MY FIRST STEALTH BOMBER TRIP (SPILLS INCLUDED.)
So tonight I took out my new Stealth Bomber for a run to the gym and back. It's a 24 mile round trip (I have a good trainer and he's worth the trip, shush!) and in short, I think the Bomber, far from being simply a fun vehicle to drive (note the omission of 'bike' -
it patently isn't one) - it's an actual viable alternative to a car when living in a city like London (issues notwithstanding, i.e. the legality of the thing..)
So, I had a great start to the trip. I was all pumped up to head on out- hopped on, hit the throttle and.. the bike flipped what seemed 50 feet into the air and crashed down on its back. This is the most consistent issue I keep coming up against. I managed to flip the bike twice using the throttle. The second time I actually ripped off the seat and complete f*cked the seat post support bars, which now have to be replaced they are so warped and bent out of shape. The bike is so heavy that when it comes crashing down it can do real damage to itself.
I know this is my own stupid fault, but honestly, at no point did I jerk the throttle. I was actually careful not to. Many times at red lights, I'd tap it just a bit when we got green and find the front wheel would lift a good half foot or so before picking up some speed. Whilst this looks cool to onlookers (
why yes I am a moto hero, would you like to buy me a drink?) it's pretty unnerving for me, as I don't want to be under the eager taxi behind me. It's a heavy f*cker too. Wrestling back control from a 65kg beast ain't easy. And man, the storage. The landlord is already fuming that I'm petitioning to rip out all the hallway cupboards to make room. (It's that or spend the whole time hopping over the thing.)
I had a few spills on the road. The two somersaults, a curb mount that went wrong, and a case of pushing my luck a bit on the speed. I've uploaded a video below, and there's a picture of the damage to the seat. Turns out trying to mount a curb at an angle isn't such a good idea with a bike this heavy. Also underestimated the momentum that builds as you overtake at 40 (which I was doing.) It caught me off guard how close to the curb I got, and whilst I managed to wrestle back the bike, I don't know if I'd do that again. Was pretty dumb.
[(It's testament to the GoPros that they survive all the sh*t I throw at them. If you're looking for a saddle mount for a rear GP, I'd recommend the K-Edge. It's on Amazon, and is practically indestructible. Allows a clear line of straight sight back onto the road without eating up space on your seat post.)
Anyway. I love the bomber (I know I sound like I don't, but that's just the anxiety speaking) - it's probably the most fun I've had on a vehicle since learning to drive. The range is fantastic, I had 45% juice left when I got back after 24 miles of stop start driving with light pedalling effort. The response and power of the motor (whilst threatening to me as a beginner) is a lot of fun to play with when you've been riding pushbikes long distances. I love the dirt bike looks (some guy screamed "
oh my god, that's f*cking sick bro" when I zoomed past him,) the suspension, which unlike my old GoCycle, doesn't require a visit to the chiropractor every time you hit a pothole, annnnd the general feeling of capability this machine brings.
I do have some bones to pick. Some I hope there are resolutions to, some I'm not sure.
That damn throttle. Is there a way to make the throttle less sensitive when you are at a standstill? It's very twitchy, and is like an excitable puppy wanting to bolt out the front door. It's great when you're at speed but like I say, not great from a green light. If it were two wheel drive this wouldn't be an issue, but it's rear wheeled
and back-heavy, which makes it liable to flip I guess.
Definitely think it's a thief magnet. I have a bike cage at the gym, and I still use two Kryptonite chains and pray it is still there when I get back. It's a shame that for a bike I'd love to use more often, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable chaining it up around London. Shame there isn't more secure bike parking in the city. The Japanese have these cool underground bike parking facilities which require some form of ticket. Makes our little metal U bends look like ass.
Storage at home is an issue because it's so heavy and large. Taking it upstairs is a no-go, yet living in London space is at a premium. The landlord is already impressed by my suggestion to rip out all the hallway cupboards to make room, but then what alternative is there?
The weight is probably the second biggest issue. When combined with a twitchy throttle it makes me feel less confident about my ability to remain in control. When it gets away it is a heavy beast, and it's very hard to reign in again. In fact one of the issues I find is that if you twitch the throttle a bit too much and it gets away from you, it pulls forward and makes you pull back on the throttle
even more!!
If anyone has any tips on how to become more proficient, safe, etc, I'm happy to hear it. Particularly if anyone knows how to 'fix' the throttle. I may limit the speed to 30mph for now. Whilst that won't solve the throttle issue it will at least allow me to become more confident before jetting off at speed.
On a sidenote, I had the Stealth lights installed on the front. They make it look even more like the predator that it is, and produce something more akin to a small car headlight (think wide field of view, circular vision) than a bike LED. Definitely helps in the dark when being able to see what's around a corner is essential.
Don't judge me too harshly!