Pages

Friday, September 06, 2024

Second Impressions of the Italica Bulldog 150

Today, I put about 100 miles on the new Italica Bulldog 150, taking it from around 70 total miles to around 170 total miles.

About 75-80 (I think) of those new miles were "highway" miles, at speeds ranging from 45mph to 57mph (yes, I managed to wring one more mile per hour out of it per GPS speedometer) on US Route 441 from Micanopy to Ocala, US Route 27 from Ocala to Williston, US Route 41 from Williston to Archer, Florida State Road 24 between Archer and Gainesville, etc. So varying types of "highway mile" from "straight, fairly flat four-lane" to "twisty, but still fairly flat because it's Florida, two-lane."

The bike hits its top speed at, to the extent I have time to notice on the tach, below 8,000 RPM. I think more like 7,000, really. I don't think it is RPM restricted -- I was able to "red-line" it on the mechanic's stand, but it never gets up there on the road. Since it's a continuous variable transmission instead of different gears, it doesn't really have a "power band," but the engine seems to feel least "stressed" and most "comfortable" at 45-47mph.

The bike also rides very comfortably, in my opinion. I'm sore all over, but I don't ever recall the ride itself feeling bumpy or painful. I'm pretty sure the soreness is all about using muscles I usually don't have to use. I had a certain amount of that from early/long rides on the 50cc scooter as well. Since this bike sits higher than the little scooter, presumably I'm using different little muscles and muscle groups for things like maintaining balance (and it's been some time since I had ridden the little scooter more than 20 miles or so).

No complaints, but one ... "issue."

I still don't know exactly how big the gas tank is. This page says 1.32 gallons, but I'm skeptical. I've also seen it listed as 0.9 gallons.

This morning, when I started the bike up, the "low fuel" light was blinking, which seems to mean a quarter tank or less. I put in half a gallon, and that did not completely fill it (although the digital gauge read "full," that really just means 3/4 or more, and I'm not sure the gauge is all that reliable).

Then I drove it the 40-odd miles to Ocala and put nearly 3/4 of a gallon in, which did have it pretty much to the brim.

Once my metal 750 milliliter fuel bottle arrives, I plan to make an opportunity to run the thing dry as near as possible to a gas station, fill it to the brim to find out the capacity, write down the odometer reading, then put, say, 50 miles on it under varying conditions and refill it to get a mileage calculation. Off the cuff, I'm guessing somewhere between 60mpg and 70mpg. I expect that to improve with a better plug, coil, etc.

I also wore my new full-face helmet today, after yesterday's "40-50mph in torrential downpour" experience.

On the little 50cc, 35mph in hard rain felt like small children were lining the side of the road to pepper my face with pea-gravel. The higher speed felt more like a platoon of demons firing ball bearings at my face from Uzis (while screaming "YOU'RE GONNA DIE!" because I was also accordioning in speed between a slowing/accelerating 18-wheeler in front of me and a Dodge Ram riding my ass).

The main thing I got out of the "riding in a thunderstorm" experience, other than facial pain, was confidence in the bike and in my basic, but hopefully growing, rider skills. I didn't lay it down, or feel like I was ever close to laying it down. I never felt anything like hydroplaning. I didn't do anything crazy or stupid, but since I don't plan to do anything crazy or stupid under any road conditions, I feel better about inclement weather riding. Which I expected today as well.

So naturally, it didn't rain today while/where I was riding.

The full-face helmet was more comfortable and easier to get used to than I expected. And I did get a visor full of splattered bugs, instead of teeth full of same, while coming up US 27. I think maybe I passed through a swarm of migrating grasshoppers or something.

Also, no matter how tightly I snug the half-helmet, it has a tendency to want to move backward on my head under certain wind/speed conditions, while the full-face was rock solid.

So I guess I'm a full-face helmet guy now.

No comments:

Post a Comment