
Originally Posted by
sheulett
I have had my 900 for two months now and have just about 2800 miles on it. I love this bike. Now, having said that, I should say that in my short time on two wheels, I've decided that what makes the perfect bike largely depends on what you want it to do. The 900 does everything I wanted.
First and foremost, I wanted a vehicle, not a recreational thing. I wanted something that I could ride every day (to work, the gym, the grocery store, to rugby practice, pretty much anywhere I need to go). Because of that, I liked many of the features of the 900. In that regard, the fuel gauge was a plus. Right now, people seem upset that the gauge shows less fuel that you actually have, but I never let my tank get much below 1/2 anyway, so the gauge does what I want it to do (I fill up when it says E). Along those same lines, I liked the larger fuel capacity of the 900.
This is my first bike, so I wanted something light and with a low seat height. I also wanted something good on gas and low on maintenance. The 900 fits all of those bills better than most bigger bikes. I like FI because I want to produce less pollution and because I don't want to have to fool with a choke or a reserve tank. I liked the belt because it is less maintenance than a chain, but delivers power better than a shaft.
While I didn't want a bike that was too big, I also didn't want something that was too small. I use my bike as my primary mode of transportation, which means it's got to be able to run at 80 all day without discomfort to me or to it. The 900 will do that. It's also stable and big enough for comfort on trips. It doesn't get blown around by semi's on the interstate. The footboards are something I didn't think I'd like from a styling perspective, but, now that I have them, I would hate to have pegs. The boards are more comfortable in my opinion and offer a wider range of riding positions.
The 900 is not the fastest bike available. Don't get me wrong, it's got plenty of get-up-and-go. I've heard some suggest that it might even be faster off the line than bigger bikes, just because of it's weight. BUT, if I were to add a bike to the stable, it would be a power cruiser. Notice that I did not say that I would upgrade or trade my 900 in for a bigger bike. I am perfectly happy with the 900 as my everyday bike, and a bigger bike would not do the same job as well. If I get an ADDITIONAL bike, it would be the toy/recreational vehicle that I take out for fun. I guess what I'm saying is that it goes back to what you want the bike to do. I don't think the 900 is the bike for someone who primarily wants a hotrod.
Other features that caught my attention were the rear disc brake (as opposed to the drum on the Shadow Aero), liquid cooling, and larger rear tire.
I wasn't thrilled about the spoked wheels at first, but now that I have them, I think they look like what belongs on the bike. The bike does have a lot of plastic, which is not ideal. On the other hand, it keeps both price and weight down, and those bits will never rust.
All in all, I think the 900 is a great bike. It's not the best at any one category, but it does everything very well in a way that I did not see any other bike do.
Just my opinion, but I love my bike. I would recommend it without hesitation.
Cheers!
Steve