Chrome-moly tube is expensive and stiff, so the Heist frame is 1020 DOM (drawn-over-mandrel) mild steel. If CCW had a marketing department, they’d trot out “tuned flex.” Combine this springiness with the seat shocks’ lack of rebound damping, and the first in a series of bumps will catapult your butt out of the seat as you pass over the ensuing ones, so you don’t feel them at all. Crude but effective. Seriously, I agree with Jesse James on the idea that riding a rigid sort of makes you a better rider; it forces you to pay attention and pick smoother lines as you scurry about your business. Top speed seems to be just about 70 mph in fifth, which is not so trashy as you might think, thanks to the engine’s counterbalancer. Short hops on the freeway aren’t so bad in the right lane. Cruising along at a nice 50 or 60 mph on surface streets is smooth and easy, even enjoyable. Fuel mileage so far is 77 mpg. Obviously, 12.5 hp isn’t exactly rocket ship thrust, but when you finally realize you need to wind the long-throw throttle all the way open, there’s more roarty single-cylinder power than you might expect, intake honking right below your right knee, exhaust blatting happily away. Free speech! America! There’s even a catalyst in there (which gets really hot, judging from the color the muffler’s turned). Other manufacturers complain about CARB and so does Colosimo, but he got ’er done anyway and received certification as of the day I’m writing this; the Heist is 50-state legal. So far (admittedly not far), everything works. The shifter pivots on roller bearings instead of bushings,
Friday, January 28th, 2011 By John Burns,
Reprinted from: Cycle World Magazine
Photo by Fran Kuhn
as does the rear brake pedal, and Road Test Editor Don Canet was actually impressed with the quality of the shift linkage (sturdier than what’s on a GSX-R1000). Anyway, function is how we measure motorcycles mostly, but the Heist buyer will also be concerned about fashion, and in that department the little beast is pretty impressive—for what it is. Colosimo had his own wire-spoked wheels laced-up, with more spokes than usual. Harley guys, drawn in by the shape of that gas tank, pretend they knew all along it was a cheap knock-off as they back sheepishly away. Engine mounts are laser-cut and smooth, those rear fender struts are cool, so are the round under seat keg that contains the electrics and the chromed aluminum (not plastic) engine covers, the braided brake lines, the fake billet mirrors... The fact is that Colosimo pretty much got the proportions just about right with this affordable little mongrel. I can’t remember the last time so many strangers came up to admire and tell me how cool my bike is. At first, I thought they were being sarcastic. Most of them weren’t. None were women, but CCW expects a bunch of Heist buyers will be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.I.T. MOTORS LTD. 2009-2012
