So I decide to give myself a birthday gift, a brand spanking new motorcycle. Price is range is very flexible (it's a toy after all.) I have been doing researches, going to the dealers to sit on bikes, test driving as many as I can. I pretty much knew what I want. Then I talk to other bikers, telling them about the bike (different bike to different bikers) I had my eyes on. It virtually makes no difference which bike I mentioned (unless the bike I'm talking about is bigger or bigger and heavier than the biker's current bike,) the most common suggestion/recommendation is this: "Get the next bigger bike (engine, weight), it will be better for you. You won't need to upgrade as soon due to lack of power, and the heavier bike is safer on the highway. You won't be affected by cross winds or pushed out / sucked in by trucks."
In short, they see 2 issues:
1) Lack of power. The weakest bike I talked about can do 0-60mph in 5.75sec. That's faster than at least 95% of all cars, trucks, sport utilities in existence. The strongest bike I talked about will perform the same task in less than 4sec, or 99.9% faster than all 4-wheel vehicles. What am I missing? Or are they talking about something that's totally over my head?
2) Heavier for stability sake. This one I can understand. Of course, the lighter the bike, the more it is affected by wind forces, all other things being equal. But all things are not equal. A cruiser is definitely not as aerodynamic as a sport bike. Tire design and suspension are major players in the stability equation. Here's an extreme comparison which I experienced last week while testing. A tiny 2009 Ninja 250R (340 lbs wet) versus a 2007 S50/Intruder800 (440 lbs wet). The Ninja feel faster, quicker, and more stable at highway speed. I accelerated them both from 60 to 85 to pass other cars, and I always felt more secure on the minuscule Ninja. Then I went one step further and tested its bigger brother, a Ninja 500R (400 lbs wet, still 40 lbs less than the Intruder 800). As expected, the Ninja 500R is much faster, much quicker, much more stable than its little brother. Comparison with the Intruder 800 is simply not worth mentioning. So for me, the Ninja 250R was very acceptable, but I played safe and kept it to myself. Discussing the Ninja 500R with another biker, I still get the same response: "You might want to consider the Ninja 650R, it has more power and is more stable." (He didn't know that the 650R is within a few pounds of the 500R.)
What's your take?
Sam
In short, they see 2 issues:
1) Lack of power. The weakest bike I talked about can do 0-60mph in 5.75sec. That's faster than at least 95% of all cars, trucks, sport utilities in existence. The strongest bike I talked about will perform the same task in less than 4sec, or 99.9% faster than all 4-wheel vehicles. What am I missing? Or are they talking about something that's totally over my head?
2) Heavier for stability sake. This one I can understand. Of course, the lighter the bike, the more it is affected by wind forces, all other things being equal. But all things are not equal. A cruiser is definitely not as aerodynamic as a sport bike. Tire design and suspension are major players in the stability equation. Here's an extreme comparison which I experienced last week while testing. A tiny 2009 Ninja 250R (340 lbs wet) versus a 2007 S50/Intruder800 (440 lbs wet). The Ninja feel faster, quicker, and more stable at highway speed. I accelerated them both from 60 to 85 to pass other cars, and I always felt more secure on the minuscule Ninja. Then I went one step further and tested its bigger brother, a Ninja 500R (400 lbs wet, still 40 lbs less than the Intruder 800). As expected, the Ninja 500R is much faster, much quicker, much more stable than its little brother. Comparison with the Intruder 800 is simply not worth mentioning. So for me, the Ninja 250R was very acceptable, but I played safe and kept it to myself. Discussing the Ninja 500R with another biker, I still get the same response: "You might want to consider the Ninja 650R, it has more power and is more stable." (He didn't know that the 650R is within a few pounds of the 500R.)
What's your take?
Sam
