So what is your riding impression of the Aero Lario Moto compared to your Griso and T3?
I'll try.
Vs. the T3: First I should say that I still have a distinct, uh, haptic memory -- of the feel of the AeroLario between my legs as I accelerated out highway G. It is of course smaller than the T3 and the riding position is sportier. But the motor makes rawer sounds and transmits more
good vibrations up through the seat. (No cheap jokes, please.) The bike felt very lively compared to the T3. It seemed to pull very well and evenly throughout the rev range I used, which was up to near 7000 rpm (with Chuck's permission). I didn't spend much time below 5000 rpm, I suppose. It was a blast. By contrast, my T3 also pulls well up to around 7000 but has a feeling of coming on the cam (hah) at about 5000, which excites me. (A power surge at 5200 was also noted in a contemporary review I was rereading yesterday.)
Chuck has made some of the same suspension mods that I have done on my T3, namely Wirth progressive fork springs and FAC dampers. I have Ikon shocks, and I bet he has those or else some Konis. He also has a Telefix fork brace (I've just received mine but haven't installed it). Otherwise he said, I recall, that the Lario frame is stock. The suspension felt better damped than the T3's. The fact that the AeroLario is lighter makes it much more responsive to steering inputs than my T3. It is still very stable at speed, probably more so than my T3 above an indicated 80 (at least lately). However I don't know how fast I went on the AeroLario because the speedometer was broken -- nice mod, there, Chuck!
The foot brake pedal was pretty non-responsive. Chuck just said he might have boiled the brake fluid. My T3 foot pedal is very responsive and powerful after a switch to stainless braided lines and a good bleeding [EDIT: and new slave cylinders]. I wasn't sure what was up with the AeroLario's brakes, so I didn't try any hard braking. I also took it easy on the corners. Didn't want to stuff this national treasure.
Chuck said he dynoed the AeroLario at 50 rear wheel horsepower. That would be more than my T3. It felt like it, too. My T3 is a "standard" motorcycle that does surprisingly well if you let it rev, and also stops well. It is not as easy to throw into a corner, for sure, as the AeroLario must be. (Though my "superbike" handlebars and somewhat leaned-forward riding position make it better than T3's with a more upright position, I bet.) The smaller size of the AeroLario, combined with the better power and quicker handling, made me understand why Chuck likes small blocks so much (especially this one). It would not be my choice for a long camping tour, compared to my T3.
Vs. my 1100 Griso: The Griso and the T3 weigh about the same, but the Griso seems bigger when I ride it (which hasn't been much, lately). It is like a mad bull by comparison. It has excellent acceleration (though not like the 1200) and excellent brakes. The suspension is pretty good too. I suppose it outperforms the AeroLario in all measured ways, but I wouldn't bet on it versus the AeroLario in a very tight-cornered course, with Chuck as
il pilota.
The AeroLario is small and powerful enough to be thoroughly exciting, for me at least. The Griso is big and powerful enough to be scary sometimes, again for me.
I'd take the AeroLario over the Griso at this point, but Chuck was always somewhere in sight once I got back from my ride. Smart, that.
Moto
P.S. Tkelly, I'm sorry I bugged out before we got a chance to have that picture taken. I sent you a PM about that earlier. M.
