| Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride | |
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JeffR Site Admin
Number of posts : 2598 Age : 65 Location : Bay Area, Ca Points : 8662 Registration date : 2008-12-19
| Subject: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:58 pm | |
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Scootn56 Scooter Rider
Number of posts : 17 Age : 68 Location : N.E. AL. USA Points : 4301 Registration date : 2013-02-23
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:16 pm | |
| Thanks Jeff for posting the ride report, looks like a nice ride with beautiful views. Your CTX really looks great in the pictures with the observatory in the background. The Candy red is my favorite color. Both my Goldwing and Reflex are candy red and I never get tired of looking at them. |
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JeffR Site Admin
Number of posts : 2598 Age : 65 Location : Bay Area, Ca Points : 8662 Registration date : 2008-12-19
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:23 pm | |
| Scootn56,
Thanks, it was a nice ride and one worth repeating as well. I like the red one I have but the new 2015 is a really cool blue, in the pictures, but the shop doesn't have one yet to look at in person. The Reflex was my first scooter, when I decided to try a scooter. It was very nice and a smooth ride as well. Which is faster...the Goldwing or Reflex? lol just kidding |
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GHM-PM Site Admin
Number of posts : 2621 Age : 72 Location : Bullhead City, AZ Points : 7504 Registration date : 2012-05-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:58 am | |
| Thanks Jeff for the report and pix! Looks great, it is a pleasure to see ride reports of areas where I have not been! Keep 'em coming! |
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"Hi Yo" Silver Wing Guru
Number of posts : 2940 Age : 75 Location : Winnsboro, Texas, U.S.A. Points : 8551 Registration date : 2010-02-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:16 am | |
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Mike from NS Silver Wing Rider
Number of posts : 461 Age : 71 Location : Nova Scotia Points : 4587 Registration date : 2013-09-12
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:43 am | |
| Really nice pictures Jeff !! Thanks for sharing the experience! Mike |
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exavid Silver Wing Guru
Number of posts : 2658 Age : 81 Location : Medford, Oregon Points : 8391 Registration date : 2009-07-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:32 pm | |
| Nice looking ride, lucky you got the fastest color too. |
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JeffR Site Admin
Number of posts : 2598 Age : 65 Location : Bay Area, Ca Points : 8662 Registration date : 2008-12-19
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:45 pm | |
| Thanks and it was a great ride. But I don't think a BMW scooter could have made it up there. Just kidding. But it is a really cool ride and I wish the observatory would have been open. They have a nice gift shop and you can take a tour of it as well. I did that once and it is pretty cool to walk around with the guide. There are 9 scopes and observatories there over a good amount of area. I thing I didn't mention about the CTX is that the speedometer is 'dead on'. On the interstate when I was going 65 mph my GPS was at 65 mph. |
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exavid Silver Wing Guru
Number of posts : 2658 Age : 81 Location : Medford, Oregon Points : 8391 Registration date : 2009-07-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:22 am | |
| Come on up to Medford this summer and we can try riding up to the 7500 foot summit of Mount Ashland. About half on rough dirt. I'll match my GT against your CTX. Probably be a tie though. |
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JeffR Site Admin
Number of posts : 2598 Age : 65 Location : Bay Area, Ca Points : 8662 Registration date : 2008-12-19
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:14 pm | |
| - exavid wrote:
- Come on up to Medford this summer and we can try riding up to the 7500 foot summit of Mount Ashland. About half on rough dirt. I'll match my GT against your CTX. Probably be a tie though.
I'm sure your GT would beat my CTX. The CTX is probably the same power and speed as the SWing but just more torque. I'm sure your GT would pull away from my bike. I think the dyno's say the CTX has 47 rear wheel hp and 44 ft/lbs of torque. I have to say I was impressed by the low-end torque of this bike though. I could climb at about 2,000-2,200 rpms which was similar to the Harley 883 I had. Other than that it is very much like the SWing in performance. |
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exavid Silver Wing Guru
Number of posts : 2658 Age : 81 Location : Medford, Oregon Points : 8391 Registration date : 2009-07-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Fri Jan 23, 2015 3:33 pm | |
| It's give and take, the CTX is most likely getting more miles per gallon. I'm developing a split personality, I still like going through the gears on my 1100 and listening to that little four banger rev up, but also like the effortlessness of the GT. Wish I could dump them both in a cement mixer and come out with a hybrid of the two. |
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JeffR Site Admin
Number of posts : 2598 Age : 65 Location : Bay Area, Ca Points : 8662 Registration date : 2008-12-19
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:33 pm | |
| If I ride normal I get 65 mpg, which is nice, but if I'm a bit more agressive I get 62 mpg. It doesn't really vary much at all. But I'm sure the GT is at least 5-10 mph faster. I do like the fact that the speedo is dead-on. I always wondered why bikes are usually never exact like my cars have been. |
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exavid Silver Wing Guru
Number of posts : 2658 Age : 81 Location : Medford, Oregon Points : 8391 Registration date : 2009-07-17
| Subject: Re: Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:14 pm | |
| Actually my GT doesn't get all that good of mileage. Running around town it averages in the high forties, on a longer run on the slab in the low 50s. Part of the problem is the throttle return spring is too weak, too easy to twist full on at traffic lights. I just love the feel of the acceleration trying to pull my arms straight. It is surprising that this scooter doesn't get all that much better fuel mileage than my Goldwing did. That 1830cc engine was within 5-6mpg of what the 650cc scooter does. Add to that the GW was almost 300lbs heavier. Most of the loss is probably the CVT, they just aren't as efficient as gear and shaft drive. My 1100LT gets nearly 50mpg on the road and about 45 in town which is almost the same as the scooter. I don't mind, I don't have the scooter or bike to save gas. My reason for having motorcycles and scooters is just for the fun of it. |
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| Mount Hamilton - Lick Observatory Ride | |
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