Just realized I haven’t reported back for a while, whoops!
I’ve been riding it lots. Finished up the paint in a night and then threw on a bunch of stickers and profane graffiti. A guy at the gas pump told me I had a nice ride and I just laughed and thanked him; hope he wasn’t being serious.
I’m used to riding worse vehicles, so I find the riding position to be just fine. I have ridden over 150km straight on this bike more than once, with no issues. In fact, I got hopped up on an energy drink and went off the road. Rode through rough 8” deep ruts, mud, snow, and water. Dropped the bike once or twice, but it’s very easy to recover thanks to the low seating position. It never did hit the ground. Sketchy, though.
The strength of the fairing is impressive. It plowed through ruts in the mud at 50 km/h and only managed to pop out a screw or two. I can punch it, throw it, kick it…everything. On top of the strength, it is light! It floats to the ground if you drop it from above the shoulder. Very cool stuff.
As for mileage, I haven’t really been calculating professionally. I’m a very busy guy and simultaneously a terrible procrastinator. A lot of the time I end up riding 80-85 km/h to work, sometimes more. Nonetheless, I am getting 250-300km per tank. I have not yet gone to the pump with a tank below 200km. When the bike was stock, I could get around 190km at similar speeds. I see that as a victory!
Best of all, nothing is finicky. Exhaust temp is good. Engine temp is good. Nothing is catching fire or melting. No turbulent whistling or flexing under pressure. Very stable. There does seem to be a slight wobble in the drivetrain. That’s about it.
So, I’d call that a win! Feels great to fill up for $8 and drive a whole week! The prototype has met all my desires. Will update if I make anymore discoveries. Thanks to all for input and interest.