Once a month, some of the rider coaches in Minnesota get together to have fun talking and cornering. One of our training sites has a closed driving course (DCTC). It is about a mile long and about 17 corners depending on the configuration. I’ve been there many times now, most of the time while taking a riding course. The course is also used for SCCA events and truck driving.
Last week, we used it to practice cornering. I was one of the first to arrive, so I had the course to myself for about twenty minutes. It was pretty nice. The only company I had was a wild turkey.
I rode three different motorcycles. My SV650, a Honda Grom from our training trailer, and a KTM 390 Duke demo brought up by a training partner.
I enjoyed riding the Grom. It has been a good training motorcycle. The students like it, and so do most of the instructors. It is easy to ride. The Grom is 125cc, so it isn’t the fastest thing out there. We had an unofficial contest to see the top speed on the track. I got mine up to 56mph after several tries on one straight. I am a bit lighter than the others who tried.
I also rode the KTM 390 Duke. A 390cc bike that weighs just over 300lbs. Wow! What a fun motorcycle. I really enjoyed riding it. Fast. Nimble. A treat to ride.
I also did a few laps on my SV650. I guess 60 miles and a few rides wasn’t enough to fully break in my rear tire. It slide quite a bit on the first hard corner. I managed to get it on video too. I will post that on YouTube later.
All in all, a great night talking shop with other coaches while getting some good practice time in.
Videos
It seemed odd that the KTM only had one rear view mirror. To save weight?
ReplyDeleteI thought that the Grom would make a nice commuter bike. I've only seen one once at the local dealer and have never seen one on the street.
It is supposed to have two. It was loose, so we took it off to avoid damaging it. The correct sized wrench to tighten it wasn't handy.
DeleteThe grom could be a good commuter if no freeways were involved, but you don't have to worry about commuting anymore ;)
300 lbs, love the sound of that ... what's the seat height?
ReplyDeleteGoogle says the seat height is 31 inches. It felt lower than that to me. I didn't have any trouble flat footing and my legs are only 30" long. Take one for a test ride.
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