W00t !!! 
Looks fun. Man how times have changed since the thumpers.
Got a '78 Yamaha 650 behind my shed if anyone is interested… Free for the asking. PM me. (I’m serious)
Depending on what state the shed is in and if you have a title ------------ it’s possible.
Have fun Scumpup and I’ll expect to see you out and about this summer. I’ll spot you by all the bugs in your teeth from the smile!
Early Impressions:[ul]
[li]Even with a windshield, fairing, and heated grips, it is still too cold to really enjoy riding.[/li][li]It is going to take me a while to get used to the new riding position.[/li][li]This is a very fast bike.[/li][li]This bike is not nearly as forgiving as my mid-size Honda cruiser; it will kill me if I forget that.[/li][li]The color really catches the eye of other motorists. That is good.[/li][/ul]
Those are going to be true of almost any “quote” sport bike “unquote” after a cruiser. In the ancient days just going from a cruiser to my buddies old BMWs had a certain learning curve and I still have nightmares about the first couple runs I took on my Norton JPS. But on the good side, you probably don’t need needle-nosed pliers to get your key in and out.
(I have enough issue going to forward foot controls; one of the reasons I made Bessie more mid than the up-by-the-crashbars crap most Harley riders like)
Before I gave winter the middle finger and moved to California, I invested in heated gloves and a heated jacket liner. With the addition of a scarf, I was plenty warm into the 30s. Toasty, even!
Took the first official ride of the season with my brother this weekend. We cruised around the tri-state area a bit with stops at Shades of Death Road in Avella PA, the Dean Martin mural in Steubensville OH, and the World’s Largest Teapot in Chester WV among other places. The handlebar risers I added at the beginning of the week were a good call. The bike was already comfortable, but I liker a more upright riding posture. The rubes stared at us everywhere we went, that bike is really, really GREEN.
It will make it easy to spot at something like Mountainfest; trust me on that one. It’s one of the reasons I often go for outlandish paint.
I don’t remember where I parked my Harley
“You and 8,000 other people - good luck dude”
It’s painted like a giant cow
“Oh – three rows down and about 75 yards to your left”
Congrats on your new ride!
If you are up to it, ride on up to Baldwin, MI near me for the Blessing of the Bikes celebration.
[quote=“Scumpup, post:24, topic:710350”]
Early Impressions:[LIST]
[li]Even with a windshield, fairing, and heated grips, it is still too cold to really enjoy riding.[/li][/QUOTE]
Easiest/quickest mod is a Gerbing heated jacket liner.
For additional expense/effort, you can extend your temperature envelope even further by installing a heated saddle from one of the aftermarket manufacturers (e.g. Corbin or Russell). It sounds superficial, but your thighs/butt provide a significant amount of surface area where heat can be delivered to your body; it really works.
With heated grips/saddle/jacket-liner, you can continue your journey even if the temp drops into the 30’s. This matters if (for example) you ever plan to cross the Rockies in May.
I’m a Harley Rider but I’ve owned plenty of rice burners in the past, may even again one day.
Never owned one but I’ve always liked the Kawasaki Concours. Rode a couple on test rides and really appreciated them. Even before they redesigned them I liked them.
Ride in good health and enjoy.