Time Lords at the TT

[merv]

Just out of interest Merv, it WAS the 500 Honda that was evil handling.

True and that's what I said on the first page, it wasn't the six that was so bad. Wasn't the 500 the one he (Hailwood) was said to have tossed the back shocks into a lake right in front of the very nice gentleman from Japan?

[Ixion]

Yeah but it still went off topic.I was trying to explore the idea that when we come across something different,and far beyond our experience,we tend to take a negative view.A few years down the track and the radical becomes everyday....we now think it's normal and the only way to do it.

Looking back at this thread where I was thinking that Hailwoods Honda was a very good handling bike...that no one else could ride.Now we have a Ducati that only Casey Stoner can ride,all the other world class riders think it's shit.

History never repeats.....

Pretty near every bike I ride, the first time I hate it. Horrible, can't abide this bike. Then I get used to it, and end up liking it.

Is why I think test rides on bikes a waste of time, unless you are very familiar with the exact model of machine.

I suspect that many riders do themselves a diservice by limiting the range of machinery they find acceptable, simply because they are not prepared to hang in through the acclimatisation period.

In many ways I prefer to buy a bike that I hate on the first ride. because I know that it is going to push me to broaden my riding base, rather than just being a repeat of what i am already familiar with.

[merv]

Interesting Ixion and as I have said on this forum before I don't bother test riding bikes I just figure out what I want and go buy them and other than my Suzuki DR250R of 1998 I have always been happy with what I bought. You do need a while to "fit" the bike. If anyone doesn't know what I mean, go on a ride with a mate - swap bikes and feel how crap their bike is to you feeling rather weird, then change back and gawd now your own bike feels crap and weird. They just don't feel right straight away.

[Blackbird]

Interesting Ixion and as I have said on this forum before I don't bother test riding bikes I just figure out what I want and go buy them and other than my Suzuki DR250R of 1998 I have always been happy with what I bought. You do need a while to "fit" the bike. If anyone doesn't know what I mean, go on a ride with a mate - swap bikes and feel how crap their bike is to you feeling rather weird, then change back and gawd now your own bike feels crap and weird. They just don't feel right straight away.

Absolutely! The one exception to the rule was the Street Triple. Guess that the "figuring out what I want stage" was done fairly thoroughly for starters and this translated to something which was close to ergonomically perfect. I think I'd find the Blackbird alien if I rode it now though.

[Motu]

The R65 is very much a bike I didn't think I could live with,but now I'm really happy with it....but.I change wheels between my streettracker tyres for gravel and my road tyres for more open road use every few weeks depending on where I'm riding.When I have the road tyres on I don't like it again - it's nervous tipping in,and I always run wide.I am very confident on the bike with my ''old'' '60's style tyres....and nervous with modern tyres.Must be just me....but I'm the important one when it comes to setting my bike up to suit my riding style.