chief47

I test rode a 2012 1200F last June at a dealer in Denver (Sun Enterprises). They had advertised it for $9,900 and I had been willing to pay that for the demo bike. However, since it was Father's Day weekend, a better deal was to be had on an identical bike that was still in a crate. I had to hang at the dealership for about three hours while they built and tested it but at a price of $8,900 it was worth the wait.

Two weeks ago I traded in a 2014 Interceptor for a new still in the crate 2012 GEN 7. The 800 had 6K miles on it since last fall. The new bike now has 2,100 miles on the clock. Yesterday I rode it from a campground along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway over Bear Tooth Pass to Red Lodge MT and back home to Colorado. In all, the day's ride covered just over 600 miles in mostly rainy conditions. I had planned to camp another night somewhere in Wyoming, but I was not enthusiastic about setting up camp in the rain. I doubt that the Interceptor would have let me travel so far comfortably. The suspension on the 1200 is better for longer rides, the passing power even in 6th gear is unbelievable and wind buffeting from passing semi trucks and campers on two lane highways at 150 mph closing speeds is minimal. I also believe that the 1200 is better in the twistys. Sure it's heavier than the 800, but only by 65 lbs., the additional horsepower and better brakes make a big difference all around. Also during the entire trip the bike averaged over 50 MPG, not much less than the Interceptor. What more could you want from a sports tourer? I'll be heading out again soon. I'm going back up to Wyoming to ride Hwy 70 (again) and Hwy130 in the Encampment/Riverside area. P1110272.tiff

Two Dollar Tail Tidy The blue thing is a stud mount electrical box from True Value Hardware. Cut, painted & drilled as appropriate, it fits snugly without hardware, which I now have to get from the hardware store. Nuts, bolts flat & lock washers should do the trick. Lighting not affected, & I may use the side reflectors as part of the final mount.