I have not noticed any vibrations at 75mph other than being buffeted by the wind. No one has mentioned it at the W650 site at yahoo, either. Getting back to the Triumph, it is amazingly smooth. Personally, I felt it was like riding a sewing machine. They are both very dependable bikes, but the W just has more "character" to me. Not the bad kind, either. I have been all over the country on BMWs without windshields, and I would not hesitate to take the same rides on the W. I am quite astonished with it, actually. Wish I could post the sound, too.
Comfort; they come with 1 inch high bars that are fairly annoying. People using the high bars tend to push their butts back on the seat and their tailbone rests on that small hump in the middle of the seat. Much has been written about that hump. However, when lower bars are installed, I found the seat to be quite comfortable. I usually use a piece of sheepskin on long rides, anyway. 7/8 bars are used- you just have to creat shims for the controls and mounting points. Re-routing cables is an art form you learn. The tank is from a place in German that -unbelievably- make cafe parts for Ws. This is a BSA tank that required a tiny seat mod to get it to fit. They also make high pipes for a scrambler look, or they have full race kits, too. The quality is not quite Evan Wilcox's level, but not bad and cheaper. Other slight mods include an added front tooth, and messing with the air/fuel screw so it idles instantly. Some Ws have issues with the rear fender cracking, but I think putting on an atermarket tail light helps. Mine has about 20K on the clock. AS stated, I just adore this bike. It is full of technology that is difficult to figure out, but hopefully things won't come to that for a long time.
Bill- that is indeed a pre-'69 BMW air pump with an ingenious application. In practical useage, however, I've found them to be very difficult to use. I guess after a patch, it would get you going, though.
Mr Ghoulie, I hope I have not hijacked your post. I'm feeling rather sheepish here. Just wished to offer an alternative that would posibbly save some money, too. These bikes, I suspect, will go up in value but there are still many around with really low miles. One just went on Ebay with 5 (five) miles on it for $5500- still less than a new Bonnie!
