The Motorbikerist Thread

[JLv3.0]

Just shaken hands on selling the Honda - happy that it is being sold and to someone who seems like he'll use it but sad to see it go. It was a cracking little bike and the perfect way to graduate to the real quick stuff.

And my God I lost some money on it! Bought it for GBP 9k, sold for 5k!

One last photo:

[ste]

Discuss the 'perfect way to graduate to the real quick stuff'. I'm intrigued about the route people take and how to prepare for something like your BMW.

[ste]

Thats a great looking bike.

[JLv3.0]

Discuss the 'perfect way to graduate to the real quick stuff'. I'm intrigued about the route people take and how to prepare for something like your BMW.

Good question mate. OK let me disclaim this one first before, say, Broccers tells me I'm DIW or rather that I did it wrong - still DIW...........anyway - this is how I did it

So - we can all afford litre bikes. The problem is they're too fast. Not too fast as in they'll kill you - they won't (well, they could if you're a dummy) - but too fast inasmuch as you're always aware that underneath you this nuclear device is one wrist-twitch away from launching you into next week and it can overpower the whole experience to the point where you don't really need to think about body position in corners, really getting it leant over, all of it. Just wait for the straights and give it hell. I swear full bore on the BMW is like being on the bloody Starship Enterprise - great fun but you won't learn much from it if that's what you started on. Imagine your first car is an R500?

The 600 was totally different. It was absolutely your best friend at all times - docile and calm below 10k and manic from 10k to 15.5k, and you could meter it out exactly as you wanted. Safe in the knowledge that it was never, ever going to spit you off, on track especially you sort of just knew the engine was "there" and didn't have to overthink it, leaving you totally free to concentrate on learning proper lines, techniques, body position and all that good stuff.

And let's be honest, it's more fun wringing the neck of something with a little less power than constantly reining back something nuclear-fast. Most of the time anyway

Anyway I did about 15k kms on the Honda, mainly on the road but also quite a few trackdays, California Superbike School Levels 1-3 and so on. When you are really comfortable using all of the tyres, and all of the brakes, and can get the bike through the corners as you intended to do, then I think at that point you're ready for something quicker.

There's nothing worse than seeing riders who can afford the top-end stuff but are totally unable to use it. One guy at CSS 1 had a brand new 1299 Panigale and wouldn't lean it over more than 15 degrees - I'm surprised he was able to negotiate on/off ramps on it without getting off and pushing.

Of course the skills are transferable to the quick stuff but I stand by starting on 600s being best. They're the perfect combination of friendly and quick (as per a recent post, the Honda was very much a 170 mph bike) and they get you hooked with their top-end shift of personality.

Does that make sense mate?

edit - go on then - just ONE more photo - and thank you, it is indeed a very, very good-looking bike

[NotoriousREV]

Discuss the 'perfect way to graduate to the real quick stuff'. I'm intrigued about the route people take and how to prepare for something like your BMW.

There’s a billion ways to do it. Here’s my view, feel free to ignore it, I know some will completely disagree with me.

To really learn to ride properly, you need confidence. Sportsbikes, especially 600cc sportsbikes, make terrible road bikes. They’re uncomfortable, twitchy, need thrashing and on bumpy, pot holey British roads in traffic, it’ll get on your tits. Yes, you will have some moments where it all comes together and it’ll be the greatest thing you’ve ever ridden (genuinely) but you’ll spend more time being scared of it and/or bemoaning your bad back and aching wrists. This is why so many bikers only do 3 miles a year.

The sensible thing to do is to get something a bit softer and more upright. You’ll go as fast as your mates on the sportsbikes, you’ll do more miles, and you’ll have more fun. You just won’t look as cool.

For the record, my first legal big bike was a GSXR600 so I didn’t follow my own advice.

The reality is that you’ll probably fall for a certain style of bike and that will drive your decision more than anything. You’re a grown up, but whatever floats your boat and remember you control the throttle and it goes both ways.

[JLv3.0]

Very good point - the state of UK roads is something I always forget about. Yep - a sportsbike could be absolute hell on them. Evostick can no doubt vouch for this - Gloucestershire roads are particularly special.

[NotoriousREV]

A mate of mine who’s a nutter on bikes (competes in MX and as a sidecar passenger too) has just bought a big Tenere. It’s the first road bike he’s ever owned that wasn’t a sportsbike. His view is that he’s wasted his life on the wrong bikes. On a ride out last night he passed a couple of leather clad warriors on ZX10Rs, bolt upright, enjoying the soft ride

[JLv3.0]

I love my big Tenere - can't wait to use it as my daily in a few months time. Really is the bike version of the Land Cruiser.

[NotoriousREV]

I rode my GSXR750 all day on track with no fatigue issues or aches & pains. 10 mins into the 30 min ride home and I wanted to burn the bloody thing. I can do about 3 hours on the BMW before I feel in any discomfort. It’s still fast as fuck and goes round corners. I see sportsbikes as being like Caterhams, then you have the naked sportsbikes that are more like Elises, then sports tourers that are like 911s.

[JLv3.0]

The only thing that bothers me on the BMW is the backs of my knees start burning from the riding position after about an hour or so. Normally a quick break and a stretch and I'm good to go again.

The Tenere I can ride full-to-empty (450 kms) or so and hardly notice.

[NotoriousREV]

I should say that modern sportsbikes are much better than they used to be. Better ergonomics, more forgiving and better set up for the road than they’ve ever been. At the same time, sports tourers are getting faster and better handling.

[JLv3.0]

This is very true, especially with electric damper control etc. Of course I ride the BMW in Race mode all the time because I'm tough

[Broccers]

Discuss the 'perfect way to graduate to the real quick stuff'. I'm intrigued about the route people take and how to prepare for something like your BMW.

Good question mate. OK let me disclaim this one first before, say, Broccers tells me I'm DIW or rather that I did it wrong - still DIW..........

Would I ever?

Cant see a problem with what you did. A friend of mine did it wrong this year. Decided to do his test so bought a brand new 125 - error number 1. So after doing a DAS on 600s he never rode the 125 again

Passed his test and bought a 600 but soon realised he didn't like that much and 2 weeks later got a brand new speed triple on a 3 year pcp which may or may not have been a good idea. Its a nice bike for sure but tying yourself in that long and paying over half its value over 3 years / 12000 miles . He's yet to fall off. Anyway he did the race school with me last week and was pretty handy apart from on the corners - but its better to stay on and build up.

Which brings me onto the cbr600s at Donington - I can't say I thought they were fast at all - quick yes but not fast but then I am used to a 185 bhp bike and am lazy in the fact I don't get anywhere near the redline on my suzuki. I fancy trying the Elite school soon just to show myself how crap my riding is after bossing a 600 in the wet - 1 litre bike down craner scares me just thinking about it.

Anyway we all agree they are bloody fun and that is what keeps us going !!!

[JLv3.0]

You have to rag the nuts off the CBR to get it going. Totally different mindset to a litre bike and very hard to go back to once you've experienced the litre bikes. I rode the Honda precisely once after buying the BMW and thought the engine had fallen out

Edit - and yes, you would we wouldn't have it any other way mate.

[ste]

Thanks all.

Good question mate. OK let me disclaim this one first before, say, Broccers tells me I'm DIW or rather that I did it wrong - still DIW...........anyway - this is how I did it .....

That's really useful, thanks. I've just spent hours looking at 600RRs for sale.

And I get the tip re. something more upright. I can see all of the benefits, but just don't think it's for me. You'll either get this if you know anything about bicycles or you won't, but I have my stem slammed on my road bikes and love bikes with daft, racey geometry. If I'm putting my leg over it it's because I want to go out and kick its head in. Similarly, I can't see me ever commuting or touring on a motorbike, it'd be for the adrenalin kick.

[JLv3.0]

I massively get it mate and agree that from what I know about you, a sports bike is your calling. And the cycling analogy is spot on.

It's borne out of a lack of any real comparison, but I just can't see you not loving a CBR600RR to cut your teeth on.

[evostick]

Very good point - the state of UK roads is something I always forget about. Yep - a sportsbike could be absolute hell on them. Evostick can no doubt vouch for this - Gloucestershire roads are particularly special.

Indeed I can. Absolutely fucking terrible around here now...but the only bike I've damaged due to potholes is the bike I bought to cope with all the potholes

The only thing that really stops me from buying another sportsbike is the fact that every time I think about riding one, in my minds eye, I see my youngest sons face at my funeral. I guess I've just got THE FEAR but I've got it for a reason.

So many people will seemingly, casually kill you and the quicker that you're going the easier you're making it for them. Sportsbikes are now just too quick for proper use in modern conditions in the uk and using them for pootling about on is just...well, a bit gay. I have no desire to sound like a boring old fart but, to me the risk just isn't worth it.

I rag the fuck out of my little 800 every time I ride it. It runs out of steam at a ton and that suits my hindsight just fine. Sure, I'd like more power sometimes but, after acclimatisation, I've thought that about every bike and car I've had. I don't want to get all DH-seb but I honestly don't think that I've ever been overtaken on my little GS.

I'm glad that I've ridden proper quick bikes though. Definitely an experience worth having.

Personally, I think that once you've reached a certain age and have managed to display a definite sense of self-preservation then not wasting too much on insurance should be the only factor to consider when choosing what first proper bike to get. Other than that it's fairly simples. Buy one that makes you stare at it for a long time. Big engines are faster but smaller engines are a far easier way to experience the ragged edge where the real fun is at. You'll find out what suits you quick enough whatever you choose for your first bike.

Whatever you get, you'll find out that (given good weather) bikes are more fun than cars.

[JLv3.0]

Other than that it's fairly simples. Buy one that makes you stare at it for a long time.

The guy yesterday was honest enough to say he didn't really care which year it was, he just really loved the colour scheme.

I'd have laughed but I bought it for the exact same reason.

[ZedLeg]

You'll either get this if you know anything about bicycles or you won't, but I have my stem slammed on my road bikes and love bikes with daft, racey geometry.

That analogy never occurred to me for some reason. It makes sense that I prefer the look of more upright bikes to sports bikes considering that I spend most of my cyling time bombing around on MTBs with big suspension and laid back geometry.

[IanF]

I’ve probably said this before, but my mate went from a litre bike to a BMW GS(?) type bike and says that although he feels he’s going as fast as he did on his sportsbike, he’s actually going ~30mph slower, and so has more time to avoid the dickheads/gatsos.