Swopping bikes... and brain patterns!

[Bob]

Laura (my wife) is away visiting her parents for a few days, so she asked me if I could take out the 250 Virago for a 'battery-charging' run... never something that needs a lot of asking, as it is such a fun little bike to ride.

Anyway, took it out for a quick 20 miles spin, then when I got home, decided to give the SV a run-out so it could stretch it's legs without the usual commuter nonsense getting in the way. So rode the Virago into the garage, gunned the SV into life and set off straight away with no break in-between.

Suddenly, a bike I cover 125-150 miles minimum, week in, week out, felt utterly alien. The seat (not the most comfortable at any time to be honest), was like sitting on an ironing board after the plush saddle on the Virago. From being laid back on the little cruiser, I felt like I was being thrown forwards over the bars... and then there were the little things like handing and braking!

All it took was one 20 mile ride and how I was treating the SV was, initially, all over the place! I was braking too soon, taking turns at less than ideal angles. It took a good couple of miles to get my head back into "SV" mode and start riding properly again.

What it did do though, was get my brain back into being really focussed on the SV, how it likes to be ridden and I had a truly enjoyable ride once my 'mind-set' was back where it needed to be. To the point where I don't think I've enjoyed riding it so much in ages.

Now that was the result of going from little bike to big bike. I wonder what the effects would have been if I'd done it the other way round? I get the feeling the transition would have been much easier, aside from having to dial-in the concept of not having instant grunt when needed, having instead to work on building the speed.

Anyone else on here own very different bikes? If so, do you find that going from one to another has an effect on your riding... and if so, is it more pronounced going from Bike A to Bike B - or vice versa? Or doesn't it make any difference to your riding?

[Waylander]

You know for a second there I thought you were falling under the spell of the Virago. Fun bikes aye, even the little ones.

[Motu]

I love changing bikes,it's one of the best things about bikes,I love different roads,ones I've never been on before - who the hell would want to get bored with one bike,one type of bike...

[Ixion]

I love changing bikes,it's one of the best things about bikes,I love different roads,ones I've never been on before - who the hell would want to get bored with one bike,one type of bike...

Yes indeed. Once a bike starts to become hohum, just try a different one for a while. Then going back to the first will be a fun experience (positive sense of fun). And I too like new roads - best words on the road "Hm, wonder where that goes, I've never been down there". And away we go (Unfortunately this has a very bad side effect. It usually means that I end up phoning Mrs Ixion and having to admit that I am now many miles from home, even more miles from where I said that I was going, and that I will not now be home for dinner/home in time for meeting/home in time to do the little chores I promised. Which may lead to marital disharmony. But I can't resist a new road)

Recently jumping from a T500 Suzuki to a BMW and back , the change was not disconcerting. And in the old days I used to get home from work on my commuter bike, jump on the 650,and go out on the traily at the weekend, never a problem.

I think it might be more of an issue of the bikes were a bit (but not totally) similar. When they're totally different, you are forced to do the necessary "mental gear change".

[crashe]

Yep I can wholeheartedly agree that riding a Virago XV250.. is a wonderful bike to ride.... just sitting back enjoying the views and scenery around you.... as well as taking in whats ahead of you on the road... the 5 stud seat is just sooooooo compfy to sit on.... I have been riding my Virago now for almost 5 years... and she is my baby...

How could you possibly go back to riding a bike with such a hard seat on it...lol.

Cruiser's rule.....

[sAsLEX]

If so, do you find that going from one to another has an effect on your riding... and if so, is it more pronounced going from Bike A to Bike B - or vice versa? Or doesn't it make any difference to your riding?

well sudeep on the site here had a go on k14s gp125 bike after coming off some fast practice sessions on his gsx600, he was pretty much straight into decent time but one thing i noticed was that he was still using his 600 body language, and through a couple of the corners i watched him on he dropped it in then had to correct as it turned in way faster than the 600!

personally, going from my cbr250 to TS's rg150 was learning to ride a bike again it was so small light and nimble.
Going from the cbr 250 initially to my NC30 felt weird and was uncomfortable for the first couple hundred k now i find cbrs hard to ride??

[SuperDave]

Right! That's it! I've been wanting a change for a good 2 months now, so someone out there with a late model zx6r, how about a swap for the FXR for a week or so? Any takers? Comeone Bugjuice, you just know you want to give beast of an FXR a go.

[WINJA]

YOU SHOULD TRY SWAPPING FROM GSXR1000 AND STREETMAGIC AND BACK ,LOTS OF FUN

[Motu]

Doing the change from British (right shift) to Japanese (left shift) was never a big drama for me,soon as I was on the bike I automaticly changed my brain over....I remember one time riding someones KX250 when I mainly had right shift bikes,the end of the paddock was coming up real fast and no matter how hard I pushed on the gearlever it wouldn't stop.When riding behind my wife's Trident (up for up) on my Norton (down for up) I would be hearing her bike and shift down instead of up - maybe it was the exhaust note of a bike that triggered my riding pattern....

[Ixion]

Doing the change from British (right shift) to Japanese (left shift) was never a big drama for me,,.When riding behind my wife's Trident (up for up) on my Norton (down for up) I would be hearing her bike and shift down instead of up -

That agrees with my hypothesis that it is similar but a bit different bikes that are tricky, whilst completely different ones are OK

I don't think I ever had an issue with left side Japper gear change versus right side Brit. The bikes were so different that one just made the mental swap.

But when I had a BSA 650 (1 up 3 down) and a Triumph 650 (1 down 3 up) at the same time I would sometimes change the wrong way. Because the bikes were quite similar to ride except for the gearchange (Well, actually they were quite different, but not enough so to force a mental switch)

[bugjuice]

Right! That's it! I've been wanting a change for a good 2 months now, so someone out there with a late model zx6r, how about a swap for the FXR for a week or so? Any takers? Comeone Bugjuice, you just know you want to give beast of an FXR a go.

wow.. the temptation.. dunno tho, FXR tis awefully powerfull, wouldn't want to flip me off.. let me think on that, ay

[Wolf]

Never had probs switching between jappers and the Zundapp (rear brake and gear lever switched) or jappers and the Puch (rear brake where it I'd expect it but gear shift on the left twist grip) but I found it "a bit weird" riding the GSX after the LS400. Didn't take too long to adjust though.

[Dodgyiti]

Yep.
I used to find it weird changing from my Guzzi Daytona to my Honda CBR1000.
Seeing as the guzzi was shaft drive, twin cyl, and fuggin uncomfortable, not to mention a heap lower in seat height. And the Honda was, well urmm.. a Honda

[idb]

I remember the emergency down-changes at the first few intersections when I first rode my BSA.

[XTC]

Not at all like cars where the only problem you have is whether the indicator is on the left stick or the right. And even that is rare these days.