After getting the 600 mile break-in service Friday, I did my first-ever track day with a bunch of friends yesterday. Absolute ran a great program at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Being there with encouraging friends made it extra nice, especially my being a track virgin and all.
What with the ride down there Friday and back home this morning, I put nearly 400 miles on the bike this weekend (hit exactly 1000 miles when I got to my building), and I'm loving every minute of it. Suprisingly, even city riding is more enjoyable now, and I'll definitely be happy to do some serious touring on the RSV. Just need a tank bag to make tollbooth and other quick stops more convenient.
I always suspected that a sportier riding position could be enjoyable, and at first figured I could tolerate it even as much as it might not feel totally comfortable. But now that I've gotten used to it and learned to ride it better it actually feels comfortable, and hanging off feels totally natural! For that last bit I have to give a lot of credit to dirtbike sliding school, believe it or not (Danny Walker's Supercamp).
The cherry on top of all this wonderfulness of Aprilia RSV riding is the attention the bike gets. I don't doubt that any bike gets it's own share of admiration, but sometimes I wonder if some people have ever seen a motorcycle before. Taking it out of the garage the other day, a guy working on the road there actually said something like that: "What is that? I've never seen one like that before - can I take a picture?" And today, stopped at a light, a flash of light caught my eye - some chick was taking pictures, and she and her friends were all nose-and-hands-against-the-glass. I think to myself, "Really?" They're just looking at it and hearing it. If they realized how awesome it is to ride on top of that, they'd probably freak out.
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