Maiden Voyage Complete

It wasn't so much a voyage as it was a test run, really.

The neighbourhood streets were largely clear, but the mains were soaked from all the melting snow (7 degrees Celsius, 44 Fahrenheit).

The verdict?

I loved every second of it, even though I didn't get past 3rd gear.  I'm looking forward to the real riding season even more, now.  Initial impressions, organized from getting on the bike, to starting it up, to riding:

Seating position: close to perfect; floorboards and controls could be a little bit further back and they would be perfect, but where they are is fine.  It keeps them out of my way when I come to a stop and need to put my feet down, too.

Sound: Perfect.  Nice, deep rumble.  Loud enough for me, even with the stock pipes.

Controls: Good brake feel, front and rear.  It's nice to have a cruiser with real brakes (my Volusia had a single disc up front and a drum at the rear).  Throttle modulation is nice, without choppiness.  Clutch pull is fairly light.  Shifter is positive, with a decent throw.  I read a lot about the gearbox noise with shifting, particularly 1-2.  In all honesty, it didn't bother me at all.  It's louder than all of the other bikes that I've owned or ridden, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected based on some of the complaints that I had seen.

Balance/Low-Speed Handling:  Excellent.  This bike is far better than my Volusia was when it comes to low speed manouevres.  As with any bike, there's a learning curve involved, but I'm quite comfortable with the low-speed manners of this bike.  The centre of gravity also feels well-situated (low).

Power: There's plenty of grunt.  It's no GSX-R1000 or even Bandit 1200S when it comes to acceleration, but that's not to say that the power is lacking at all.  If the 1700 weighed less, this bike could give the Bandit a run for its money.  There's enough "go" to keep my inner torque-monster happy.  My biggest complaint with the Volusia was the "twist and wait" nature of the engine.  The 1700 is truly "twist and gone."

Suspension:  Outstanding.  The Volusia was punishing over bumps because of the seating position and terrible rear shock.  The combination of the stock seat and dual rear shocks on the Vulcan is wonderful.  The front suspension also did a good job on medium- and low-speed bumps.

Higher-Speed Handling: I didn't get up to highway speeds, obviously, but at neighbourhood speeds the bike maintains a good balance between stability and responsiveness.

This bike's a keeper.  Even if I do end up buying a bagger down the road, the 1700 Classic won't be in any danger of losing its spot in the garage.