Which type of bike will make you a better rider? [Archive]

Grahameeboy

5th June 2007, 21:24

Good one......you still have to be a good rider to ride a new bike with all the trimmings and I guess new bikes are safer as they handle / brake better.

You can have a lot of fun with an oldie and again you still have to be a competent rider.

If you fuck up on either you will know about it.

I personally prefer a bike that goes and handles well so you can concentrate of road skills etc rather than having to tame a beast.

That's why I like the SV because it is new etc but the handling still needs sorting although it is okay.

cowpoos

5th June 2007, 21:25

An older bike with ordinary suspension and high kilometres that you have to work hard to ride well?

Or a newer bike with great suspension and handling that is easy to ride?
I don't know...

Keystone19

5th June 2007, 21:26

I don't know...

Intelligent lad aren't ya...

Chrislost

5th June 2007, 21:29

a bike that makes you corner fast to keep up with your mates (eg a 250) will make you a fast rider...
a 1000 will make you a hooligan!
a 600 will make you lazy...

cowboyz

5th June 2007, 21:29

before you can answer that answer the older question of what makes someone "better"?

If by "better" you mean "faster" then modern bikes certainly are eaiser to ride faster than older bikes.

If by "better" you mean "more confident" then older bikes that dont handle so well that offer good feedback through the bars and suspension without throwing you off are quite good for learning.

I ride my zx9r alot faster than I every rode my gsx600f. Only I "felt" like I was going faster on the 600f.

Big Dave

5th June 2007, 21:32

The next step for your career would be a dirt bike.
Crossy up slidey stuff experience worth much come F3 day.

skelstar

5th June 2007, 21:36

Would a quirky handling bike make you develop bad habits?

Wanna give a for-instance Jill?

ArcherWC

5th June 2007, 21:37

The next step for your career would be a dirt bike.
Crossy up slidey stuff experience worth much come F3 day.
agree 100000000%, have been trying to get Jill onto the dirt

kiwifruit

5th June 2007, 21:38

yep, dirt bike :rockon:

ArcherWC

5th June 2007, 21:43

But I also think a new bike that you have the confidance in to push past your limits will make you a better rider faster

Devil

5th June 2007, 21:45

Would a quirky handling bike make you develop bad habits?

She already has enough bad habits. No need to add...
:dodge:

cowpoos

5th June 2007, 21:45

Intelligent lad aren't ya...
you know I am chick!!

FROSTY

5th June 2007, 21:53

an older bike with suspect suspension wont improve ya riding skills.I ride em cos they slow me down.

merv

5th June 2007, 21:57

I'd say the trick is being able to jump on any bike and be able to figure out pretty quickly its characteristics and ride it hard - no matter what, you are learning skills doing it. I jump from road to trail all the time and when I ride the trail bikes on the road like up the 'takas, I take quite different lines on the trail bike just because of the soft suspension and type of tyres they have - it all comes naturally when you are used to them.

So ride old, ride new, ride good, ride crap, ride road and ride trail - they all teach you something.

cowpoos

5th June 2007, 21:58

an older bike with suspect suspension wont improve ya riding skills.I ride em cos they slow me down.
its definatly working for you tony!! hows the wrist BTW?

Keystone19

5th June 2007, 22:01

Would a quirky handling bike make you develop bad habits?

Wanna give a for-instance Jill?

Weelllll...I need to buy a bike for the road for commuting and stuff - not sure whether to get for example, an older gsxr750 or a later model ordinary bike eg Bandit600 or, just to try and scrape up the money again and go for a K4/K5 gsxr600 (for spares for my race bike as well)

agree 100000000%, have been trying to get Jill onto the dirt

yep, dirt bike :rockon:

Yes, and I'm dead keen - just tell me where and when...

She already has enough bad habits. No need to add...
:dodge:

Oi - quiet you!

kiwifruit

5th June 2007, 22:04

something like this:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=102752000

Keystone19

5th June 2007, 22:07

something like this:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=102752000

Lol - I had The Stranger's WR450 in my garage last week and took a sweet little XR250 Motard out for a ride the other day so, yes, a motard is definitely an option. The WR450 was real hard on my butt though!

Keystone19

5th June 2007, 22:14

But my own needs aside, I am interested to know people's opinions on which would make a better rider - and by better I don't necessarily mean faster.

I'm thinking similar to Merv - riding many different bikes will increase your skills in different areas. But if a person can only afford one bike for the road...which will it be?

FROSTY

5th June 2007, 22:22

buy my rf----4000

Timber020

5th June 2007, 22:23

Aside from dirtbikes I think you can learn alot on a small bike, something that you have to push hard to make move. Might sound crazy but I learned alot when I went from rgv250's and zxr400's and did alot of kms on my rg50's.

No power means your dependant on keeping cornering speed everywhere, the lightness means you learn to flick them pretty good and get a good feel for how much your pushing it. They cant be ridden lazily as they just dont have the steam to make up for lost speed. I have caught up to bigger and newer sportbikes on the downhill run on the Makara hill (and yes they were trying, had a good yarn about it at the cafe). Learned lots, but have yet to learn enough. should get the old rg out!

BarBender

5th June 2007, 22:30

Heres another angle Jill - the better bike will be that which allows you to easily replicate/practice the skills and techniques required to ride your race bike.
An older or different type of bike may require you to do things you shouldnt.

R6_kid

5th June 2007, 22:37

Surely a range of skills learnt from a range of bikes would make you a better rider...

If we are talking in terms of racing, then you want a bike that can help you control the extremes of things like slides, braking, hard acceleration (traction control) etc...

In which case it may be that you need to step out of your comfort zone, say at a motox track or dirt track to get some slides going and get used to the bike being out of line, but not necasarily out of control.

Of course we could say a better rider is one who is concious of their surroundings, acts responsibly and is courteous and thinks with the right brain all the time! In which case the bike won't make you a better rider, it may enable you to be a better rider through better vision ahead by being higher up... but maybe perhaps having a good breakfast preceeded by a good nights sleep is what you really need?

moT

5th June 2007, 22:42

get any 400cc sports production bike they handle well so adjustments mid corner can be done with ease and as 400cc motorcycles are so underpowered compared to bigger bikes that if the motorcycle looses speed it looses time picking speed back up so it will teach you to not slow down wastefully therefore makeing you better at rideing your motorcycle your skill will be nurtued by the facy that your vehicle is less powerfull and a 400s power is all useable

JayRacer37

5th June 2007, 23:07

Merv's got it sussed.
Veriety is the spice of life, being able to jump off one type of bike and onto another and ride them fast. If you can teach yourself to find the limits and points of a bike quickly, thats really important. Once you can do that you are feeling a bike and what it does. Once you have that feel, thats what gives you the ability to ride quickly. It's the same as being able to show up at the track and go pertty quickly within 4 or 5 laps. Just KNOWING where the limits are, and what you can do.
Riding multiple bikes can really help with this.
As for what bike, I don't think it matters so long as you are riding SOMETHING!!

NinjaBoy

5th June 2007, 23:09

Hard to say but I know I've become a better rider by progressing from a 96 ZX6R to the current 07 ZX6R. ( 4 bikes over the last 4 years since I got back into riding). Each change meant I fully appreciated the improvements in suspension, handling and brakes.

If anything I've learnt to be more controlled on the road and leave that to the track.

White trash

6th June 2007, 08:28

Neither bike will make you a better rider.

Becoming better is first a mattr of finding out what "better" means to you. Then, you need to analyse your current riding and find what it is you do that holds you back from becoming "better" and changing those things.

Thinking makes you a better rider, not the bike you're riding.

Deano

6th June 2007, 08:31

White trash

6th June 2007, 08:34

skelstar

6th June 2007, 09:12

Chasing you fast pricks made me a better (faster) rider.

Me too!!!

(run out of bling)...

Sanx

6th June 2007, 10:33

I'm hardly qualified to hand out advice (like that's stopped me before) but ...

Keystone, the one thing I've noticed about your riding is that you're very smooth. You're not jerky, you're not throwing the bike about or appearing to have to muscle it through corners. This might just be your natural style, or the fact that as you weigh less than most of your competitors, you can't rely on your bulk or brute strength so a smooth style is what works best.

Dirt bike riding gives you a whole different set of skills a lot of which do translate into track and road riding; in my case, having the back step out doesn't bother me that much. Provided the front's planted, the back will eventually follow it unless I'm really hamfisted on the gas.

But - I did watch you jump on a heavier, more powerful sportsbike, running stock suspension and tyres with the settings more suited to someone 30kgs heavier than you. And you still pulled a 1:08 round Pukekohe. No doubt you'd get faster with the suspension dialled into your weight and more time on the bike; but all things considering, it seemed a damn good time to me.

Mrs Busa Pete

6th June 2007, 11:09

But I also think a new bike that you have the confidance in to push past your limits will make you a better rider faster

what like a 1098

Morcs

6th June 2007, 11:26

Honda NC30.

Awesome old skool bike. In the 4 months that I owned one my riding improved in leaps and bounds.

A bike for this category has to be forgiving and confidence inspiring - you cant have one without the other.

more_fasterer

6th June 2007, 12:23

confidence inspiring

I think that's the key there. While a lot of this thread won't apply to you Jill (for the reasons Sanx named), for yer joe average road rider / budding racer a bike that you can have confidence in when pushing its limits will ultimately make you faster, smoother and more precise.

Example: An original Zed Thou isn't going to teach you much about advancing your skills when you're simply trying to steer clear of its limits as it bucks and weaves and generally tries to kill you. A modern bike, with its greater predictability and higher limits, should allow you to get more out of it and yourself.

codgyoleracer

6th June 2007, 12:50

Depends what you classify as "better" Jill ? , New bike will usually make you faster point to point as it can stop, go, & carve corners & keep its tyres on the ground at a much quicker speed & still be well within machine & tyre limitations. BUT is faster better ?
An older bike usually will let you know earlier on that things are getting a bit wobbly & its natural to back off.
However if you practiced on the old bike on a slick grassy paddock - then this would make you a better rider overal due to steeper learning curve on throttle control, brake control , smoothness & body position. But you would still be quicker/better on the new machine usuing the same skills:yes: