You can have your sportsbikes.

[Woodman]

Got this bike to hoon around on to my hearts content for a couple of weeks. Its an Aprilla rsv1000 mille thingy. Its an ex race bike that (I think) won the bears champs a few years back. I must admit it looks very pretty, and sounds even better.

I was going to take it for a hoon over the takaka hill and back this evening, but after a wee squirt at lunch time I realised that I cannae ride it proper. I am not really a very confident road rider. Its way way too fast and reaches the KLRs top speed without even trying and is hard to get round corners. I reckon I would be quicker over the Takaka hill on the KLR with knobblies. Anyway i rode it home to Richmond tonight over the inland highway and will ride back to work tomorrow and there it will stay until the guy comes and picks it up.

i would much prefer to spend a day on my Klr than this:woohoo::woohoo:

[Padmei]

I know where you're coming from. Going over the Whangas on the adv bikes with upright seating & wide bars I couldn't comprehend how you could feel comfortable on a very fast roadbike kinda squished up & leaning forward etc. I've never really ridden a sportbike for more than a KM so have no real experience but respect for those who can ride them fast (& safely)

Would be Fking cool to take it round the track tho aye? Wahoo

[Sensei]

At least you are man enough to know you limits & a 2000 Mille R isn't the bike to be crashing to beautiful .

[DMNTD]

Good on ya Mr Woodman for knowing where it's at for you! :sunny:




I know where you're coming from. Going over the Whangas on the adv bikes with upright seating & wide bars I couldn't comprehend how you could feel comfortable on a very fast roadbike kinda squished up & leaning forward etc. I've never really ridden a sportbike for more than a KM so have no real experience but respect for those who can ride them fast (& safely)

Would be Fking cool to take it round the track tho aye? Wahoo

Interesting as I personally feel the same with an up right bike :yes:
Each to their own eh :sunny:

[junkmanjoe]

whats on the bench on the right woody...........what ya got there.....

[tigertim20]

I would much prefer to spend a day on my Klr than this:woohoo::woohoo:

I hear you, its difficult going from one type of bike to another. shit even if you ride sportsbikes ONLY, it can be a big thing to change from say a CBR to an R1, everything is that little bit different, but you cant really rule it out untill you put some real kays on it. I used to hate cruisers with a passion, I figured if you wanna go slow as fuck, hold people up, and just be comfortable on a stupid big padded seat, get a fucking car.
then I rode one. still hated it. then put some big kays on one, and now I get it, I understand it now, i just had to get past the mindblock and give it a fair go.

Having said that, i dont want a cruiser, i doubt I ever really will, but i understand them now, and accept them for their merits.
Each to their own, we all have our preferences with boobies, and women, and booze, the same is so for bikes!

[Taz]

I tried to own a sports bike again a year or so back. I had no problems riding it but just found it way too limiting. I kept going past interesting roads and not being able to explore them as the sports bike was not that great on gravel and corrugations :(. I feel you can only do the coro loop a finite number of times and still enjoy it. Adv bikes all the way for me and no limits to where I can go :woohoo:

[warewolf]

Probably a good call Woodman, but I reckon you'll get used to it after a few rides. Jumping from road to adv to dirt bike I found I had to mentally 'change gear' as the ride is so different. Heck even going from seal to gravel and back again on the same bike requires a change in style. I am sure the thing goes round corners fcuking brilliantly.

They are each a different kind of fun. I miss not having a well-sorted road bike, too. :crybaby:

[Woodman]

I used to have a gsxr750 in the olden days and I loved it, but don't remember it being this hard to ride, it feels like the bars are connected to the front axle.
Don't get me wrong the power is fricken awesome and i know it does handle good, I just don;t know how to ride it. padmei is right a track day (with some proper coaching) would be awesome.

maybe I will put a few more miles on it. can't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Yeah seal to gravel can take a bit of transition time.

Funny taz i was looking at all the sidetracks on my way home tonight, mind you I do that in the car too.

Jo the thing on the bench is my Benelli looooong term (probly never finish) project.

[ducatilover]

A massive change in bike there... each to their own, I'm on the other foot and hate high up bikes. My pathetic little legs can't hold them up or reverse them. I also like the 90's Honda "sit in the bike" seating rather than on the bike seating.

Then again, I am a Honda owner.

[helenoftroy]

Probably a good call Woodman, but I reckon you'll get used to it after a few rides. Jumping from road to adv to dirt bike I found I had to mentally 'change gear' as the ride is so different. Heck even going from seal to gravel and back again on the same bike requires a change in style. I am sure the thing goes round corners fcuking brilliantly.

They are each a different kind of fun. I miss not having a well-sorted road bike, too. :crybaby:

+1

Variety is the spice of life!!:msn-wink:

I love having 3 different bikes in the garage,tho its taken many years to acheive!

Have to say ...if I could only have 1 bike it would be an adventure bike(cause they do it all):yes:

[bart]

I went from dirt to sport to dual purpose, and to be honest, I miss the crampt, leaning forward riding position. You truely become one with the machine. I remember being shit scared of my ZXR750 for the firsts few hundred km, but once in the groove, shit it was fun. The R1 was even better.

BUT....in the end I found sports bikes very one dimensional. Riding a bike designed to do 280kmh at just over a third of it's potential isn't fun. Riding a bike designed to do 140kmh at over two thirds of it's potential is way more satisfying, (and then go silly and do it on gravel/dirt/tar/grass/sand etc).

But hey, take it for a few more rides. If you keep your licence, you'll have a blast. :woohoo:

[thepom]

I,m with you on that one bart.....I ride my blackbird and am now a bit more cautious but when I get on my africa twin I have an absolute ball.....beats the blackbird hands down for fun so thats why its up for sale.....nothing to do with my missus saying its a death machine and she will put her dancing shoes on for my funeral when I am all crushed and broken...again....

[Crisis management]

I think you need a second opinion Woodman, lend it to me..........:innocent:







I suspect I would be as terrified of it as you are tho!

[Okey Dokey]

Gotta agree with you guys about the relative fun-ness of various bikes. Working on my TF125 is one kind of fun; out on the road on my gsxr is another. I am lucky to be able to enjoy both, but if I had to be a one bike only gal, maybe I would look at a dual purpose or adventure...

[Oscar]

I hear ya...

I had an RC8 for a couple of weeks and whereas it was a hoot, it weren't exactley comfortable...and it was a waaay sharper tool than I'm used too.

I think given long enough on it, I may have got the hang of it, but I think by then Mr Plod would have had me licence...

[BMWST?]

i love the bigg sports bikes they are so cabable.And despite their mega top ends they can be ridden at a much more relaxed pace,but still have amazing brakes,ground clearnace and overall handling.its a pity they all so small nowadays

[george formby]

Had a similar experience a while bike. Jumped off my TDM onto an 05 fireblade.:shit:
Had no problem with the throttle but I'm still waiting to find out what happens over 8000 rpm. The brakes, hmmmmm, squished me plums on the tank. Suspension, ruptured a kidney riding over a chuppa chuppa stick & my poor knees said hello to my nipples for the first time ever. The term "clip ons" became clear when I had braces fitted to my wrists after a 60k ride. Handling, sportsbike, eh? The first tightening apex corner scared the bike & it tried to hide in the ditch but I wrestled it round with a buttock death grip & protracted OOOOOOOOOHHHH F@#$%%%&*K. Visbility was an issue too, a sunroof in my helmet would help or bending my neck back 45o. Otherwise I had a 50/50 view of helmet lining & front mudguard.
Soooo, when I got out of traction & had another go I gave it a little thought, it's just a bike, bit like mine but a different colour really. I made an effort to think about my position, get my knees into the tank, push the footrests, weight the bars & move my butt on the seat in a harmony of motion & commitment:woohoo:
Yup, loved it!!! Would find it hard to live with on the road due to long distance comfort & my survival instinct kicking in at only 20% of the bikes potential but I was sold. You will see me wobbling round a track at some point. Be afraid.

[emaN]

...Its an Aprilla rsv1000 mille thingy...

THINGY?!?!?!? THINGY?!?!?!?
Oooooo, many have been kneecapped for much much less ;)

[warewolf]

it feels like the bars are connected to the front axle.That's an oft-used compliment for sportsbikes.


Riding a bike designed to do 280kmh at just over a third of it's potential isn't fun. Riding a bike designed to do 140kmh at over two thirds of it's potential is way more satisfying,aka "Riding a slow bike fast is more fun than riding a fast bike slow."

[Woodman]

Rode to work this morning round the inland highway and it started feeling a bit betterer. Its still way too fast, and the front wheel came off the ground once when I accelerated going round a corner:shit:, but it was fun.

Note to self: The throttle may work the same as the KLR but it is connected to something entirely different.

I am just too cautious to own one of these.

[JATZ]

I had a look at the offending beast today, parked right outside Woodmans office...
seems bigger in real life :yes: and very nice too, although it needs twin pipes. Can't say I wanted to ride it though.

[Padmei]

I am just too cautious to own one of these.

Did anyone else read this??? FFS have you seen yourself on video???

[gav24]

Yeah, I prefer my DR now as go anywhere - more fun bike. Barts got it right - I used to race a "mille Thingy" about 8 years ago in the UK, in the Nationals against R1's and Gixer thous at the time mainly, with a few Ducati's as well, (also in the Mille cup 1 make series on road tyres)
- and with slicks on, on a race track it was the most fun race bike I ever had - Scraping the fairings with silly lean angles and just riding rear wheel slides on the wave of Torque these things make.
But when I took my Dads road version of the same bike out on the road - I bloody hated it! Once you've ridden a bike (any bike) near the limit, riding it (or any other bike) at 40-50% is just annoying!
Now I just ride the DR - anywhere and everywhere - and bloody love it! I get my adrenaline fix with Vintage MX - same theory really flat out on slow old bikes with shit suspension = Big Fun:yes::yes:

[Night Falcon]

I took a ninja 650 for a spin at my last service...it felt like riding a shetland pony on steriods...the gear lever wasn't set up for my tech 10's so it I couln't manage the changes too well....2nd gear round town was interesting at 6000 rpm:facepalm:

[Woodman]

Did anyone else read this??? FFS have you seen yourself on video???

Ha ha but seriously I am not that comfortable on the road even on the KLR


Yeah, I prefer my DR now as go anywhere - more fun bike. Barts got it right - I used to race a "mille Thingy" about 8 years ago in the UK, in the Nationals against R1's and Gixer thous at the time mainly, with a few Ducati's as well, (also in the Mille cup 1 make series on road tyres)
- and with slicks on, on a race track it was the most fun race bike I ever had - Scraping the fairings with silly lean angles and just riding rear wheel slides on the wave of Torque these things make.
But when I took my Dads road version of the same bike out on the road - I bloody hated it! Once you've ridden a bike (any bike) near the limit, riding it (or any other bike) at 40-50% is just annoying!
Now I just ride the DR - anywhere and everywhere - and bloody love it! I get my adrenaline fix with Vintage MX - same theory really flat out on slow old bikes with shit suspension = Big Fun:yes::yes:

Yea the torque is pretty cool. What is the redline? just curious cos I don't think I got anywhere near it yet.:facepalm:

[JATZ]

Yea the torque is pretty cool. What is the redline? just curious cos I don't think I got anywhere near it yet.:facepalm:

Tomorrow then :yes:

I'll be in about the same time as today, and I'll bring a camera, I reakon you could hit 160 :woohoo: in the carpark :blink:

[sinned]

Yea the torque is pretty cool. What is the redline? just curious cos I don't think I got anywhere near it yet.:facepalm:
Reaching for the redline with wide open throttle on any big sports bike is a mind altering experience :woohoo:

[bart]

My mate has been threatening me with his late model 'blade (CBR1000RR). I sat on it, and it fit like a glove. I haven't riden a rice rocket for a decade. What shall I do? :facepalm:

It's a bit like giving up smoking. You know it's bad, but you've always got that urge to see 250km+. :blink:

[marks]

no one will let me ride a fast bike :(

[clint640]

no one will let me ride a fast bike :(

Awww.... I feel for ya... tell ya what, I'll give you a go on the 640 when it's back together :sunny:

Cheers
Clint

[bart]

Awww.... I feel for ya... tell ya what, I'll give you a go on the 640 when it's back together :sunny:

Cheers
Clint

Hahaha :killingme

[george formby]

My mate has been threatening me with his late model 'blade (CBR1000RR). I sat on it, and it fit like a glove. I haven't riden a rice rocket for a decade. What shall I do? :facepalm:

It's a bit like giving up smoking. You know it's bad, but you've always got that urge to see 250km+. :blink:

Might as well give it a crack, won't take long to see 250k but then you will want to do it again, just to be sure, then you will want to do it again etc.

[White trash]

Proper sports bike are a funny old thing. At anything less than a good dollop of commitment, they're total shit. They're uncomfortable, ill handling pieces of shit.

[Eddieb]

Proper sports bike are a funny old thing. At anything less than a good dollop of commitment, they're total shit. They're uncomfortable, ill handling pieces of shit.

Yup, My 888 was a proper dog on NZ roads at pretty much anything below 140 or really pushing it around corners.

It was also a much better bike than I am a rider.

[Monstaman]

It is interesting every time I race/ride the DR650 then jump on the 990 SMR which has more grunt than a paddock full of pigs, top notch handling and brakes that work.

After the Levels track day on the DR then jumped on the SMR I had to retrain my riding brain cos the DR you can whack it open , it drones and quietly wonders off but the SMR you have to be seriously pointed in the right direction or you will be doing gardening.

All good fun, the shear energy and anger that comes from the SMR is addictive but I do wonder sometimes to steeping back to lesser power, I seriously thought about a F800GS and still wonder if I shoulda gone down that route.

[Digitdion]

Swapped bikes with my mate one night on a ride. He has a gsxr 1000. I am six four( in height). Slightly different seating arrangement that I am used to on the 990. I could almost hug the whole bike. Not that comfortable, but nice to have a ride on a real sports bike. In top gear the bike was cruising in the rev range and i was doing 200+. Scared me to think that with a twist of the throttle I could do 100 kph more. I am very happy to stick to my beloved 990.

[Woodman]

Ok , Took it up to the redline a couple of times today on the way home

:shit::shit::shit: Nuff said bout that.

Finding going round corners better now.

This thing is starting to grow on me a bit:facepalm:

BTW are there more white cars on the road these days or am I just a wee bit paranoid at the moment?

[DR650gary]

Ok , Took it up to the redline a couple of times today on the way home

:shit::shit::shit: Nuff said bout that.

Finding going round corners better now.

This thing is starting to grow on me a bit:facepalm:

BTW are there more white cars on the road these days or am I just a wee bit paranoid at the moment?

"JUST DO IT"

Every home should have options for the road. That Aprilia looks awesome.

Really enjoy the DR but need to have the beast from time to time.

[NordieBoy]

BTW are there more white cars on the road these days or am I just a wee bit paranoid at the moment?

They're actually red cars optically bleached by the red-shift as you speed toward them.

[JATZ]

I was out for my walk this evening, and I was thinking....... as you do.....

I know what your trouble is Woodman :yes:

I bet your still wearing your cordura gear :facepalm: You need one of these :blink:
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/4501376967_0844dc7d9e1.jpg

[warewolf]

Well the gear's allright, but that fellah :facepalm:

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r70/choco_028/homo2.jpg

[Woodman]

I was out for my walk this evening, and I was thinking....... as you do.....

I know what your trouble is Woodman :yes:

I bet your still wearing your cordura gear :facepalm: You need one of these :blink:
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/4501376967_0844dc7d9e1.jpg

Yeah well i got my old leather jacket out and the leather seems to have shrunk in the 20 odd years its been in the wardrobe, my road boots are all covered in caked on mud and the sole has come unstuck and the zips are all rusted up. Mx boots don't work on the Aprilla.

So I am riding around in my usual dirty dusty gear you usually see me in, except for the new helmet which arrived last week.

[bart]

Here's wotcha do.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZES9NocWIqQ

[Oscar]

This is the gheyest thread on one the gheyest sites on the interweb...

[Genie]

I love my sportsbike.

[bart]

This is the gheyest thread on one the gheyest sites on the interweb...

But you couldn't help but contribute :niceone:

[Oscar]

But you couldn't help but contribute :niceone:

I see myself a steadying hetro influence...

[NordieBoy]

I see myself a steadying hetro influence...

Does "In a state of denial..." sound familiar?

[Oscar]

Does "In a state of denial..." sound familiar?

I've moved on, I fled over the border into the "State of Disorder".

[Woodman]

This is the gheyest thread on one the gheyest sites on the interweb...

Was it getting a bit dark in the closet?