Two wheels and a minor.

One of the better 'all rounder' middleweight bikes, IMHO. Especially if you're long the larger / taller side.

Loads of power, but very soft suspension - make an excellent distance bike.

I'm 5'10"ish. My gf says I look like a flea on a Wolfhound riding it (well, sitting on it. She doesn't approve of me riding it).

She wants us to get 125s, but I don't like leggy scrambler looking things, and feel silly on those upright commutery types - like I should have an anorak and a little lunchbox. And as for faux-sports bikes with wacky colours... No way.

I'm rather taken by the ZZR. It's grey/black/silver, not too noisy except when really revving (not that I did, this is the third time I've been on a bike period). I can see her point about the size, though; I also expect, should I get something like that, to need new underwear after the first time it comes on cam (should I go for the fast access route, anyway).

Primarily, I am sensible, so I don't think I'd kill myself on one, but I think real bikers would laugh at my cautious riding.

Richard

They do have a low seat, but they're also quite roomy for a 600.

If she thinks you look like a flea on a Wolfhound on a ZZR6, try sitting on a new GSXR or CBR-R six.

Sir wants a nice, sensible VFR750.

Fast access is the only way. 33bhp is a pittance, should be illegal ;-)

Aye, I know the feeling, but, remember the golden rule: 'ride your own ride' - that way you won't bin it, and you'll enjoy your riding.

I felt a lot happier when I gripped the tank a bit, but New Rocks are not the best footwear. I think the spikes were catching on stuff ;)

Heh. I was sitting on a Yamah XS850 as well. Fiercely expensive low mileage one, looked too 'cafe' for my liking.

I don't know if you're taking this piss, as that is another insanely quick thing for someone with no experience to sit on, but it looks lovely in black at least.

Siani's into backroads on a Vespa smallframe, so she thinks 33bhp is plenty. I've tried a DT125 (with inverted powervalve or somesuch bullshit thing), and I actually think that a peaky 125 is /less/ safe than this ZZR.

That's what I'd hope for - I'd like to think I could become competent enough to handle a bike as well as I can handle a car (which isn't to say I'm any driving god, but I am at least safe and can be quick).

Richard

Not taking the piss in the slightest. It's just that I think the VFR is the best all-rounder ever produced. With the added bonus that nothing else sounds like a Honda V4 on full chat :-)

Lets you live out your Joey Dunlop fantasies :-)

You will have allot more fun pissing about on a motorcross course with a few freinds/competitors than pootleing about in a 160mph+ machine that is effectively restricted to 70mph.

I used to love going to motorcross events, but then I started doing downhill mountain bikeing and traded my 1991 Kawasaki KX250 for a Honda CBX 500cc (i don't think it is a cbx i'll go check after).

That's more a condition 3 price. New MOT puts it in condition 2, unless there's lots of bits missing and damage etc. And over three times that price.

Downhill mountain biking? How do you get back up? Chuck all the bikes in a Transit van and wait for the next bus?

Depends on the course, but you either put the bike on your shoulder and jog/ride it up an easier route to the top. On some of the bigger courses the only choice we had was either a 30 min ride for a 5 min run or if there were only a few of us, get one of parental figures with a big bike rack to run us up to the top a few times. Although some of the trails we found on bike rides where on accessible by foot or bike. We actually had a multi bike pile up when a friend of mine leading us ran over a pair of old ramblers lol! On a down hill section of a really narrow foot path around the hills in the Bishops Castle area.

I still have my Scott downhill bike under some sheeting but nearly everything is worn out on it except the rear suspension and frame :-/ even the pedals are worn out, mind you I have been through about 3 sets, I used to bike everywhere. My triple clamp Manitou suspension now sounds as though they are full of sand when depressed but I think one of the pistons got chewed up a while back and now the other piston needs new seals, I had to keep riding it to get home though! And the crank needs new bearings I think, there is allot of play. And all my cables are worn out/over stretched, the disc brakes aren't that much of a problem I have some old Shimano V- Brakes to replace them. But you have no idea how knackering it is riding a bike with 11" total travel anywhere unless you have one yourself!

Reminds me I broke my Redline XXX bmx gyro when I landed badly last year and that needs fixing since I took a day off and my relatives are now coming tomorrow.

Ex blacksmith's car. It was solid, but by god, the underneath wasn't pretty - and the paint had been applied liberally, underneath and above, covering seams, filler, repairs...

But it was solid, I'll give it that.

Richard

Reminds me of the story about a Reliant three wheeler van - Delboy type. Traded in on a new one as was done every two years. The dealer knew the builder who owned it so gave full book price - even although it was a bit low at the back. Had some new springs fitted, but still the same. Turned out some rear damage had been immaculately repaired with chicken wire and cement...

Nooooo! Fine as budget commuter bikes, s**te as something to have fun on.

Good point, yes, you do.

Surely he's not talking s**te.

Not REMUS......

Bollocks.

it = it's

Argh!

A question which is relevant for me too :) I'm looking at CBR 600's, as they look cool, and seat two comfortably, apparantly - and also, go like the clappers :)

Here's a hint 'not very'.

What? You mess with suspension to improve a 0-60 time? What the *f*ck* are you wibbling on about now?

The fatal flaw in this is that a VFR will hit 60 about a second faster than your bike anyway. (low to mid 3s is about right).

That's because it's tuned for punch / pull when loaded up.

And you've ridden one, so you know exactly what you're talking about?

Point a VFR at a twisty road, with an identically skilled rider against them on the latest litre sports bike - I know that over, say, a 10 mile thrash, there would be literally a handful of seconds between them.

Yes, but that's what a VFR is for. It's to carry myself and Katie hundreds of miles a day in comfort. The fact that it's 90% of a litrebike for 99% of road riders is a nice little bonus.

In a straight line, a ZZR will piss on a CBR.

Well for a start most are 2 stroke engines and can therefore rev stupidly high and for example KX's aren't built to road spec/pass an MOT (they have to be modified quite a bit to run on the road) and in very much the same way that 1000bhp cars don't have very much of the original engine left neither does a properly built pro class engine.

I am 45 now. From being 17 I rode bikes. From my 20s I drag raced street bikes with daft engines, turbos, nitrous, big bore motors high compression and often all at the same time. Some of my bikes were a bit impractical and rather angry with huge flat slides etc, and not at all freindly but ALL were ridden on the road and toured on. By touring I used to frequent southern spain italy, turkey, etc every summer. Including fat tyred 300bhp street / dragstrip refugees. No problems. Big open roads 300bhp is REALLY not an issue! Just immense fun.

A poxy standard 1200 bandit (not even run in) spat me off when I was 37 and left me paralysed - a miserable 120bhp rear wheel (with a quill race can) and it felt like it was a cuddly moped. Its what you are used to. Until

97 (R1s etc I rode everything on road and track and at bruntingthorpe (2 miles of space! No cops) that was worth the magazines testing. And lots of modified stuff too. 100hp on two wheels really does feel like not much. Its like getting into a 1000cc fwd car after owning a TVR.

Its true on the strip... (gsxr 600) not the motorcrosser its too short and powerband too narrow!

I dynoed loads of VFRs non actually did 100 at the back wheel, some came close, the early F models all made about 89 RWHP SAE