Joined
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850 Posts
This may be a bit long, but I am past the 500 mile point, so probably a good time for a good first impression. I have been debating how to present this, just a somewhat rambling narrative or a good and bad list. The thing I dislike about good and bad lists are that anyone can find something work with even the best of something. And a lot of time it is not really good or bad, just good or bad for that person, so more of an opinion than actually good or bad. For example, one of the articles on the Sky said the gear shift was in an uncomfortable position and both my wife and I think it’s position is perfect.
The Sky is a blast to drive. It is not the quickest car I have ever driven, nor the most powerful, but then again I can’t think of a single car I have driven where I said, “damn, this has too much power!” Well, there is my truck, but you don’t want to hear about that, Duramax Diesel – nuf said. The acceleration is good, if you need a bit more downshift and you get what you need. I have not had any problem passing when I needed too, or getting into traffic when required. I imagine that the 260 hp Redline would just get me a lot of tickets from the law enforcement folks around here. While you may want more power, I don’t know how you can improve on the handling. It sticks like glue to the road. That line from Pretty Women, “tell your friend it drives like it handles like it is on rails” fully applies to this car. Go around a 90 degree turn, drop it to second and floor it and it sends you down the road like it is suppose to. Taking a turn at 10 or 20 miles over the posted (not that I recommend reckless driving) and it drives the line like a slot car but without the fishtail. This car was made for twisties, or as my MC friends would say, “it is flickable!” And the ride is smooth. It smoothes out bumps my wife’s XType Jag doesn’t.
I won’t really pay much attention to gas mileage until it has closer to 5000 miles on it, but the display is saying 23.9 right now and has been steadily climbing. This all around town driving, no trips yet. Not as good as my BMW R1150RT (47mpg), but seeing another bike accident while coming from the doctors office to check my knee reminded me why I am in the Sky. For a roadster it will get respectable gas mileage. I could either get really good gas mileage, or really fun to drive, and sorry, nothing in the high mileage (4 wheel type) can even remotely be considered fun to drive (IMHO).
I did get a windscreen for it and it does knock the cockpit wind down a bit, but even with out it, it still has less cockpit wind than my Corvette does. You can hold a conversation at highway speed, and you can’t say that about too many convertibles of any type. It has been too many years since I had my Skylark convertible, so I don’t remember how bad the cockpit wind was in it. However, I can tell you, I can’t drive my Jeep YJ without earplugs and in the Corvette even I need a hat to keep my hair from getting tangled, and you don’t with the Sky. The top is easy to get up and down, and I have found that if you place you hand in the center of the humps and give a quick continuous down force ( I take my hand away just before impact) the trunk closes pretty much the first time every time. The top is a bit easier to lock with the windows down a tad, but is not that much tougher with the windows up. Overall, a pretty easy top to put up and down.
Yeah, the mirror adjustment could have had a bit better placement, and the same with the windows, but once you get use to it, neither are that bad. I would like to see the window controls on the console by the gear shift like the older Vettes had it, which would also mean a few less control buttons. That was the only place the Vette had window controls. I won’t complain about storage space, because it is acres above what a MC has, so for me it is fine. I will take my wife’s Jag if I need to get stuff, or my truck if I need a lot of STUFF! The steering wheel does block a bit of view of the instruments, but so does the steering wheel on my Jeep, so no real hassles there. You adjust a bit. I would like it to tilt up a bit more, but hey, it is nothing I can’ t live with.
Over all the positives out-weight the minor negatives. This car is a blast to drive, handles like a dream, and gives a ride that puts most roadsters to shame. I love this Sky! It is everything I hoped for and then some.:thumbs:
The Sky is a blast to drive. It is not the quickest car I have ever driven, nor the most powerful, but then again I can’t think of a single car I have driven where I said, “damn, this has too much power!” Well, there is my truck, but you don’t want to hear about that, Duramax Diesel – nuf said. The acceleration is good, if you need a bit more downshift and you get what you need. I have not had any problem passing when I needed too, or getting into traffic when required. I imagine that the 260 hp Redline would just get me a lot of tickets from the law enforcement folks around here. While you may want more power, I don’t know how you can improve on the handling. It sticks like glue to the road. That line from Pretty Women, “tell your friend it drives like it handles like it is on rails” fully applies to this car. Go around a 90 degree turn, drop it to second and floor it and it sends you down the road like it is suppose to. Taking a turn at 10 or 20 miles over the posted (not that I recommend reckless driving) and it drives the line like a slot car but without the fishtail. This car was made for twisties, or as my MC friends would say, “it is flickable!” And the ride is smooth. It smoothes out bumps my wife’s XType Jag doesn’t.
I won’t really pay much attention to gas mileage until it has closer to 5000 miles on it, but the display is saying 23.9 right now and has been steadily climbing. This all around town driving, no trips yet. Not as good as my BMW R1150RT (47mpg), but seeing another bike accident while coming from the doctors office to check my knee reminded me why I am in the Sky. For a roadster it will get respectable gas mileage. I could either get really good gas mileage, or really fun to drive, and sorry, nothing in the high mileage (4 wheel type) can even remotely be considered fun to drive (IMHO).
I did get a windscreen for it and it does knock the cockpit wind down a bit, but even with out it, it still has less cockpit wind than my Corvette does. You can hold a conversation at highway speed, and you can’t say that about too many convertibles of any type. It has been too many years since I had my Skylark convertible, so I don’t remember how bad the cockpit wind was in it. However, I can tell you, I can’t drive my Jeep YJ without earplugs and in the Corvette even I need a hat to keep my hair from getting tangled, and you don’t with the Sky. The top is easy to get up and down, and I have found that if you place you hand in the center of the humps and give a quick continuous down force ( I take my hand away just before impact) the trunk closes pretty much the first time every time. The top is a bit easier to lock with the windows down a tad, but is not that much tougher with the windows up. Overall, a pretty easy top to put up and down.
Yeah, the mirror adjustment could have had a bit better placement, and the same with the windows, but once you get use to it, neither are that bad. I would like to see the window controls on the console by the gear shift like the older Vettes had it, which would also mean a few less control buttons. That was the only place the Vette had window controls. I won’t complain about storage space, because it is acres above what a MC has, so for me it is fine. I will take my wife’s Jag if I need to get stuff, or my truck if I need a lot of STUFF! The steering wheel does block a bit of view of the instruments, but so does the steering wheel on my Jeep, so no real hassles there. You adjust a bit. I would like it to tilt up a bit more, but hey, it is nothing I can’ t live with.
Over all the positives out-weight the minor negatives. This car is a blast to drive, handles like a dream, and gives a ride that puts most roadsters to shame. I love this Sky! It is everything I hoped for and then some.:thumbs:
