Motorcycles.

[giant_mtb]

I'm in an apartment complex. Right now I park my bike in front of my car. Unless I stack another one on top, I'm at full capacity.

Ahhhh nevermind, then.

[Cookie Monster]

That's the lamest sentence ever

F4 does nothing that the WR can't do. At least a scooter would be useful for grocery runs without having to take the Miata out.

WR250X + scooter + R1 + dirt wheelset for the WR would be a great garage.

[Eye of the Tiger]

F4 does nothing that the WR can't do. At least a scooter would be useful for grocery runs without having to take the Miata out.

WR250X + scooter + R1 + dirt wheelset for the WR would be a great garage.

Bullshit.

[Cookie Monster]

Bullshit.

wat

[Eye of the Tiger]

wat

Did you know an F4 can carry grocery bags?

[SVT_Power]

I don't like the looks or ergos either

Another one I was thinking was a VFR

No crossplane I4 but probably would be cheap to streetfighter the R1's ST cousin, the FZ1

[SVT_Power]

I think I've owned the FZ6 for just about 2 months now, still not sure how I feel about it. I think my overall feeling on the bike is it's not bad at anything but isn't great at anything either. Maybe in stock form (half fairing + windscreen + higher handlebar) it gives up a little bit of the fun but gains a lot in the comfort side of things. It's got plenty of power, but obviously it's not a mind blowing level (is there such a thing once you get over the initial "woah" factor from moving up?).

The suspension though definitely could use work. When I start pushing the bike to what I personally consider 8/10, it starts to get a little hairy. I know it's a quick fix with R6 forks being a direct swap, but I don't know if I want to sink any money into this thing. But then again, thanks to insurance I can't really afford anything sportier than the FZ6 for another year.

[CaminoRacer]

Any clue what this gauge cluster is?

[Cookie Monster]

Trail Tech Vapor

[MX793]

I think I've owned the FZ6 for just about 2 months now, still not sure how I feel about it. I think my overall feeling on the bike is it's not bad at anything but isn't great at anything either. Maybe in stock form (half fairing + windscreen + higher handlebar) it gives up a little bit of the fun but gains a lot in the comfort side of things. It's got plenty of power, but obviously it's not a mind blowing level (is there such a thing once you get over the initial "woah" factor from moving up?).

The suspension though definitely could use work. When I start pushing the bike to what I personally consider 8/10, it starts to get a little hairy. I know it's a quick fix with R6 forks being a direct swap, but I don't know if I want to sink any money into this thing. But then again, thanks to insurance I can't really afford anything sportier than the FZ6 for another year.

You can definitely get accustomed, or desensitized, to a bike's performance level after some amount of time.  Not sure how higher bars or a windshield make a bike inherently less fun, but to each his own.

The FZ should have some level of adjustability in the fork, even if it's just preload.  Have you narrowed down what exactly doesn't feel right about the suspension and tried adjusting it?  Also, there are some affordable options for upgrading the stock forks you could pursue before going the route of pricier R6 forks.  Spring and revalve kits only cost a couple hundred bucks (about 1/4 the price of a new set of fully-adjustable forks).

[12,000 RPM]

F4 does nothing that the WR can't do.

I am pretty sure F4 can do more than 1 day of commuting without seeing a gas station. That alone would make it better to me......

No crossplane I4 but probably would be cheap to streetfighter the R1's ST cousin, the FZ1

Crossplane is the whole point

As for your bike dilemma..... I told you to get a twin. Torque is more satisfying on the street. You are probably always looking for somewhere to wind out to 17,000 RPM.

If you are feeling brave or can find someone to do the work I hear R6 cams will wake it up. But it will still be gutless at street RPMs.

Something else to consider doing.... instead of throwing money at the bike.... get a suit and go do some track days. Then you can approach your limits instead of worrying about the bike's

[Eye of the Tiger]

Flatplane > jesusplane

[Eye of the Tiger]

I am pretty sure F4 can do more than 1 day of commuting without seeing a gas station. That alone would make it better to me......
Crossplane is the whole point

As for your bike dilemma..... I told you to get a twin. Torque is more satisfying on the street. You are probably always looking for somewhere to wind out to 17,000 RPM.

If you are feeling brave or can find someone to do the work I hear R6 cams will wake it up. But it will still be gutless at street RPMs.

Something else to consider doing.... instead of throwing money at the bike.... get a suit and go do some track days. Then you can approach your limits instead of worrying about the bike's

As much as I love the high RPM kick in the nuts, it sucks on the street in traffic. Cruisers have such a nice powerband for the strert, but handle like shit. And then there is Buell ...

[SVT_Power]

You can definitely get accustomed, or desensitized, to a bike's performance level after some amount of time.  Not sure how higher bars or a windshield make a bike inherently less fun, but to each his own.

The FZ should have some level of adjustability in the fork, even if it's just preload.  Have you narrowed down what exactly doesn't feel right about the suspension and tried adjusting it?  Also, there are some affordable options for upgrading the stock forks you could pursue before going the route of pricier R6 forks.  Spring and revalve kits only cost a couple hundred bucks (about 1/4 the price of a new set of fully-adjustable forks).

The FZ's only available adjustment is the rear preload. I haven't quite narrowed it down but the bike feels very floaty/unsettled trying to push it through turns. If I end up hitting any kind of bump or even if there is a dip in the corner causing some kind of undulation, it feels very sketchy.

I've heard even just changing the fork oil weight can help and one of my fork seals probably could use replacing anyway. Might try that.

[SVT_Power]

I am pretty sure F4 can do more than 1 day of commuting without seeing a gas station. That alone would make it better to me......
Crossplane is the whole point

As for your bike dilemma..... I told you to get a twin. Torque is more satisfying on the street. You are probably always looking for somewhere to wind out to 17,000 RPM.

If you are feeling brave or can find someone to do the work I hear R6 cams will wake it up. But it will still be gutless at street RPMs.

Something else to consider doing.... instead of throwing money at the bike.... get a suit and go do some track days. Then you can approach your limits instead of worrying about the bike's

I have no problem with the power...I wind it out to redline in first year (60 mph) from lights in the city all the time  

[MX793]

The FZ's only available adjustment is the rear preload. I haven't quite narrowed it down but the bike feels very floaty/unsettled trying to push it through turns. If I end up hitting any kind of bump or even if there is a dip in the corner causing some kind of undulation, it feels very sketchy.

I've heard even just changing the fork oil weight can help and one of my fork seals probably could use replacing anyway. Might try that.

Yes, oil weight, and even volume, can affect fork performance.

[SVT_Power]

I know I want something more firm, but at the same time I've lost a lot of weight and am not that far from what the factory designed the bike for (150 lb rider apparently, and I'm probably hovering just north of 160 now). So I'm not sure if heavier weight oil is gonna be some kind of magical solution.

[CaminoRacer]

Spring swap is easy too.

[Cookie Monster]

I am pretty sure F4 can do more than 1 day of commuting without seeing a gas station. That alone would make it better to me......
Crossplane is the whole point

As for your bike dilemma..... I told you to get a twin. Torque is more satisfying on the street. You are probably always looking for somewhere to wind out to 17,000 RPM.

If you are feeling brave or can find someone to do the work I hear R6 cams will wake it up. But it will still be gutless at street RPMs.

Something else to consider doing.... instead of throwing money at the bike.... get a suit and go do some track days. Then you can approach your limits instead of worrying about the bike's

Nah, WR gets better range than the F4 would. My F4i would go 130 miles between fillups. I can get 160 out of a tank on the WR.

Plus, the F4 will never be street legal again so that is a moot point. Only thing the F4 would do better is cruise on the highway, but the WR does 65-70 perfectly fine, and if I want a bike for power I'm getting an R1. I'm done with 600s.

[12,000 RPM]

Where are you going to ride the R1? I feel like a bike that can do 0-100 in ~7 seconds without a gear change might be slight overkill for a commute............. and that's not exactly a novice track bike

I mean I guess an 04-05 R1 is about as powerful as the GSX-S1000 I rode..... maybe that's not completely unmanageable. But that thing felt hefty. I feel like you would not be OK with the tradeoff in nimbleness for power

Or not, who the F knows.

[Cookie Monster]

Where are you going to ride the R1? I feel like a bike that can do 0-100 in ~7 seconds without a gear change might be slight overkill for a commute............. and that's not exactly a novice track bike

I mean I guess an 04-05 R1 is about as powerful as the GSX-S1000 I rode..... maybe that's not completely unmanageable. But that thing felt hefty. I feel like you would not be OK with the tradeoff in nimbleness for power

Or not, who the F knows.

'04 R1 is around 172-175 hp. GSX-S is 145 hp (it does have the K5/K6 motor but it's detuned for more torque). The two bikes aren't that comparable since the R1 is ~30 lb lighter and has ~30 hp more. I'd be looking for '07+ R1's since I don't really want the 20 valve motor (the 16V makes more power). I mean, if the perfect '04-06 popped up I'd check it out (mainly the 50th anniversary yellow '06), though.

And yes, it's a completely stupid bike for the street, but the idea is to keep both the WR and R1 so I could have both extremes. This is just something I'm still thinking over, though, since I'm having a hard time justifying the shitty MPG and expensive maintenance and insurance costs. I just really want one on those days I want to go fast.

[Cookie Monster]

Maybe I should get the R1 after I pass the 18 month mark from my last ticket though.... lol

[12,000 RPM]

Are you over 25? If not you can pretty much kiss that R1 goodbye till then.

They only dyno within 5-10WHP of each other. They are 30lb apart though. I feel like you would really love a GSX-R750. Appreciably more rip than a 600 without being completely ridiculous. The new GSX-S750 is supposed to be a lot better.... the original one was really boring.

[Cookie Monster]

Are you over 25? If not you can pretty much kiss that R1 goodbye till then.

They only dyno within 5-10WHP of each other. They are 30lb apart though. I feel like you would really love a GSX-R750. Appreciably more rip than a 600 without being completely ridiculous. The new GSX-S750 is supposed to be a lot better.... the original one was really boring.

'07 R1 dynos 156 hp, GSXS dynos 143 hp (so I'm guessing that 145 hp rating is way under rated), so not as big of a difference as I thought.

And yes, I'm 26. I was looking at an R1 before I got the WR and it would have been ~$60/mo for full coverage (though with shittier liability limits). I'm currently paying $20/mo for the WR with very good coverage (don't have collision, but high liability, uninsured, $100 deductible on comprehensive, etc) so I'm balking at even paying $60... not to mention one rear tire on the R1 costs almost as much as a set for the WR and the WR gets 2x the mpg.

I can afford the insurance and maintenance... but the WR has spoiled me

[12,000 RPM]

With shit like this, IMO if there's hesitation or question as to what the benefit will be it's not worth it. It's gotta feel 100% right and like it makes sense. I'm not getting that with you and the R1.

What you SHOULD do is make FRIENDS with someone with an R1

[Cookie Monster]

With shit like this, IMO if there's hesitation or question as to what the benefit will be it's not worth it. It's gotta feel 100% right and like it makes sense. I'm not getting that with you and the R1.

What you SHOULD do is make FRIENDS with someone with an R1

Man, after crashing my own bike I'm super hesitant to want to ride anyone elses, but the RC51 and CBR1000RR I rode before I crashed made me want a liter bike super badly.

My heart really wants one but my brain just can't justify it. Plus, paying $5-6k for a weekend toy that I can't fully exploit is stupid.

[12,000 RPM]

Tell me more about the RC51. Another bike I want to make into a streetfighter.

[Cookie Monster]

RC51 was alright. I think I'm over my infatuation with those. The one I rode had aftermarket rear sets and was super uncomfortable. Engine wise it's amazing, though. Torque everywhere and it just wanted to keep pulling all the time. Interestingly, it didn't have the low speed bogging/chugging issues that Ducati twins have, and the hydraulic clutch is so smooth. Other than the shitty riding position (the CBR1K I rode was much more comfortable), it is an easy bike to ride. My main problem with it is it's giant. Weighs like 475 lb wet and you feel it at low speeds, especially with the riding position.

I think if you streetfighter one, you'll be able to fix most of the shortcomings (reduce weight, improve position). That engine/drivetrain is amazing though.

[12,000 RPM]

My main hangup with the RC51 is the radiator situation. It has side mount radiators that need the fairing to work. If I could figure out a front mounted radiator situation that could clear the valve cover............ 25 MPG be damned

[Cookie Monster]

Oh, new R6 released today:



What do you guys think?

It looks somewhat better than the R1... maybe I should just finance one instead of getting an olde R1.