Happy with what you’ve got?

[Bytor]

Had my gixxer 600 now for 7 months and I’m loving it. My confidence is growing as is my riding ‘experience’. I use it for commuting in all weather and going out for weekend blats with my bike club, it’s never given me any bother, is surprisingly comfortable and cheaper than running a second car. It makes me smile whether I’m riding it or just looking at her, I’m happy - we have bonded.
So why is then that I think the grass is greener on the bigger bike side? Is it that we are always looking for something better than we have in life and are never totally satisfied? I keep looking at gixxer thousand’s and blades etc, thinking if only I had another 4-6 grand spare I’d have one. But would that extra 4-6 grand make me any happier? Well after the last few club rides I’ve begun to wonder. Sure the litre boys pull away on the straights, but they never really get out of sight - and these aren’t nana riders either. Yesterday we had a great ride from Auckland down to Te Aroha, Waihi, Whangamata, Kopu and over the Hunua’s, and while I was certainly pushing the 600 the big boys were never more than corner or two ahead. Were the extra two corners ahead worth an extra 4-6 grand? I'm starting to think not. On a track then yes, but on the open highway then no.
Just got me thinking when I see people struggling to sell their bikes on here and retardme, that maybe most modern bikes are so good in their own way that no one can justify spending that extra 4-6 grand to be those extra two corners ahead. Maybe we are just happy with what we have got.

PS. no I don’t have an extra 4-6 grand to spare!

[MSTRS]

Did you see the Wanganui footage, with the 2 600s up Stroudies tailpipe??

[sunhuntin]

yup. im happy with the virago. but i was happy on both gns as well. but fate worked me the other way. one got killed by a car, and the other got killed by purely crappy quality.

i think im gonna stick with the virago, and when i eventually get my full license, ill simply buy a bigger cc of the same bike. i dont need or want to go fast. im happy at around 80-110k. id rather get there late than not get there at all.

[Hitcher]

Am I happy with what I've got? Let's see. Sprotsbike handling and brakes; comfortable riding position and exceptional ergonomics that allow 1,600km to be completed effortlessly in 22 hours; fantastic headlights for night riding; outstanding pillion comfort; detachable hard-luggage if one needs to take a longer sojourn than just a day trip; electrically-adjustable screen (don't scoff until you've tried one); heated hand grips for those cooler or wetter moments; 10,000km service intervals at your friendly neighborhood Yamaha dealer. I gotta get me one of those!

[jafar]

If you happy with the 600 stay with it , if not take a few big bikes out for a ride & decide for yourself. There is a difference in how a big bike behaves as opposed to a midrange bike, it isn't all about 2 corners or top end. A 600 will often beat a thou in tight twisty stuff then lose out on the straights. Fireblades ,R1's & gsxr 1000's are missiles & not always guided ones.

[Motig]

I'm happy with what I've got but a lot of what I've got is due to financial constraints (ie she in charge wont let me have the purse strings let alone the purse) Without financial restraints I'd be happy with a new Moto Guzzi. I think the saying is you cut your cloth to suit. Or would I be happier perhaps with a Triumph? no no a Ducati, no no how about a Harley/Buell or or.......

[Disco Dan]

once out of 250 land, things get much more exciting.

I would be happy on a ZX6, but hope to own a ZX9 one day :sunny:

[ManDownUnder]

Yup - happy with it.

I'd like to try a v twin but just for shits and giggles really.

[kiwifruit]

yes, i love my current steed

usually im on the lookout for the next bike, i dont feel that now.

[Nutter34]

Quite happy with the Z1000. Ridden a few mates new litre bikes and the riding positions aren't to my liking... The Z is good for my needs and riding style... If I had money to spend, I'd upgrade the suspension before buying another bike...

[Smokin]

Its a bit like being married, You really like what you have got but you always want a newer model.
I have plenty of grunt with the Blade but there's something about those R1's eh.

[The_Dover]

nah, I can't wait to sell this piece of shit and get something with a few more ponies and decent handling.

[onearmedbandit]

Just '2 corners ahead' isn't what the thou's are about, there is soooo much more to them than that. On the road a 600 will do fine, on a track like Wanganui will do just as well as a thou in the right hands. Torque is a big selling feature of the 1000cc sportbikes.

I'm perfectly happy with what I've got.

[Jonny Rotten]

im happy with my 600 but then again ive only had it a week...... ill let you know how i feel in a year

[Leong]

Yes, me too. I love my bike!! I love the comfortably soft ride and relatively large fairing when touring. No sore wrists or knees like some other sports bikes. Transforms into a pretty good track bike with a few turns of the screwdriver, and I love looking at it - I clean it after just about every trip!

I am really happy with it...... BUT yes, when on the track watching those litre bikes pull away on the straight I think about getting one myself. Then I realise that my ideal bike is probably the GSX-R750, and really.... it's not different enough from my 600 to justify the change...

[jtzzr]

Can`t complain , 150HP+ , handles well , doesn`t talk back , doesn`t want me to do household chores , never has a F@#KIN headache when I want a ride , Hell yes I`m happy:yes: :yes: :yes:

[MidnightMike]

Not really, good in some aspects, some body give me an inline four!

[robertydog]

Oh man i luv my bike.

[LXS]

Bytor, maybe you should take a litre bike out for the weekend or borrow a friends one?
Take it through the Coro Loop, would be a good test.

I'm not happy with my Primera, sitting at the back of the traffic queue, paying $20 every 5 minutes for gas,having to find car parks,the sticky hot leather seats,lack of power, the looks I don't get :shit: A plus is I get to listen to music.
Can't wait to get my RS250 :rockon: :gob: :soon: :Punk: :love: :headbang: :done:

[McJim]

I've got a huge grin on my face at the petrol pumps 27 km per litre :)

I get a huge kick out of seriously tight hairpins.

As soon as it gets merely windy the 600s and thou's disappear over the horizon :(

So I just go out on my own now.

[LXS]

I've got a huge grin on my face at the petrol pumps 27 km per litre :)

I get a huge kick out of seriously tight hairpins.

As soon as it gets merely windy the 600s and thou's disappear over the horizon :(

So I just go out on my own now.


Mileage is awesome ay, shit imagine if we could (prob can anyway) convert bikes to LPG, we'd fill them up & never fill them up again!
Yeah hehe love scraping the pegs, its funny how your pushing yourself & your bike to the limits & then you get people like Motoracer who just sail on past effortlessly :shit: :nono: :rockon: Guess he does have an extra 350cc and a racing pedigree though!

[98tls]

Me i dont actually want another bike but cant stop mucking around with the one i have....read as spending money........really enjoy the difference it has made to a bike that always had an awsome motor just needed suspenders/brakes etc upgraded.....be a lot more practical to buy a new bike but for me anyway not 1/2 as much fun.............and thats what motorcycles are to me....fun.

[slowpoke]

A 600 will often beat a thou in tight twisty stuff then lose out on the straights.

I'm tending to think this is an idea from a bygone age, when there was a reasonable weight/handling difference between say a Yamaha Thundercat (600) and a Thunderace (1000), you know, back when 600's actually made some useable power under 10,000rpm rather than being compressed into a rev band that only dogs can hear.
Not that anyone should be racing on the road, but nowadays there is sweet FA difference in weight and handling between the two. I think it was in 2001 when the Fireblade 954 was actually lighter than the 2001 cbr600F4.
Realistically speaking unless you are REALLY pushing it along in the twisties, which shouldn't happen on the road, the average experienced rider on a 'thou will just leave it in a gear too high and surf along on the torque, concentrating on braking points and corner lines with the minimum of gear changes.
An experienced 600 rider will only have an advantage of say 5-10 less kg's to carry but will be flapping their left foot like a fan, concentrating more on keeping the fires stoked, and generally working harder than than their mate on the 'thou.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with 600's, they are great bikes in their own right (can you buy a bad NEW bike nowadays?) but in a lot of ways they are harder to ride than their bigger brothers.
My missus is a case in point: she'd potter around on the R1 riding it like a big V8, with instant grunt at virtually any rev's. She'd hate a modern 600, having to rev the shit out of it, having to pre-plan every move to make sure she's in the right gear etc. It's a massive trade-off just to gain 5-10kg's.

[slowpoke]

Can`t complain , 150HP+ , handles well , doesn`t talk back , doesn`t want me to do household chores , never has a F@#KIN headache when I want a ride , Hell yes I`m happy:yes: :yes: :yes:

Aaaaarggh! That's what I thought until the R1 finally got the shits with me embarrassing it, and it pulled it's head in....literally. Major cylinder head (valve recession) problems have seen it off the road for the last two months...so unforunately, they do have (cylinder) head-aches. The worst part is I'm gonna have to pay for an expensive "head job" and I won't even be the recipient.....

[Lucy]

I am really happy with my Chinese made GN 250. Ok, I am a sad bastard. Yer but no but yer but no but don't listen to all the knockers (ha ha I said knockers) oops getting my crap tv mixed up.....

Ok. I finally got my licence so I could get a vehicle with two wheels that had more guts than a 49cc scooter. My trip to current work place is 110km round trip. Diesel was $1.27 a litre....

Got my car licence and started driving years and years before Jap imports came about.

So, basically, got a bike for financial and fun reasons (always loved riding them, would have a go when anyone would let me, rented scooters and motorbikes overseas etc etc)

Which brings me back to my mighty GN.

1: It starts EVERY time. ( I went through a winter in Wellington where every morning was allowing time to remove the falcons air filter so I could spray CRC in to get it started, that's if it didnt start when I crash started it in reverse as it rolled out of the garage)

2: I like the retro look of it.

3: It's a motorbike.

4: It's mine

[Fat Tony]

I'm absolutely loving my current bike. I just can't see how they'll improve on them to be honest - though I thought that about the 600k4 I had too, and I was proved wrong there when I got the 750k6 :)

[Deviant Esq]

Mine's been a great bike for a learner. Linear powerband, no sudden hiccups or rushes of power, handles great, very chuckable and holds its line well, good on gas, fairly easy to work on and maintain, light and narrow so it's good for lanesplitting and commuting, and enough grunt (as long as you're doing less than 110km/h) to keep you interested.

Having said all that I'm beginning to think about upgrading. Not sure that I'll be buying another bike before I get my full licence as some have done, but I'm starting to keep half an eye on the classifieds and reading up a little on the various options. Bought a copy of Superbike magazine when I was in York on the weekend, and it had a great guide on buying a bike, new or second hand, and not a just a general guide. It went over a whole lot of models and said the ones they hadn't listed were guided as "you could do better." That'll be a handy reference for me when I get more serious about buying another machine.

[justsomeguy]

Been riding my 636 for 3-4 months now and I'm sick of it, the whole 600cc class is too overhyped. You need to thrash them like a 250 to get any sort of buzz.......

Now I ain't saying I'm a great rider who is past the limits of a 600 or anything like that, far from it infact - but I want a bike that scares me - not one I have to scare into performing by redlining the bastard everywhere.

Spent the whole of Saturday with a gixxer thou demo model - (thanks Holeshot) and loved it. Among other roads I took it to my favourite road in the whole world - Cheenic Dwive:love: , in second gear giving it a good twist - it was like bungee jumping from corner to corner - can't believe how sweet the stock exhaust sounds over 6,000 rpm:Punk:

Anyone intending test riding one should do so - it's perfectly happy to cruise at 55kmph in 6th gear too if you want it and the power is so predictable you can easily tailor your riding around it.

Now - hopefully I can sort my career out to let me have one asap.

[bluninja]

Been with my RSRV now for 5 years 1month and 2 days. I took it all the way to New Zealand with my wife, kids, dog and cat, and took it back when I returned.

I'm now racking up 1000kms per week commuting through an English winter and enjoying the ride. It was my dream bike and I still prefer it's shape and style to the newer RSVRs.

[justsomeguy]

Been with my RSRV now for 5 years 1month and 2 days. I took it all the way to New Zealand with my wife, kids, dog and cat, and took it back when I returned.

I'm now racking up 1000kms per week commuting through an English winter and enjoying the ride. It was my dream bike and I still prefer it's shape and style to the newer RSVRs.

hey Bluninja - you want a Blue Ninja?? - Mine's for sale.......http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=907202

(yeah, yeah shameless plug -all those taking offence can go f'k themselves)

Never ridden a VTwin before... must try one someday.

5 years?? Sounds like some bike you got there :)

[bluninja]

Funnily enough my previous bike was a blue zx9r c1 :sunny: . Would have kept it longer than 3 years but I highsided it and the insurance company wrote it off (despite me doing 2 days on the track and 1500kms ride home after the off).

Loved the induction howl and the sudden kick in the seat as it took off over 8000rpm, but I lusted after the RSVR and once I'd ridden it that was it.

(so how much would your bike be with shipping to the UK thrown in??:shit: )

[Deviant Esq]

Hate to spoil the party, but you could buy one in the UK cheaper. 2nd hand sportsbikes, even pretty new ones, with low mileage... they're almost throwaway prices here. I have to restrain myself, it's so tempting to buy one.

[Fat Tony]

I have to restrain myself, it's so tempting to buy one.

So buy one and join me on the twisties in the Dales at weekend - assuming that the snow's moved on obviously

Time for that beer yet? :first:

[Deviant Esq]

So buy one and join me on the twisties in the Dales at weekend - assuming that the snow's moved on obviously

Time for that beer yet? :first:

I would love to, but no doubt the insurance would be crippling! :no:
It's still really tempting though! :shutup: Which is why I have to hold myself back. Like when we went into that bike dealer the other day... They didn't have anything in my price range, but some where quite a lot newer than I'm looking at, and not much more money. And after reading the guide prices in the Superbike magazine... well, supremely tempting. No, dowwnnn boy. :nono:

Hell yes for the beer! The afternoon's taking it's time! :zzzz:

[bluninja]

I hear things are even cheaper ooop north:scooter: Hey deviant.....you must get out of Leeds more :dodge: ....I know the price of bikes here and in NZ.....and the shipping for a bike costs about £600....plus the £85 for the single vehicle type approval test, and VAT on the cost of the bike plus shipping and insurance.

[Deviant Esq]

Once the £600 shipping has been added and all the rest, it probably makes more sense to look for a good one in New Zealand if I'm just looking for a bike for myself. A bike dealer can import more bikes in one go and pay much less shipping per bike as a result, but for just one bike... I was thinking about buying one for being over here, and selling it again when I left - unless I fell in love with it too much... :love: But I think it'll cost me too much to insure it while I'm over here. Compulsory insurance and all that, and since I've never had insurance over here, and no credit history... doesn't matter that I have a UK passport, doesn't help. I'd be paying through the nose I think. So I'm just gonna have to wait until I get back to NZ. <_<

:weep:

Anyway, back on topic please! :shutup:

[Big Dave]

http://www.davidcohen.co.nz/flashvid/tubecover.html

[Edbear]

http://www.davidcohen.co.nz/flashvid/tubecover.html



BD you're subtlety incarnate, mate!

I'm always thinking about upgrading mine, but I have to be realistic as well. I've had it three years and two months and I've done 11,500km on it. It's been a fairweather toy for those days when health, time and weather combine to allow a ride.

I am slowly improving, healthwise and maybe a little bit time wise, so hope to do more riding, esp now the Missus is coming along on pillion and enjoying riding with friends. This means I may have to upgrade to a bigger bike or get her her own. Money the only hold up there.

The bike only has 41,000km on it and is in good nick and each time I ride it I come back happy. It goes quick, (one day I'll test the theoretical top speed), cruises at 110 easy, is comfortable and pretty economical. It handles and brakes well enough for my level of ability - it takes a good day and some effort to find its limits, by which time I'm having a ball!

In short, for $3,000 I've had three years of fun! All it's cost me is one service, a rear tyre and a battery, though it could do with a new chain now. How much would I need to spend to get better? Lots!:rockon:

[justsomeguy]

(so how much would your bike be with shipping to the UK thrown in??:shit: )

Too expensive to even bother calculating - and although it's an awesome bike - I don't think it's better than yours - all factors considered. If it was a ZX-10, then perhaps....

[Lissa]

Was happy with my bike... finally realised this weekend how slow she is.. bit of a snore really. Passing cars is a pain in the bum, have to really push her, and then she is so slow getting her speed up. Also shes brand new.. and already a bulb is blown in the headlight and my baffle fell off at the weekend.:angry: Now making plans to work out what my next bike is going to be.

[DMNTD]

I'm more than happy with my bike but it has taken a fair few to get to the stage that I am now. I think I've found the bike that suits me however I still prefer to ride twins. Yeah I know it seems to be a contradiction but I'm enjoying the scream of an inline4 atm.
I'm also fortunate enough to be able to go and thrash m'Lady's RSVR if ever in need of the balls of a Twin and it's such a beautiful bike to ride with such an awesome set up that I do...often!

[BarBender]

We adopted Bluey 6 months ago.
Unloved by his natural parents in Japan he'd experienced isolation as they ignored him for his two younger brothers who were budding track stars and an older brother who on the surface was alot stronger and bigger than him. :rolleyes:

Susequently he'd become an outcast and as a result very angry - almost psychotic. When at Mt Eden Motorcycles, the staff would often have to clean up the oil underneath the bikes immediately around him. Bluey would make them shit themselves. Staff didnt want to take him out because he was so unpredictable.

However when I first saw him I could see the potential. After some care and attention Bluey became a better bike. He now has regular physical checkups every 6000klms and visits the psychologist every 10,000kms. As a result of a visit to the psychologist last October, it was suggested that Bluey be prescribed with Ohlins to help him through his ups and downs and a brand new set of special cams to help him with his digestion. He is a changed bike!!

He plays nicely with other bikes on group rides...even Gixxers. Our children adore him and he's very protective of them. He never bites when he takes them for a ride. My wife didnt like him at first because he used to shake the house and rattle the windows when he woke up to go for a walk. But now - she misses him when he is not around...(because I aint :shutup:)

On long trips he's very comfortable. On occassion I let Bluey loose and let him play at Drag Wars. On the 3rd of Feb he'll attend his first track day at Taupo.

Am I happy with what I've got. Shit yeah. Keeping up with the Jones' is overrated.
Is the grass greener on the other side? Dont know - I'm never tempted to look.

[McJim]

Too expensive to even bother calculating - and although it's an awesome bike - I don't think it's better than yours - all factors considered. If it was a ZX-10, then perhaps....

Remember in the UK they can buy a younger, lower mileage version of yours for about half the price.

I'm still wondering whether or not to buy a Ducati and bring it over.

750ss - UK Dealer Price $6,400 - 10,000km 2001
750ss - NZ Dealer Price $12,000 - 14,000km 2000

This is just from recent searches - there may be some reasonable NZ motorcycle dealers out there somewhere!

There are 2 bikes over here that would be worth exporting to the UK though.

1/ Britten
2/ Burt Munro's Indian Replica

I don't think there are any other bikes worth sending to UK though.

[KoroJ]

Loved my Intruder (1400)...until we had to go further than Wanganui two-up. I managed 18,000 miles in 15 months but The ST is a smooth ride. (I actually see cars clearly in the rear view mirrors now). We can takes lots more luggage, have room to spare on the seats, can trim the windscreen for the conditions (got caught in some rain without any wets but was still bone dry when I got home), 500Km on a tank (it's funny having to stop for a break when you don't have to fill-up), and it's generally an easy ride although I'm still geting used to the difference in style.

Overall, I'd have to say "O - for awsome"!!

[Bytor]

I know that torque is a big selling feature of the thousands but my 600 has plenty of mid range too. Interestingly on the weekend ride coming from Whangamata to Kopu I used basically third gear the same as my mate on the gixxer thou and I had more than enough grunt/power to overtake and keep on the pace for a road anyway. But while said mate had a good time I had a feckin scream:yes:
Sure I'd love a thou and have been offered rides a plenty but....I fear after riding one that I may want one. Maybe, for a very long time, I'm actually happy with my lot and if a few grand comes along then I'll look at spending it on the six. At least in the future I have a step up to go where as once you have the thou what do you get next?

[ferretface]

Remember in the UK they can buy a younger, lower mileage version of yours for about half the price.

I'm still wondering whether or not to buy a Ducati and bring it over.

750ss - UK Dealer Price $6,400 - 10,000km 2001
750ss - NZ Dealer Price $12,000 - 14,000km 2000

This is just from recent searches - there may be some reasonable NZ motorcycle dealers out there somewhere!

There are 2 bikes over here that would be worth exporting to the UK though.

1/ Britten
2/ Burt Munro's Indian Replica

I don't think there are any other bikes worth sending to UK though.

I hear brand new BMW's have flooded the market in the UK (bad pun I know)
Check out ebay in a couple of weeks and you may get a bargain...

[HenryDorsetCase]

for 90% of the riding I do, the Hornet is fantastic

Touring exposed a few issues: lack of wind protection, touring speeds are where the motor is at its worst vibration wise, and lack of wind protection. It preformed faultlessly though.

looking at VFR800s a la pritch008 for next bike.

[justsomeguy]

I know that torque is a big selling feature of the thousands but my 600 has plenty of mid range too. ....I fear after riding one that I may want one.

It ain't just the torque - it's actually just a small, very minor, minuscle point.

Take a new thou for a ride put it in first - push down on the bars and anticipate the front going light - take off and twist it to at least 10,000 rpm - shift to second gear - and repeat. Don't try this in third unless you've got a bit of experience around the 250+kmph mark.

Or hold it in second and take it for a thrash down your favourite twisty road.

Then just try and wipe the smile of your face - three days after the fact.

[DMNTD]

Then just try and wipe the smile of your face - three days after the fact.
3 days? Mate try 9 months and counting :yes:

[Juud]

After 6 years of revving the guts out of a F1 CBR600, the Hyosung is a breeze to ride. Keeping up with my partners FJ1200 is surprisingly easy, sometimes he actually has to squeeze the Yam to keep up with me. :yes:
And at 24 km/liter without even trying, I'm laughing at all you big buggers!

A big :2thumbsup for the GT650R!

[N4CR]

less chopping and changing, wheelies everywhere when/where you want it and not peaky and thrash to ride like a 250/600ish.

that's a thou.

if the original poster replaced 600 with 250 that would be me, didn't need really anything bigger to go fast as but it's really pushing it on the 250 decided to upgrade. bigger bikes can go a bit faster round corners in some cases and have modern suspension to boot.. makes it very easy to ride. i got one cus i could and in my case it was best bang for buck by a long way. and i'm happy as larry.

wouldn't change much apart from the rediculous tall 1st gear/idle speed the bikes have.. 15kmh clutch in at stock idle. hahaha.

only thing i regret is being able to thrash the 250 to it's limits and not be doing crazzzy speeds like you are when you thrash a bit on a bigger bike. doh... compromise eh.

[Chisanga]

Remember in the UK they can buy a younger, lower mileage version of yours for about half the price.

I'm still wondering whether or not to buy a Ducati and bring it over.

750ss - UK Dealer Price $6,400 - 10,000km 2001
750ss - NZ Dealer Price $12,000 - 14,000km 2000

This is just from recent searches - there may be some reasonable NZ motorcycle dealers out there somewhere!

There are 2 bikes over here that would be worth exporting to the UK though.

1/ Britten
2/ Burt Munro's Indian Replica

I don't think there are any other bikes worth sending to UK though.

I'm not sure what it's like for motorbikes but I remember when dad was thinking about exporting a Morgan from the UK that if it hadn't been "owned" by you for a year before export it cost an arm and a leg in export duty or some such tax.

This was a few years back so things may have changed. We were just going to stick the Morgan in my Uncle's garage for a year in Kent before we brought it out but in the end Dad decided to get a Lotus replica from a builder in ChCh :)

[McJim]

I'm not sure what it's like for motorbikes but I remember when dad was thinking about exporting a Morgan from the UK that if it hadn't been "owned" by you for a year before export it cost an arm and a leg in export duty or some such tax.

This was a few years back so things may have changed. We were just going to stick the Morgan in my Uncle's garage for a year in Kent before we brought it out but in the end Dad decided to get a Lotus replica from a builder in ChCh :)

Nah the law isn't too much different - will just get my dad to buy it and import it next year (we share the same name) why get a lotus replica? - the real things are cheap as chips now. Be different - get a keonigsegg or a Maclaren F1

[Big Dave]

I've got a huge grin on my face at the petrol pumps 27 km per litre :)

I get a huge kick out of seriously tight hairpins.

As soon as it gets merely windy the 600s and thou's disappear over the horizon :(

So I just go out on my own now.

Windy or windy?

'Id be going 3 seconds a lap faster if these bloody 1000's weren't slowing me up in the bloody corners'.

My best riding buddy Russell 'Rusty' Howard on the way to winning the Castrol Six Hour race - 250 Class. (plus he won 500's twice) and Bathhurst 3 times and the Yamaha World Cup in 1988. That bloke on a 250 or 500 and even the Sportie he rides now will school most riders in the twisties. Word.

[Chisanga]

why get a lotus replica? - the real things are cheap as chips now. Be different - get a keonigsegg or a Maclaren F1

Originally we were going to build it ourselves as a kitcar. But Dad decided he wasn't up too it (He's not 100% healthy) and decided to get the guy who made the kits to build it for us.

Not quite enough money in my piggy bank for a Keonigsegg, maybe after I sell my expensive VTR :)

[The Stranger]

and cheaper than running a second car.

This comment suggests to me that you should stick with what you have.
Running the GSXR 1000 costs me similar money to my SS.
Sure fuel is cheaper, servicing (if done by a shop) is similar, but tyres, rego, brakes and gear are all more expensive.

[justsomeguy]

Windy or windy?

'Id be going 3 seconds a lap faster if these bloody 1000's weren't slowing me up in the bloody corners'.

My best riding buddy Russell 'Rusty' Howard on the way to winning the Castrol Six Hour race - 250 Class. (plus he won 500's twice) and Bathhurst 3 times and the Yamaha World Cup in 1988. That bloke on a 250 or 500 and even the Sportie he rides now will school most riders in the twisties. Word.

Sorry Not Small Dave I don't get your point.....

... I bet I'd give him some amount of competition too had I started racing when I was 3 years old and had 23+ years of international racing experience backed by a professional race team (Like Rossi)........

This Rusty fella sounds like he has serious natural talent - don't think it matters what he rides and it's not fair comparing him to your average road rider.

[Big Dave]

Sorry Not Small Dave I don't get your point.....



Small bikes can go very fast too in the right hands.

[Gremlin]

I was happy with the 7... then I rode bigger newer stuff... then the 7 seemed slow and heavy :zzzz: Then I couldn't overtake the thous that slowed me up in corners, as they beat me down the straight :(

When you upgrade to something, yeah, normally it feels great, and you can't believe how powerful it is, until you get used to it, and ride stuff that is better. Then you find yourself waiting for something, as you exit corners. Now its a tradeoff between power and ability of bike, and tyre life :bye:

Want to upgrade soon... :yes:

[slowpoke]

Small bikes can go very fast too in the right hands.


Trouble is most of us have got hands like the Kiwi cricket team: "whoops, how did THAT happen...?"

[DEATH_INC.]

I can't believe how often some guys change bikes.....I've had mine for what seems like forever now.....sure it's slow and handles crap compared to new bikes, but it's still heaps of fun, and it can be pedaled along pretty quick too. Guys (gals too) are always looking for an easy way to improve their speed, instead of working on the skills.....

[Roj]

Mileage is awesome ay, shit imagine if we could (prob can anyway) convert bikes to LPG, we'd fill them up & never fill them up again!

If that were only true, LPG actually uses about 10-20% more fuel than petrol for the same distance, for 8 litres of petrol you would need 10 litres of LPG plus the extra heavy tank need to hold the stuff, would add 20 or 30 kgs to the bike
:scooter:

[Roj]

I can't believe how often some guys change bikes.....I've had mine for what seems like forever now.....sure it's slow and handles crap compared to new bikes, but it's still heaps of fun, and it can be pedaled along pretty quick too. Guys (gals too) are always looking for an easy way to improve their speed, instead of working on the skills.....

Likewise, I have had my bike since 1986, it is almost a classic now, does all I need at the moment as I use a cage for work I have limited opportunity for riding, it doesn't take a lot to maintain:scooter: