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

[Jantar]

....The problem is that if you're approaching every corner at 220+ and hard on the pics it's nearly impossible to get the corner right - and corners are 90% of motorcycling in my book....

Why do you assume that because the bike is capable of "approaching every corner at 220+ and hard on the pics" that that is way it is always ridden? I would say that in general I don't approach any corner any faster than I would if I was on a much smaller bike, but I may sometimes accelerate out faster, and I will often go up hills faster or in a higher gear, and I will carry my wife as pillion and enough luggage for two weeks away at a time etc etc.
As OAB said, its the flexibility that counts, not the raw top speed.

[Nicksta]

I cringe when reading the American biker sites [gixxer.com as an example]. Young lads questioning if their first bike should be a 600 or a thou. Teenagers that have never ridden a bike before.

Now that is certainly a recipe for disaster.

i agree... scared the crap out of me talking to friends when i was there.. . one who learned on an R6..... and a GSXR600 is considered a learners bike...
i like our graduated system here... i even think thou's should be restricted to people who have had their licence a certain time... and have an age restriction... (maturity counts for a lot in this game)

[Pussy]

All personal choice/self discipline....realizing consequences. I've had four gixxer thou's, and recently jumped ship and bought the K6 GSX-R750. I reckon I'm having a whole lot more fun riding the fiddy than I ever did on the thou's. Probably if we had no restrictions and weren't sharing the roads with dickheads, I might still have the bigger gixxer... but as things are, and probably will always be, the smaller gixxer is the best bike for ME

[SimJen]

I ride 70-80km's total to work and back.
In the last ten years or so, I've owned and ridden many bikes on these same roads.
The only time I made a real time difference was switching from my derestricted NSR250SP to my GSX-R600. It knocked a few minutes from my average time. These are open country roads with only a few decent corners. I dictate my own safe speed and consequently, whether riding a 600 or the couple of thous I've owned the safe speed is pretty similar. Only thing I do more of on a 1000 is pull a few more wheelies and accelerate harder out of corners.
I still wouldn't recommend a litre bike to learners though (as in some of the US sites), but then thats not going to happen in NZ anyway.
Work up to the skill levels required for a 1000cc bike, if you are still alive after the various capacity changes 125-250, 400 or 600 then you should be able to safely control it.
Remember the throttle goes both ways......no matter what you ride.

[The_Dover]

yer all poofs.

the only bike they should be allowed to sell should be the gsxr1000.

[nudemetalz]

No, as the definition of a "litre-bike" is too vague. My bike is 1100cc but only puts out 91hp at the crank. It's all entirely usable hp too for the street.

[Pussy]

Oh, and the $575.00 every 3500kms for tyres helped me with my decision

[SimJen]

Oh, and the $575.00 every 3500kms for tyres helped me with my decision

you must ride your 750 like a pussy then
I get the same mileage from my 1000's tires as my 600, give or take a few hundred km's. My NSR was pretty similar too.

[Pussy]

you must ride your 750 like a pussy then
I get the same mileage from my 1000's tires as my 600, give or take a few hundred km's. My NSR was pretty similar too.

You must be riding your 1000 like a pussy then

Only done 1200km on my new fiddy so far. Looks like the hoops may last longer than the thou's

[madmal64]

Its a little like saying guns are dangerous and kill people.
No problem with a gun until someone pulls the trigger with a bullet in the chamber at the wrong time in the wrong place.
Same on a thou..... pull the trigger at the wrong time and the wrong place and it could be dangerous and may end in tears.
Its the top 6 inches of the controler that makes the difference.

[Finn]

yer all poofs.

the only bike they should be allowed to sell should be the gsxr1000.

Indeed. The Model T of motorcycles.

[Kornholio]

Oh, and the $575.00 every 3500kms for tyres helped me with my decision

Giddy up

[SimJen]

You must be riding your 1000 like a pussy then

Haha thats entirely possible, but I tend to choose tires that suit the bike/my riding style so they all end up lasting similar amounts of time.
1000's do tend to chew sprockets/chains a little quicker though.....but i don't give a shit.
My 1000 is lighter than my 600 was (easier on tires, but more power all evens out) so with an extra 60hp at the wheel, its easier to ride and as the revs are lower at the same speed I'm getting ever so slightly better gas mileage too
Only problem is the insurance is a fair bit costlier, still litre bikes rock as far as Im concerned. I'd still own a 675 Trumpet though, but wouldn't trade the thou on one

[Mr. Peanut]

Indeed. The Model T of motorcycles.

More like the Ford Pinto...

[McJim]

The problem as I see it is twofold.

Many cage drivers are morons and blind morons at that - even 50cc scooters accelerate too fast for the fuckwits to anticipate.

So the first problem is the environment.

Then it comes down to the rider as many others have said - the discipline to observe the speed limit. In some hands a Litre Sportsbike is as safe as any other vehicle on the street. In another's it's asking for trouble. And it's not about skill - it's about judgement.