just curious...
As title says.

My last bike was a Honda VFR800.
It's been eating me alive not having a bike... don't think i can resist more than 1 more yr w/o 1...
Thinking on either a 1000cc or zx14, due to more comfort and still plenty of fun to ride... plus I want a bike that accelerates faster than my car... lol

What kind of question is that.... of course some of us speed/adrenaline junkies have bikes I've never raced a motorcycle since the potential for breakage is so much higher and I'd be pissed about that since it would keep me out of the car and off the bicycle(s).

Jason S.
2008 Ducat 1098
2004 BMW 1150RT
1999 Triumph Daytona 995i (just sold)
2002 Triumph Speed Tripple (possible next bike)

not quite as sporty as some sports but

1993 suzuki GSX 1100G, rejetted and tuned for ~115RWHP (got a dyno graph to prove it)

I have no plans to upgrade as I can put hours and hours on it in the hill country w/o issue or soreness.

I totalled a 1993 GSXR-Katana 750 and that's the last time I've been on a bike. I keep looking and thinking that I'd like to have another one, but hitting the ground at triple digit speeds all those years ago kinda left an impression (wow, that was bad... ) on me...and the ground.

I really wanted a 1993 Honda Hawk GT (of all things). It was an 2 year production, aluminum frame 650 V twin that was only in the mid 300 pound range (340-ish?) and back then, that was light.

pix of the Ducati... am thinking about the 2008 1098R ;-)... not cheap, though.
I used to race 600cc in the day.

the Hawk GT... know it very well... lol
I also totalled my bike on a heads-on collision going ~85... leather took a heck of a beating and i was ok... apart from that, the other incidents, were 2 tank-slappers @ the track, one was scary cause the bike kicked me over the handle bars... and a few high-speed slides

Then i started trying on the car... line is weird on a 4-wheel... lol... took me awhile to get used to it....

My cousin races bikes and I've went to watch him a couple times. I will have to say that those guys are nuts. On the front brake hard and still on the rear brake wagging the tail to try to dump some more speed!

Makes me glad I've got a cage and sheet metal.

i have a sport-touring bike... yamaha FZ6... I didn't buy it for thrills but it has turned out to be one of funnest toys I have ever had..

It is almost time for me to start racing again and I have not decided if I will continue to race my IROC or begin sport bike racing..

Howdy,

I roadraced a bunch of different bikes in the '90's, quit at the end of the '97 season after it had turned more into a 2nd job than anything else. Had street bikes off and on during that period, but I was never interested in street riding much. By the time stuff started getting fun I was gonna get killed or go to jail.

Every now and then I think of getting another bike but never do. The new 600's these days are pretty amazing on the spec sheet... I'd go with that I think for at least a little while, or possibly even something "entry level" like an SV650.

I've yet to ever see a bike that wouldn't out accelerate a car, if you're at all comparing like for like... :-) Any of the new liter bikes are just astounding to me. Double the power of the 600's from my day & lighter to boot.

There's a crapload more track days available for bikes these days then there were back then too. I'd certainly recommend that, if you're into speed & such, but don't be surprised if you end up not wanting to ride on the street much.

Mark

I grew up racing moto-x. First street bike was an FJ1100. Current is a CBR1100XX. I've never had any desire to track any of my sportbikes. Not sure why, just haven't.

I used to do ~ 30,000 miles in a summer on bike, and not much of a speed freak on public roads... do that @ the track
I wouldn't go w/ a 600 cause i know i'll regret the lack of tq... I'm thinking more 1liter, but the zx14 always had a special place, and tends to be more keened towards the "lots of mileage", while being a great handling bike and having a bit more confort than the 1liters.
After all, I'm thinking on bringing it to the track maybe 1-2x/yr just for fun.

I'm not going back to the similar pace you had... racing bikes was like a 2nd job... and ppl were crazy @ the track, the further one was.
I think I'll take a 30-45 minutes drive and buy the bike south of the border, pay the $222.xx needed to import the bike, and save a good $5k on a $10-11k bike that sells for 15-16k here... BS !
I'll buy a new speedo that has real measurements (km/h) if need be... but the R1 doesn't have that problem... lol

around 99-00, I spent so much time @ the track w/ CBR1100XX... was lots of fun... good beast from the day.
Loved that bike... then drove ZX12 for awhile... loved it... similar weight as VFR, similar handling, more guts... hence why i want the zx14...

Wow, you guys with your high horsepower sportbikes are almost making me embarassed to admit I only have an 05 500R Ninja. I bought it a few summers ago when gas jumped over $3/gal. I commute 60miles a day in a 4wd suv that gets 18mpg on a good day, so a motorcycle capable of 60mpg seemed like a good idea. I'm happy with it. It's light, fun, handles great, and can still whip any cruiser bike.

saw the thread title...and was thinking...well its not really a sport bike, just looks like one...then I see you mention VFR so... currently have a 96 VFR750, bought in 00, has the usual mods, been to the track once but it was one of those straight line type Decided this summer to look for a new bike...looked hard at a new VFR, rode a BMW, and that was it. Bought a big fat lazy 04 K1200RS. Was sitting in this guys garage in GA with 4K miles on it. He had 3 others BMW's to ride and he liked this one the least since it didn't have cases on it!! Has a power commander and Remus titanium exhaust on it. Not sure if the track is in the future for me...I feel a lot better wrecking with 3000lbs worth of steel around me Still use the 55mpg Honda for daily transport though

Jeff, nothing to be embarrassed about... in many countries, the 500cc is considered extremely fast bike...
Todd, on my VFR I ended up having a Two-Bro full system, smoke windshield, got the 2001 mirrors, cause i hated the 98-00 condom type mirrors.
You know, when looking @ zx14, i noticed the concours14 and was interested... but found it to be too touring to my taste... since i was thinking somewhere on my heart about a 1liter bike, i decided to compromise w/ zx14: enough power, good handling, agility, comfort... sacrificing bit of agility for comfort... but since bike will be mainly street driven... i can live w/ that... another way of looking @ it is that it's roughly same agility as VFR, same weight, similar comfort, but more power.

maybe 1 day I'll get a 2nd dedicated track-bike... then I'll get a Ducati 1098R or R6 or something like that.
On the other hand a, friend of mine said he tried scooter racing and supposedly is super fun... who knows... might get a blast out of it.

a weird question came to my mind... why can't bikes autox ???

this is what I call a couple that have the same passion... and do it together... lol

Hey Jeff,

That was my 1st street bike. It was a GREAT first bike. I still commuted on it for a while, until it started getting unreliable, even after I had the Triumph.

Jason S.

Oh, but they can!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99KKx7cB-Ok

I do have '90 H-D Softail with Powerhouse114cc..Still work on it to start-up soon.

Err...I have a problem with things that go fast. I like them a lot.

I started riding about 3 1/2 years ago shortly after meeting my wife who has been riding since she was a teenager.

In the garage at home right now are:

02 Triumph Sprint ST (mine - what an awesome all around bike. I can do 1000 on a weekend with hard luggage on it but its still a blast to throw around in the canyons. The suspension has been warmed over a bit but other than thatits bone stock)

06 BMW K1200S (wife's - this thing is a BEAST. 164bhp and it gets up and moves. Cait doesn't ride the bike fast but unlike other stupidly fast bikes I've ridden, this thing is utterly civilized and a total dream to ride just putting around at the speedlimit. If you crank the throttle it gets up and MOVES, as evidenced by the 95 in a 65mph ticket I got on it heading into the office one morning a month ago.)

03 Kawi ZX6-R track bike (Penske shock, ohlins fork inserts, race plastics, blah blah blah. Using a stop watch a friend of mine clocked me at a mid 1:32 at Big Willow on it. A competitive lap time for this bike is in the 1:28's so I've got a bit of room to go )

Prior to that my wife and I have had:

03 BMW R1150R - Cait's bike when we met. She still regrets selling it (as do I)
98 VFR800 - GREAT bike. She gave it to a good friend of hers in NorCal. I bought the Sprint because its so similar to the VFR.
89 FZR-600 - my first bike.Kept it for 7 months and sold it for more than I paid
02 CBR600 F4i - my second bike and a lot of fun
04 GSX-R 750 (Wife's old bike that I was 'forced' to ride when she got tired of it and started riding the F4i)

I've done 4 - 5 track days on the bike but I don't really have any intention / plans to race them. I am interested in taking a few schools though. I'm signed up one of Rich Oliver's mystery school in early May ( http://www.richoliver.net/funcampmain.html ) and I'd like to fit in a Pridmore school (www.startmotorcycle.com ) after Nationals in '08.

nice clean run... wonder how many cones i'd hit in that course w/ the SS...

Eugenio

Shoulda started this thread earlier. A CBRXX forum member in Wisconsin had his '07 ZX14 listed for sale for $8500. Updated as "no longer available for sale" a month or so ago, I assume it sold.

A buddy is very hot on the new Concours ... loves the power of the 1.4 liter, wants something a little more touring oriented than the ZX. He had one of the first Concours back when I had my FJ, and put thousands and thousands of miles on that thing. They're a little top heavy for my taste. And, like the newer BMW's, the angular styling hasn't grown on me yet.

just hope it wasn't the very nice blue they don't make anymore.

I've got an '06 Kawasaki Z750S. Nice sporty bike I got for weekend trips to places that aren't flat and straight. Would love to do a bike track day but not my bike (wouldn't want to drop it).

Sidney
AI#64

I started driving on 2 wheels, bought 4 new bikes and a couple of used ones before my first new car. Did a lot of riding all over the west, caught the cafe racer bug on a trip from MN to WA/OR/CA about 1973 on my Triumph 500TT. Bought a Rickman Kaw CR, raced it at BIR and other midwest tracks, built the motor, broke it, got a Yam RD350 and raced it with CRA/WERA/AFM. My last 2 wheel race was at Sears Point in 1978, my last street bike was a 80ish Suzuki GS1000. After moving to CA the traffic dulled my enthusiasm for street riding - I felt I was ahead of the game and drifted away from riding with all of my bones intact.

A career put the race bug on hold till the 4th gen Fbod came out in 93 and I had to have one.

The Rickman has been in the basement for 30yrs, one of these days I'm gonna restore it - this is what it looked like before I thrashed it:

I'm currently running a 2000 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille.. It's my.. 5th bike I think, I was without one for a few years after my VFR, and I've always loved this bike, and I found this one with only 2700 miles on it in 2006, had never seen rain! (I quickly fixed that)

I figured I should own one top-shelf sportbike before my back gets too messed up and I can't assume the full-on sportbike tuck anymore, so with this one up for sale at less than half of new, I scooped it up.

The v-twin is amazing, and I love busting the Harley owners' balls that they're not the only ones with a 60° v-twin, mine just makes 130hp with 1000cc. The combination of the chassis, decent suspension, and great brakes really make for a fun bike.

At VIR on a VERY cold trackday, running the FULL course.. (over 150mph 3 times a lap when I pulled the corners right) Unfortunately, I low-sided on a cold patch of the track on the last lap of the last session of the day, 3 turns from the finish.. Oh well, never take anything to the track you're not willing to take home in a box!

rsv-mille... love that bike.
As a matter fact, just saw one today... how rare is that ?
I always wondered about getting one... but they are too $$$.
Just like a 1098R looks great, but $$$.

That "couple" couple you refer to is Randy Mamola giving rides on the GP7 Ducati.
He does it at various tracks in Europe.

As admin for www.ducati.ms, I should know.

Here is my bike....

On the street, right after I painted it.




And in track form, at MSR....

some pix of the new addition to the stable:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/571339511BaHjfr

Sharp bike! A real "Gentleman's GT".. I think a Hyabusa could also be a great GT bike had the "stunna" crowd not made that name symbolic with lowered, stretched, abortions of sporting motorcycles..

But the ZX-11 was always a great GT, I hear the 14 is even more so. And that sucker must REALLY pull I bet!!!

I think my next addition will be something similar to yours.. If only Honda would have made a VFR1200 with no VTEC garbage.. just a big V-4 with gear-driven cams and the sexy single sided swingarm... *drooool*

My DUCATI Monster 900





~DaVe

Breaking the dude rule!!

Is it okay to post dirtbikes in this thread? This is my old RM125/151 stroker, piped, jetted, filter, sprocket, CF reeds, suspension upgrades, etc. Very light, fun, fast. Yellow is so bland after awhile....so I took it apart and it got the frame powdercoated orange, used that color change paint (blue/purple/green) for the fairings and number plate, put sparkly metallic black/purple rhino on the fenders and tank, and a red/black seat. Strange looks ahoy!


Click for bigger (in need of a chain):



It's gone now, but I may get something for the street sometime. I like sportbikes (crazy Buells really), but I think I may try to jump on a slightly used SuperMoto for my next bike. KTM probably. It'd be a fun work commuter....

yeah...i wish...i seriously LOVE my VFR750.

I am sad today...sold my K1200RS last night. I'm looking to buy a replacement bimmer in the fall, probably a K1200S

wow that's some pretty exotic stuff.
just sold my 02 GSXR 1000 so now I ride my wife's 03 RC51 till I can decide on what to get next. looking real hard at the 09 or 2010 R1

I loved my VFR800 too.
If you want a bigger bike, why not the Aprilia RSV-1000 family ?
lots of similarities with the VFR... or should I say the other way around.

I'm very happy w/ the zx14.. and it does pull like a mofo... it feels like an infinite power house... the more you twist, the harder you struggle to stay on the bike
it's bloody fast... makes me feel like the SS ain't that fast anymore... lol

To trackbird..
hmm quotes didn't work right



LoL


Ps I had a 95 Ninja 250
Black w/ the purple blue-ish stripes
It was nice and peppy enough for me but
I preferred being the rider .. and my fav bike
is the Honda CBR series.. BEAUTIFUL bikes

Yea, I keep looking at the hardware in this thread and going "Hmmmm....". But I'm quite certain my 2 wheel days are over for good. I keep trying to talk myself out of it though... And you guys aren't helping!!!

umm yea bro LoL u just might b safer on 4 wheels .. although the verdict is still out on that too. HAHAH