The Pan is a great handling bike once you get above about 4mph, it never fails to amaze me how Honda got a 700lb bike to steer so easily. There's a bend on the M2 on the way out of Belfast that leads into a steep climb, it's not smooth and can tie a bike in knots. My Pan will go round it at 90 like it's on rails. You can't help but love the engine too, it's just so creamy.Rockburner wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 10:25 amcrust wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 9:56 pmOne of the guys at a courier company I worked for had one as a spare bike, I borrowed it a few times, they're a big, slow handling thing that's one of those bikes that's really satisfying to hustle because you've got to be smooth but firm with it. Can go surprisingly quick whilst sat upright with the radio on, a lot quicker than you'd think possible.
A certain Italian bloke with a penchant for yellow 46 stickers had one when he lived in Mayfair, surprised more than a few hardened couriers with his ability to hustle it through traffic.
The Pan is supposed to be a good handling bike - obviously it's not a sports bike designed for the track, but a road bike designed for doing huge mileages in comfort, but that doesn't mean it has to be wallowy and ponderous. You don't get to do high mileages travelling slowly. It just won't be razor sharp and setup for smooth surfaces. It'll be set up for pliant suspension and low-end torque to pull you through corners and waft you gently (if rapidly) down straights.
I'd imagine that without all the bodywork the performance would only improve!
Back to the original topic, for £1500, it'll be a Firestorm all day long, getting rare but not making silly money like the TL is and a very very good road bike.
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