[36962]

Re: How fat are you Americans getting?

"p.s. how come your basketball team came two places after ours at the champs in Indianapolis?"

Because *chomp* they sucked? I'm just guessing here *munch*...

you NZ clowns are just jealous because we 'mericans have all the best couches ha!

 

[36962]

makes sense for them to be similar, really, as these bikes are all the product of the different mfgr's engineering teams striving towards the same solution. Becuase these bikes are optimized for track performance, this forces their design details and architecture into congruence, so that parity is achieved, at which point relative performance advantages are incremental.



in other words, they all look the same, because they were all designed to do the same thing, optimize track function.

 

[Auphliam]

word

 

[Auphliam]

I agree. That is one GREAT looking piece. I've actually ran through my mind how it would be nice to have for commuting. Practical even.



Unfortunately, the scenario always ends with my wife lookng at that tiny pillion and then reigning blows down upon my head while repeating "STUPID, STUPID MAN".



I guess I'm a slave to the cruiser

 

[9214]

pillion slave

...or you could get a bigger sportbike, one with a comfyer pillion pad. Honda's Blackbird is way comfortable for two people, and it's getting a bump in displacement for 2003. Need more oomph? Check out the 'busa or the ZX-12R, too.

 

[jmeyn]

When you start with 120 hp, 200 hp per litre, 3 hp is a lot. Eight pounds lighter is a big deal too in a class as tight as the 600 replicas. Add 50% more lateral stiffness and state-of-the-art fuel injection and the R6 looks like a winner. Wait for the road/track tests and the comparo, you'll see.

 

[jmeyn]

That is a testament!

 

[jmeyn]

Funny, the one thing missing from this offering is any advance in power/traction management. I expect FI is the first step; look for throttle-by-wire next.

 

[jmeyn]

NO, send Elliot

I vote for El Flaco. Stay home John. Calvin can go with him as backup.

 

[blackburd]

Re: Man, 22 Sets Record for Crashing New Sportbike

Beauty!!!

If you look at enough crashed motorcycles, you will find a common thread. A large percentage of the bikes either have temporary license plates, bad tires, or both.

 

[jmeyn]

Not unless you work really hard at getting the best out of the bike, like your buddy did.

 

[jmeyn]

A loaf of bread, a flask of wine and an R6

So even racers are slaves to beauty!

 

[lu955i]

Re: How fat are you Americans getting?

Now thats some funny ****e

 

[R1TCHIE]

I love what little I've seen and heard so far; especially if the F.I. is as spot-on as the R1's. The only expected/unexpected thing is that I rather thought the new generation would have the inverted forks. Are they more of a gimmick after-all, rather than of any real benefit ???

 

[rsheidler]

Don't get me wrong -- I love my Duc, but by any rational measure, it falls short of the Yamaha. I have spent thousands on performance modifications (engine and suspension), and yet the stock Yamaha would easily outrun it, in a straight line or on a road course.



What the Duc does have going for it is

a) exclusivity

b) that sound

c) Most important -- it is already paid for!

 

[056]

USD forks

I think only show their benefits when they have top-quality internals. Plus they are a little heavier than conventional, so at the bargain-basement quality level of OEM suspension, they would be heavier and not provide any benefit to the rider.

They do look good, and lets face it, in this market, that's what it's all about, besides spec-sheet numbers.

Exibit A: Ducati Monster, not known for its suspension quality (unless you have one of the higher-spec models with Ohlins stuff).

 

[rsheidler]

If someone already has a reasonably modern sportbike in good working order, he/she will almost always be better off to spend any surplus cash on a good riding school (Freddy Spencer, Keith Code, Reg or Jason Pridmore etc) rather than getting hosed on the trade-in for the latest and greatest. You will get a lot more preformance improvement for your $$ from a good riding school than from any other investment.



Of course, if you are already an expert (say, you routinely finish on the podium in your local club races) or if you can afford to spend the $$ to have the latest and greatest bike AND take the riding schools, go for it!



On either the street or the track, a good rider will almost always beat an average rider, regardless of the bike.

 

[12er]

Upside down forks in my mind would offer less flex. I could be completely wrong here but with the thinner slider tubes located down low there would be less of a degree of flex compaired to the tubes located higher up. Anyone agree or did I just leave the cap off the "White out" too long?

 

[rsheidler]

Re: USD forks

Good point -- I have spent mega bucks on Racetech parts and services of a suspension guru to get the fork on my Duc 900 SSCR to work almost as well as that on a mid-90s Honda F3.

 

[Huss]

Not all advances will be huge, but remember, many small ones will eventually have the same effect. If the manufacturers do not strive to continually improve their machines, then where would we be? Hey, who yelled out ridin' 700lb 60 hp oil leaking, shaking apart air-cooled cruisers?