What to do, what to do... decisions, decisionsFollow

Ok, I have a 2002 Honda VFR with 30,000 miles on the clock. It went down for maintenance last Friday and of course the mechs can't promise to have it done until the 14th.

/sigh

While I have always maintained the machine very well, it's my commuter bike, so it was to be expected things were going to begin failing on it, particularly items which normally don't get alot of attention otherwise, like in this case where it seems a relay in the starter has gone bad.

Anyways, I am looking at getting a new bike and wanted to hear some opinions. Shall I purchase a Yammie R-1, a Suzie Gixxer 1K, a Honda 1000CBR, or a Duck 999?

Just wondering what y'all think.

Totem

My dad had a Honda CBR1100 (the Blackbird, as it's known) and he liked it very much. He liked the performance and especially the speed of the bike.

I should probably mention that he killed himself on it.

I don't know enough about that class of bike to comment. I'm suprised a chopper pilot isn't into cruisers. Harley Davidson for example became such a famous machine because of pilots.


Edit: Get one of these. Apparently they seat 3!

Edited, Wed May 31 12:38:03 2006 by Elderon

I'm with Eld. Get a Harley!

I'm thinking it would be difficult to control 999 ducks. Do you hitch them up to a skateboard? I bet they'd make an awful mess in your garage.

Coming off the VFR you might find the ergo's on all of those bikes considerably harsher. Ditto the ZX-10R though you didn't mention it.

Have you considered a Yamaha FJR1300? Or another VFR for that matter. They've supposedly ironed out the problems with the VTEC surprising people.

Also you might want to consider the 750 Gixxer. Lighter and nimbler than the liter bike with only a little less power.

Of course, if you really want to have some fun, get a Suzuki DRZ400SM. Not the most comfortable thing in the world, only has about a 100 mile range, and tops out just under 100mph, but you'll be able to outcorner anything.

But the best bike for you is probably the Yamaha FZ-1 - has the R1 engine, suspension and brakes, with a much more comfortable seating position and half fairing. It was also just named Rider magazine's Motorcycle of the Year.

This one was sexier.

I looked at the FJR and the ST1300, but Mrs. Totem wasn't too keen on the idea of riding on the back after a cyst was removed from the skin above the tailbone. That freed me up to pick a bike that made me grin from ear to ear and saved us about $7500.

As it is, this thing has incredible acceleration and I haven't let it go past 6k RPM yet. One of the reasons I chose this bike was because the Suzy folks were willing to let me test drive a Gixxer and a Hayabusa side-by-side, whereas the Honda, Yammie, and Kawa dealers wouldn't even let me hear the engine note. Moreover, the Yammie dealer utterly ignored me, even as I walked past his desk on the way out the door. I just couldn't see buying a bike without even going for a test drive.

The R-1 didn't fit me all that well. Surprisingly I felt quite cramped in the cockpit and the instrumentation was obscured by the windshield and brake lines.

The CBR1000RR has a lovely blue/yellow paint scheme, but I've read the seat is like a plank and the bike has a few grabby spots in the fuel mapping, making it surge in regions you might not want it to when cornering.

The Kawa ZX-10 got good reviews for power, but the rest of the bike was so-so and I'm not certain I could stomach that green paint for more than a week.

The BMW K1200R was out of my desired price range, as was the Duck Triple 9, and sadly we don't have any Triumph dealers nearby.

Ultimately it came down to the dealer and reviews the bike got. The thing rides like a fighter jet-- you simply think about what direction you want to steer in towards and WHAM! it zips with aclarity in the direction you want to go. And to this point, 48 miles later, I am still grinning from ear to ear.

Totem




PS: Harleys are just boat anchors with two wheels bolted to the ends. I got a chance to drive my neighbor's H-D and was horrified at the poor performance just moseying through town. Not a good bike by any definition.

Red Gixxer 1K. I am in love!


Congratulations. Never ridden one, but heard good things. You've almost motivated me enough to take mine out of storage, but not quite.

And the power zone doesn't even come into play till around 9,000-10,000 RPM. That's when the real fun begins!

Totem

So you're a big cruiser guy, eh, Elderon? I'm curious, just what is it in that bike you picked out from the Suzy lineup that you liked? It's not that I don't like it, but compared to the SuperSport/fully faired machines... I dunno, it's like saying you like a Studebaker instead of a late model Lamborghini. You know, a doughy round curves vs sharp scalpel-like edges and points.

It's the same with H-Ds for me. The whole chrome, a$$-less chaps, and leather fringy things flapping in the wind? To me the only thing missing is a black leather basket attached to the handlebars or a leather pinwheel decorated with silver studs on the sissybar. I don't get it, I guess.

My impression of the Gixxer 1K still stands: It feels for all the world like an F-16 fighter jet without the wings. It truly does give the impression you could barrel roll or loop the thing if you were inclined to give it a try.

Totem

I've always liked the look of the V-twin engines. Albiet, I have a straight 4 engine (1981 Honda Nighthawk 750). The commonallity is they both have that classic motorcycle look. I ride the bike I do because it's actually a huge bike (that fits me well) and the 750cc bikes are the things legends are made of. They were the cat's *** in their time.


You'll notice that the bike I chose does not have tassles (leather fringy things) or anything extra that one would put on the bike to dress it up. I am a big fan of bare bones bikes that have little or no ferrings to cover up the inner workings. I want my bike to be a very transparent piece of art that I can ride and be proud of. The number one thing you will find in the cruiser world vs the ricer world is that thousands of dollars are spent in customizing one's bike. It's about making the machine yours, much like a guy who restores and soups a car would. My bike for instance is one-of-a-kind. I know for a fact that not one other person on the planet has a bike even close to mine. Sure the pink slip says they are the same, but everything has been customized from from intake to exhaust and even the drive train! It's an ongoing project and a sense of pride and ownership. Something you don't get from a ricer.

I do know what you are talking about. The first street bike I ever rode was a 1986 Kawi Ninja 900cc (The widowmaker). I weighed about 140 at the time, so this was a HUGE bike to learn on. I would bearly touch the throttle and the front wheel would leave the ground. It was truely a crotch-rocket. If I wanted an adrenaline rush, that would be the kind of bike I'd go for. However, that is not my goal. I want to see the country-side on something I made, discover new roads in my own backyard, I don't want it to blur by at 200mph.

The guys I ride with do 1000mile - 3000mile rides at the drop of a hat, just for something to do on a weekend, to see new places. Try that on your ricer. Your back will be screaming at the end, but you will have gotten there faster!


Edit: Fixed kawi cc


Edited, Fri Jun 2 11:33:54 2006 by Elderon

Seriously speaking if I had the cash for it, I might have a ricer just as a toy, but that would be the extent of it. It would be a like a jetski or power boat. But, since I have to choose, I pick the one that I can not only ride but make a hobby out of.