Just as the weather here in Pennsylvania started to turn cold and damp, the guys at Big Dog Motorcycles invited us to come out to their newest dealer in Costa Mesa, California to test their 2009 line up. Upon arrival, the sun was shining, the temperature was 70 plus and the Costa Mesa winds were kicking up. The smell of smoke was in the air as the wild fires burned just outside of the city. As we pulled into the lot there were several bikes of all shapes and sizes waiting for us. Upon initial assessment I realized they have truly covered all the bases when it comes to a seat for every ass.
Each individual motorcycle has its own personality. Whether you’re looking for a long and low fat tire monster, a sweet pro street, or a cruiser, they have something for everyone. If you are looking for a Big Dog, I strongly suggest that you sit on every model and feel the differences. It’s also amazing how much the handling of a motorcycle changes with the difference of the design. Some bikes can be very intimidating or overwhelming to even the most experienced rider when first taking a radical custom to the street.
The design:
When I sat on the new Coyote, I was impressed. This pro street has a low seat height and is only 8 ½’ long. I could tell right away that this machine is very rider- friendly and would be a fantastic entry level chopper for anyone. It looks great and still has the Big Dog persona and with the lowest price tag of all, starting at only $23,900, it’s a real bargain. I couldn’t wait to get the bike out on the highway. The first thing I noticed had to be the balance the chassis has. It’s incredibly easy to get rolling from a dead stop. The combination of a 250 rear tire and low seat height in a 39 degree raked frame makes it easy to maneuver whether you are in a parking lot or switching lanes in the city traffic.
The ride:
Out on the canyon roads the 117 c.i. S&S powerplant pulls hard with very little vibration. The tranny shifts smoothly and quietly with positive engagement between the gears. In the corners, the Coyote tracks perfectly with no front end flop. You can throttle through the apex of a turn with confidence that the bike will go where you steer it. I also really like the 250 rear tire. There’s a lot of rubber on the pavement and it rolls over in the turns with out having to counter steer the bars. The four piston brakes on both the front and rear wheels give you plenty of stopping power.
This bike is a real pleasure to ride. It looks great, runs strong and handles with ease! So whether your a newcomer to the chopper or have been riding for years, you’ll find yourself putting in plenty of miles on this bike. We get so involved in these test rides from time to time that you almost forget the fun that’s involved in being one of the first people to get a chance to throw a leg over a new bike. Well, while we were out on the canyon roads, everyone was pretty much on their own. After a few passes on one particular section of road, our good friend and fellow journalist. Steve Bohn, was seen in temporary custody of the local police. Now Steve might not admit this when he goes back for traffic court but we knew what he was doing. He had sacrificed himself to keep them at bay so we could hang that bend a few more times, uninhibited. If not for his selfless act we may have had to ride like straights the rest of that day…. Good Man! Unfortunately for him it turned out that Steve’s ride was improperly registered and didn’t have a plate. This gave the officer cause for back up and provided much entertainment as the police listened to both Steve and then later Sheldon Coleman, explain how it was that an illegal bike had been tear-assing around their territory. He was released from custody and told to get out and stay out of Southern California. Wonder if they knew he was the only one of us that lives there?
After returning, I had the opportunity to talk with Sheldon Coleman, founder and CEO of Big Dog Motorcycles, and I asked him if he could tell me how much of his motorcycle parts were made and manufactured in the USA. He said he believes the only parts that were not manufactured in the USA are the lower front fork tubes and they’re made by Showa. Sheldon also said that his family, who owned the Coleman Company, tried to use some foreign parts from time to time in the past. It usually ended badly with problems arising from a lack of quality, consistency and also production time lost. Even though they found prices to be much cheaper there were always increases in the long run so when it comes to Big Dog they like to keep the manufacturing and production in-house whenever possible. That’s a pretty admirable thing to be able to say about any company in the US market today and we just wanted to take part of this article and congratulate them for sticking to their guns and making a quality product in the process.
