Which type of bike will make you a better rider?

[cowpoos]

an older bike with suspect suspension wont improve ya riding skills.I ride em cos they slow me down.

its definatly working for you tony!! hows the wrist BTW?

[Keystone19]

Would a quirky handling bike make you develop bad habits?

Wanna give a for-instance Jill?

Weelllll...I need to buy a bike for the road for commuting and stuff - not sure whether to get for example, an older gsxr750 or a later model ordinary bike eg Bandit600 or, just to try and scrape up the money again and go for a K4/K5 gsxr600 (for spares for my race bike as well)

agree 100000000%, have been trying to get Jill onto the dirt

yep, dirt bike

Yes, and I'm dead keen - just tell me where and when...

She already has enough bad habits. No need to add...

Oi - quiet you!

[kiwifruit]

something like this:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=102752000

[Keystone19]

something like this:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=102752000

Lol - I had The Stranger's WR450 in my garage last week and took a sweet little XR250 Motard out for a ride the other day so, yes, a motard is definitely an option. The WR450 was real hard on my butt though!

[Keystone19]

But my own needs aside, I am interested to know people's opinions on which would make a better rider - and by better I don't necessarily mean faster.

I'm thinking similar to Merv - riding many different bikes will increase your skills in different areas. But if a person can only afford one bike for the road...which will it be?

[FROSTY:Me]

buy my rf----4000

[Timber020]

Aside from dirtbikes I think you can learn alot on a small bike, something that you have to push hard to make move. Might sound crazy but I learned alot when I went from rgv250's and zxr400's and did alot of kms on my rg50's.

No power means your dependant on keeping cornering speed everywhere, the lightness means you learn to flick them pretty good and get a good feel for how much your pushing it. They cant be ridden lazily as they just dont have the steam to make up for lost speed. I have caught up to bigger and newer sportbikes on the downhill run on the Makara hill (and yes they were trying, had a good yarn about it at the cafe). Learned lots, but have yet to learn enough. should get the old rg out!

[BarBender]

Heres another angle Jill - the better bike will be that which allows you to easily replicate/practice the skills and techniques required to ride your race bike.
An older or different type of bike may require you to do things you shouldnt.

[R6_kid:Me]

Surely a range of skills learnt from a range of bikes would make you a better rider...

If we are talking in terms of racing, then you want a bike that can help you control the extremes of things like slides, braking, hard acceleration (traction control) etc...

In which case it may be that you need to step out of your comfort zone, say at a motox track or dirt track to get some slides going and get used to the bike being out of line, but not necasarily out of control.

Of course we could say a better rider is one who is concious of their surroundings, acts responsibly and is courteous and thinks with the right brain all the time! In which case the bike won't make you a better rider, it may enable you to be a better rider through better vision ahead by being higher up... but maybe perhaps having a good breakfast preceeded by a good nights sleep is what you really need?

[moT]

get any 400cc sports production bike they handle well so adjustments mid corner can be done with ease and as 400cc motorcycles are so underpowered compared to bigger bikes that if the motorcycle looses speed it looses time picking speed back up so it will teach you to not slow down wastefully therefore makeing you better at rideing your motorcycle your skill will be nurtued by the facy that your vehicle is less powerfull and a 400s power is all useable

[JayRacer37]

Merv's got it sussed.
Veriety is the spice of life, being able to jump off one type of bike and onto another and ride them fast. If you can teach yourself to find the limits and points of a bike quickly, thats really important. Once you can do that you are feeling a bike and what it does. Once you have that feel, thats what gives you the ability to ride quickly. It's the same as being able to show up at the track and go pertty quickly within 4 or 5 laps. Just KNOWING where the limits are, and what you can do.
Riding multiple bikes can really help with this.
As for what bike, I don't think it matters so long as you are riding SOMETHING!!

[NinjaBoy]

Hard to say but I know I've become a better rider by progressing from a 96 ZX6R to the current 07 ZX6R. ( 4 bikes over the last 4 years since I got back into riding). Each change meant I fully appreciated the improvements in suspension, handling and brakes.

If anything I've learnt to be more controlled on the road and leave that to the track.

[White trash]

Neither bike will make you a better rider.

Becoming better is first a mattr of finding out what "better" means to you. Then, you need to analyse your current riding and find what it is you do that holds you back from becoming "better" and changing those things.

Thinking makes you a better rider, not the bike you're riding.

[Deano]

Neither bike will make you a better rider.

Becoming better is first a mattr of finding out what "better" means to you. Then, you need to analyse your current riding and find what it is you do that holds you back from becoming "better" and changing those things.

Thinking makes you a better rider, not the bike you're riding.

Chasing you fast pricks made me a better (faster) rider.

[White trash]

get any 400cc sports production bike they handle well so adjustments mid corner can be done with ease and as 400cc motorcycles are so underpowered compared to bigger bikes that if the motorcycle looses speed it looses time picking speed back up so it will teach you to not slow down wastefully therefore makeing you better at rideing your motorcycle your skill will be nurtued by the facy that your vehicle is less powerfull and a 400s power is all useable

Fantastic advice. If you wanna spend the rest of your life riding a 400.