Doh! I never thought about Wheelbase

[NeilW]

I didn't get the T7 for the specs, I got it because it is an awesome bike overall for the type of riding I now do in the Pacific North West. Forest road exploring. I did some tight single track soon after I got it and decided I didn't like that type of riding any more, both me and on this bike. I was just thinking back to  two months ago when I was on an 1100 mile, mostly asphalt ride from Oregon to Idaho and my buddy and I took a 50 mile  back mountain jeep road- for fun. We came across a 120 degree  washout turn ( sort of repaired) where the trail was about two feet wide, high banked, with a drop off on the inside.  When I stopped to assess it before taking it, I was thinking "how am I going to get this tank around that turn".  More throttle was my internal conversation and I took it, gassed it just before the apex and then quickly said WHOA when I straightened out. I know a lot of you will say - duh, but I literally never compared the wheelbase of the T7 to the other bikes I know well, till just now. The T7 is shorter by only 5" from my  2007 Royal Star Venture touring bike. The XR 250 I put 8000 miles of dirt on has a 7" shorter WB than the T7.  When I saw the 7" difference from the XR250 it made whole lot more sense to me as to why I ( not you or Pol) have to work the T7 in slow, tight trail situations. With 5500 miles on my T7 I can do tight situations, I am still gaining the confidence to do them as second nature. I love the bike, and  its wheelbase has not stopped me from going anywhere I have wanted to go and it hasn't kept me from getting out of situations that riding in the dirt throw at us. 

Obviously the  T7 WB on the Freeway is what makes it a great highway bike. No complaints, just sharing my DOH moment with about 25,000 of my closest friends. Comments always welcome.- at least on THIS forum

Edited December 22, 2022 by NeilW

[AZJW]

Agreed. The T7 is somewhat of a barge compared to an actual dirtbike, but fills the role of "dirt road bike" nicely.

Question,  that isn't a dead snake hanging from your bars, is it?

[NeilW]

3 minutes ago, AZJW said:

Agreed. The T7 is somewhat of a barge compared to an actual dirtbike, but fills the role of "dirt road bike" nicely.

Question,  that isn't a dead snake hanging from your bars, is it?

Ha. No. It is my paracording handy work. A “back off whip “