2004 Big Dog Ridgeback - Motorcycle.com
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Dig out those padded spandex riding shorts and protective cups boys & girls, this motorcycle will try to break you. If you survive with all your bits intact, you'll probably come home with a few more phone numbers than you left with and you'll surely have a great tale to tell to the kids... Ok, maybe not the kids, but your buddies will love to hear 'em. Except for that one about the time when you were stranded on the boulevard thanks to the Ridgeback's tiny reserve tank and the only number you got was to some dude's house from the Brothers club; then no one wants to hear your stories. Sorry, think about it.
As the only rigid framed chopper in the Big Dog lineup [The Pitbull model doesn't have the 8" stretch to its downtube like the Ridgeback and is 12" shorter in the forks.], most of the time the Ridgeback left me wishing it was the softtail version. The Big Dog "Chopper" has pretty much the same look and features as the Ridgeback, but includes a soft-tail type frame and rear suspension. If you want the comfort to ride from SoCal to Sturgis, the "Chopper" is your best bet and I'm anxiously waiting for a chance to prove it! The "Chopper" and "Ridgeback's" low-slung saddles put the rider "behind" the gas tank, sparing you from much of the windblast, kinda like a dual-purpose fairing. This helps to ease the usual strain that an ass-low, hands-high, feet-foreward riding position causes at sustained freeway speeds. Another "comfy" feature I found during my stint riding this beast, is the saddle length and foot-pegs. Although there is no pillion seat to speak of, the stock passenger pegs come in handy for lifting your butt off the saddle in a jockey type riding position, saving your spine on choppy roads. Slide back a few inches and settle on the high-point of the saddle for the thickest cush. When you do find a comfortable long distance riding position, you still need to be mindful of your fuel mileage.
Riding a rigid anywhere is a skill - if you can call it that - and an art. Nothing more. No one claims performance, if they do, it's relative to the market (I hope). Flexi-frames, old school drum brakes and sky-high ape-hangers are simply part of the chopper mystique. Not everyone is willing, able or even wants to ride one these chrome menageries, but many gladly fork-over large wads of cash for the opportunity. New bike sales prove it. Functional or not, choppers are a growing segment of American motorcycle sales and Big Dog Motorcycles has grown to meet the demand. Selling over 10,000 bikes in the past ten years isn't too shabby for a third party American cycle manufacturer. To each their own, I say. Remember, it isn't what you ride, it's THAT you ride. Of course, if you are just a poseur, you can always use the Ridgeback as a handy addition to your home modeling studio, cause no girl wants to pose in the buff on your Concours!
Dirty's Second Opinion:
Now that your 86 Testarossa & Miami Vice suit have gone out of style, you've latched onto the leather boy look of the HD crowd. However, your matching chaps and tassles actually seem to make you feel like just another midlife-crisis non-conformist strictly conforming to the pseudo-trendy fashions of the herd. Panic, horror, despair! What will you do? The folks at Big Dog Motorcycles think they've got an answer for you.
Personally, I think you're an idiot, if you actually go out and buy one of these pigs, but I'll be the first to admit that I simply "don't get it". On the other hand, EBass, our resident self-proclaimed "poseur", seems to think that Choppers (and probably disco, tattoos, cigars, piercings and Howdy Doody) are the cutting edge of "cool" and just the ticket to elevate him to moto-god status. Didn't somebody once say: "A sucker is born every minute"? Anyway, EBass decided it would be a good idea to use the MO name to wrangle one of these $27,000 rolling codpieces from a chopper manufacturer. Unfortunately, EBass decided to sell the story to another rag, so even though MO was legally responsible for the bike, we didn't really get anything out of it, aside from Fonzie using it as a prop to shoot nudie pics of a lady friend (see below for the rated-PG versions). Anyway, I digress... I must admit I was more than a little curious what a modern "state of the art" chopper would ride like and I did get a chance to spend some time on the Ridgeback, before it went back to its kennel.
First riding impression = Bad. As I roared up to the first stoplight, the S&S burbled authoritatively and heads swiveled in my general direction. That's when it happened! Suddenly, I felt like a clown on top of the biggest float in the parade! Wheeee! So, this is what choppers are all about. If you want people to look at you like they did back when your Testarossa was state of the art, the Ridgeback just might be the bike for you.
Second riding impression = Mixed depending on how strong your desire to be a clown is. Once that light turned green, I gave the throttle cables another firm tug and the bike made some impressive noises, coupled with average acceleration and a noticeable pull to the right as the frame wound-up. As I rolled back out of the throttle....BAM! Holy ! What was that? Indeed, just as I rolled out of the throttle, the bike's frame returned to straight and true and the bike steered back to the center of the lane, just in time to bounce over a manhole cover. I've probably crossed that same cover 300 times on a motorcycle, but this time was different. The cover bounced my ass out of the seat and my spine groaned in protest.
Third riding impression = Bad & Worse. As I rolled down the boulevard straight and true (between the bumps) the Ridgeback felt fairly normal and the general public regarded me with glee, apprehension, envy, contempt and curiosity, depending on who was doing the looking.
Fourth riding impression = Excellent, as long as you want to re-live your Formula One wagon racing childhood.
Once at Sister Mary Kim's favorite restaurant, we sat back and watched as numerous people walked up to the bike and spent five minutes staring at it from every angle. I'm not just talking about motorcyclists either, I'm talking about old ladies, computer nerds, Buddhist monks, moms with strollers, everybody thought they were looking at the latest creation from "those guys" they saw on the Discovery Channel. It was both scary and humorous at the same time. After some tasty Mexican food and more than a few questions, we headed back to MO. The ride back was uneventful and once I was past the novelty of riding a parade float, it was just as enjoyable as post meal rides tend to be.
I guess if you want a motorcycle that you can use to get noticed, while distracting people's attention away from that nasty zit you found in the mirror this morning, a flamed-out, billet wheel chopper is as good a way as any. Of course, if you aren't afraid of smearing your clown makeup, you could always ride something functional and just wear a full faced helmet. -Sean.
** SPECS PROVIDED BY BIG DOG MOTORCYCLES ** | |
WARRANTY | 2-YEAR Factory Warranty |
Engine | OHV 45 degree V-Twin |
Displacement | 107 cu. in. (1,750 cc) |
Bore & Stroke | 4" X 4.25" |
Compression Ratio | 9.6:1 |
Fuel System | S&S Super G Carburetor |
Fuel Capacity | 4.25 gallons |
Oil Capacity | 2.75 quarts |
Transmission | Bake 6-speed |
Primary Drive | Chain |
Final Drive | Belt |
Frame Stretch | 8" downtube, 4" backbone, 2"rear axle |
Frame Tubing | 1.5" diameter |
Frame Rake | 37 degrees |
Rear Suspension | None - Rigid frame |
Front Suspension | 41mm Telescopic, 12" over |
Seat Height | 24.5" |
Ground Clearance | 4" |
Wheel Base | 82" |
Total Length | 107" |
Front Brake | PM 4-Piston Caliper |
Rear Brake | PM 4-Piston Caliper |
Front Tire | MH90 X 21 |
Rear Tire | R250/40 X 21 |
Tire Pressure | Front: 40 psi/Rear: 42 psi |
Ignition | Electronic |
More by Fonzie, Sean "Dirty" Alexander
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