Riding the rainbow unicorn at the IMS

The border finally opened up for people in the US to enter Canada without having to quarantine, so after over a year and a half we could go and visit Michael’s family in Toronto. And eat roti. Michael really likes Trinidadian roti!

We scheduled the visit so we could stop on the way back at the International Motorcycle Show in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We arrived the night before, and popped into Yak and Yeti, a restaurant that features Nepalese and Bhutanese fare. Angela tried the momos (Michael’s are better), and Michael had the thali. It was a nice experience, but the food was blander than expected. The dining room had an area where patrons could sit on cushions on the floor, which was an interesting novelty.

Friday morning, we were among the first on the IMS grounds. Numerous motorcycle manufacturers were present and providing test rides of their machines – we were like kids on Christmas morning, getting to play with all the new toys!

The first, of course, was Yamaha’s Tenere 700. The bike lives up to its reputation, both for its many positives and its few negatives. The ride was a nose-to-tail escorted run around the local area, boring and safe, but adequate to reinforce what we have read and learned about the bike. We’re 90% sure this will be the bike. Rainbow unicorn? Okay, not quite, but it seems to be the best bike for us. However…

Michael recently read Home By Seven by Steph Jeavons, and has become curious to test ride the new Honda CRF 300L Rally. Yes, it’s certainly underpowered, but it’s also 125 lbs lighter, and that fact alone makes the bike worth a look. Unfortunately, Honda didn’t have this bike available to ride today. Sigh.

Kawasaki did, however, have the KLX 300 SM. Not exactly the same, but a similar-sized engine, so we were able to get a feel for that level of power. So, Angela and I did back to back rides with Kawasaki, trading the KLX with the new KLR 650. The KLR was the first surprise of the day. It was a far better ride than expected – Michael’s ridden older KLRs and this new fuel-injected model was a big improvement. And, KLX was a great bike, but not for our needs. Maybe the Honda won’t cut it… (Okay, truthfully, Kawi’s pre-ride breathalyzer was the first surprise of the day, and the first time either of us have ever been breathalyzed!)

We next took out a couple of Suzukis – the new V-Strom for Angela (we both currently ride ’07 V-Stroms) and the DR-Z 400 for Michael, again to get a feel for that level of power. The V-Strom felt uninspiringly familiar; the DR-Z was underpowered for our needs.

Michael really wanted to try Harley’s new Pan America. Angela definitely had no interest in anything Harley, so Michael went out on his own. True to Michael’s experience with Harley-Davidson on previous occasions, instead of an escorted tour the HD team chucked him a set of keys and told him to bring the bike back when he was done.

Michael came back with a big smile on his face. The Pan America has a metric butt-tonne of power, and despite being a unique new bike, it somehow feels just like a Harley. But, being 534 lbs (quite light for a HD) and full of electronics that could fail, it won’t displace the lighter, simpler Tenere from our wishlist.

Our final ride of the day was offered by Zero. Zero makes all-electric motorcycles, and we thought it would be mildly interesting to give this novelty a try. Here was our final surprise of the day. Michael rode the SR/S (sport bike) model, and Angela the FXE super motard. And wow, just wow! First of all, virtually silent – just tires on the road and an almost imperceptible whine from the electric motor. Second, and more fun, was the power. Twist the throttle, and these bikes take off like a rocket! Man, oh man, these were unbelievably fun to ride! We both walked away grinning from ear to ear and convinced that these would be amazing second bikes to own. Second because these bikes have limited range, and so are unsuitable for long distance travel. But still, so much fun!

In the end, half a dozen rides later, the T7 remains at the top of our list. What do you think? Would you make the same choice?

• 

•