k7 thou - rear wheel HP?

[Robert Taylor]

But, unless one is racing the things, is not the perception what matters.

After all, as far as pure speed is concerned, I have done 600kph. In a Boeing 747, totally and utterly boring. I suspect that the acceleration of a 747 is probably faster than a GSXR also, and also totally boring.

So, is that the ultimate evolution of motorcycles? 350kph (or whatever) of complete boredom?

Take a fast two stroke for comparison . The slingshot effect as it hits power band and catapults forward FEELS far faster than the GSXR. And personally I ride a bike for the sensory input it gives me , not for the sake of some figures on a timing device . A sprotsbike that FEELS slow may as well BE slow (things are a bit different for tourers - I think that is one of the distinctions between the genera) .

If a bike feels slow and uninteresting (and I do not want to race it), then what is the point of all that horsepower? Regardless of what the timer or speedometer may say. A boring 250kph is just boring- like that Boeing.

Id rather have a lot less horsepower but with a bike that rides bumps superbly, handles superbly, carves precise lines and is kind to its tyres. And is quiet. Pop off valves annoy me intensely, so do the most offensive bike exhausts.

[terbang]

[

Actually Ixion, an H2 Kawasaki accelerated faster than a 747.
So I put this to you. Come and see me at Wellington Motorcycles (hell, I'll shout you the air fare), I'll give you a GSXR1000...you can then give me a demo alongside the runway at Wellington Airport against a 737 (much faster on take off than a 747). You come back and not have a hint of hand shake...I'll lick your balls. The slightest hint of tremor...you know the routine.

However the 737 ground roll at wellington is only the early part of its acceleration phase, sort of like turning your bike out of your driveway in first gear (if we must compare). Shortly after takeoff it will have achieved a speed of 300 Knots (480KPH) well before it passes island bay. It will continue to accelerate right through to 840 KPH and will be in Auckland 47 mins later. Or it could be sitting in Sydney by the time any wellington motorcycle had passed through Taihape. Dumb comparison really.

[terbang]

Id rather have a lot less horsepower but with a bike that rides bumps superbly, handles superbly, carves precise lines and is kind to its tyres. And is quiet. Pop off valves annoy me intensely, so do the most offensive bike exhausts.

You would love a Cagiva Navigator then.

[Ixion]

.... {much flame and fury, signifying little, and entirely missing the point}

Oh dear. I see that I was wrong. You have not made so much progress on your journey to enlightenment as I had thought. I am so sorry, my friend

Some people claim that a vegetable diet does wonders for the relief of splenetic and choleric humours. Never tried it m'self, being more of the Vimes school of dietary science, but perhaps you might find it worth a trial ? One does not like to see a brother so tormented.

Thank you for the information about the relative acceleration fo the aeroplanes. I will try to remember it, but I fear that I find such things very boring, and will no doubt soon forget it. I am glad though that you have an interest in life, and aeroplanes are so much more today than trains.

By the way, it occurs to me that Mr JRandom (Ms Fish as was, is it not wonderful how the clever surgeons can reverse such things) might like you for a pet. (S)he has a fondness for such things. If there should be an opening, would you be interested?

[McJim]

ps... gettin closer to the dyno results.. you as excited as me Joni???? are ya.. are ya?

C'mon Boom Boy - spill the beans and put us out of our misery.

How many ponies does it have?

[Ixion]

Hmmm.

I've ridden a K7 gixxer thou, and I've ridden an RG500.

Both were fast.

At full throttle in 2nd gear, the gixxer was faster. And felt faster.

Are you sure you didn't accidentally set it in "C" mode?

However, the RG500 was more "exciting" to ride. And more dangerous. As I'm sure the H2 was. And the Vincent.

I'm thinking this may be the intangible essence you are trying to describe.


Meh. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Id rather have a lot less horsepower but with a bike that rides bumps superbly, handles superbly, carves precise lines and is kind to its tyres

I think you are both on the track of what I am grasping for. But it is not related to danger. I know that for some people, danger is part of the attraction of motorcycling , but I have never been of that persuasion. Or, of that which derives a "buzz" from speed pure and simple. What I most look for in a bike is FUN. And I coming to the conclusion that over about 100hp there is a sort of diminishing return of fun for extra horsepower.

The GSXR is fast, most certainly. And fun, too. But let us compare it with , say, an RG150, to keep things modern on both sides.

Let us take an experienced rider and send him out on a loop of your favourite twistified road, first on an RG150 and then on a GSXR1000. I specify experienced, both because a novice will not be in a position to manage either bike properly, and because an experienced rider may be expected to have gotten over the "OMGWTFLOL I did 200 kph look at me" syndrome

Now when the rider returns from his loop on the RG, I am sure he will have a grin on his face and agree that he had fun (if not, he's not doing it right). And when he returns from the loop on the GSXR, likewise. And maybe the GSXR will be a bigger grin, and more fun. But -- the GSXR has about six times the horsepower of the RG. Will our rider think it was six times as much fun. I'm far from convinced.

Of course, if I had to ride from Auckland to Wellington, I'd take the GSXR not the RG. I'm just pointing out that at a certain point the extra amount of sheer fun to be obtained starts to lag behind the increase in horsepower. Lots more horses, only a little more fun.

[Crasherfromwayback]

. I suspect that the acceleration of a 747 is probably faster than a GSXR also, and also totally boring.
A boring 250kph is just boring- like that Boeing.

[


However the 737 ground roll at wellington is only the early part of its acceleration phase, sort of like turning your bike out of your driveway in first gear (if we must compare). Shortly after takeoff it will have achieved a speed of 300 Knots (480KPH) well before it passes island bay. It will continue to accelerate right through to 840 KPH and will be in Auckland 47 mins later. Or it could be sitting in Sydney by the time any wellington motorcycle had passed through Taihape. Dumb comparison really.

Yeah I think so too. Silly boy Ixion! However, as clever as you pilots are (I know this first hand, as a mate of mine flys 737's too), you obviously haven't been round bikes as long as I have been. It was in actual fact an advertising wank from KHI when the H2 was released stating it was faster than a 747 down the runway. Not my comparison. So email them and tell them it was dumb.

[TonyB]

Hmmm. I had an RZ350. Then I got a VFR700- had them at the same time for a month or two, it wasn't easy to tell, but I think the VFR accelerated a bit harder. The RZ made loads of noise and vibrated away, making it feel loads faster than it was. Then I got an FZR1000, I had the FZR and VFR at the same time. The FZR made the VFR feel like a kids toy. I'd hop on the VFR and wind it out wondering when it was actually going to do something. Then I got the Monster 750, and had the FZR for a while as well. I got used to the Monster, and after a while it felt quite powerful... then I hopped on the FZR and blasted up onto the motorway...it was almost scary. For a while the Monster felt like a toy. Now that the FZR is long gone, the Monster feels powerful again.

When I had the FZR, a mate gave me a go on his GSXR1000K4. Compared to the FZR, IT was almost scary. I couldn't give it full noise till I got into 3rd, as the front would lift and keep on going up in first and second.

So to recap- The FZR1000 made the VFR700 (and RZ350 by association) feel like a toy. The GSXR1000K4 made the FZR1000 feel big, heavy and slow.

Ixion, all you have really said is that the sensation of speed is relative! At 800kmh in a 747, you are sitting in air conditioned comfort, with nothing to guage your speed by. On a bike at 250kmh, you are in the air, the force of it rushing past is straining your neck muscles, its roaring in your ears, the engine is howling, and the scenery is racing past. Yet you could probably feel the same sensation of speed at 40kmh bouncing around a grass track on a kids gokart.

[riffer]

The GSXR1000K4 made the FZR1000 feel big, heavy and slow.

I got the same impression riding the K7.

The K7 accelerates as hard at 7000 as the RF does at 11000 in second gear.

And it weighs about a pillion passenger less than my bike.

[Robert Taylor]

Typical, lets belittle someone because of their gender because we have nothing else to contribute.... I mean her_B4 or Joni... we are all just stupid women after all eh?

Why dont we both serve you your drinks, its all we are good for...

I have lived under 3 woman priministers, the outgoing one bloody awful, one quite okay, but the first one sensational. Margaret Thatcher. Just ask General Galtieri ( from his grave )
Because many women have very very good attention for detail I am sure they would also make great suspension engineers.
In having two teenage daughters I am concerned very deeply about the potential trouble / temptations they can get into with unsuitable suitors, alcohol, drug abuse etc etc.

[boomer]

I got the same impression riding the K7.

The K7 accelerates as hard at 7000 as the RF does at 11000 in second gear.

And it weighs about a pillion passenger less than my bike.

did you take her up to double figures ( rev wise ) .. the fun really begins then

[riffer]

did you take her up to double figures ( rev wise ) .. the fun really begins then

*looks around to see if crasherfromwayback is watching*

a-hem. It's very very quick from about 10,000 onwards. It was slightly disconcerting how the front rises under full throttle at speeds very close to twice the speed limit. But it didn't stop me trying it a few times to check that it wasn't a fluke.

I'd love to hear from Jimmy how much of a difference the suspension work on his race bike altered it from the original.

How quickly do you think you get used to the way they accelerate? I thought the RF was fast the first time I rode it (after my last bike - an unrestricted FZR750R) but now I have no problems applying maximum throttle in most conditions. I guess it took about 3 months of daily riding before I had no fear (but still respect) of the 118-approx RWHP in the RF.

To be honest I found the GSXR1000K7 at full throttle a little intimidating - not scary - but definitely something worthy of respect.

How long before it gets ho-hum?

[boomer]

*looks around to see if crasherfromwayback is watching*

a-hem. It's very very quick from about 10,000 onwards. It was slightly disconcerting how the front rises under full throttle at speeds very close to twice the speed limit. But it didn't stop me trying it a few times to check that it wasn't a fluke.

I'd love to hear from Jimmy how much of a difference the suspension work on his race bike altered it from the original.

How quickly do you think you get used to the way they accelerate? I thought the RF was fast the first time I rode it (after my last bike - an unrestricted FZR750R) but now I have no problems applying maximum throttle in most conditions. I guess it took about 3 months of daily riding before I had no fear (but still respect) of the 118-approx RWHP in the RF.

To be honest I found the GSXR1000K7 at full throttle a little intimidating - not scary - but definitely something worthy of respect.

How long before it gets ho-hum?

hehehheh nice one, i just read krasherfromwaybacks review of the k7 again .. and smiled !


your right.. you become immune, desensitized or complacent with the power over time; i luckily was forewarned and let off with just that... a warning http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=51168

a little later....

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...1&postcount=39


the older models are more aggressive and im sure would give you even more of a thrill. but for a wet fart like me steppin up from a 6.. she was a good move. im slowly getting use to her and locking forward to gettin on the track soon.

Jimmies the man to do a proper write up.. he can compare apples with apples and has the ability to ride well and know what the bikes capable of.

[Crasherfromwayback]

*looks around to see if crasherfromwayback is watching*

a-hem. It's very very quick from about 10,000 onwards. It was slightly disconcerting how the front rises under full throttle at speeds very close to twice the speed limit. But it didn't stop me trying it a few times to check that it wasn't a fluke.

And indeed I'm watching.

That does it mate...next time you take one of our demos out, I'll come with ya!

[nodrog:Me]

Hey Boomer have ya got the result or what?