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Rider Auto Glide Old School
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Make Model |
Rider Auto Glide Old School |
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Year |
2005 |
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Engine |
Air Cooled, four stroke, 90° V-Twin, 2
valve per cylinder |
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Capacity |
44 ci / 738 cc |
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Bore x Stroke |
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Compression Ratio |
8.5:1 |
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Induction |
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Ignition /
Starting |
- / electric |
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Exhaust |
2 Stage: Muffled, Baffled
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Transmission /
Drive |
Automatic CVT Type II / belt
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Front Brakes |
Single disc 4 piston caliper |
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Rear Brakes |
Single disc 1 piston caliper |
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Front Tyre |
16"/40.6cm | 60 Spoke
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Rear Tyre |
16"/40.6cm | 60 Spoke |
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Seat Height |
24.5 in / 622 mm |
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Dry-Weight |
440 lbs. / 199.6 kg |
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Fuel Capacity |
5.0 gal / 18.2 Litres
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Here we go folks, this was a little different. I had a magic carpet ride the
other day. I rode the Ridely Motorcycle. This is definitely not a Prostreet bike
for the often-needed adrenalin rush we sometimes require. What this bike does
offer is a great alternative for some riders that want to take control and grab
the handlebars and ride off into the sunset. By that I mean if you have been on
the back of a bike as a passenger and wanted to move to the front of the bike,
but the heavy bikes with all of those gears take the fun out of the transition,
here you go.
The Ridley offers a
no shifting, no clutch lever to pull, light (445 pounds), very low seated (24”)
motorcycle that is so easy ride all that you have to do is twist the grip and
go. It is powered by a 750 cc four-stroke two-cylinder V Twin motor with the
Ridley
CVT automatic transmission.
This can be a very
forgiving entry bike that has until now kept some people out of the market. This
would be a great ride for anyone that does not like to shift or needs a really
low seat. In the past a lot of gals have used the 883 Sportster as an entry bike
to the Harley world. With this lower seat, lighter weight and being automatic
should place this ride several notches above the ole 883. They have gone after
some of the good old classic looks that are popular today. By doing this the
Ridley will look to a casual observer on the side of the road to be a much
bigger bike than it really is.
The new 2006 Old School Ridley that I rode is a step back to a time when
gangster white walls, springer front ends and ape hangers were all the rage. In
early 2005, Clay Ridley built himself the first Auto-Glide Old School. The
tremendous amount of interest in the custom Auto-Glide brought Clay to add it to
this year’s model line.
The old School shown has several optional items that include a springer front
end, chrome ape hanger handlebars, black wire wheels, vintage white wall tires,
bobbed five gallon tank, and sprung solo seat. Wheels come in either Black, Red
or Pink with available matching colored handlebars.
They also have the Auto-Glide TT, Auto-Glide Classic, and Auto-Glide Sport. (For
pics see below) One of the best options this year is the New Belt Final
Drive optional that replaces the X-Ring Chain final drive. This is one of the
biggest improvements for the Auto-Glide Model in years.
Road Test
To start the engine you have to push the button by the right grip just like any
Harley. You also have to hold the front brake on to get the engine to crank.
This was no big deal – the thing you have to get used to is that there is no
clutch lever at all. I felt naked without the trusted clutch lever. But you know
what, after being underway for a couple of seconds; you do not really miss the
clutch lever. The constant speed auto clutch mechanism never lets the engine rev
very high making it feel like it is time to shift, hence the missing clutch
lever never really comes into play.
When you have to stop or start you get an itchy hand and foot wanting to grab a
gear. Someone starting out for the first time would not have that feeling
though. The little Ridley does have a good sound to it. Unlike a new Harley, you
can hear the exhaust – it doesn’t sound too bad for stock.
After heading east on McDowell I headed for the on-ramp to the 101. The little
Ridley did a nice job getting up to speed. I would say that it is faster than
the 883. With the short on-ramp, I was doing 70 by the time that I got to the
101 and I was able to easily merge with the traffic.
It is not a fast bike of course, but it is respectable. It has some shortcomings
on acceleration from 75 on up. It will do 80 no problem. And it feels like it
would do 80 all day. You just do not want to have to accelerate and pass from
that speed. That is not what the bike is made for and I am sure that the market
for this bike is not concerned about this aspect.
This would be a great bike to cruise around town and any back roads like the way
to Prescott through Wickenburg. I am sure this would give any rider that wanted
this kind of ride a lot of trouble free happiness, either on the streets or the
back highways.
I did not spend a lot of time on the bike. It was fun and any time you can let
the air blow though your hair while holding onto a set of handlebars is great.
This was so easy to ride that it should open up the market for more riders. I
just hope they find out about this neat new bike.
Summary
The little Ridley is easy to ride and fun. If you have a very short inseam, this
is the bike for you. Because of the lightweight and no shifting, this bike
should open up new markets for new riders. If you are looking at the H-D 883,
you should really consider this bike too. The down side is the lack of power
over about 75. But that is no different than the 883. The price points are a
little high. But you get a lot for what you get and no other motorcycle offers
what this bike can deliver.
Source by Kirk
Johnson
Nov. 2005
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