Big Bike test rides - first impressions

[disenfranchised]

Having recently got my full, and finally having some spare time on a Saturday, I've finally got round to getting my leg over some larger bikes and starting the test ride/upgrade process.
Brilliant day for it too...

I've written up a pretty extensive list of bikes I'd like to try (based mostly on looks alone)
I'm not after anything in the supersport or superbike styles...coming from the Hyosung GT I've developed a taste for the more upright relaxed riding.

Kawasaki ER6N like this but in blue
First larger capacity bike I've ever riden.....and started off all good, motor developed easy to use power, position seemed comfy...maybe a little low in the seat (I'm 6'4").
As I got onto the motorway onramp, I opened it up a bit...and WOW, power seemed huge...but then I am coming from a 250...and not a fast one at that.
Getting back off the motorway and onto the residential streets is when things started to go wrong.
The bars seemed a bit to close in, making it hard for me to get good leverage. Quick direction changes didn't seem easy...and this should be a nimble bike by all accounts. I also didn't really get a good place to grip with my knees, makiing the whole ride seem more like I was sitting on top of the bike, as opposed to IN the seat. Not to worry though, can't expect every bike to be perfect..onto the next one.

Kawasaki Z1000 this one
This wasn't my choice...the guy in the shop suggested it. He thought it might just be that little bit bigger, meaning I wouldn't feel so cramped. I wasn't so sure about stepping stright onto a thou...but apparenty it was easy to use.......and in a way he was right.
The motor was just awesome. Even easier to use than the 650 beforehand, and yet I never really felt scary power. Maybe my inner voice was keeping my wrist in check.
So the motor was awesome...bit I still didn't really find a good seating position. The overall width down low seemed way to wide....when stopped part of the engine (clutch cover? crankcase end? not sure) was pushing my leg out way to the side.
But it was the handling that put me off most....through corners (slower corners) the bike seemed unwilling to lean. I had a better position for leverage on the bars, but had to REALLY use it.
Bit of a shame, cause I love the way the bike looks...but still not for me.

Honda VTR 1000 this one
After testing the Z, I wasn't worried about the power being overwhealming anymore. And the VTR was on my list. I had high hopes for this bike....large capacity twin. I figured it'd have everything I had originally loved abut my Hyosung (noise, low down power) but up the ante to make it exciting again.
But it kinda dissapointed.
Maybe it was because I'd just ridden the Z, but the engine note wasn't what I expected...more rattley than thumping. It didn't deliver power down low as easily either.
The bar position just didn't work for me either. The forward reach was good, making cornering easy, but the angle was hell on my wrists.
Maybe if I found one with some different bars, and aftermarket pipes, I'd change my mind...but so far it doesn't seem like the VTR is for me

Yamaha TRX 850 this one
What can I say....big smiles
This bike delivered everything I thought the VTR was going to (it did have aftermarket pipes too...I might be on to something) The engine sounded better, and seemed easier to use down low. The bars, while still being a sports style, don't angle back the same...making a much comfier ride.
The bike felt narrow and nimble too....it definitely felt right
It's perhaps a little older than I was intending to buy, but they're supposed to be very reliable...and to me the styling looks great.

Suzuki Bandit GSF650
This exact one one in fact...although they had taken the headlight fairing off.
After the first two kawasaki's I was expecting the upright riding style to not work for me....but it just did.
Everything felt great on this bike. My knees tucked in nicely, so while I was upright I still felt solidly connected to the bike. The bars were high and close in, but I still had great leverage.
The motor made great power...easy to use everywhere.

Honda CBR600F
This one!!
It was alright, not as comfy as the Bandit due to the bar position...but overall not to bad.
The power initially seemed down on the Bandit too...it wasn't until the last motorway stretch on the way back that the revs hit 6,5k and I found the power. And there seemed to be a lot of power too, but I can't seem me wanting to be riding that hard all the time...so not for me

So now I'm confused...two bikes I've liked so far, and they couldn't be more different.
I'll just have to ride them agaiin before I make up my mind.

Then there's the other bikes that are on my list
SV650 (newer one, didn't feel comfy sitting on the older shape)
Hornet 900 (I sat on a 600, but preferred the bandit I tested)
Yamaha FZ6N
Hyosung 650 (either GT or GTR, preferably the newest fuel injected ones)

As well as models I don't expect to be able to easily find/afford
Buell XB9
Ducati 748
Ducati Monster something...there seem to be hundreds of different size engine variants
Street Triple
BMW F800
Aprilia Shiver or even the Tuono or RSV

More test rides on Tuesday, as it's my birthday so I've taken the day off.

[Genie]

Thank you for sharing this....interesting read and very informative. the links to the bikes was also appreciated (so this uneducated one knew what you were on about)
I look forward to reading more of the same, happy b'day for Tuesday and you are right for taking the day off and going riding. One should never work on their day of birth.

[Slyer]

R6 Kid will be in here in a few moments to tell you to buy the TRX. (Or an F800)
It's a parallel twin like the ER6 but the ER6 is designed more for smaller riders

I will be doing the same thing in 6 months to a year, I'm 5'11" so will see how I feel on the bikes.

If you can you should try something completely different like the KTM 690SMC supermotard, single cylinder and very light for a bike with such a big engine. (Relatively speaking)

[CookMySock]

Kawasaki ER6N
Getting back off the motorway and onto the residential streets is when things started to go wrong. The bars seemed a bit to close in, making it hard for me to get good leverage. Quick direction changes didn't seem easy...and this should be a nimble bike by all accounts. I also didn't really get a good place to grip with my knees, makiing the whole ride seem more like I was sitting on top of the bike, as opposed to IN the seat. Not to worry though, can't expect every bike to be perfect..onto the next one.

Yup. Isn't the Comet so easy to ride! Low bars are so much more awkward. My wifes' Comet 650 is much more user friendly than my 650R, by a long shot.

Suzuki Bandit GSF650
After the first two kawasaki's I was expecting the upright riding style to not work for me....but it just did.
Everything felt great on this bike. My knees tucked in nicely, so while I was upright I still felt solidly connected to the bike. The bars were high and close in, but I still had great leverage.

Again, very Comet ish, which will be why you fit the Bandit like a glove.

Great reviews! Looking forward to more.

Steve


Steve

[RDjase]

TRXs are a cool bike, i was looking to buy one but none were for sale and bought a 1995 900 monster, Fun comfy bike, cant ride sprts bikes to far , does my shoulders and wrists in
Have been riding my old 1981 Yamaha and got the old bike thing happening again, Duke on rego hold for 3 months.
You will find the right bike out there somewere, If you were in HB you could go for a ride on my Duke

[YellowDog]

At 6'4" you need a Triumph Tiger.

Very very comfortable.

High riding position, bags of power.

As happy at 50kph as it is at 150kph

[EJK]

R6_Kid will like you

[disenfranchised]

At 6'4" you need a Triumph Tiger.

Looking at trademe, there's not many out there that would fit with my budget...but there are a couple, so if I find one I'll give it a go.
Must confess that it doesn't quite fit with my vision of what I want to ride...but I'm open minded.

[disenfranchised]

Yup. Isn't the Comet so easy to ride! Low bars are so much more awkward. My wifes' Comet 650 is much more user friendly than my 650R, by a long shot.

I've actually replaced the bars on my Hyo with clipons...but without a fairing to get in the way, I can get them angled out so as to be almost straight out, rather than angling back in towards the tank. I think this is why I liked the TRX bars, casue while they're still a sprtsbike clipon style, they didn't angle back towards the tank so much compared to the VTR I tried.

[R6_kid:Me]

I've got a TRX850, have done nearly 10000km on it so far and have loved every moment of it. In saying that, mine has extensive mods and is much more of a sportsbike than a stock TRX ever was.

[Grasshopperus]

Great write up dude. I feel like I've test-ridden all of them now Link to a photo, a good paragraph of analysis with a mix of objective and subjective comments. Very readable.

Go test some more eh?

[Hitcher]

Any Shiver from 2009 onwards is worth buying. In other words any "new" ones currently offered by NZ resellers that DON'T have a gold frame. The older models (even if being sold new) could be a bit of a lottery not really worth risking, given the largely non-existent support offered by the New Zealand distributor.

[disenfranchised]

As promised, I took today off (being my birthday and all) and went out test riding more bikes.

Starting with....

Suzuki SV650 This one
Having sat on both the older SV's and the newer ones, I'd already decided that I'd only bother with ther newer ones...something about the way my knees slotted in beside the tank.
And overall this was a very nice bike. It was very easy to ride, and felt great to start with... yet I couldn't help but keep thinking that it didn't seem quite as nice as the bandit.
It didn't seem to pull as strongly or as smoothly from low revs, and the extra engine from braking being a twin mades for a slightly more lurchy ride at low speeds.
Also while it started out comfortable, after 20 minutes my wrists were starting to ache quite a lot.
It didn't help that this bike was outside my budget either.

So not quite right for me, but to give the SV shape a fighting chance I thought I'd also try

Suzuki SV1000 This one
Being the same frame, but with the upright handlebars..this seemed like a handy way to test the ergonomics.
And I must say, with the higher bars, the ride was definitely more comfortable....perhaps to close to the body like some of the first nikes I tested.
Althought it's a thou, the engine seemed lumpy and hard to use down low in the rev range.
To try and counteract this I instinctively kept it in a lower gear to smooth out the engine (maybe a mistake..I dunno) but then this meant there was more engine braking when you got off the throttle.
They also told me it was 30kg heavier, and I reckon you notice it quite a lot.
Engine braking + Weight + Close bars = Corners not much fun.

Seeing as I do mostly do comuting, and lower speed round town riding, I just don't think this was right for me.

If I could've found a newer naked SV650 to test, that might've combined the best aspects of both, into quite a sweet bike...although I think the bandit would still be better for my use.

Honda Hornet CB900 This one
I'm sure on this site I'm gonna get some flak for saying this, but I just didn't like this bike.
Starting out it did feel a little small.... I think the seat height is lower than some I've tried.
The bars seem to come back more. The were really comfortable, but I felt like I was sitting even more upright than on some other bikes.
Initially heading out the bike felt very light and nimble...nore so even than my Hyosung..which considering thats a 900 compared to a 250 must be no mean feat.
Oh, and the engine was justsuper smooth and really easy to use.
So it SEEMED like it should be a great bike.
But again it came down to the cornering (I'm starting to wonder if I have a major technique flaw with corners, cause that's been the main problem I have with all the bikes)
What made the bike feel small, and light and nimble on a straighter section olf road, also made it feel twitchy through lower speed corners.
The bike seemed to change line on me, with the bars moving to much.
It felt a bit like the Z1000, with the bike trying to righten itself mid corner...does the Hornet have a similarly wide back tyre?

So none of those three bikes were for me.

Seeing as it was my birthday and all, I went and re-checked out the two bikes I'd liked so far.

The bandit - modern, easy to ride. But more expensive, less of a trade in deal, and somehow less inspiring.
The TRX - older, meaner, a better price, better tradein...But perhaps too sporty?? I'd become quite consious of how my wrists felt after just 20 minutes on the SV

So another ride was in order...a longer one....and guess what...it felt great stiill

So I bought it!!!!! (well put down a deposit while I organise my finances)

Guess that means an end to test rides for now.

[CookMySock]

(I'm starting to wonder if I have a major technique flaw with corners, cause that's been the main problem I have with all the bikes)
What made the bike feel small, and light and nimble on a straighter section olf road, also made it feel twitchy through lower speed corners. The bike seemed to change line on me, with the bars moving to much. It felt a bit like the Z1000, with the bike trying to righten itself mid corner...

Try steering with your fingertips - take all the weight off the bars. See if the undesirable stuff goes away.

So I bought it!!!!! (well put down a deposit while I organise my finances) Guess that means an end to test rides for now.

Stink. That was getting interesting.

Steve

[Mudfart]

yes this was interesting reading. It s gonna be awesome when I can get on something bigger than a 250.
Sounds a bit dangerous though. I reckon learners 250, Retricted upto 650, and full any size you want.