Got my full licence, now the search begins

[Grasshopperus]

Yep, sat my 6F this morning in Takanini.

A pleasant brit chappie followed me around in his land rover and I used an ear piece. It went just the LTSA said it would, all I had to do make my actions obvious (exaggerating my head movements when searching for hazards etc) and "not fall over". The only interesting bits were that my speedo calibration and his were wildly different and he had mentioned that I shouldn't put both feet down on the ground when I came to complete stop. I usually stop with my right foot on the brake and left on the ground but my previous examiner was adamant that I have both on the ground. These two things are points to iron-out before you do the test

Anyway, now I can fully immerse myself in finding my next bike. I've done heaps of searching on the KB forums and have done the standard over-analysis on all the options, read wildly contradictory opinions from all over the place and am now ready to actually TEST RIDE!

I sat on Reckless' SV1000s the other week and really liked the ergonomics (hey, if I can get used to a zxr250 at 6'1 then anything's going to be comfy eh) and Sis' CBR600F4 blew my mind with the power rush.

Anyway, I wrote down my requirements
1. Nothing over $8000
2. Something with EFI
3. Something comfy for my daily commute (35Kms each way on SH1)
4. Something that can lanesplit (zxr250 is pretty narrow and agile)
5. Something that looks cool (for me this means fairings)
6. Something with an aftermarket exhaust
7. Something that'll keep me interested for a couple of years (wife's got another one in the oven. Not gonna have any more money, ever, again)
8. Something that will handle another ~90,000km ( 3 years at my current rate)
9. Something I can still have fun leaning over and treat like a sports bike

Phew, quite the list, probably impossible to satisfy all of them.

So I'm thinking of a newer cheapo bike like a 2007 SV1000s (I think I might get sick of a SV650 after a year or two, also the same price as the thou), or a 2005+ CB900 hornet, maybe a 2001-2003 GSXR600-750.

I've done around 25,000km so far, had no offs or drops and been attending weekly mentoring at SASS to build up my basic skills and I'd be interested to hear your recommendations.

Anyway, woooooo-frickity-hooo. I'm licensed to ride something cool.

[boman]

Go the SV1000. Put a set of Fairings on it. Check out my album, to see what you can do, with one.

[PrincessBandit]

Congratulations young grasshopperus!! Happy looking for that bigger bike now.

[psycho22]

SV1000S. the 650 is still a great bike but I can honestly say the power of the thou makes it so much more fun. That and the thou's brakes have alot more bite.

[psycho22]

Oh congrats on your full by the way. Its a good feeling innit?

[Grasshopperus]

Celebrate good times come on

[NewRob]

Congrats, next time we meet up, I will be seeing you on your new bike. Ride safe and cheers

[Mully]

Congrats on the F.....

Personally, at 6'1". I find the 600 sprotsbikes too small - YMMV, particularly if you are of "lanky" build (as opposed to my "husky" build).

I'd suggest riding anything that even gets close to your requirements (i.e. - I wouldn't make fuel injection a non-negotiable). Test riding is the bext bit.

Perhaps a VFR800 would be you - certainly something to try, anyway.

[rie]

...he had mentioned that I shouldn't put both feet down on the ground when I came to complete stop...

...I've heard that too and it makes no sense.

anyway congrats on the full! no more pukey yellow licence! good luck finding a great new bike. i reckon most bikes are able to filter quite nimbly. ironically my partner's skinny motard can't filter where my fat GSXR can because his mirrors smack all the cars.

[R-Soul]

Yep, sat my 6F this morning in Takanini.

A pleasant brit chappie followed me around in his land rover and I used an ear piece. It went just the LTSA said it would, all I had to do make my actions obvious (exaggerating my head movements when searching for hazards etc) and "not fall over". The only interesting bits were that my speedo calibration and his were wildly different and he had mentioned that I shouldn't put both feet down on the ground when I came to complete stop. I usually stop with my right foot on the brake and left on the ground but my previous examiner was adamant that I have both on the ground. These two things are points to iron-out before you do the test

Anyway, now I can fully immerse myself in finding my next bike. I've done heaps of searching on the KB forums and have done the standard over-analysis on all the options, read wildly contradictory opinions from all over the place and am now ready to actually TEST RIDE!

I sat on Reckless' SV1000s the other week and really liked the ergonomics (hey, if I can get used to a zxr250 at 6'1 then anything's going to be comfy eh) and Sis' CBR600F4 blew my mind with the power rush.

Anyway, I wrote down my requirements
1. Nothing over $8000
2. Something with EFI
3. Something comfy for my daily commute (35Kms each way on SH1)
4. Something that can lanesplit (zxr250 is pretty narrow and agile)
5. Something that looks cool (for me this means fairings)
6. Something with an aftermarket exhaust
7. Something that'll keep me interested for a couple of years (wife's got another one in the oven. Not gonna have any more money, ever, again)
8. Something that will handle another ~90,000km ( 3 years at my current rate)
9. Something I can still have fun leaning over and treat like a sports bike

Phew, quite the list, probably impossible to satisfy all of them.

So I'm thinking of a newer cheapo bike like a 2007 SV1000s (I think I might get sick of a SV650 after a year or two, also the same price as the thou), or a 2005+ CB900 hornet, maybe a 2001-2003 GSXR600-750.

I've done around 25,000km so far, had no offs or drops and been attending weekly mentoring at SASS to build up my basic skills and I'd be interested to hear your recommendations.

Anyway, woooooo-frickity-hooo. I'm licensed to ride something cool.

So its a VTR1000F firestorm then?
The most fun you will ever have with your clothes on (and with bun in the oven, a neccessary alternative).

[Grasshopperus]

So I test drove two bikes today. A 2007 Hornet 900 and a 2006 SV1000s.

CB900F from Botany Honda
This one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-302271533.htm

It's quite a bit more than I'd like to pay, even after their $1000-off promotion, as there are a lot of cheap hornets on TM like this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=322471163

Anyway, what an awesome bike, frankly I'm surprised there aren't heaps of KBers who rant and rave about them!

I went in there wanting to dislike it; candy red's not my color and hornets always looked old-school to me with their big moon-like headlight and wing mirrors sprouting off in a way that suggests "after thought" to me.

Flippin' heck they can go. It did everything I wanted it to do with ease and was very predictable. It was docile and easy to manoeuvre at low speeds and rpms but when the beast got unleashed it had enough sport in it to get me interested. The particular model I rode (see first TM link) was totally blinged out with a small givi windshield, a super comfy "rider" seat and really useful wing mirrors ripped from an Aprilia apparently. The scorpion exhausts didn't really howl until I got into the higher revs but this probably matches the bike's unassuming appearance. Another really cool thing that I enjoyed was the 'awareness' that the naked bike afforded; At a couple of points I thought I was speeding but a quick speedo check confirmed that I was at the speed limit (well limit+10 whaeva). I'll put that down to wind-buffeting but when I took it on the motorway I was comfortable going 110 even in today's wind.

My only gripe (apart from the appearance which I'm slowly beginning to warm to) was the handlebar position that had me between a sporty stance and an upright cruiser position. Talking to Richard at Botany Honda he reckoned there were lots of things that could be changed to get a bit more comfort; rotating the bar, new bars etc.

Anyway, extremely cool.

Next, a SV1000s

I really did not like this bike. Right from the get go I knew it would be trouble. The VTwin was not happy below 3K rpm, shuddering and the like, and when combined with the tall first gear I found it finnicky at low speeds with a tendancy to lurch. OK, granted this is more than likely my lack of experience with big twins but it was disconcerting.

The worst was yet to come, as soon as I get onto the street and start playing around I immediately begin fighting the bike as I was doing an intentional bit of weaving. It may be that I don't have any experience with steering dampers but I'd turn and it would push back, I felt divorced from the steering and totally lost confidence on it. On every corner I'd be muscling the bars and getting all sorts of weird feedback.

The power and roll-on power was incredible but by the time I got it on the motorway I'd decided I wasn't going to try and like the bike and only gave it a couple of WOT bursts. Also, I found it more difficult to control my speed, it gets up there so quick and casually.

I don't think I like VTwins in general now, I don't like the vibrations that much and the roughness leaves me feeling like I'm hurting the bike somehow. I like smooth. I've got big respect for you guys who ride twins, it seems to me like they require more skill to ride well.

I think next on the menu is a modern 600cc sports bike like a zx6 or r6 etc.

[Tink]

So I test drove two bikes today. A 2007 Hornet 900 and a 2006 SV1000s.

CB900F from Botany Honda
This one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-302271533.htm

It's quite a bit more than I'd like to pay, even after their $1000-off promotion, as there are a lot of cheap hornets on TM like this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=322471163

Anyway, what an awesome bike, frankly I'm surprised there aren't heaps of KBers who rant and rave about them!

I went in there wanting to dislike it; candy red's not my color and hornets always looked old-school to me with their big moon-like headlight and wing mirrors sprouting off in a way that suggests "after thought" to me.

Flippin' heck they can go. It did everything I wanted it to do with ease and was very predictable. It was docile and easy to manoeuvre at low speeds and rpms but when the beast got unleashed it had enough sport in it to get me interested. The particular model I rode (see first TM link) was totally blinged out with a small givi windshield, a super comfy "rider" seat and really useful wing mirrors ripped from an Aprilia apparently. The scorpion exhausts didn't really howl until I got into the higher revs but this probably matches the bike's unassuming appearance. Another really cool thing that I enjoyed was the 'awareness' that the naked bike afforded; At a couple of points I thought I was speeding but a quick speedo check confirmed that I was at the speed limit (well limit+10 whaeva). I'll put that down to wind-buffeting but when I took it on the motorway I was comfortable going 110 even in today's wind.

My only gripe (apart from the appearance which I'm slowly beginning to warm to) was the handlebar position that had me between a sporty stance and an upright cruiser position. Talking to Richard at Botany Honda he reckoned there were lots of things that could be changed to get a bit more comfort; rotating the bar, new bars etc.

Anyway, extremely cool.

Next, a SV1000s

I really did not like this bike. Right from the get go I knew it would be trouble. The VTwin was not happy below 3K rpm, shuddering and the like, and when combined with the tall first gear I found it finnicky at low speeds with a tendancy to lurch. OK, granted this is more than likely my lack of experience with big twins but it was disconcerting.

The worst was yet to come, as soon as I get onto the street and start playing around I immediately begin fighting the bike as I was doing an intentional bit of weaving. It may be that I don't have any experience with steering dampers but I'd turn and it would push back, I felt divorced from the steering and totally lost confidence on it. On every corner I'd be muscling the bars and getting all sorts of weird feedback.

The power and roll-on power was incredible but by the time I got it on the motorway I'd decided I wasn't going to try and like the bike and only gave it a couple of WOT bursts. Also, I found it more difficult to control my speed, it gets up there so quick and casually.

I don't think I like VTwins in general now, I don't like the vibrations that much and the roughness leaves me feeling like I'm hurting the bike somehow. I like smooth. I've got big respect for you guys who ride twins, it seems to me like they require more skill to ride well.

I think next on the menu is a modern 600cc sports bike like a zx6 or r6 etc.

Interesting, I am too short for a sv1000 lol... but I have been on the back, and love it... mind you I am a vtwin fan... can't wait till I start trying out new bikes maybe in the new year... but good on you for giving it a go!!!!!

[boman]

Thats a shame, you did not like the Sv. I went from a 250 inline four, to the thou. Love it. The lumpyness below 3000, I fixed witha K&N airfilter. I Really love the bike, but can appreciate the smoothness of the IL4. And would own one again.

All the best in your hunt for a new scooter.

[Sis]

So what are you going to bring along to SASS tomorrow night?

By the way, the steering on the SV1000 may have only been a wedged front tyre. I had experienced that once and it put me off.

You had no trouble riding that V-twin one other night - the Harley. That was smooth wasn't it, so don't be put off all V-twins. You might get a chance to try something else as Howard will be at SASS too.


And CONGRATULATIONS by the way, for the best things going on in your life at the moment - another baby on the way and your full license. Life is Good!

[Grasshopperus]

Thanks all.

Boman, I did forget to mention that the SV1000s' suspension had been messed with by its normal rider to make it more 'sporty' or something. Maybe it would have been a different story if he'd reset it to the factory settings. Maybe this tweaking had also been applied to the steering damper? This whole adventure may have been particular to the example I tried.

Sis, yeah, the Harley was smooth and fun, I can't bag VTwins really... But yeah, life's good at the moment.

Cheers Tink!