Motorbikes are brilliant

[Nick]

Test rode this yesterday. 

 

It really is an absolute game changer.

 

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Test rode this yesterday. 

 

It really is an absolute game changer.

 

 

Can't imagine what the S1000RR is like - I've got a '98 ZX9R and for me it's plenty. To shave 20kg off it and stick another 60bhp in the engine - is it possible to even ride with both wheels on the tarmac?

[Col city fan]

Can't imagine what the S1000RR is like - I've got a '98 ZX9R and for me it's plenty. To shave 20kg off it and stick another 60bhp in the engine - is it possible to even ride with both wheels on the tarmac?

The ZX 9r is a pretty mental machine I hear?

[Nick]

Can't imagine what the S1000RR is like - I've got a '98 ZX9R and for me it's plenty. To shave 20kg off it and stick another 60bhp in the engine - is it possible to even ride with both wheels on the tarmac?

 

The power is obviously immense - a 200mph machine, 0-60 in sub three seconds and 0-100 in 5.5 - the power though is strangely manageable. The electronics are a joy - the new dynamic suspension seems to turn shit roads into bearable ones and bumpy roads into smooth tarmac. The way it tips in (whilst letting you know your lean angle) is rather unbelievable too.

 

I just felt that on reflection my life would be better with 'launch control, cruise control, a pit lane mode (which is ridiculous when you release it btw) 199bhp and heated grips of course.

 

I haven't got enough time to talk about the clutch-less shifter (up and down the gears) with built in auto blipper. Just plain fantastic. 

 

Don't test ride one unless you can afford it otherwise it'll be like ass in your mouth.

[Col city fan]

The power is obviously immense - a 200mph machine, 0-60 in sub three seconds and 0-100 in 5.5 - the power though is strangely manageable. The electronics are a joy - the new dynamic suspension seems to turn shit roads into bearable ones and bumpy roads into smooth tarmac. The way it tips in (whilst letting you know your lean angle) is rather unbelievable too.

I just felt that on reflection my life would be better with 'launch control, cruise control, a pit lane mode (which is ridiculous when you release it btw) 199bhp and heated grips of course.

I haven't got enough time to talk about the clutch-less shifter (up and down the gears) with built in auto blipper. Just plain fantastic.

Don't test ride one unless you can afford it otherwise it'll be like ass in your mouth.

You really do post like another bloke who mysteriously left the forum some time ago.

Another motorbike nut.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

The ZX 9r is a pretty mental machine I hear?

 

It's capable of being mental but it doesn't urge you to go fast all the time - nice spread of power rather than being all top end. If you give it a handful though, it always takes me by surprise how 70mph comes up quicker than you can look down at the speedo!

 

Swan Lesta - sounds fantastic, would like to give it a go someday. I'm actually interested in the R Nine T Scrambler pictures which have been posted somewhere, think they're only a concept for now but look fantastic. I want a new bike fairly soon but open to different types - think I'm just as likely to end up with another 600 as I am a Rocket III as it stands!

[davieG]

.....if you can see them

 

[Nick]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-37086235

 

Unlucky...

[Nick]

 

 

 

Surely its nearly time to UNSORN the beast, let it down from its paddock stands and unplug the Optimate........

 

Withdrawal sucks.

[Nick]

On 23 April 2015 at 16:16, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

 

Can't imagine what the S1000RR is like - I've got a '98 ZX9R and for me it's plenty. To shave 20kg off it and stick another 60bhp in the engine - is it possible to even ride with both wheels on the tarmac?

Belated response but start this about a minute in but its a vid of a geezer who's ridden sport bikes before testing the 2015 S1K - give you some idea of how a first go feels. The guy can't work the quick shift nor understands the auto throttle blipper but its quite funny to view his experience....

 

 

[SpacedX]

On 24/04/2015 at 07:16, Swan Lesta said:

 

The power is obviously immense - a 200mph machine, 0-60 in sub three seconds and 0-100 in 5.5 - the power though is strangely manageable. The electronics are a joy - the new dynamic suspension seems to turn shit roads into bearable ones and bumpy roads into smooth tarmac. The way it tips in (whilst letting you know your lean angle) is rather unbelievable too.

 

I just felt that on reflection my life would be better with 'launch control, cruise control, a pit lane mode (which is ridiculous when you release it btw) 199bhp and heated grips of course.

 

I haven't got enough time to talk about the clutch-less shifter (up and down the gears) with built in auto blipper. Just plain fantastic. 

 

Don't test ride one unless you can afford it otherwise it'll be like ass in your mouth.

Respect, it sounds as though you have earned the indulgence over the years.

 

Not a huge fan of electronic aids. The last track day I did at Donington though, you could see how advantageous they are. I was following some guy on a S1000R and it was unbelievable how early and aggressively he got on the gas out of a corner; the slipper clutch tamed the corner entry, TC prevented the rear from lighting up and the anti-wheelie kept the front end planted while the active suspension smoothed out the ride. we're now on the cusp of seamless shift boxes on the road. Not saying that it takes all the finesse away but it certainly enables you to shave several tenths if not more off your lap time. I prefer to try and exploit the difference myself and the notion of surrendering control and putting faith in a software package no matter how sophisticated terrifies me. Obviously the extent that you dial this stuff is at the individual discretion of the rider, but I do wonder where some of these ‘born agains’ I’ve seen would find themselves with a throttle cable, a bank of mikunis and an untamed 155bhp at the rear wheel out on their Sunday ride. Probably upside down in a hedge or with their heads up a cows arse.

 

Not meaning to sound like a Luddite, but I do miss the aroma of Castrol R. A club racer friend of mine raced used to scalp plastic crotch rockets for fun around Mallory on an Aprilia RS250. He still has a vintage RG500 gamma which he routinely (blue) smokes weekend warriors with.

 

Sounding like a purist here, but whenever someone tells me that they want to get into biking I recommend they buy a cheap crosser and get on the dirt.

[Nick]

40 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Respect, it sounds as though you have earned the indulgence over the years.

 

Not a huge fan of electronic aids. The last track day I did at Donington though, you could see how advantageous they are. I was following some guy on a S1000R and it was unbelievable how early and aggressively he got on the gas out of a corner; the slipper clutch tamed the corner entry, TC prevented the rear from lighting up and the anti-wheelie kept the front end planted while the active suspension smoothed out the ride. we're now on the cusp of seamless shift boxes on the road. Not saying that it takes all the finesse away but it certainly enables you to shave several tenths if not more off your lap time. I prefer to try and exploit the difference myself and the notion of surrendering control and putting faith in a software package no matter how sophisticated terrifies me. Obviously the extent that you dial this stuff is at the individual discretion of the rider, but I do wonder where some of these ‘born agains’ I’ve seen would find themselves with a throttle cable, a bank of mikunis and an untamed 155bhp at the rear wheel out on their Sunday ride. Probably upside down in a hedge or with their heads up a cows arse.

 

Not meaning to sound like a Luddite, but I do miss the aroma of Castrol R. A club racer friend of mine raced used to scalp plastic crotch rockets for fun around Mallory on an Aprilia RS250. He still has a vintage RG500 gamma which he routinely (blue) smokes weekend warriors with.

 

Sounding like a purist here, but whenever someone tells me that they want to get into biking I recommend they buy a cheap crosser and get on the dirt.

So couldn't agree more... ish.

 

I rode a crosser for a bit as a kid but on the road my first bike was a 2013 S1000rr. Yeah, really. You see I took my test then was laid up. I had spinal surgery and nothing but a sports bike position was comfortable so......

 

You should have seen the guys face in the show room when he told me I couldn't ride it as I needed to have had my license over 3 years - which I then placed on the table having not ridden a bike on the road since passing my test. I asked him for help doing up my lid and he nearly fainted but had the strength to open up a book on me with the other staff offering some pretty poor odds on me making it back alive.

 

I was however careful - I rode it in Rain mode for 3 months, Sport mode for a bit before entering into the insanity of Race or Slick.

 

Whilst I love the new incarnation of electronic tech - i do appreciate it limits me as a rider. Hell, I nearly high sided a street triple a few years ago because the front brake in a bend wasn't quite to the electronic standards as an S1K ....

 

I suppose its like anything - I love racing Karts and Minis and classics but wouldn't want to be without power steering and abs permanently! I started to get my knee down more last year and did a couple of track days so it's been a long winter for me. Hoping for a better summer and I can't wait for the clocks to go and do whatever they do to give me more daylight in the evenings. 

 

 

[Izzy]

(I know nothing about motorbikes btw)

 

But my Dad recently retired and had been waiting nearly 40 years to get back in the saddle. He'd always been an enthusiast (goes to the TT every year) but my Mum wouldn't let him have another bike until he retired 

 

So he treated himself to a Kawasaki 650? (nice blue thing) about 12 months ago.

 

He met a group of old biker gits and they merrily pottered about reliving their youth.

 

Then back in October the bike just cut out at about 40mph, Dad lost control, and the bike fell on him smashing his ankle up and dislocating his shoulder (he was lucky). He needed pins and plates to put his ankle back together and he couldn't walk for over two months.

 

Needless to say he's under instruction again from Mum that he can't ride again, which is a real shame. (Mum's cousin died on a bike aged 18 so she's always been anti bike)

 

So be careful out there biker boys, both young and old!!

[Nick]

3 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

(I know nothing about motorbikes btw)

 

But my Dad recently retired and had been waiting nearly 40 years to get back in the saddle. He'd always been an enthusiast (goes to the TT every year) but my Mum wouldn't let him have another bike until he retired 

 

So he treated himself to a Kawasaki 650? (nice blue thing) about 12 months ago.

 

He met a group of old biker gits and they merrily pottered about reliving their youth.

 

Then back in October the bike just cut out at about 40mph, Dad lost control, and the bike fell on him smashing his ankle up and dislocating his shoulder (he was lucky). He needed pins and plates to put his ankle back together and he couldn't walk for over two months.

 

Needless to say he's under instruction again from Mum that he can't ride again, which is a real shame. (Mum's cousin died on a bike aged 18 so she's always been anti bike)

 

So be careful out there biker boys, both young and old!!

 

Give him my best and yeah its a dangerous game - to be honest you spend way more time watching out for other peoples rubbish driving than your own riding.

 

Tell him I said he should ignore your Mother and get back in the saddle - only on a more reliable machine!

 

I was once in the outside lane of the M1 going quick on a mates bike when it cut out.... Was a really sketchy 20 seconds trying to get over to the hard shoulder as a bike loses velocity much quicker than a car!

[SpacedX]

6 minutes ago, Swan Lesta said:

 

Give him my best and yeah its a dangerous game - to be honest you spend way more time watching out for other peoples rubbish driving than your own riding.

 

Year ago we all had LCs - many of my mates got ACU licences and went racing - I wen dispatch riding in London instead, which possibly ranks up there as one of the most dangerous occupations on the planet alongside Alaskan crab fishing. Horrendous. It does however teach you defensive riding. Anticipating hazards and positioning the bike as far as possible where you are least likely to encounter them...which so many miss. Sounds obvious, yet poor positioning exposes so many riders to danger. That's where it differs so much to track riding, because it often means you have to compromise a line to increase your vision and protect yourself. If you can't see...throttle off. Riding makes you a better road driver. It teaches you about differential grip, the mechanics of cornering and road craft. I find it so frustrating following car drivers that continually stab their brakes who have no idea how effective four stroke engine braking actually is. Particularly maddening on a constant radius corner when someone parks up on the apex.Use the engine braking as a defence - and keep it smooth and assume that everyone is out to kill you. And like I said, in my opinion, to really learn how to ride a motorcycle...get off road and on the dirt.

And most importantly, don't do this...

 

 

[Nick]

4 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Year ago we all had LCs - many of my mates got ACU licences and went racing - I wen dispatch riding in London instead, which possibly ranks up there as one of the most dangerous occupations on the planet alongside Alaskan crab fishing. Horrendous. It does however teach you defensive riding. Anticipating hazards and positioning the bike as far as possible where you are least likely to encounter them...which so many miss. Sounds obvious, yet poor positioning exposes so many riders to danger. That's where it differs so much to track riding, because it often means you have to compromise a line to increase your vision and protect yourself. If you can't see...throttle off. Riding makes you a better road driver. It teaches you about differential grip, the mechanics of cornering and road craft. I find it so frustrating following car drivers that continually stab their brakes who have no idea how effective four stroke engine braking actually is. Particularly maddening on a constant radius corner when someone parks up on the apex.Use the engine braking as a defence - and keep it smooth and assume that everyone is out to kill you. And like I said, in my opinion, to really learn how to ride a motorcycle...get off road and on the dirt.

And most importantly, don't do this...

 

 

 

What a ****

 

The first 46 seconds of that vid made me feel a bit arse clinchingly sick!

 

It was almost a relief when he crashed - he was well sketchy filtering the bus on the far right of the carriageway by the curb!

 

Plonker could have killed someone else not just himself.

[Nick]

PS @Webbo thanks for merging the threads.

[Webbo]

Just now, Swan Lesta said:

PS @Webbo thanks for merging the threads.

Threads? Wasn't me.

[yorkie1999]

I got rid of mine last year , honda fireblade, having rode for 30 odd years all over europe, round uk charity every year, nurburgring etc used to love it but just before i sold it i'd get home after a ride and start thinking about "what if's", couldn't explain it because i've never thought about things like that before,  that's when i decided to get rid. 

[simFox]

Just bought this:

 

 

UK bike, got all the genuine parts aswell. So many badly stickered up Lucky Strike and Pepsi bikes. Wanted something with the correct fairing for year. Will only go up now.

Edited 11 March 2017 by Ian996

[Col city fan]

1 hour ago, Ian996 said:

Just bought this:

 

 

UK bike, got all the genuine parts aswell. So many badly stickered up Lucky Strike and Pepsi bikes. Wanted something with the correct fairing for year. Will only go up now.

Blimey, is that the 250 two stroke? Brilliant handling but budget for engine replacements! Only use top notch two stroke oil as well. 

[Nick]

On 8 March 2017 at 16:49, yorkie1999 said:

I got rid of mine last year , honda fireblade, having rode for 30 odd years all over europe, round uk charity every year, nurburgring etc used to love it but just before i sold it i'd get home after a ride and start thinking about "what if's", couldn't explain it because i've never thought about things like that before,  that's when i decided to get rid. 

Funny that - sounds like you'd done what you needed to and ridden all the tracks and had fun - did you get any gut feelings after a near miss or sketchy track moments that contributed or was it out the blue? I'm interested because I know a few people who have done this and quite rightly so when they felt it was time - one fella I know just lost too many friends, one who's grip (hand) was getting weaker and another stopped when his six year old lad asked him to...

[Nick]

1 hour ago, Ian996 said:

Just bought this:

 

 

UK bike, got all the genuine parts aswell. So many badly stickered up Lucky Strike and Pepsi bikes. Wanted something with the correct fairing for year. Will only go up now.

Whoa! Thats a classic Ian - what year is that? how many miles and what kind of cash? Looks like its in fine condition too!

[Nick]

On 8 March 2017 at 16:12, Webbo said:

Threads? Wasn't me.

Ah, okay - there was another motorcycle thread with only a few posts in it and I thought you might have merged it with this one.

[Col city fan]

1 minute ago, Swan Lesta said:

Whoa! Thats a classic Ian - what year is that? how many miles and what kind of cash? Looks like its in fine condition too!

Off the cuff...1996/97?

2 grand?

Engine rebuilt more than once?