Motorcycles



Rumpelstiltskin said:

Survey says

Anyone who rides over 55 mph (virtually everyone) and anyone who rides distance will disagree with you.  Vehemently.

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The longest ride I have ever done in a 24 hour period was just shy of 1100 miles. It was on a naked Yamaha XS1100 Special and is documented with the Iron Butt Association.

I have run hours at a time on I-40 in Tennessee at 95MPH on my Cagiva Gran Canyon. This was on a roadtrip that covered over 2500 miles last Fall. I didn't say that a windscreen has no effect. But all that bullshit boy racer plastic bodywork around your engine makes you look like a wannabe.

Steve Smith said:

The longest ride I have ever done in a 24 hour period was just shy of 1100 miles. It was on a naked Yamaha XS1100 Special and is documented with the Iron Butt Association.

I have run hours at a time on I-40 in Tennessee at 95MPH on my Cagiva Gran Canyon. This was on a roadtrip that covered over 2500 miles last Fall. I didn't say that a windscreen has no effect. But all that bullshit boy racer plastic bodywork around your engine makes you look like a wannabe.

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Some of us don't have extra muscular necks. As for the rest of the body work aerodynamics really work you know....ask the touring guys on their Goldwings and BMW K1600s.

You like naked bikes. I get that. So do I. But if I were to only own a single bike, it would not be a naked bike (except for maybe a Duc 1098 streetfighter). Different strokes for different folks. But to liken enduro knobby tires on a bike that stays on road with functional bodywork is a rather silly comparison.



Rumpelstiltskin said:

Have you ever ridden a super hawk? Not a beginner bike but it is another cult classic. 

An older friend of mine had one and rode the piss out of it, small gas tank and all.  track days, long trips, around town, backroads...everything.  Ended up totalling it on the track (cracked engine case but insurance covered it because it was written up as a "rider education program") so he bought a cbr1000 (the heavy one from 2006).  He still misses it all these years later.

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I like these... (Hawk... SUPER Hawk lololol). The small tank turned me off though. If I went the liter V route I would sort out an SV1000. I need that range.

There's no better death for a bike than blowing up on the track. Your friend really pushed that bike, that story makes me happy.



Steve Smith said:

The longest ride I have ever done in a 24 hour period was just shy of 1100 miles. It was on a naked Yamaha XS1100 Special and is documented with the Iron Butt Association.

I have run hours at a time on I-40 in Tennessee at 95MPH on my Cagiva Gran Canyon. This was on a roadtrip that covered over 2500 miles last Fall. I didn't say that a windscreen has no effect. But all that bullshit boy racer plastic bodywork around your engine makes you look like a wannabe.

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I don't typically ride long distances - typically no more than 100 miles at a time - but I have had no problems on my naked Buell Lightning either in terms of aerodynamics or comfort. Then again, It is my only bike and I haven't ridden any of those plastic covered Hondas either.



brokencycle said:

I don't typically ride long distances - typically no more than 100 miles at a time - but I have had no problems on my naked Buell Lightning either in terms of aerodynamics or comfort. Then again, It is my only bike and I haven't ridden any of those plastic covered Hondas either.

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Iv'e got a standard, a naked, and a faired sportbike - there's a big difference at highway speeds. On my CB400 you're seriously fighting the air above 60. My NT650 puts you at an angle to deal with it better, since you're half tucked already. But the CBR has me speeding, because the bodywork seriously reducing the sensation of speed as I'm used to it - I actually worry about taking curves too fast because I don't realize how fast I'm approaching; luckily, it also handles curves at higher speeds than I'm used to.

Still, SS has a point: the RR does stand for race replica and a lot of young riders like to highlight that.



epb said:

If you're new to bikes and not mechanically inclined, get something newer. Even a well-maintained old bike is going to have problems because it's old, parts are going to give out, old wires will fray. Track down a used CBR250R or Ninja, or if you want a standard and aren't power mad like most ill-advised newbies, a Suzuki TU250X, SymWolf Classic or Cleveland Misfit which have old-school style and power but are new.

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You have any experience with the Suzuki, SymWolf, or Misfit? Been reading up on all 3 and they have very good reviews, a great look, and are decently priced. I'm leaning toward the Misfit, but I'm curious if the lack of dealerships that sell/repair them (closest to me in 2 hours away, which actually isn't too bad) is an issue.



Reynard369 said:

You have any experience with the Suzuki, SymWolf, or Misfit? Been reading up on all 3 and they have very good reviews, a great look, and are decently priced. I'm leaning toward the Misfit, but I'm curious if the lack of dealerships that sell/repair them (closest to me in 2 hours away, which actually isn't too bad) is an issue.

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There was a brisk debate about the Misfit in this thread several weeks ago. No need to rehash it.

Cool The Kid said:

I like these... (Hawk... SUPER Hawk lololol). The small tank turned me off though. If I went the liter V route I would sort out an SV1000. I need that range.

There's no better death for a bike than blowing up on the track. Your friend really pushed that bike, that story makes me happy.

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He rode that bike to Daytona multiple times, to Indiana I believe, and countless trips into the Appalachian, the Allegheny and the Adirondacks, the local and not so local tracks like VIR & Summit Point (where the bike lost it's life). And this is a dude in his late 50s/early 60s. That bike lived a long life

We have a TU250 and it's oddly entertaining. We picked it up to keep on the boats.

Short jaunt this afternoon.



EgliComet said:

We have a TU250 and it's oddly entertaining.

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I took the CB400 out this morning for the first time since getting the CBR600. Starting out, it felt like I was riding a moped, but the charms of riding a slow bike fast soon re-asserted themselves.



Reynard369 said:

You have any experience with the Suzuki, SymWolf, or Misfit? Been reading up on all 3 and they have very good reviews, a great look, and are decently priced. I'm leaning toward the Misfit, but I'm curious if the lack of dealerships that sell/repair them (closest to me in 2 hours away, which actually isn't too bad) is an issue.

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Steve Smith said:

There was a brisk debate about the Misfit in this thread several weeks ago. No need to rehash it.

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I didn't know about that, thanks. But after having read said brisk debate, my specific concern was not addressed, so the question still stands.



epb said:

I took the CB400 out this morning for the first time since getting the CBR600. Starting out, it felt like I was riding a moped, but the charms of riding a slow bike fast soon re-asserted themselves.

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How would you describe the charm of it?



BostonHedonist said:

How would you describe the charm of it?

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Part of it is the quaintness - the upright seating position and placement of the controls, the way it favors chrome over plastic, the revvy parallel twin. One mild annoyance I have with modern bikes is almost nothing sold in the US is intended for use as daily transportation - they're all designed to look like toys of some particular niche. The CB400T is from a period where bikes were sold as a way to get around, all the time.

The rest lies in the performance - it's an even more visceral experience than modern bikes because you can use more of it even at city speeds, and you have to work the bike to access it. My CBR will do 60mph like it's nothing - on a good day, I'll used half the bike's rev range. The same route and speeds on my CB400 require more of me as a rider and I have to ask more of the bike. Some people disdain the supposed wheezy performance of these, but it's really that riders - like most drivers - are no longer used to wringing performance out of a bike in these days of abundant low-end torque. It's fun to scrunch down and really twist the throttle and make the bike move, yet not wind up losing my license.

epb said:

Part of it is the quaintness - the upright seating position and placement of the controls, the way it favors chrome over plastic, the revvy parallel twin. One mild annoyance I have with modern bikes is almost nothing sold in the US is intended for use as daily transportation - they're all designed to look like toys of some particular niche. The CB400T is from a period where bikes were sold as a way to get around, all the time.

The rest lies in the performance - it's an even more visceral experience than modern bikes because you can use more of it even at city speeds, and you have to work the bike to access it. My CBR will do 60mph like it's nothing - on a good day, I'll used half the bike's rev range. The same route and speeds on my CB400 require more of me as a rider and I have to ask more of the bike. Some people disdain the supposed wheezy performance of these, but it's really that riders - like most drivers - are no longer used to wringing performance out of a bike in these days of abundant low-end torque. It's fun to scrunch down and really twist the throttle and make the bike move, yet not wind up losing my license.

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your CBR will hit 90 mph in first gear. lol