GSX1400 review

**beyond** · 22nd March 2006, 16:15

Originally Posted by skelstar

Just wondering beyond: would you be able to or have ridden faster on anything else?
Serious question.
I wonder if I could ride anything better than I can on my current bike (ok - havent been riding that long I suppose).

I've ridden my friends SV1000 a TL1000 and an R1 plus taken a GSXR1000 K5 for a demo in the last year. As mentioned in my review, you need to know your bike real well to push it hard, no matter what it is. With the above bikes I've ridden in the last year, I did not know them well enough to push them hard and was reluctant to do so, as the riding position is foreign to me after riding the 1400 for 22,000 kms.

At the risk of sounding like an arse, it is quite easy to check a riders ability by looking at their tyres. On anything above a 600, they are a hard rider if they have no chicken strips on the rear. They are more than a hard rider if they have no chicken strips on the front as well. Ground clearance issues play a part here, but if a litre class sports bike has no strips front and rear you can bet the rider knows his bike and pushs the envelope to the limit.
I stand open to be corrected here but I am sure others will verify this.

My friend on his R1 is one of very few people I know who has no strips front and rear. I mention this, as 95% of the time I can stay with him on the 1400 but I have to hang off the bike to do it. When I ride like this, I am on the limit of my machine and believe me, I know it's the limit for the bike. Me. I would like to push even further if I could so are looking at solving the ground clearance issues, which aren't actually too bad for this bike.

When I was younger (I'm nearly 50 now) I rode an RD350 which in my day was the fastest bike you could buy, none of my friends could stay with me in the corners. BUT, that was well over 25 years ago and it's been that long since I was on a bike prior to buying the 1400 last year.

Not sure if this helps Skelstar. Maybe I would kill myself on a full blown sportsbike and I kinda want to be around for a lot longer.

What I like about the 1400, is when you lay down the power out of a corner, the bike hunkers down and shoots away without the rear stepping out which happens too easily on high horse power sports bikes and in the case of hard road riding, lower horsepower and more torque, has it's advantages.

**beyond** · 22nd March 2006, 16:18

hey, Josh, waht do you reckon about plain black?

If I keep the bike for a long time, I might consider repainting it all black sometime with a blue metallic pearlescence through it. Had a Suzuki T350 I did that too way back and man it looked good.

Then it would be better to have plain balck wheels in that case ya think?

**Fishy** · 23rd March 2006, 08:10

Originally Posted by beyond

hey, Josh, waht do you reckon about plain black?

If I keep the bike for a long time, I might consider repainting it all black sometime with a blue metallic pearlescence through it. Had a Suzuki T350 I did that too way back and man it looked good.

Then it would be better to have plain balck wheels in that case ya think?

Yep I agree!. Will get to work on colouring the wheels black and leave a white rim strip.

**beyond** · 23rd March 2006, 08:29

Thanks mate.

Hey, make the wheels all black if you could.
If we do a white strip, IF I keep the bike and paint it black, that white strip would be the only white on the whole bike. Could look a little weird maybe?

**skelstar** · 23rd March 2006, 08:32

Nice comprehensive reply. Ta. Would green but gotta share it around apparently

.
You TaupoKBTDIII-ing?

**Fishy** · 23rd March 2006, 09:02

I reckon with the bike still being blue and white, the white rim tape would look pretty good. If you decide to paint the bike black at a later stage you can just peel the tape off as I will coat the entire rim black.

Here is a rough pic of each.

Josh

**skelstar** · 23rd March 2006, 09:09

I wonder if the white rim tape just makes it look a little like white-wall tyres?
Tape would be heaps thinner maybe?

**Fishy** · 23rd March 2006, 09:21

Originally Posted by skelstar

I wonder if the white rim tape just makes it look a little like white-wall tyres?
Tape would be heaps thinner maybe?

Nah mate rim tape looks really good!. Its available in 6mm and 11mm from most companies that make it. And in all sorts of colours - even reflective and glow in the dark colours are available.

I have some silver rim tape I am gonna put on my wheels tomorrow. I will post pics and give details of the supplier when its done.

**skelstar** · 23rd March 2006, 09:34

Was thinking of putting some red tape on my rims. Nothing too vivid. Velox has some on her black CBR600RR and it looks real good.

**beyond** · 23rd March 2006, 10:37

Originally Posted by skelstar

Nice comprehensive reply. Ta. Would green but gotta share it around apparently

.
You TaupoKBTDIII-ing?

No problem mate.

No, I won't be doing the Taupo thing, few things on.

**beyond** · 23rd March 2006, 10:40

Originally Posted by Fishslayer

I reckon with the bike still being blue and white, the white rim tape would look pretty good. If you decide to paint the bike black at a later stage you can just peel the tape off as I will coat the entire rim black.

Here is a rough pic of each.

Josh

Thanks Josh, appreciated. I kinda like the all black look personally. ( Nothing to with footy)
Prolly cos I am an ol fart eh

**Fishy** · 23rd March 2006, 11:04

Up to you mate!. Yep will still look good all black!. and you won't notice the dirt and chain lube flicked on the rims as much.

**Leong** · 23rd March 2006, 20:46

Good write up Paul, enjoyed reading it. It's great when your wife knows how you strongly feel about some things and "supports" your decision, regardless, isn't it.

My bike has black wheels, and I think they look good - but then my bike is all black (and actually is easily lost in the dark!!)

**beyond** · 24th March 2006, 10:50

Originally Posted by Leong

Good write up Paul, enjoyed reading it. It's great when your wife knows how you strongly feel about some things and "supports" your decision, regardless, isn't it.

My bike has black wheels, and I think they look good - but then my bike is all black (and actually is easily lost in the dark!!)

Yep, it's good when the other half is behind you in something you want to do.

With your bike being easily lost in the dark, all the more reason not to have a couple of pints if you're heading home after dark. You would never find it anyway.