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W

Watcher

Member
Fallout-NL said:
@Watcher: I would, however, recommend that you also try a standard/naked bike. Perhaps not as good looking as the 899, but they make a lot more sense on the road.

Maybe an 848 streetfighter if you like Ducati?
Click to expand...
I am considering a yamaha fz-09 as well. Ive read that the 2015 models dont have issue with the jerky throttle response that the 14 models had.

I know it would be more practical and economical but i just dont find it as appealing. They look much better in pictures than in person IMO. Kinda just looks like a dirtbike in person to me.

Anyways i think im getting ahead of myself. Thanks for all the responses but first things first. I gotta sell my ninja 300 lol
 
N

nico1982

Member
Watcher said:
I am considering a yamaha fz-09 as well.
Click to expand...
The engine is terrific. Suspension are on the (very) cheap side. Nothing that a Andreani kit won't fix and considering the ridiculous MSRP it will be still cheaper than both the Ninja and the Ducati. Add some windscreen to the fixes :)
 
D

Dougald

Member
The FZ-09 seems to be a great bike, probably on-par/better than the street triple (except in the looks department IMO, but thats subjective). *AND* it's cheaper too! You can see why Triumph are rumoured to be upping the capacity of the Street Triple to ~800cc. Yellow or Orange are clearly the best colours:

Qh8KUdE.jpg



NukeLaser said:
There is a motorcycle thread!

I hope to learn a lot from you all in this thread. I have been riding for a year and some change now, and it is probably the best thing I have ever done. Here is my entry fee of a few pics of my EX300 Ninja:
Click to expand...

Yes we like to hide in plain sight with our thread title to keep out the riff-raff!! That is a really great looking 300 you've got there, are those decals stock? They look really great
 
M

maxheadwound

Member
Fallout-NL said:
Anyone here ever considered wearing one of those Leatt neck braces simply for road riding?
Click to expand...

For some off roading I would think that would be great. But I have so much kit to get on that adding that will just drive me mad. Also maybe for track riding. But in the end its up to you and the risk you are willing to live with.
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Yeah, exactly. All that gear is already such a hassle. But I've been looking at that Leatt thing for a couple of years now, wondering whether it'd be worth it. The obvious answer is: 'of course it is.'

But yeah, one more piece of crap you have to lug around when not on the bike. Hmmm.
 
M

maxheadwound

Member
Fallout-NL said:
Yeah, exactly. All that gear is already such a hassle. But I've been looking at that Leatt thing for a couple of years now, wondering whether it'd be worth it. The obvious answer is: 'of course it is.'

But yeah, one more piece of crap you have to lug around when not on the bike. Hmmm.
Click to expand...

The guys at BMW that go out for weekend rides swear by it. They are older and fall can take a bit more of a toll on the system hehe. But in the end it up to you. You can get it and if it does not work with your riding then sell it on. Protection is always good
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Apparently it's the wind blast that causes the most damage. I wear my earplugs when I'm planning to be on the highway for longer than a couple of minutes.

(though it might be a good idea to just wear them all time).
 
D

Dougald

Member
I only forego the plugs if I'm running down the road these days. I just use the cheap disposable Oxford Moldex plugs, about £1 a pack.
 
W

Watevaman

Member
I haven't worn plugs since I ran out of the 100 pack I had. It's a great idea to, and I will start wearing them again once I hit the 3,000 mile mark past my crash, because I need to be on the lookout for a noise on the right side.

To be honest, the wind noise between my old EXO-1100 with its worn out pads and the new EXO-500 is huge. The 500 is so much quieter.
 
N

NukeLaser

Member
blackprophesy said:
I ride a Harley with V&H short shots so used to a lot of noise going through there. Really have to get much better moulded earplugs before I go deaf.
Click to expand...

I keep a few pairs of disposable ear plugs in my jacket pocket and a bunch in my bag. Only for when I will be going 50mph+ for longer than 30 minutes, but they are one of the best suggestions I ever received.

Dougald said:
The FZ-09 seems to be a great bike, probably on-par/better than the street triple (except in the looks department IMO, but thats subjective). *AND* it's cheaper too! You can see why Triumph are rumoured to be upping the capacity of the Street Triple to ~800cc. Yellow or Orange are clearly the best colours:


Yes we like to hide in plain sight with our thread title to keep out the riff-raff!! That is a really great looking 300 you've got there, are those decals stock? They look really great
Click to expand...

They are! I rolled off the showroom floor with it just like that. Unfortunately the decals are no longer on the bike right now. Two days after I got the bike I was involved in a hit and run that scratched up the right side of the bike something fierce. Insurance covered the repairs, but when Kawasaki shipped in the new parts, they were not only back ordered for six weeks, but they forgot to put the decals on the replacement parts!

Upon seeing it myself, I kind of liked the way it looked without the decals, so I had my mechanic pull the front fearing stickers on the left side as well to make it match. Completely changes the look entirely. I may end up ordering new decals eventually, but for now I like the unassuming look it has.

Not the best picture of it, but I will have to snap a pic the next time I hop on it:

8JmQAvo.jpg
Click to expand...
 
J

Jackson

Member
Watcher said:
Thank you for your very detailed reply. That bit about wet mode in particular should be really helpful if i do end up getting the bike. Also, HNNNGG at datass of the panigale, great shot. Its such a sexy machine i 100% want the bike based strictly on looks.

Im also considering a zx6r as it is cheaper, but i know ill always be slightly disappointed that i didnt go with the panigale.
Click to expand...

I tested a new 2014 ZX6R before I got the 899 (I tested pretty much everything hehe). It's a great bike. Kawasaki went street focused with their supersport when everyone else was going track focused. It's a very well balanced bike, great for the street. Really confidence inspiring. But to be honest, I felt that it was a great beginner bike. It's what I should have bought, but couldn't buy because I was scared of "600cc supersports". In reality it's what the 300 should be, suspension, chassis, revs. It didn't feel (to me) like a worthwhile upgrade from the 300. It also lacked a lot of soul and character. It's bland looking, bordering on ugly depending on the color scheme and exhaust note is lame. The Triumphs on the other hand have that soul, that's why they are so popular in that category.

Anyway for me ZX6 = ultra solid, next step up. 899 = next level.
 
N

nico1982

Member
blackprophesy said:
God dammit Kawasaki are doing 0% finance on the ER-6F (and others) with only £99 deposit :-/
Click to expand...
There are rumors about an ER-7 platform with an 700-800 cc engine. It will replace the ER-6 and go against the MT-07 which will soon get a faired version. I guess they want to clear the inventory.
 
B

blackprophesy

Member
nico1982 said:
There are rumors about an ER-7 platform with an 700-800 cc engine. It will replace the ER-6 and go against the MT-07 which will soon get a faired version. I guess they want to clear the inventory.
Click to expand...

Yeah I saw that. I also want to see the MT-07 Tracer. Then I see Panigale porn up the thread and that starts off another train of thoughts (dreams). Picking a bike isn't easy!
 
N

nico1982

Member
Jackson said:
I tested a new 2014 ZX6R before I got the 899 (I tested pretty much everything hehe). It's a great bike. Kawasaki went street focused with their supersport when everyone else was going track focused. It's a very well balanced bike, great for the street. Really confidence inspiring. But to be honest, I felt that it was a great beginner bike. It's what I should have bought, but couldn't buy because I was scared of "600cc supersports". In reality it's what the 300 should be, suspension, chassis, revs. It didn't feel (to me) like a worthwhile upgrade from the 300. It also lacked a lot of soul and character. It's bland looking, bordering on ugly depending on the color scheme and exhaust note is lame. The Triumphs on the other hand have that soul, that's why they are so popular in that category.
Click to expand...
Eheh, I feel that not feeling the Z6 as an huge upgrade from a 300 is quite an understatement :D

Maybe the point is that you have to build quite a bit of experience on a 600 cc inline 4 to take advantage of it. The engine likes to be revved high. You have to upshift and downshift aggressively. You must have the confidence to carry a lot of speed into the corners. The latter especially is not something you achieve overnight. If you have not developed the required intimacy with the bike, then a 600 might not feel such an upgrade from a 300 twin (or mono) and an engine with a fattier & flatter torque curve like the Street or the little Panigale might be way more enjoyable, sure.

I agree that modern 600s could be good beginner bikes in the sense that if you ride them lightly, they are gentle kittens. But they are also deceptively bi-polar: provoke them and they become savage wildcats. Not to be understimated.I also agree that the Ninja is plain looking, but looks is objectively subjective: I like the front fairing of the 2011-2014 Tuono :p

Disclaimer: I happily rode a naked 600 inline 4 for over 4 years and 70000 km, I miss it and I might be a bit biased :D
 
N

nico1982

Member
D

Dougald

Member
Don't really like that front-end. The forks look out of place, as does the light (was it nicked from the XJR1300?)

These MTs are going places though, Yamaha are really gunning for Triumph and doing a spectacular job of it, IMO.
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
Dougald said:
Don't really like that front-end. The forks look out of place, as does the light (was it nicked from the XJR1300?)

These MTs are going places though, Yamaha are really gunning for Triumph and doing a spectacular job of it, IMO.
Click to expand...

headlight looks too small to me.

BMW S1000 XR... seems to be a take on the duc multistrada

5_1920x1080.jpg


Not sure I like it... but it will be comfortable and fast that is for sure.
 
M

maxheadwound

Member
Flo_Evans said:
headlight looks too small to me.

BMW S1000 XR... seems to be a take on the duc multistrada

5_1920x1080.jpg


Not sure I like it... but it will be comfortable and fast that is for sure.
Click to expand...

jip, that is what the guys are saying here in the UK. If you are in the market for a GS and you not going to take the bike offroad and you would like to do a few track days this is going to be a nice bike.

- Touring
- Quick blasts
- comfy ride with loads of protection
- track day fun.

I still need to go and have a taster hehe
 
M

maxheadwound

Member
A couple in each division to cater for a wide range of tastes. You can see this from the car side too. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 series and then the x1,2(to come),3,4,5,6

So many choices so little money lol
 
D

Dougald

Member
I feel like they're not going to stop until they have an inline 4 and boxer twin version of every possible type of bike... so many choices
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Man, who knew that any of the major manufacturers had it in them to make such a good video?

Great looking bike! I wanted one immediately, but then I remembered where I live. We have no great outdoors.
 
D

Dougald

Member
It really depends on the seat I think. I only have a 29" inside leg if I'm generous (I am 5'7") but I was able to ride an R1200GS okay. A KTM Adventure would be right out!
 
N

nico1982

Member
Honda is going to bring all of their guns to bear on this one. Finally a worthy replacement of the 990 adventure. And the original Africa Twin, of course.
I read somewhere they are aiming for a 199 kg "dry-weight": almost 10 kg lighter than both the original XRV and the 990, and not another 220+ kg off-road wannabee.

Dougald said:
Very surprising that Honda has decided to go with DCT for an off-road bike. I guess the proof will be in the reviews of how well that works opposed to manual. I really ought to try the system out for myself sometime and see if it is any good.
Click to expand...
It is dual clutch but it is still manual, that is semi-automatic. The rider has control on when to change. The system nets you smoother up- and down-shifts, which is always a plus especially on low friction surfaces, and marginally better fuel economy.
 
D

Dougald

Member
I would think losing the ability to slip the clutch would be missed in terms of slow speed control, no? I guess it depends on how the fuelling is. For normal street riding I can absolutely see the benefits. I'd like to see what it's like to ride, anyway. We'll all end up without clutches in the future when everything goes electric anyway.

My only lengthy experience with a semi-auto gearbox was when I was a student and drove a smart car, and that was hideous. But that's probably not really going to be a fair comparison!
 
N

nico1982

Member
Dougald said:
I would think losing the ability to slip the clutch would be missed in terms of slow speed control, no?
Click to expand...
Yes, somewhat. Letting the clutch slip is the "tool" we have to use in conventional transmissions. The results is the bike, or better, its wheels rolling at lower speed without stalling the engine. This is something automatic transmissions do already, even if not perfectly. I think the short gearing of an off-road bike might come into help.
That said, how well the system works off-road is to be seen, as you say, but given the Africa Twin is a huge thing for Honda, I don't think they are going to make risky choices: they know it works, and works very well.
 
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