New AK550 owner

[randyo]

Coastal Maine, after the summer season is over,  I don't care for stop n go traffic in hot weather, once September rolls around, all the summer people are gone, temps are cooler

I didn't even want to ride my AK home from the dealer I bought it at, https://www.seacoastpowersports.com/, in Hampton Falls, NH, they are right on Rt 1 in the thick of it, I had them bring it up to the local dealership https://www.rochestermotorsports.com/

[randyo]

Do you ever ride over along the Atlantic?
Coastal towns, villages?
I lived for a time in central Mass  (Springfield,  Amherst - very much like Yellow Springs)
but...whenever I could I was heading for the coast. The Ocean!
It's where I started hunting sunrises!

Stig

Coastal Maine in the off season,

 My sister lives in Deerfield, she lived in Springfield, near the Big E, and the was in Chicopee in between

[Stig / Major Tom]

Coastal Maine in the off season,

 My sister lives in Deerfield, she lived in Springfield, near the Big E, and the was in Chicopee in between

My parents had a house in Chicopee...dad was at Westover AFB..
"Big E"? not there when I was there last... working at Springfield Hosp psych ward on Chestnut St. 1972.
Fav place to visit was the art museum at Smith College in Northampton.
Good times there....I  miss New England.
Stig

[rjs987]

I've been along the coast and a little inland between Portland and Bar Harbor Maine. With several trips down to Boston. The Navy put me at the Naval Air Base in Brunswick for 3 years. That was '78 through the end of '81 and I owned my first bike (a Harley 125 dual sport) that was really not taken out very far. I rode mainly for the commute 17 miles one way to base and back and just a little around the Brunswick to Lewiston areas (lived about half way between).

[randyo]

My parents had a house in Chicopee...dad was at Westover AFB..
"Big E"? not there when I was there last... working at Springfield Hosp psych ward on Chestnut St. 1972.
Fav place to visit was the art museum at Smith College in Northampton.
Good times there....I  miss New England.
Stig

The Big E  / Eastern States Exposition, been there over a hundred years, still there

https://www.easternstatesexposition.com/  https://www.thebige.com/

My sister works, and lives at the Deerfield Museum

[Stig / Major Tom]

The Big E  / Eastern States Exposition, been there over a hundred years, still there

https://www.easternstatesexposition.com/  https://www.thebige.com/

Of course it is..50 yrs stretches my memory.
Ok, now you're going to laugh. Pregnant wife and I were walking through the horse barn at the E. Exbo. Looking at the horses and their name plaques on their stalls.
We saw a name we instantly both liked.
We named our daughter after the unique  (at the time...) name of this big chestnut mare!! Not kidding.
My daughter knows this story.....doesn't quite know what you make of it🙃

Stig

[leomagnus]

Hey Randy, great bike, I have the same one and color. Fellow New Englander....Warwick, RI. Its very nice up there in New hampshire, just like the coastal areas of RI. It has been a little hot lately. but when the weather gets cold, those heated grips are excellent

Dean

[randyo]

Hey Randy, great bike, I have the same one and color. Fellow New Englander....Warwick, RI. Its very nice up there in New hampshire, just like the coastal areas of RI. It has been a little hot lately. but when the weather gets cold, those heated grips are excellent

Dean

which brings up a question, How many extra watts does the AK550's alternator put out? I'm a cold weather rider and wondering if it will support heated gear, say 250 watts more than what it takes to run the bike, or even 150 extra watts bare minimum

[leomagnus]

I am not sure about that Randy, but I have cold weather riding gear and the grip settings at level 1 were more than enough for me riding in 50-60 temps. Ski thermals with winter gear works well for me.

Dean

[randyo]

I am not sure about that Randy, but I have cold weather riding gear and the grip settings at level 1 were more than enough for me riding in 50-60 temps. Ski thermals with winter gear works well for me.

Dean

ya, I'm not talking 50-60, I've been known to go on sub-zero f rides.  COLD AIR = FREE HORSEPOWER is my motto. I am known for my "StupidBowl Sunday Kanc Ride"

[Quick-Star24]

If you are taller than say 5' 9" and would like to have your legs almost straight out in front of you instead of tucked down under you like you are on a toddlers bike just remove that "butt bumper". I am 6' tall and after I removed that thing I can stretch my legs out like I am on one of those big cruiser bikes. HUGE DIFFERENCE!

Enjoy that badass bike.....I am

Jeff

[randyo]

If you are taller than say 5' 9" and would like to have your legs almost straight out in front of you instead of tucked down under you like you are on a toddlers bike just remove that "butt bumper". I am 6' tall and after I removed that thing I can stretch my legs out like I am on one of those big cruiser bikes. HUGE DIFFERENCE!

Enjoy that badass bike.....I am

Jeff

I finally got around to #1 adjusting the lumbar support, shoulda done it sooner, only 2 positions, or take it off altogether. I put it in the forward position, works better for shorter inseams.  and # 2, adjusted the windscreen, like the lumbar support, there are 2 positions, I raised it to the upper position, got the wind out of my eyes and on my hairline, perfect, I can feel the wind in my hair, without the wind trying to sneak around my glasses

I'm 5"-11½', but short inseam and tall torso (pre-human genes are strong in my family, the hair on my back is even turning silver)

compared to my V-Strom, and K-Pipe, both of which sport a Thrush Cherry Bomb, the AK-550 is whisper quiet, not even a lot of wind noise, loudest sounds come from the tires and driveline, the engine is just a faint purr in the background

[rjs987]

which brings up a question, How many extra watts does the AK550's alternator put out? I'm a cold weather rider and wondering if it will support heated gear, say 250 watts more than what it takes to run the bike, or even 150 extra watts bare minimum

I have a tshirt from the coldest ride contest in 2011 that I still participate in every year. I won the contest that year, and few other years since as well, with a 60 mile ride at -15.7F (minus 15.7 F).
The only electrics I have ever used are electric heated gloves. This AK 550 is my first bike with heated grips so I changed tactics a bit. I didn't want to install the dedicated cable and controller and to have to plug in my gloves when I ride in the cold. I mean, I now have heated grips. That still didn't help the backs of my hands which is why I didn't add heated grips to my previous bikes. But this time I decided to use Kemimoto handlebar muffs over the heated grips. I finally got them after I already set my coldest ride win for this last season. It only got down to zeroF for any ride-able day this time, due to snow cover on the streets, so that's where I was. Normally that would not be enough to do better than 3rd place at best but it was a warm season all over. With the muffs I was able to ride at +7F with the heated grips set to the lowest setting. I'm sure I will be riding next year at below zeroF temps with just the muffs and heated grips for my hands and arms. Otherwise I simply wear a few thermal layers under my riding jacket and pants. Did that for my coldest ride as well as anything under freezing temps.

When I was a few years younger I never turned on heated anything until the temp dropped to 32F. Now I need assisted warmth a little sooner so I put the muffs on when temps start to regularly stay below 40F but don't turn on the heated grips until near freezing. But the layers still work well for me in very cold temps so I haven't seen the need to plug in all the heated stuff. I don't mind having a little more bulk in my riding gear. I keep thinking it will work better this way if I have an accident while riding and I spend some time in a ditch in the snow somewhere. The way I dress for riding in cold weather enables me to stand out in temps well below zeroF without any additional added heat. The breeze on my hands while riding brings the need for some added heat (muffs and heated grips) for that.

All that to say: I can't help with info about how many amps or watts the alternator on this scooter puts out.

How cold is cold is really a matter of what you are used to. If you live in the south where it is normally warmer then 50F will be cold for riding. But I live in Iowa where we sometimes get as hot as Alabama, and sometimes get as cold as the Dakotas. During the winter months we are often colder than even northern most states that are out west or east. That's due to most cold blasts come down from Canada through N Dakota and Minnesota down into Iowa. We just don't get as much snow as some of those places farther north so we have a few more riding days possible.

[randyo]

my coldest ride is also -15f, an 80 mile loop around Lake Winnipesaukee, something I learned the hard way, after swiping your card at a gas pump, put your gloves back on before you grab the pump handle, no matter how much heat you have, you won't warm your hands, luckily, I only had 3 miles home.

I tried going out at -25f once, but by the time I got the bike (SV650) started, it had warmed up to zero. 

I did once go for a spin up to the corner and back (half mile each way) at -25,  I had been making some mods in my shed, just wearing sweats,  yes, I was stupid, no helmet, no gloves, 0-80mph then stop, turn around and return, I was shivering so much at the corner, I was lucky to make it back, How long was I in the cold, maybe 75-80 seconds but some of that was probably -100 wind chill..... yes, stupid

I've been out a lot at -5 to -10, I've been going out some without my jacket liner, only mt Gerbings gloves, wearing Carhartt Extreme Arctic bibs & jacket, and stayed comfortable, but sometimes the electric heat feels nice

[Quick-Star24]

plain jane blue (flat) 2022 model, They have another AK in gold, but was damaged in the crate, and they are waiting for Kymco to ship replacement parts

I absolutely HATE the plain jane, ugly and boring Flat/Matte colors they ship to the USA.

Overseas they have Gloss white, Gloss Gray, Gloss Blue and Gloss black along with the Matte/flat colors. If I could get all the PLASTIC off this AK and get it all back together again nice and tight I would have it all painted.

Everyone's EYES see differently and so I almost feel like I should not be stating this......

Jeff