to the Cloud Riders Run next May to see how I do in the twisties and if I can keep up. Glad I have a little more time for experience and to build up a little muscle before then. Riding those roads that I am familiar with will be very helpful.

Ann has been my only people passenger on a longer ride (Ricky -- you might lose a riding partner this next Spring ) and she says it rides fine. I need to adjust the car suspension a little and she says a mirror for the passenger would be nice. Adding a passenger makes it much harder work with the additional drag and drops my mileage about 5 mpg, but the right passenger could make that all worthwhile and just the fact that I am still riding daily is worth the extra cost.

I stopped at an Indie in Killeen last weekend who installs sidecars. He is one of the few in the area that can appreciate a rig beyond the cool, old school look. He was very impressed with the engineering, stability and entire setup. Kudos to Ricky and the team. He was more interested in asking me questions about the rig than answering mine. It was a great visit.

I sometimes have to add additional time to my journeys as the rig attracts a lot of attention in some circles. The curiosity effect is sometimes off of the charts. Luckily I am known for my willingness to sit and visit with interesting folks. A couple of old timers and especially one guy from England have been very interesting to talk to and to listen to about their experiences.

Did you notice that I said that I ride almost every day? That's a far cry from the three times I rode it from May to July. I have to tell you that I really love this rig. It has been a life changer for me and got me back out where I need to be.

The 96 ci can work pretty hard so I am using just a little bit of oil in this heat but it doesn't seem too bad. I'm fixing to break 80,000 miles on the bike and it has never used any oil so between the mileage and the extra load, it is probably understandable. I'll keep an eye on it and do a complete fluid change pretty soon. All critical fasteners are holding up nicely and the action of the rig is fluid. Given about ten to twelve feet I can spin it around pretty quickly.

Parking is much easier and the rig pushes pretty easily. I think Ricky compared it to a heavily loaded shopping cart. On the level ground. It is still 1,100 pounds so I try to avoid parking it downhill. I ain't that young anymore.

All in all I am very happy and still out In The Wind and still enjoying life.

[MrSurly]

A most outstanding write up!
I'm so very thrilled that it has allowed you to keep riding. That is its sole purpose and it sounds like it's a win-win


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[Ol Mike]

Staying in the wind is healthy , on so many levels.

[par_fore]

Just outdamnstanding! I'm so happy to her you are getting out daily and enjoying the rig.

And I'm guessing the extra attention you're getting ain't hurtin' you a bit.

[Margarita]

You gonna take me to the donut store in it when I get back to Texas?

[Dinero]

Originally Posted by Margarita

You gonna take me to the donut store in it when I get back to Texas?

Sure.

[Big Cheese]

Way to go!