The Scrambler is back!
How about this weather? Crazy storms, blazing heat and gusty wind! Yesterday was the first day in a long time that I have been on my bike without a jacket. I am a big believer in having the proper gear on because “you just never know,” but it was something that I felt I could take a chance on.
During lunch yesterday, I ran down to the powder coater that did my wheels on the Tiger. While I was there, I picked up a couple of painted pieces to match up with the roulette green on the Scrambler. Oh yeah, by the way, I went ahead and got the Scrambler. In response to “oldracer27’s” comment, I went ahead and got it! Once I walked into the Triumph dealer and got close the Scrambler, I remembered all of the reasons why I purchased it in the first go-around before my buddy totaled it (he’s fine). The Scrambler is just stunning! Everyplace I went I was asked, “What year is that?” told that it was cool, a classic! It didn’t matter if the guy was on a Harley or a Sportbike, the Scrambler gets attention and it deserves it.
So back to my jacketless lunch adventure yesterday. I took a sample over to Triumph to see how the colors matched up, and it just didn’t work out. The roulette green on the bike has candy to it, and all of my powder-coating options just didn’t cut it. After chatting with the body shop, I figured that I would just go ahead and paint them to match perfectly. It’s not going to be as durable as the powder coat, but it’s going to look good!
This time around, I am going to get all of my customization completed before I event saddle up. Just before my buddy crashed it, I had the bike all lined up to get several items painted, put on and tweaked to turn my Scrambler into a Scrambled Flat Tracker.
So here is the list:
- New handlebars: I choose the Speed Triple Bars.
- Triumph Off Road Slip Ons: Great Sound!
- Bar end mirrors: Streamline the bike a bit.
- Paint the rims: Match the roulette green on the tank.
- New seat: The Scrambler has a heavy rear end, so I am going to trim it up with a new seat.
- Fender eliminator: The rear fender is big enough for a softail – it’s got to go.
Like I said, I haven’t ridden the bike yet and told the boys at Triumph to tear it down and start working on it because I don’t want to ride it until it’s completed!
My two readers might be asking, “How in the world did you go from a Ducati Hypermotard to the Triumph Scrambler?!”
Well, like I said above, the Scrambler is just a cool bike! Once I really started thinking about my options, I factored in price, usability, style and what I would use the bike for. They Hypermotard would have been fun, fast, agile, but my Tiger is all of that, as well. With the Ducati, I felt that my bike wouldn’t really be unique to me. With the Scrambler, it’s me, it’s got style that I know is me and will be uniquely mine once I polish up my mods.
So that’s why…
Jarrod
I rode the Ducati Hypermotard S. I was a little unsure about riding the S because I didn’t want to give myself any false expectations if I were to get the Hypermotard. As any rider will tell you, once you hop on the badder version you instantly get that urge to find justification to get it.
Well, luckily there really isn’t that much difference to a rider like me. Down at Carr Ducati, the only demo that they have right now is the S. The owner, Mr. Carr, told me that his son had just spent the weekend out at Putnam Park at an open-track day pushing the Hypermotard around. The bike was rigid, which I like, but let’s be honest, I really wouldn’t have known the difference. The ride was outstanding and the bike in person is still, to me, the coolest bike out there.
My fiancé doesn’t think the same. She still wants me to get the ole’ Triumph Scrambler and finish the project like I originally intended to. The bike was beautiful, well at least on my drawing. If I were to get the Scrambler again, the finished product would look like the picture. She insists that the Hypermotard is like every other bike. I insist that it is not! I guess she can’t see through the plastic, fast tires and Ducati style. I honestly think she just doesn’t want me to get another bike.
On my test ride I followed Travis, who was on a Monster. We zipped through a biz park and into Zionsville and right back to the dealer. It was a short ride but I understood how the motard handled. The bike corners effortlessly, has plenty of power and could be a unicycle if you wanted it to. I am not a wheelie guy but I could feel the lightness of the front end as I cranked the throttle.
The verdict is still out …
Jarrod
Test rode the BMW 650 Moto.
So lately I have been on this supermoto kick. I don’t know what it is, but for me riding in the push-up position just is fun! I like to sit up on a bike, and I really never understood why others like to be hunched over while cruising around.
Right now, I have a Triumph Tiger 1050. It’s bad, real bad and a great all-around bike, but as all riders will tell you … one bike isn’t enough. Ever since the Ducati Hypermotard came out, I have been drooling over it. The only downfall is that I’m not sure if I want to pay the “Ducati Premium.” Sure, it has Ferrari-like styling, but it’s just not my style to go after a “lux” brand. The Hypermotard is different, though. The sexy lines, lean and limber stance, it’s just striking. I haven’t ridden one yet, but I have sat on it a few times.
So in my efforts to find a supermoto bike that will suit the city streets, I gave my first ride to the BMW. I like the guys down at Victory Triumph and now BMW. I have always had a great experience with them. On the first day of business, I walked in and hopped on the 650 Moto. I thought, “This could be a lot of fun!”
In short, it is not for me. The BMW just didn’t seem like a smooth bike. A short, short first gear and a rumbling vibration that blurred my vision wasn’t that much fun. I remember when I first got a bike, I said, “There is no reason to get anything above 600cc’s.” Now I don’t know if I would get any thing under 900cc’s. I like the ease and comfort of an easily driven bike, the available power that can give you an effortless ride and the ability to scare yourself. With the BMW, I felt like I was constantly over-revving and rattling my eyes.
Since that ride wasn’t enjoyable, I almost crossed out the Suzuki 450 sm. I just can’t see that bike being better than a BMW 650. In my efforts to escape the lure of the Hypermotard and to settle for something that would work, I am worried that I am going to give a test ride to the Hypermotard and instantly ask what type of financing is available. It’s just one of those things that I try not to think of because emotion may make the decision for me.
Jarrod
I am blogging to blog at this moment, Wednesday, Feb. 13. This is my second day home from work with what I like to call “The killer flu that won’t kill me!”
Just so you understand the pain that I am typing through right now, every strike of the keyboard is like getting poked in the eyes, followed by a sword slicing my head in half and a circus monkey clapping each side of my skull like cymbals! It hurts.
As I mentioned last week, I planned my wedding the same weekend as the Red Bull Indianapolis GP, or as I like to say it, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway planned the Inaugural GP on my wedding weekend …
Wedding Tip Number One: Check with your place of work before you set a wedding date.
My fiancée and I had been struggling with a date on which we were going to commit our lives to each other. There were a few factors that we needed to consider before we actually set the date.
Introduction:
Hi! Welcome to my blog. I really couldn’t come up with a more spectacular entrance to my redbullindianapolisgp.com blog.
My name is Jarrod Krisiloff, and I am extremely pumped for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP. I am an avid rider and a speed junkie who coincidently planned my wedding the same weekend as MotoGP. So throughout my “weekly” blog, I’ll be delivering updates on planning your wedding around a motorcycle race, places to check out around Indianapolis on your two-wheeler and just about any other topic that comes to mind.