Which Motorbike do you have?

[Deepak]

I currently have this one http://www.herohonda.com/site/products/index.asp?Sec=CBZ
courtesy my cousin who has given it to me for few months. This is my first bike, I am newbie. Only problem is that it is a bit heavy and tall for my liking.

Max I have drove on it is 70 kph, though it can reach upto 115 kph.

Which bike do you have?

 

[Neeyik]

Vroom!

 

[Powderkeg]

That one is not mine though.

 

[zurich]

God I miss motor/dirtbiking.....

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

My last motorbike:






Clickys for Vysez:

http://img110.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc287&image=ce2_b1.jpg

[img=http://img109.imagevenue.com/loc174/th_1f5_b2.jpg]


I still miss arriving anywhere with a big grin on my face thanks to this bike. Did my first ton-up on this, and it could cruise happily at 110 mph, while just touching 130 mph. If I still had it, I would no doubt have lost my licence long ago thanks to the recent proliferation of speed cameras. Had a matching Arai helmet too. You could outrace Porches on from the lights on one of these. I've actually had people get half-way across pedestian crossings and then run back to the pavement when they saw this coming down the road. I once even had about 60 people refuse to step onto a crossing until they were sure I was going to stop for the red light - only time I ever saw that in the centre of town during rush hour.

For anyone who lives in London, I once made it from Turnpike Lane to Bond Street in eleven minutes on this. Some 12 miles through the centre of town during the morning rush hour.

I was a very bad man when I was younger and riding motorbikes around town.

 

[Farid]

BZB, your pics don't show up.
And the filename is not indicative of the model. But going by your description, I'd guess it's not a Vespa.

Oh, and more power to Powderkeg! Your bike is incredible, man.

 

[Farid]

Weird, they show up fine here. They are supposed to be linked thumbnails, so you should be able to click on them anyway.

Weird, indeed. They show now...

So, it's a 600cc, that's not a vespa, I was right about that, though.

edit: Thanks for the links, BZB.

 

[Nathan]

http://www.ktm.com/EN/models_8617.asp?id_seiten=8617

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Weird, indeed. They show now...

So, it's a 600cc, that's not a vespa, I was right about that, though.

Yeah, 750 cc is supposed to be the best power-to-weight ration, but I found that 600 cc's were just a little more managable around town, with more power than you can use anyway. I'm not a big guy, so I like the racing seat and the feeling of sitting "inside" the bike.

 

[Farid]

Yeah, 750 cc is supposed to be the best power-to-weight ration, but I found that 600 cc's were just a little more managable around town, with more power than you can use anyway.

I'm not a specialist in the field, at all, but aren't Kawasaki actually famous for their 600cc?

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I'm not a specialist in the field, at all, but aren't Kawasaki actually famous for their 600cc?

Yeah, they made them for a long time, and were very successful. They were also well known for their 1100's (could do 185 mph out of the box), and the 250 (first bike to have 100 brake horsepower per ton). I went to bike shows and try the bikes on for size, and it was always the Kawasaki 600 sport bikes that would just fit me perfectly. I also like the fact that stamped into the frame is "Kawasaki Heavy Industries" - they make ships, oil rigs, helicopters, etc.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Even in my dreams the best I get is a souped-up scooter.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Even in my dreams the best I get is a souped-up scooter.

Well, I still have my dreams of buying another bike. My soon-to-be father-in-law had a VFR750 up till his mid-50's when his dodgy knee got bad, and he kind of got us all into bikes when we were 16/17.

I just don't think I can afford that kind of money for what is basically a grown-up plaything. Cars are generally more practical (except for commuting around towns and cities), and after a few years with a company car, I got a taste for the "sofa on wheels", but bikes just have a massive fun factor. Cars are nice, but bikes are just raw, unadulterated fun.

 

[Neeyik]

Yeah, they made them for a long time, and were very successful.

Successful at what though? Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha all out-classed them on the track and the Honda CBR has outsold the lot of them; Kawasaki were more famous for their ZXR750s and, as you pointed out, the ZZR-1100. Although the KR-1S was a better track bike, it played second fiddle to the RGV250 in overall sales.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Successful at what though? Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha all out-classed them on the track and the Honda CBR has outsold the lot of them; Kawasaki were more famous for their ZXR750s and, as you pointed out, the ZZR-1100. Although the KR-1S was a better track bike, it played second fiddle to the RGV250 in overall sales.

Check out how long they made the GPZ600R for. Something like ten years which is a heck of a long time for a single model of Japanese sports bike. It had a long life because people kept buying them. IIRC, Kawasaki basically invented the 600 cc supersport class about 20 years ago.

Kawasaki never did well on the track because they never poured the millions into it that Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha did. I think being part of a big industrial conglomerate rather than part of a motor vehicle manufacturer meant that Kawasaki were never that interested as a company in winning titles - not to the extent that they were willing to out-spend Honda. When Honda was bringing out mega-expensive bikes like NSR400/600 just so that they could be raced in production class, Kawasaki just would not compete. It was too crazy, too expensive.

Still, it's all ancient history for me now....

 

[Neeyik]

I was under the impression that the GPZ only lasted around 5 years or so - mid 80s to the 90s - before being replaced by the GPX; anyway, the CBR still outsold it from its first year of release. Kawasaki almost got things right with the ZZR600 but were too slow to update it; it's only the recent ZX-6R that's put up a decent fight.

 

[kmolazz]

This is my ride:

not much of a fan of sport/race bikes

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I was under the impression that the GPZ only lasted around 5 years or so - mid 80s to the 90s - before being replaced by the GPX; anyway, the CBR still outsold it from its first year of release. Kawasaki almost got things right with the ZZR600 but were too slow to update it; it's only the recent ZX-6R that's put up a decent fight.

Honda was always the 900lb gorilla when it came to the motorbike market. It's weird, because I just never seemed to fit into them or like the styling as well as I liked the Kawasakis. It's like Honda was the Ford of the motorcycle market to me - nice enough bikes, but they just didn't grab me for some reason.

 

[Deepak]

I feel a bit out of place here. BTW, which bike is has fastest (acceleration) and top speed?

 

[AlphaWolf]

I feel a bit out of place here. BTW, which bike is has fastest (acceleration) and top speed?

Of the listed ones here? I dunno, but I am pretty sure the Suzuki 1300R is the fastest production bike in the world.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GSX1300RK5/Default.aspx