Why own a bike far beyond your abilities?

[V Twin Raver]

Cos I am a red blooded male that should know better but gets what he wants anyway.

I love that V-Twin growl. I would have a Ducati but had to compromise some of my other requirements in a bike, not excluding touring 2 up. The VTR is known as being a pretty forgiving bike so it certainly helped form a decision. I looked at making a step before the V-Twin but I knew I would only be looking for another update in six months so took the plunge. It speeds up the learning phase too.

But oh that noise. Same reason I like a high revving highly tuned 308 V8 and the bark of the 1995 Prodrive Subaru Impreza Group A Boxer engine with anti-lag. Something about all that screams MANLAND!!! Yes I have mentioned cages but damn, you gotta like that racket.

[MadDuck]

well in hindsight I was advised against going bigger than the VTR250 but I found that I needed the next step up, a new challenge. Forget a 1000 (cos apart from my height the power would be way tooo much) but a nimble lil 650 sounded the go.
We know the results of that decision. Ride a bike you are comfortable with at a speed you are comfortable with be it a 150, a nifty 50 or a VTR1000. At the end of the day who cares ? Stay safe and have fun KB caters for all

[Paul in NZ]

Lotsa people buy cars that are WAY beyond their ability to drive in the manner they were intended... Indeed... Some of these cars don't actually last very long IF driven in the manner people who buy them would like to think they are intended.. (erm I think)

Personally, I admire the restraint of people that own modern flash BIG bikes... I have very little restraint which is why I have no friends and have to hang out here)

I like to ride the nuts off my crappy old guzzi and thankfully. I can scare myself shitless at reasonable speeds... It's FUN!

I don't mind people having all the fruit but it is a bit daft watching people wobble about nervously with knee sliders, replica helmets, carbo wassit gloves and full leathers on a 160hp bike....

me? I look like a fat old git and always will... I choose random lines with no racing merit at all and have an utter ball at (mostly) legal speeds... The feel of the lovable old lump giving it's all is worth all the tea in china...

Same with the wee Triumph 650 twin, Oh lordy how that bike TRIES so darn HARD... It's HUGE fun to flog it over a twisty road. But not too hard or else...

;-)

Paul N

Rather be fast on a slow bike, too scared to ride fast on a fast bike...

[andy1]

Just been riding a 450cc bike and the thing scares the shit out of me!
sport bikes

[Kwaka-Kid]

they can't bear the thought of owning a LITTLE 600/750.

THEN WHAT DOES THAT MAKE MY 400?!

and i think this question goes far deeper then many intially consider... I own my 400 for exactly the reason of wanting to master it! And to be perfectly honest i know ive got a good 5 years at least ahead of me on it! Ive test ridden 600's/ an older gsxr750, the old gs1000 and other numerous things... and have to say that they are all fun but man my 400 is just as much if not more!

anyway i will say people have bikes for all sorts of reasons - someone might want an R1 just because they need it to do wheelies or something (not enough skill to pull up a 400 or something) and or someone might own one as they love to travel @ an average of 200kmph - my 400 engine would blow if it was ridden at that for more then 10mins or something i bet.

There are so many reasons, i own my 750turbo(with daddy course) just because i wanted in on an old bike that i wanted to fix up! and just to feel that boost... its great, i sure as hell couldnt be a master of it though.

hmmm... so many ideas/thoughts cant get em all down though. My own reasons for the 400 are because a race one came cheap - i then wanted a street one to build skills on and get more feel for the 400 on the street etc, if it wasnt for that then shit id b happy having a ball on a RG150 like TS is! but oh well, things happen, deals turn up, and i wind up with a bike bigger then i can manage properly for the time being.

Also - where do you draw the line at having the ability to ride a bike well? my line is wayyyyy down that line - i would say when i can finish in the top 5 of F3 on my stock/sub-stock racebike i know how to ride it well-but ask any racer-thats not going to happen :P-least not in the forseeable furture!

[LB]

I chose the bike I wanted as opposed to the bike I could of had, for the money I paid for the Ducati I could have brought a new SV1000 or Firestorm
it wasnt so much about the power it was more about the fact Ive always wanted a Ducati, now I have one. I know that obviously the Ducati isnt any where near the fastest bike around, But it handles really well and its SO MUCH fun to ride, I love it.
Next Bike will be a 748 or a 996 then I will have some serious grunt at my disposal but I will be able to handle it first ,thats for sure

Pretty much sums up why I ride Ducs. I have never really ridden any of my bikes to their limits, or anywhere near it.

And MadDuck: your quote "Ride a bike you are comfortable with at a speed you are comfortable with be it a 150, a nifty 50 or a VTR1000" is pretty much how I feel too.

[DEATH_INC.]

Yeh,I know what you mean KK,I just listed what I consider the main reason....
I too can think of many reasons not to own a bike bike,but I can think of just as many in favour.....
BTW,I'm always getting in trouble for calling Draco's bike a 'little 400' so we won't even go there.....

[Big Dog]

I could be blowing smoke but it seems to me that our NZ scratching roads actually seem to suit smaller more nimble bikes rather than out and out horsepower

Thats for real! The motorways are the only place the big bikes have a distinguishable advantage, and who wants to ride those all day?

[Coldkiwi]

One thing im noticing is that the modern sports bikes are capable of masking rider deficiencies -basicly get you out of the cack you got yaself into

...which is a great reason to have one! I've noticed how much more forgiving my newer gsxr is than my 97 Zx6R was. Its certainly more noticable when you are pushing it on the track but its also the times that you get caught out on a blind corner that tightens or when you need to swing the bike over in a hurry to avoid something that the extra ability of a bike beyond your normal use can really be worth having.

I often wonder how many cruiser accidents could be avoided through up speced brakes/suspension/chassis that would let the rider get around the hazard. Any thoughts on that one?

[DEATH_INC.]

I often wonder how many cruiser accidents could be avoided through up speced brakes/suspension/chassis that would let the rider get around the hazard. Any thoughts on that one?

Yeh,ground clearance is the killer here,I know a guy with a Hardley that hits the clutchcase on the ground all the time.....And when I had the old sabre i always usta drag the pegs round corners....wonder what would happen if you had to tighten up the turn then???

[Motu]

I often wonder how many cruiser accidents could be avoided through up speced brakes/suspension/chassis that would let the rider get around the hazard. Any thoughts on that one?

Ground clearance is the issue,they get down to the cases and jack the rear wheel off the ground - yeah,some good MX suspn would cure all cruiser ills.

[aff-man]

hmmm i am about to sit my full (could have 2 weeks ago gotta get off my ass) and will need to upgrade. I have always thought that a 400 would pefectly satisfy my every need because they were nimble with a short wheelbase(due to me only wieghing about 60 and a little under 6 foot). But as to the ability of the bike i know i will never get to the very limit of a 1000 or possibly even a 600, but i really want to be able to over take without having to change up 2 or 3 gears. As was previously stated it might not be used but it's nice to know you have the power and handeling abilities of bigger bikes(the zxr gets awfully loose when pushed to the limit). Just my little 2c worth

[FzerozeroT]

Ground clearance is the issue

ground clearance is the issue with anything if you fang it hard enough, I got rearsets to solve tha and now the stand drags on the left and the fairing on the right.

I could be blowing smoke but it seems to me that our NZ scratching roads actually seem to suit smaller more nimble bikes rather than out and out horsepower

Unfortunately as TS will know, some of the smallest smaller bikes are set up for 45kg asians on ludicrously smooth tarmac, which makes them jump and bottom out like wild bulls on mid-corner ripples. Which is probably another reason to move to a 250 oil burner.

[Marknz]

I don't mind people having all the fruit but it is a bit daft watching people wobble about nervously with knee sliders, replica helmets, carbo wassit gloves and full leathers on a 160hp bike....

I'll take a bite here 'cause that "may" well be me that Paul is referring to... yea for sure I was lucky enough to own one of the most powerful 1 litre bikes out there for a couple of months, and yes I do happen to have all the gear as result of me spending the last 2 years racing in Aussie.

But I was always just trying to learn to ride the Gixxer before I had to sell it. I found it nowhere near as comfortable or easy to ride as my Firestorm... but then I didn't really expect that. It's an out and out sports bike after all. That said, after 2 months on the Firestorm I could have gotten over the 'taka's a helluver lot quicker on the that than after two months on the Gixxer.

So why did I buy it? 'Cause I could! I'd spent 12 months on the 'Storm and while I can't say I rode it to it's absolute limits, I was pretty bloody good on it and their are some supposed sports bike riders in Aussie who have been embarrased by it both on the road and the track. But I bought the Gixxer 'cause I wanted to know what they were like and if I could handle them. I'm man enough to stand up and say that, despite the fact I had to sell it, I probably would have gotten rid of it sooner or later as it was just far too much of a bike for me.

[DEATH_INC.]

unfortunately as TS will know, some of the smallest smaller bikes are set up for 45kg asians on ludicrously smooth tarmac, which makes them jump and bottom out like wild bulls on mid-corner ripples. Which is probably another reason to move to a 250 oil burner.

Yeh,that's the other major issue,the small (sub 500)bikes are generally physically smaller....