My first ride on the speeeeed!

Message

drbowtie · #1 Post by **drbowtie** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 3:11 am

I now know where the bike got it's name!

Here's the line up...

A piped, jetted and K&N filtered 400EX
A red late model 500 snowmobile
600 Artic Cat
350 Warrior stock..

We rode snowmobile trails in upstate New York. The 400EX, I abused him! I would be hundred's of yards behind him in the big hard packed open fields and catch up and go right by!

The warrior... He should have stayed home!

The 500 sled... Would you believe I could outrun the darn sled from 30 to 70! He was beside me coming off a wide trail into a large rolling field and we both stabbed it at the same time and ran side by side down the field I actually outran the darn thing by about 10 feet until I hit top speed... His legs were just a tad longer than mine and the his higher top speed helped him to edge out. But the killer was that by the time he could use the higher top speed... We were out of room. It was great!

I ran even with the 600 artic cat. I was amazed! I couldn't get over how fast the Speed was through 3rd 4th and 5th it was simply unbelievable...

On the trails it had great manners and was more than nible enough to tame the loopdie loops and straighten all the curves.

I'm just in awe. The few times I got after it I would sit way back on the seat and put my head down and I thought the thing was going to leave the ground...

Uhm, if you don't own one... You wouldn't understand.

Now I know why I bought this thing. I need life insurance... BAD!

mountainman10 · #2 Post by **mountainman10** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 2:49 pm

I told you that after you rode it, it would be worth any price that you paid! Glad to hear you are finally getting to ride it. The cannondales are a little bit of a hassle getting all of the updates and things done before they can be ridden, but once you get on the beast it is well worth it in my opinion.

NittroT · #3 Post by **NittroT** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:43 pm

I hear you Drbowtie,
I have a Cannibal with the speed map and i feel the same way!

LapTraffic · #4 Post by **LapTraffic** » Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:49 pm

The ride is the righter of all wrongs. If it doesnt do it for you there it's not the bike for you.

Glad to see you found a fit

drbowtie · #5 Post by **drbowtie** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 2:24 am

I can't wait to get on the trail with no snow... You guys hit it on the head though. It is tempermental. But, I'm a nut for maintenance so it's a healthy marriage.

I really do believe that I will get hurt on this thing though... I've got to get some great goggles. The ones I was using had lots of scratches and made sight very difficult.

Now that I've ridden it... Wouldn't give it back for any other ride. When we stop my machine is the one everyone wants to look at... Talk about and ride (ya right like that's gonna happen).

LapTraffic · #6 Post by **LapTraffic** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 4:36 am

Yea, ya gotta get used to fallin off. It was WAY more machine than I was ready for and the learning curve was pretty steep, theres just nothin like flyin out of a corner on 2 wheels, stabbin the gas and have her jump up into a one wheel wheelie!

I learned fast, and didnt break anything... on me

And look at it this way, theyre instant upgrades

drbowtie · #7 Post by **drbowtie** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:21 am

Went shop-in today and got a great deal on a pair of cool goggles! They are SPY goggles (the ones without the decoder ring). They have the yellow tint, just like I asked santa for! Retail was 69.95 but I got-em on sale at 40% off... Now I can wear my glasses when I ride and actually see!

This is going to be very exciting.. No more feeling my way through the trails! It's been putting a beating to my shins...:eek:

nuge · #8 Post by **nuge** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:34 pm

Knee/shin guards are well worth it - just from the normal hard riding inside bumps to the knees; so are elbow guards. After my last crash (endo in wet sand) I'll be wearing a chest protector and maybe a neck roll. A buddy on his raptor biffed it bad last weekend trying to back down a steep hill and lost control - bike had broken handle bar, bent axle, smashed up plastic, etc. He had major road rash but nothing more serious. Long sleeve shirt would have helped. Chest protector and elbow guards would have helped alot more. Sometimes it takes an injury to get to the next level of safety gear to prevent it form happening again.

LapTraffic · #9 Post by **LapTraffic** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:48 pm

I cant ride without knee guards, knee planted into the plastic on a turn gets bruised up pretty quick.

Thought about that neck roll, anyone use them? Do they work?

Derno24 · #10 Post by **Derno24** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:13 pm

I used one in football. It usually slows the snap back effect, but does little for straight on blows from the top of the helmet.