Long-time lurker here, looking for advice. Lots of words ahead...
I have a 97 Bird w/25K mi. I bought it 5 years ago as a spur of the moment decision; I'd gone to look at a ST1100, which had sold moments before I arrived. But the seller was also selling a Bird, and after a test ride, I couldn't say no. Only notable add-ons were Heli bars and a Corbin seat (though it turns out I'm happier with the stocker).
Fast forward to today: I've put maybe 3,000 miles on it since I bought it. Part of that is because of the riding conditions here in the S. SF Bay Area (CA); mucho traffic, with large numbers of clueless and/or new drivers who frankly scare the hell out of me. I've had a M/C license since I got my first license, and ridden a lot on many different bikes over the years, so feel fairly confident of my own skills, but the number of times I've been driving to or from work (in my car) and seen another driver do something which made me think "if I'd been on a bike, in the wrong place, I wouldn't have had a chance" must number in the hundreds. So I ride only on the weekends, when my goal is to cut thru the hordes of cages to get to the wide open road ASAP.
The one thing I've never really gotten comfortable with is the riding position: all the other bikes I've owned have been ones with erect sitting positions (various dirt bikes, a 78 Gold Wing, 83 CB1100F, etc.), and when sitting hunched over on the Bird, I feel like my all-around visibility is compromised (due to my neck position, I guess). I installed convex mirror stik-ons, which help, but aren't a solution. Also, for me, at 6'3", the wind blast gets pretty unpleasant at high speeds. I bought a replacement windscreen (Zero Gravity, don't remember the model: maybe a "Sport Touring", not Double Bubble) and rode with it for a few years, but for the heck of it, I switched back to stock this year, and didn't notice much of a difference; the stock one might be a little better (but with either one, my head was planted firmly in the wind-blast-zone at freeway speeds).
This AM, I went to a local M/C shop to test ride a 94(!) ST1100 w/50K mi., with the idea of maybe trading my bird and "a little" cash to get it. The test ride was disappointing: yes, the ST had an upright seating position that helped me feel much more aware of my surroundings, but that was about the only area in which I found it superior to my Bird. Among other things, my Bird's wonderful engine put the ST's John Deere lawnmower motor to shame.
So I left, on my Bird, thinking: if I could spend the $1000 I was willing to spend on a "trade up", on my Bird, to fix the areas where I'm not happy with my Bird, why not just do that? After all, it's a paragon of power and reliability.
So, here are the areas I'd like to make changes. Note that my powertrain is 100% OEM, and as long as it's reliable, I'm perfectly happy with that; in fact, I get grins from blowing by traffic on a bike they don't hear coming up behind them.
a. Better overall wind protection, leading toward a more upright seating position: I would love the biggest, tallest windscreen possible. As big as, or bigger than the ST's. Yes, it would harm performance, and look goofy to boot, but the Bird has plenty of performance "headspace" at near-legal speeds, and I don't care if it looks strange. In my searching, it seemed like Givi makes one that's the closest to what I'm looking for, but I'm not sure it's big/tall enough. Are there any that are bigger/taller/more coverage? That are _available now_?
b. Replacement handlebars: if I manage to install a big, tall windscreen, then the next step toward achieving my goals is to get some replacement bars that let me sit up straighter. I've seen FJ1300(?) bars mentioned here. Do those work well on the Bird? Any better solutions to getting my hands positioned higher, so I don't have to hunch over?
c. High capacity luggage: I know there are a lot of choices here, but part of my $1,000 budget would need to be spent here, since I'd like to take weeklong trips. Advice on best-bang-for-the-buck setups would be appreciated.
Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading. I'd appreciate any advice. If I were going to sell my Bird, I'd probably buy a used 1800 Goldwing or ST1300. But those cost in the neighborhood of $10,000, minus what I could sell my Bird for ($4,000 at best?). It's hard for me to justify to myself spending another $6,000 for a motorcycle which isn't a daily-driver. Of course, bikes have never been "the practical choice". But if I can turn my Bird into a "near-Wing" for $1000, I'd be very happy to keep her forever.
Cheers, Cagey
