Is this a sign to give up road riding?

[NZsarge]

You're just reacting to the shock. It's normal to have these reflective moments after a major bummer such as this. The answer is simple. Stick to the speed limit on the major roads and try not to tempt fate. There are plenty of brilliant quiet back country roads around to have fun on.

However, that is sometimes easier said than done. Major roads give me the willies. When you get your license back just remember how inconvenient it was without it, that may work.

Sounds sensible to me...

[NZsarge]

paint it black before your allowed back on the road .

Awesome comment! Head of a nail.... Hitting it!

As mentioned a naked bike helps to curb the higher speeds....better still a naked V Twin!
I sold my 'old' ZX10 and bought a Superduke for exactly the same reasons that you are going through right now.
TBH...I had more fun at lower speeds

I reckon there is a KTM Duke 690 with Cowboyz name on it in at AFC, great looking bike and it'd be insane fun on the Friday night rides...

[nudedaytona]

+1 to the radar detector idea. Use the petrol you save in your three months to help pay for it

[kevfromcoro]

Well.. talking about demit points.. i think i just got a few
been doing long hours. so i went out for a bit r&r....
had a couple of those lolly water drinks and the police got me at a spot check.. was over the limit.... no liecence.... up for court friday.. and i just bought a DR 650 and cant ride it now.... silly things we do.................

[SPman]

I thought a ZX9R is a tourer..........

If you're used to an open road cruising speed around 120-130, you'll tend to do it, big naked or not. (I do.) Just means it's a site more uncomfortable at 160 +, so you don't go there as often!

maybe a Chinese 250?

[Clivoris]

Dude, I think you nailed it in the first post. If you don't have the self-control or the ability to maintain attention and concentration on your speed; then give bikes away or get used to paying fines and walking. Any bike that you will enjoy riding will easily do 140kmh and that's a walk home if caught so I doubt the answer lies in a different bike. Radar detectors seem to induce the belief in an immunity to tickets which encourages more fast riding, which can easily end up in bigger fines in these days of instant-on.
One very real solution is to spend some time and energy on learning how to control your speed by making the effort to pay attention to it. Let's face it, you have the capacity to learn because you're more than just a gland. It just has to be more important than getting the buzz from speeding. Once you have that sussed, you can then be more selective about when you speed. You will need to ride with that as the primary goal for a while until it becomes your new default position.
Good luck.

[dhunt]

Dont think my knees could handle another MX bike. I did my time for 10 years or so. and yep.. Its fun but I fall off alot! As for the trackbike. I am seriously considering it but with the cost of trackdays, let alone racing I am unsure if I will ever get to ride it.

Each ticket you get could have paid for 1-2 trackdays aye A Trail bike and do trail rides might suit you as well. Not going round in circles and not as hard on the knees as Mx. And then you could always get a road legal 4 the odd trip on the road.

The other alternative is just pulling a spark plug lead or 2. I'm sure that would slow you down a bit

[cowboyz]

I thought a ZX9R is a tourer..........

?

It is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[banditrider]

Maybe a touring bike would be more suitable? comments on how easy the speed gets out of hand on a big tourer?

Well, you know what happened to me when I got a big fat tourer - 1st ticket in 17 years...

Buy Flynn's 250 or show a little bit of self control (hard I know)...

Oh, and you can go in front on the GC!

[varminter]

How's about one of them things wot goes bong, bong, bong, when you hit 110, that should do the trick...or drive you nuts.

[AllanB]

An interesting read.

The general consensus is get a naked bike.

Maybe.

Or a smaller bike like a 600.

Maybe

Naked - I purchased the Hornet as I found myself riding too fast on the 1200ss I had - tucked behind the bubble 150 felt about 'right' - I never received a ticket but figured it was only a matter of time, or worse a visit to hospital (if lucky).

Speed was indeed lowered on the Hornet - but it only takes a short while for your neck and shoulders to build up, until 140 or so is not a bother. That's instant loss of license land.

My lowered cruising speed these days (sub 120) has nothing to do with the bike - I've rediscovered the pleasure of The Ride again and I'm happy 'cruising' at 110.

Also a lot of people who buy 'naked' end up putting on a screen ...... so it's more comfortable when going faster .....

Plus anyone who owns a Ducati Street Fighter, Speed Triple etc will disagree than they are 'slow' bikes .......

Smaller bike
The 600's are all quick bikes just as easy to build up demerit points.

My suggestion
Presuming that if you are on anything 'quick' you'll wick it up, I recommend a change of motorcycle character.
A cruiser, or if this does not stretch your trousers consider one of the triumph Bonnies - happy on the open road a legal speeds and a good rider can scare a lesser one on a hyper-bike through the tight stuff.
If it must be a Kawasaki there's the W650 or ER range.

Maybe one of those Adventure bikes, if you can stand the 'styling' - then you can get fast and loose on unsealed roads.

[Latch]

It comes down to responisbility and I just dont think I am responisble enough to own a sportsbike.

If you were irresponsible, people would be frightened, injured and dead in your wake, and you're saying that hasn't happened. Your 'problem' is that you're a bloke, and therefore like driving fast and testing your skill, control and courage. Look, check down the front of your pants and see if there's a sort of 'meat and two veg' arrangement down there. There is? There you go, then; that explains it.

Thing is, you live in a country that thinks it's an America, but is actually a Portugal, and has the parochial attitudes to road building and driving to match. Head to parts of Germany where they merrily drive at three times our speed limit and try mentioning our national mantra "Speed Kills" to them. They'll laugh in your face and point out that of course, "Vot? Speed does not kill, you zilly Kivi! It iss hitting zings zat kills!"

Frightening, hurting and killing people, Cowboyz - those are irresponsible actions. Riding fast isn't irresponsible if you can still control your vehicle safely; it just happens to be illegal in this country. You need a global perspective.

My advice: sell the bike. You can't use it right now anyway. Spend the money on a trip to Germany and enjoy the Alps and the Autobahns, and a very, very different attitude to riding.

[Coldrider]

It is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude, when the ZX9R C1 came out , it was a blade beater on steriods, but the R1 pipped it.
The induction noise on hard acceleration and the factory tuned in vibration make the ZX9 like no other, I have had one for 10 years now and I can't sell it, going to buy a blade in the next month, but get rid of the green machine with a heart & sole like no other jappa, no sorry can't do it.
Blame the Kawasaki factory.
But that doesn't help you in anyway, be ashame to have a ZX9-R tethered for a 3month strip though.

[Latch]

Spend the money on a trip to Germany and enjoy the Alps and the Autobahns, and a very, very different attitude to riding.

I should just qualify that comment slightly. Their attitude to riding is certainly very different, and one aspect of that is that if you drive irresponsibly in Germany, at ANY speed, they'll throw the book at you for your bad driving, of which speed may have been a factor.

So if you think it's ok to ride at 250kph in the fast lane of the A1 for example, where BMWs and Audi's regularly hoon past at over 300kph, they'll throw the book at you. Always supposing you survive the experiment in the first place, of course...

[aff-man]

get a moooootard

600's are still ridiculous....(looks over shoulder)

Naked may be the way to go

The problem is the more you ride the higher your comfort levels are. But hey you basically are sitting on raw power and wondering why you go fast? cause its ssooooooo easy.

keep the bike and see how you feel in 3 months