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I put the idea of an RX3 on hold, and snagged an SSR Buccaneer 250i. On this bike I've been greatly enjoying riding on the backroads, and it will do highway travel with varying degrees of success. In medium traffic on flat roads, it's perfect. I can use cars as a wind break and easily hang out in the fast lane at 75-80mph. But on lonely interstates with only slight uphill grades, I'm doing 65-70mph flat out. If I'm running up a bigger hill I have to downshift to 4th gear, which tops out at 70 indicated (66 actual).
I *could* tour on this bike, if it were equipped with bags and a rack, but this is slightly below where I consider comfortable. Short stints on the highway aren't a problem, but I'd not really want to tour on it. At least not on the highways. But it has helped me consider what I'd need a bike to be able to do.
To be adequate, I'd need to be able to easily hold 75mph (actual) on a highway with mild hills. I'm not talking steep grades, I'm talking hills you don't even realize are hills until you're on an under-powered 250. Central NC piedmont hills. Ideally I'd like it to do 80mph, but adequate is 75mph in these conditions.
To be exceptional, it needs to be able to hold 75 up steep grades on I40 around the eastern Asheville area. I don't expect this from the RX3. I'd call it adequate and be happy if it can do 65mph up those grades. There are a lot of cars that can't manage that.
Thoughts?
Charles.
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