New Raider near Erie PA

[bigredraider]

welcome from titusville pa haha

[Ron505]

Welcome from Ohio and congrats on the killer sled!  This is the perfect time of year to start browsing around for the mods that you want to add to it over the winter months.

[Fj_Ohio]

Another Welcome from Ohio! Don't rush your mods. Take time to see whats favored here and why and then decide.

[GlacierBlue]

Thanks all for the warm welcome!  It is immediately clear that we are all proud of the Raider.  I can already see how valuable this site is going to be. 

I'll be picking up my new Raider S at the dealer this afternoon and riding it 3 hours home.  I am excited about the new bike and the ride, but I am also a little concerned about beating bad weather that is moving in this evening.

New bike... bad weather... not a good combination.   
You may want to rethink when you're going to pick it up... just a thought.   

I left work a couple hours earlier than planned to minimize problems with the weather.  It was a 3 hour, 160 mile ride from the dealer to my home.  I took it very easy the first hour...new bike and all.  The last hour was interstate riding; the wind was picking up in advance of the pending rain, and there was more wind from the tractor trailers...but the Raider was very stable.  I was very comfortable in hour 3 and even passed some cars and semis.  Just as I am about 1 mile from the exit of the interstate, I hit a mist in the air...beaded up on the helmet but hardly enough to call rain.  From there, it is about 5 miles to my house.  Made it home safely and beat the rain.  And what an awesome ride it was!

Not being used to such a powerful bike, I rolled the power on slowly to minimize any unexpected results.  I noticed how quickly the bike responds to changes in direction (compared to my Honda 750), due to the very low profile tires.  The handle bars are a little higher than my Honda.  The high tank seems to block the wind to a degree.  I love this bike already.  The 3 hour ride was a great way to get acquainted.

[GlacierBlue]

welcome from titusville pa haha

Hey!  We are practically neighbors!

[Semper Fi Dawg]

Welcome from Middle Georgia !

[wolfraider]

Welcome from Minnesota!

[bigredraider]

welcome from titusville pa haha

Hey!  We are practically neighbors!

hell yeah ...played football for the boro!! haha small world

[A.T.]

Welcome from Navarre, FL....looks like a beautiful bike at a decent price...congrats!

[69quadracer]

Welcome from Mississippi

[RaiderRoyce]

Welcome!!! 

[Chance13]

Welcome from Central Arkansas

[budaman]

Welcome From good old Syracuse NY and to our forum, great bunch of guys here and a wealth of knowledge.
Once you start looking around you will see some great mods done on some awesome bikes, which will inspire you and give you some ideas of your own to do to your ride.

budaman

[GlacierBlue]

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

Today was the first work day that it has not rained since I bought the bike a little over a week ago; temp was a balmy 30 degrees.  My commute is 50 miles each way, and with daylight savings time, the return trip is mainly in the dark.  Also, my drive is on rural roads, much of it through wooded areas including some state owned land.  White tailed deer are in rut (mating) and hunters are in the woods stirring them up.  According to State Farm Insurance, this is the worst week of the year for car-deer accidents.  Against this backdrop, I decided to ride.  I have cold weather riding gear and a full face helmet and the trip in was beautiful, comfortable and uneventful.  The bike was a big hit with all the people at work and I drew a lot of comments for riding under these conditions.  The ride home was mainly after dark, about 33 degrees.  I rode between 30 and 55 mph, trying to stay vigilant for deer.  I only saw one...running toward the road; I was heavy on the brakes as she approached the very edge of the road, stopped and ran back the way she came.  Phew!  Well, I won't be riding any more this week, but it was a very pleasant experience today, aside from the close encounter.