"Scooter Talk"

[slowGEEZR]

Dave, if you like it, that's all that matters. Personally, I prefer a bike that handles, like the Superhawk posted above. My thing has always been carving through corners and a good bike will allow you to use your acquired skills to do so. "Crotch rockets" (generally describes all bikes with a lean forward position) are divided between bikes that handle and bikes that don't handle. For example, a Katana is not a handler; its suspension is not up to par, while a 998 will eat up corners. The disadvantage with "crotch rockets" is that the only time they are really in their element is when they are at speed on a twisty road, or better yet, on a track. A good sport bike rider would leave the Max like it dropped a boat anchor in the twisties. The Max, on the other hand, should win the street light wars. Which is your preference? All bikes are compromises.

 

[MotorToad]

For example, a Katana is not a handler; its suspension is not up to par,

Ahem... I beg to differ with one detail in your post...

I'm not going to say that I'd buy one, but the poor, disrespected 'Tuna is still a better bike than probably 90% of us are riders! I've only ever ridden one but I took it for two good test rides after I did tires and some maintenance on it, probably 70-90 miles or so. I found it to be very comfortable and it went as fast as I'm willing to on the road.


Hrm, for some reason I can't get the picture to post, so I'll attach it.

 

[Statman]

Ahem... I beg to differ with one detail in your post...

I'm not going to say that I'd buy one, but the poor, disrespected 'Tuna is still a better bike than probably 90% of us are riders! I've only ever ridden one but I took it for two good test rides after I did tires and some maintenance on it, probably 70-90 miles or so. I found it to be very comfortable and it went as fast as I'm willing to on the road.


Hrm, for some reason I can't get the picture to post, so I'll attach it.

+1 on that!

Did a ride up to Newcomb's ranch which is located off of Angeles Crest Hwy (famous bike hangout in the mountains of So Cal) and we met a Katana owner at the resturant. When we all left together he stayed with us the whole time down, and I do mean stayed with us. It's the rider not the bike usually but in this scenario the bike was more than capable of keeping planted in the twisty sections.


Palm desert ride on my then brand new 999S



California Speedway first track day

 

[slowGEEZR]

Hmm. Everything's relative I suppose. I know they recently (within the last couple of years) did some upgrades to the Katana, that maybe helped. I think it was a good handler up to about 80% or so, but beyond that it was let down by its suspension, in my opinion. After all, it was the bargain bin sport bike from Suzuki, made with parts from the '80s. I was thinking more along track use lines when I commented on the Katana. Everyone I know that tracks one has seriously modified the suspension. Of course, a good rider can be fast on just about anything, but in the company of other good riders on bikes with better suspension that rider would be at or near the limits of the capability of the stock Katana much sooner.

 

[MotorToad]

Oh, yeah, I'm with you, it's no great bike by any measure, but I like to defend bikes when they're being derided (so to speak). I just think it's an adequate bike and better than most if the people that bash it as the ***** bike of the century while they try to hide the inch of unused rubber on their tires. If the bike wasn't so freaking ugly I'd like to have one, I love passing "fast" bikes while riding a "slow" bike.

I live and breathe bikes, and it just busts me up that people don't think they can settle for anything "less" than the new zrblx600rrRrrR even though they're the worst possible street bikes. Anyone that's not racing with white plates will probably be just as fast on a 'Tuna, an old YZF-600R, or a 1098R. And (anecdotal evidence) it seems most of those guys are scared of doing even a novice track day. Having to buy actual gear instead of their Icon mallwear helps keep them off the track, too. I've ridden three SV-650s with stock suspension and I found those to be more undersprung and poorly damped than the 'Tuna, yet people seem to love that bike.

 

[slowGEEZR]

I hear you. Before I set up my R6 for track use only, I rode it on the street on a 150 mile loop. Never did that again! It was a great track bike, though. Now that I'm old and slow (I can't believe it's been over two years now since I gave up the track), I ride my beemer GS. It's a great all 'rounder. Goes fast enough in the twisties to get the adrenalin flowing and can ride on rough roads; especially with knobbies. :rocker: Besides, it's so butch it's cool.

 

[Steve from UK]

Just agreeing with what's already been said but only a fool would under-estimate ANY bike simply on 'looks' or predujice - i'm a keen 'trackdayer' and it's fun watching the likes of CB500's,SV650's and ER-6's taking 10 seconds/lap out of poorly ridden mega-sports bikes

The same thing happens on the road (to a greater degree),it's just that there's nowhere to hide on track.

I love my music but bikes come a very close second :bowdown:

Last outing at Croft (North East UK - hosts racing up to British SuperBike level but it's not MotoGP quality)

2008 ZX10R Advanced group - that's a mate on his (yellow) 05 ZX10 ex-race machine - he's a quicker rider but i've done 10 times the laps at Croft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLYlkSCIjrk

 

[Beakman]

Not necessarily. My CBR 1100xx Blackbird is about 165 hp and it's got a better power-to-displacement ratio than the new V-Max, and it's not peaky at all. It pulls hard from 4,000 rpm to redline; 11,000, and it's got lots of torque available from idle.
An engine's compression ratio isn't directly involved with "peaky" power per se; cam timing, injection, and ignition really have the say there, at least these days. The V-Max is very probably very flat in it's power delivery, and probably also has a good mid-range rush tuned into it as well, at full throttle. Probably a very entertaining bike, but not my cup of tea!

Dude! Another Blackbird owner!
Perhaps we should inform our loganite bretherin here that real cruising is somewhere north of a buck twenty fully bagged:

 

[TomDac]

I hear you. Before I set up my R6 for track use only, I rode it on the street on a 150 mile loop. Never did that again! It was a great track bike, though. Now that I'm old and slow (I can't believe it's been over two years now since I gave up the track), I ride my beemer GS. It's a great all 'rounder. Goes fast enough in the twisties to get the adrenalin flowing and can ride on rough roads; especially with knobbies. :rocker: Besides, it's so butch it's cool.

LOL. Geezer, you're crackin' me up. I rented a GS and really found it to be SO easy to ride. Very good all around bike for sure.

 

[Tube60]

Dude! Another Blackbird owner!
Perhaps we should inform our loganite bretherin here that real cruising is somewhere north of a buck twenty fully bagged:

How about a little over 200 with the limiter chip defeated?:rocker:

 

[slowGEEZR]

LOL. Geezer, you're crackin' me up. I rented a GS and really found it to be SO easy to ride. Very good all around bike for sure.

Thanks Tom. The main reason I got it was that I would go on a ride, looking for twisties and would often find nice roads that turned a little rough or turned into dirt. You can imagine what that was like on my Duc or K12RS. With the GS, I just keep on going. I once followed a three to six foot wide trail over the mountains near Luray, VA on the GS, that would have been miserable on a pure street bike. What's even more amazing is that the trail showed up on my GPS when I went to the 120 foot resolution!

 

[MotorToad]

Speaking of dirt... I just stumbled on a site with some great old dirt bikes. This guy is a real enthusiast! This Honda is a real work of art.

The GS is such a great bike. I was looking for a dual sport myself, but couldn't find the right one and got a KLX-300 trail bike. No on-road usefulness but it's so much better in the dirt. The worst thing about dual sporting is deciding if you want dirt tires or street tires, they're such a horrible compromise. I had decided that if I found a DRZ400S that I was going to need a second set of wheels.

 

[twich54]

Speaking of dirt... .

Well if dirt's your thing my best friends Nephew, Jason Bonsignore, owns , operates and competes in what is known as "speedway racing".

bikes are 180 something lbs, methanol powered, no gears, NO brakes, balls to walls go for it kinda racing !

check it out.....


http://jbrspeedway.com/index.html

Oh, BTW, Jason's dad, Gene, who is 60 years young, still competes !

 

[slowGEEZR]

Thanks for the link Dave. I've seen speedway racing on TV and it is just nuts! Must take some mad skills. I've also gone to PA to witness Scott and Springsteen do their magic on the dirt oval. Amazing stuff.

 

[JMAUSGP]

Scooters and MotoGP at Indy

In case any of you guys or gals are interested. MotoGP is coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 14th. This will be the first motorcycle race at The Speedway since 1909. It will be a history making event and if any of you are interested in attending I have extra tickets in Penthouse B which are covered and located right across from where the MotoGP riders dive into the infield section of the new Formula One track. I have looked at these seats and they are the best in the house. PM if you are interested, the tickets are $150 each and are good for 3 day access to the event. MotoGP if you are not on the edge, you are taking up too much space!

 

[twich54]

Cooool BMW !!

One cool lookin' "Naked" BMW....F800s....belt drive too !

 

[twich54]

Harley's "Streetfighter"

While not known as a "Crotch Rocket" motorcycle company, Harleys latest acqusition(announced last month, 109 million acquisition) should give it some increased exsposure.

I myself don't know much about MV Agusta, maybe some of the more metric / sportbike riders can chime in.




http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagusta/index2.html

 

[Tube60]

While not known as a "Crotch Rocket" motorcycle company, Harleys latest acqusition(announced last month, 109 million acquisition) should give it some increased exsposure.
I myself don't know much about MV Agusta, maybe some of the more metric / sportbike riders can chime in.

MV make some excellent bikes that I can't afford! Hopefully HD will be more or less a silent partner. My worry is that since Harley already own Buell who make somewhat similar bikes, how much is too much and are they diluting themselves with acquiring MV?

 

[wipper snapper]

http://www.friedel-muench.de/e/sites/home.html

It probably handles like $$$$ but I have always been an admirer of this scooter.

 

[VanDaRo]

-- Hijack alert !! --

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right ? But someone posted a list of the ugliest motorcycles of all time. I disagree on several of these, but here's the list and pics anyway...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Top_10_Ugliest_Motorcycles_Of_All_Time


Thoughts?

~VDR