My Comet250 not fast enough!

**sunhuntin** · 16th September 2006, 17:42

Originally Posted by TerminalAddict

.. took me about 3 kms of straight road to get my xv250 from 130 to 140

.. and it would only do it if I had been riding for at least hour, and the engine was nice and warm.

Even now, on the 919, there is a marked difference between a cold engine, and a warm one.

same with my gn.... have to be riding for quite a while before shell happily sit at 100k or higher...before then, im stuck at around 80-90k cos otherwise she sounds like her guts are about to drop.

**EroSamnin** · 17th September 2006, 15:43

I have a GT250 and can sit upright at 120 doing 8000rpm or so. I did make a crappy shield at work out of a reject dome we had and that makes it easier to sit upright. Starts to get a bit interesting at 135 but still plenty of rpms left to go faster. Just don't want to get too unstable and go flying off the road into one of the lakes. Man the rotorua lakes are the most fun ever to ride around.

**twistadias** · 17th September 2006, 22:39

Maybe a dumb question but what gear do you guys ride at 60kmph

**SwanTiger** · 17th September 2006, 22:59

Originally Posted by twistadias

Maybe a dumb question but what gear do you guys ride at 60kmph

5th gear if I am cruising through a 50 or 60 kph zone, the bike has a nice portion of torque to accomodate this from down low.

Suppose it depends on what you are doing. I'm curious to know why you asked that though.

**McJim** · 18th September 2006, 14:31

Originally Posted by twistadias

Maybe a dumb question but what gear do you guys ride at 60kmph

Dunno what the gearing is like on the Comet but on the VTR250 I sit in 3rd at 60 doing 6000rpm.

**Maverick** · 18th September 2006, 14:35

Originally Posted by McJim

Dunno what the gearing is like on the Comet but on the VTR250 I sit in 3rd at 60 doing 6000rpm.

The Bandit will do 70kph in 2nd gear, but is happier in 3rd :P

**McJim** · 18th September 2006, 14:41

Originally Posted by Maverick

The Bandit will do 70kph in 2nd gear, but is happier in 3rd :P

He's not asking what it CAN do but what you DO do!

The VTR redlines at 11,500 (although I had it up to 13,000 chasing the Dover last Thursday - it was still pulling too!) and will therefore do 115kph in 3rd.

I don't care what you say Mav - I still prefer V-Twins! And I'm with Ausin Powers on the subject of Japanese twins too!

**Transalper** · 18th September 2006, 16:17

Originally Posted by twistadias

Maybe a dumb question but what gear do you guys ride at 60kmph

No, it's an interesting question, i'll have to take more notice next time i'm out.
Usually I think i'd say 4th or 5th on a 6 speed box.
I'd select a gear that doesn't make it rev it's guts out but one that still gives some go when you twist the throttle... if you follow what i meen.

**WarlockNZ** · 18th September 2006, 19:40

Originally Posted by toymachine

*cough* :P

shhhhhh !!! .. hee hee

**gijoe1313** · 18th September 2006, 21:35

Crikey! Any usable info from this gabble? Not to worry, McJim got it sussed - its all in the confidence and making sure you follow the road code while handling the bike well!

As for you WarlockNZ, I know exactly where you coming from...100 reasons of it

As for McJim, yes I was suprised at how people were trying to benchmark their rides on the Kaiaua blat! Lying on the tank ... sounds like serious business there!

**McJim** · 18th September 2006, 21:56

Originally Posted by WarlockNZ

shhhhhh !!! .. hee hee

Yeah - Hyos can't be that slow - I keep hearing about people losing licences on 'em.

twistadias - did you take up Crisis Management on his kind offer?

Rule number 1 of being a newbie - never turn down a helping hand.

**vtec** · 18th September 2006, 22:56

Interesting.

I read a fair bit of what goes on in Club 250, but for some reason I don't like to post too much.

With regard to the test, it sounds like you need more time in the seat to gain confidence, although if you can follow the road code, and are reasonably adept at controlling your bike, you should be fine.

Another thing, although I'm an avid 4 stroker, and will definitely argue why they are better, I initially learnt to ride on an ex-racing Pepsi Replica RGV250, and I think I am a better rider for it. I think that the 2 strokes are easier to get the hang of, because you don't need as good throttle control to get smooth control over the bike seeing as there is minimal engine braking (most noticeable at low speed manoeuvering). If you don't wind them up, they are pretty gutless.

I am very surprised at the fact that some people are saying that some of these new generation 250's are that lame that they struggle to get 120. To be quite honest I can probably get close to 90kph on my push bike on a good downhill, and I'd be lucky to have 4Hp for short bursts. (P.S. I am currently a bicycle courier, and one of my workmates who is an absolute machine managed to get 99kph out of his pushbike). As we all know, to gain increased top speed seems to get exponentially harder as it increases, but I've managed to get way off the clock on my CBR250 repeatedly, if the speedo was accurate, it would have been reading about 200kph, but I think it was closer to 190kph with a bit of drafting on Puke. I would love to know what the true top speed of these new 250's is under controlled circumstances, like down the back straight of Puke. I think the VTR250 is a great bike, in some ways better, in some ways worse than the CBR, but I'm sure hoping it could manage a cool 150-160.

A lot of people seem to think that if you aren't riding your bike in the power range, you are doing something wrong. I always cruise around on my CBR250 in 6th gear, even down at 60kph, which means I'm doing 5-6000rpm out of 19,000 which is less than 1/3. There is nothing wrong with this as I don't need it to put out any power while I'm just rolling along, and with the engine turning over less for the same distance you (generally) get better gas mileage, and it just seems more relaxing. If I've got my bike in it's power range, I just want to use it. Seriously, just ride it where it feels like it's relaxing and not vibrating too much. Even if you are doing a high speed run, you shouldn't need to chop it down, if you've got enough safe road then you should be able to just leave it in top and wind it up. The acceleration will only start to noticeably slow down once it gets close to it maximum speed, even if you start winding it up outside of it's power range (some would say powerband, but that seems to be a term just applied to 2 strokes).

**limbimtimwim** · 19th September 2006, 12:10

Originally Posted by SwanTiger

... the bike has a nice portion of torque to accomodate this from down low.

Skin off milk, etc.. etc..

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 20th September 2006, 23:13

Originally Posted by twistadias

I guess you guys are right. Maybe its just me who needs more practice. I thought it would trail along smoothly as a car does on speeds like that.

Guess i should postpone the test

nah don't postpone the test... as someone else said make a mental note, and adjust your riding habbit to this... go for a few more practise rides before the test...

Good luck on your test
Rubber side down