I guess there's not many people to review the '08 Warrior, only two of us so far. This is a follow-up report, 10 months, 2700 miles later, to 'Silky'. The more I ride this bike, the more I love it! I really like it a lot.
The only changes made are a large Memphis Shades windshield...without it, the wind buffeting is pretty strong above 65 mph, IMO. The windshield totally solves that, and is quickly removable if you want to look more stylish and be wind tunneled at the same time. Cortech bags have also been a very useful, easy on/off addition.
I'm not a high speed rider, but the bike gets up to 70-80 mph before you know it. I've had it up to 90 mph once, and felt like there was considerable throttle left over. I'm mainly impressed by the bike's handling. It just feels better and better.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure to go to the Carlisle (PA) Bikefest and did demos on bikes all day long. I rode the Warrior about 100 miles up and 125 back (the scenic route) so I had a good time comparing how it felt vs. the demo bikes.
Those consisted of an R6, R1, ZX6, Z1000, Concourse, VStar 650 and KLR650. I rode 15 mile loops on each through mostly windy back roads at speeds that surprised me which the leaders took us at (especially the Kawa folks, those guys flew!)
Obviously, the Warrior is only marginally comparable to the all-out sportbikes, but it could have hung with them all on the demo loop without it or me breaking a sweat (and i was sweating while riding the sportsbikes!)
The sportbikes certainly felt more compact and rigid than the Warrior, minus 200+lbs. off and state of the art performance better feel that way! All that said, the Warrior still shone as an excellent all-around, high-performance bike in almost real-time comparison.
I give it a 4 for comfort due to the stretch to the handlebars. It was really evident on the ride, but I'm sure moreso after riding all the other bikes (at 57 years old, the sportbike handlebars are just excruciatingly uncomfortable on my body, so I shouldn't blame it all on the Warrior ride home a few hours later).
How much of a keeper is the Warrior...well, I can only own one bike right now. I've badly wanted a Bandit 1200 for years. I'm going to a shop in a few hours that has a nice pre-owned for $3600 and I'm not even giving it a second thought, with the bike I've already got sitting in my garage. I'm going to have to become a two to three bike owner, because I definitely want others accessible, but the Warrior isn't going anywhere!
If you're thinking of getting a Warrior, snap one up quick, they may or may not be back, after the '09 model year.
Reviews are provided on an "as is" basis with no warranty and should be considered entertainment only. Reviews should not be used for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to, making decisions about any referenced vehicles, products, modifications or other information.
