Is a litre bike too fast AND quick for the street?

**orangeback** · 3rd January 2007, 16:25

I hope this thread produces productive informative debate.
The question 'Is a literbike(any late model literbike, ZX-10R ,R-1 ,Gixxer, Hyabushas,ZX-14's ) too fast(capable of producing too much straight line speed too quickly)AND quick(capable of manuvering laterally too quickly in traffic)for the street?

Is a literbike too fast. I'm not talking about too fast for the rider. I'm talking about too fast for the driver's of other vehicles to anticipate how quickly a literbike can move from point A to point B. Anytime I hear of a small ultra-high performance vehicle(and that's exactly what a late model literbike is)crashing into a larger,slower vehicle on public roads .

Anybody that owns a light weight ultra-high performance street vehicle knows full well that if (hard) contact is made with a larger vehicle most of the time the smaller vehicle will sustain more damage(totaled). It's been said 'with great power comes great responsibility' and that couldn't be MORE true for rider's of literbikes .

If I'm right that means it's up to us to be EXTRA sure we have room to manuver around traffic BEFORE we do so.
is the ability of the literbikes the manuver SO quickly. A literbike can make a lane change in a split second (multi lane changes almost as fast).
If you can't see enuff of whats behind you how in the world can you determine the correct spacing and speed to flow with or slightly faster than traffic or make a fast lane change?!

I'm worried about the 18-20ish year old young people lurking at these literbike sites(this one and others)that are thinking," Well I can ride my CBR250 or CR 250 dirt bike on the back lot pretty good, maybe I should buy a new literbike because there just so cool and boy it sure will impress my girlfriend"
They have absolutely NO idea how dangerous literbikes are without first getting the proper rider training AND learning to respect what's between there legs in so far as riding on public streets is concerned. If that same person wants a 200 horsepower 300 pound literbike just to truck to and race track day's FINE! if someone like that has a crash on a race track. they are in the wright place to do so

It's different riding on the street theres so many varribles (CARS, NOB Jocks Walking ,CYCLEST ,ANIMALS ,ROAD WORKS ETC
Sorry about the long post

**kiwifruit** · 3rd January 2007, 16:26

this thread looks familiar......

yes, a litre bike is a massive over kill IMHO

**BarBender** · 3rd January 2007, 16:32

For sure they are...

**nsrpaul** · 3rd January 2007, 16:35

of course its to fucken fast, whats your point

better to say do litre bike riders have small willies and do all the real men ride nsr's and black r6s(the white ones are trying a bit hard)

**The Pastor** · 3rd January 2007, 16:36

Power is all in your wrist.

**crash harry** · 3rd January 2007, 16:36

Modern ones, yes probably. Says the thinking part of my brain. Not the part that just bought the Hayabusa. That's the part of my brain that does the fun stuff.

**Gremlin** · 3rd January 2007, 16:40

It's all self control.

I used to think my 750 was plenty... but then you ride newer bikes, and yeee gawd, you can ride them almost as fast, without the months in the seat, just so light and responsive. Now my 750 feels slow, and I find myself waiting at times.

But do I want a 600? I'm on the big side, and going to a 600 is not really upgrading either, not much in hp, but you do lose some weight, and gain handling. Whats after that... basically a thou.

My next bike will be a thou... Does that mean I do 200 down streets? Course not. Do I have to watch how quickly I can go past 100... yes, of course.

I don't think its overkill, and the torque for around town is bloody nice. Its a do-all bike, provided the right hands and head are sitting on it.

**justsomeguy** · 3rd January 2007, 16:40

If you can ride a 600 you can ride a 1000.

Except on a thou second chances are rare. So you need to be alert and make sure you have a relaxed and controllable throttle hand.

Yes they are fast and after you've felt the power nothing else will do. (kinda where Crash Harry is coming from I think)

**ArcherWC** · 3rd January 2007, 16:40

Of course they are, but oh my god they are fun

**orangeback** · 3rd January 2007, 16:41

Originally Posted by nsrpaul

of course its to fucken fast, whats your point

better to say do litre bike riders have small willies and do all the real men ride nsr's and black r6s(the white ones are trying a bit hard)

why do we buy them ??
and yes i belive i could ride my 05 gsxr750 faster than the Bus and ZX10 ive had. and
for willies, you need a big motor to drive a shaft my size

**BarBender** · 3rd January 2007, 16:44

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

Except on a thou second chances are rare.

Second chances are rare regardless the number of cc's...but I know what you mean Uj

**bugjuice** · 3rd January 2007, 16:46

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

If you can ride a 600 you can ride a 1000.

bollox. soz mate.

technically, a 250 is too fast for the street, so anything more than that is too much.

but, as far as realistic goes, I think a 6 is about right, and a thou is too much imho. 6oos can do over 100 in first. some thous are geared for excess of 140 in first. Just normally riding them round on the street is too twitchy. And yeah, i've ridden a thou round the street for a day.. gimme me 6 any day.

only way a 6 is out-done by a thou is a straight line anyway. Wow, you can go fast in a straight line.. have a gold star..

**Disco Dan** · 3rd January 2007, 16:46

hehe I skimmed the post and thought you said "litter bike" !!! flip their horrible looking things!!

**justsomeguy** · 3rd January 2007, 17:00

Originally Posted by bugjuice

bollox. soz mate.

technically, a 250 is too fast for the street, so anything more than that is too much.

but, as far as realistic goes, I think a 6 is about right, and a thou is too much imho. 6oos can do over 100 in first. some thous are geared for excess of 140 in first. Just normally riding them round on the street is too twitchy. And yeah, i've ridden a thou round the street for a day.. gimme me 6 any day.

only way a 6 is out-done by a thou is a straight line anyway. Wow, you can go fast in a straight line.. have a gold star..

So do you ride your 600 in 1st gear everywhere except the motorway??

Did you also try and ride the thou in the same manner??

A few holes in your theory mate... better think before you post.
------------------------------------------

Orangeback - Honestly in my opinion who cares about what others think as at the end of the day it's what people want for themselves and what they want out of a ride and their bike.

Some people can appreciate a thou and ride it in a manner that is perfectly comfortable. Sure it takes experience and it would be a very wrong thing for a guy jumping off a 250 - maybe after 10K's of hard riding a 600 with about 2K's of those being done on the track in the fast group (slow group doesn't count -cos you're not pushing it).

Others feel a 250 is more than enough...... I sincerely hope you get some positive information here and the thread doesn't turn into a pissing competition.

Personally I prefer a gix750 as I'm a bit dissappointed with 600's - but that's just me.

Ciao.

**DEATH_INC.** · 3rd January 2007, 17:06

Yep, a thou ridden aggresevily is far too quick for the road.
A 600 is bordering on too fast too.
But the reality is it's all up to the rider...you can ride a turbo'd thou slow or a stock 250 fast, up to you.
The real problem is experience and skill vs percieved experience and skill.....