I took an extensive test ride on the D300 this weekend. I started in a neighborhood that opened into an Art Deco aged downtown section with a divided main street. I accelerated onto the main street with no issues, no hesitation. I rode a short distance on the the divided main street then got onto the freeway for a jaunt up a good sized hill. I rode from an altitude of less than 100 to over 2,000 feet at speeds ranging from 60-70 MPH going up the hill, with no hesitation.
I kept up with the flow of traffic and saw the speedo hold 75-80 MPH across the flat and during slight inclines. I rode up the hill to the first crest and then took it on a side road. The side road is a very curvy country road. I slowed down here. I was not used to the bike, the roadway was damp and had off-camber corners, and there were some sections with leaves on the road. But, all that being said, it handled it well. The frame is very rigid and moves side to side quickly. I continued until I came to nice safe place to turn around and rode back on the sames roads.
The interesting thing I noticed during my ride back was how easy it was to ride at highway speeds; 70-75 MPH indicated. During the first half of my ride I was focused on "doing stuff". In this half of my ride, I was just riding... just going some place. I was going back to the store to return the bike. Later, when I got back to the shop, I was asked about the wind and I had not noticed any wind. Seeing as how I had just cruised for the last 15 miles at speeds between 75 & 80 MPH in Saturday morning traffic, wind was not an issue.
After my highway, hill and curvy riding, I decided I needed a little more in-town, traffic riding. So, I drove a couple extra blocks on San Carlos to get a feel for in-town handling. I did split traffic at two lights but they were very easy splits with very generous gaps and short lines of traffic (4 cars or less). There were not any truck or vans in the traffic mix to get a feel for mirror heights (the challenge of my traffic splitting life). I did make a couple u-turns and they were simple to complete.
For those who know the area; I started in San Jose, CA. The freeway was the Highway 17, the grade near Los Gatos, headed towards Santa Cruz with a short ride on Bear Creek Road. The weather was sunny and clear, the air temps were in the 50-60F, a perfect test ride day. The D300 had over 400 miles on it when I started and 499 miles when i was finished riding. It is almost ready for it's 600 mile initial service (assuming that is where is gets done).
