Triple Nickle etc

[KayakGuy]

Earlier this week, my buddy Kevin riding his Softail Harley, and I on my AK, headed south from the Cleveland area on Rt 83 to Wooster, then Rt 3 to Mt. Vernon, after a little side ride through parts of Mohican St Park near Loudonville.  In Mt. Vernon, we stopped for lunch at a nice local eatery. Then Rt 586 & 146 to Zanesville. Just south of Zanesville we picked up the Triple Nickle (Rt 555) southbound. This is the first time I had done a ride with lots of twisties and blind hills, etc. It was quite an eye-opener. Lots of fun with lots of belly-tightening turns. Kevin blew through most of it like a pro; I hit the curves slower, being new to this type of riding and the fact that in general, motorcycles have better maneuverability than scooters. In any case, we both enjoyed the hell out of it.

We finished the ride at Rt 50 near Little Hocking and took 50 to a motel east of Athens where we stayed one night.  In the morning we had breakfast in Athens and then headed west on Rt 56 to the south point of the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway at Rt 374. 56 was really scenic and also a great ride, though I did hit a small but hard branch I didn’t see in time. Luckily nothing broke and I didn’t lose control of the bike. We took Rt 374 north through the Byway. Another really pretty ride with some pretty good twisties. The red fuel bar started flashing and I started thinking it might have a been a good idea to refuel before leaving Athens, but oh well..

We found a gas station immediately after joining Rt 33 west bound at the end of the Byway. The trip odometer was at exactly 160 miles, the furthest I have gone on one tank of gas on the AK. I still had nearly 1.2 gals left. My fuel mileage seems to have improved during this trip, considering all the hills, etc. - though a whole lot fewer red lights and stop signs than my normal rides. We took Rt 33 to I-270 around Columbus and joined Rt 3 again back north. Though hot (temp was in the 90s) the ride north was nice too; through some small Ohio towns I had never been through.

We did over 500 miles in two days – I know – not a real Iron Man kind of ride, but in that heat, I thought it was a lot. One thing I learned on this trip – no matter your riding level/skill, don’t take any route for granted...

[rjs987]

You do know it's the rider not so much the ride that determines if any bike can do well on any road. I can do anything on my AK that I could do on any other motorcycle I've ever been on... and more even. It's not really true that motorcycles have better maneuverability than scooters, at least for super scooters in my experience. I know and have ridden with riders who can take a medium scooter through the same curvy roads at the same pace as they can a sport touring bike. I also know and have ridden with riders who can't keep up with me on my AK or Burgman 650 even though they are riding a BMW R1200 or ST1100/ST1300. Sure the straight roads allow them all to turn on the gas and bump the speed up way past the top end of any super scooter but in the tight curves they can't go any faster. I learned riding curves on a sport touring bike and can do the very same on my AK. It's a matter of gaining skill and confidence on the ride you're on which takes time and miles. It's the rider, not the ride that makes the biggest difference.

[KayakGuy]

You do know it's the rider not so much the ride that determines if any bike can do well on any road. I can do anything on my AK that I could do on any other motorcycle I've ever been on... and more even. It's not really true that motorcycles have better maneuverability than scooters, at least for super scooters in my experience. I know and have ridden with riders who can take a medium scooter through the same curvy roads at the same pace as they can a sport touring bike. I also know and have ridden with riders who can't keep up with me on my AK or Burgman 650 even though they are riding a BMW R1200 or ST1100/ST1300. Sure the straight roads allow them all to turn on the gas and bump the speed up way past the top end of any super scooter but in the tight curves they can't go any faster. I learned riding curves on a sport touring bike and can do the very same on my AK. It's a matter of gaining skill and confidence on the ride you're on which takes time and miles. It's the rider, not the ride that makes the biggest difference.

I guess my use of 'maneuverability' was not correct. Everything I have read about the differences seem to indicate that the longer wheelbase and larger tires make motorcycles more 'stable' at higher speeds, which I'm sure can be debated. In any case, it was all a new experience for me, and for that reason took it easy. Just wanted to share a short 2-day trip.

[rjs987]

I guess my use of 'maneuverability' was not correct. Everything I have read about the differences seem to indicate that the longer wheelbase and larger tires make motorcycles more 'stable' at higher speeds, which I'm sure can be debated. In any case, it was all a new experience for me, and for that reason took it easy. Just wanted to share a short 2-day trip.

Sounded like a great trip.
And you are right that longer wheelbase makes a bike more stable at higher speeds. I also found that with my GW and CTX1300. There seems to be a sweet spot for wheelbase that the AK still manages to be within. Larger tires do help but not as much as the wheelbase. Or maybe you noted that they do for you. And that's good. I think, and this is just me, that the AK wheel size is good enough, together with the wheelbase, to still be very stable at speed. More stable than my Burgman 650 was (maybe due to the rear wheel on the Burgman being only 14 inches).

[Mancashire]

Sounds like a great road trip. I’ve heard nothing but good reports about Rt 555 and vicinity but haven’t been there. Glad you had a food time. And kudos to you for moderating your riding when presented with a unique and more challenging situation. You can always attack that road on another ride.

[KayakGuy]

Sounds like a great road trip. I’ve heard nothing but good reports about Rt 555 and vicinity but haven’t been there. Glad you had a food time. And kudos to you for moderating your riding when presented with a unique and more challenging situation. You can always attack that road on another ride.

Thanks, it was a great trip. We're thinking about heading down that way again later this year. And it's not all about speed for me. I enjoy the scenery and seeing new things. Plus - the faster you go, the faster it's over!!

[KayakGuy]

Sounded like a great trip.
And you are right that longer wheelbase makes a bike more stable at higher speeds. I also found that with my GW and CTX1300. There seems to be a sweet spot for wheelbase that the AK still manages to be within. Larger tires do help but not as much as the wheelbase. Or maybe you noted that they do for you. And that's good. I think, and this is just me, that the AK wheel size is good enough, together with the wheelbase, to still be very stable at speed. More stable than my Burgman 650 was (maybe due to the rear wheel on the Burgman being only 14 inches).

I do find the AK to be quite stable at high speeds as well. Coming back home we were at 75 - 80 mph quite often with no problems. Definitely a difference from my previous VStar and Venture, but stable for sure.