Frank's (flawed) Bike Poll

[François Pugh]

Getting back into riding this spring.
Previously bought used 2nd hand bike so as not to worry about dropping it. Quit riding for a few decades. Life is short. Time to have some fun, while I still can.
I'm not sure if I want help picking a new bike, or just some reinforcement/justification for my current leanings. Should I get the flat plane in-line 4 beastly great sounding bike, like the one I learned on that I so missed when I bought my old V4 Interceptor( i.e. the GSX R750), or should I let myself be seduced by the promise (which I believe will be delivered) of the much more tractable power delivery of the cross-plane in-line 4 (if I'm not mistaken, with the R6 gone that leaves the R1). Bonus, the R1 has much fancier electronics and rider aids, but I also like simplicity. It's bad enough that the Interceptor's one-way clutch ruined my fine throttle control on downshifting going into corners; I don't want to loose all ability to ride without help. It would be nice not to have to worry about flipping over in the first three gears though.

EDIT: Yeah, I know; I ain't as good as I once was. Already took the course last fall (they split it into two now - I took the first one. Got a perfect score on the test, but still managed to loose traction trail braking into a sandy corner messing around during lunch hour). Not gonna do that with my new shiny bike. I plan on taking it real easy for a year or two.

 

[Tom K.]

It's been a minute, but I found the R1/FZ1 engine to be a yawn-fest until pretty high revs, and the Yamaha's ECU desperately needs an FCE reflash to get rid of the jerk/snatch. Desperately. Ivan used to have this down cold, but not sure if he's still around.

I have not ridden the gixxer 750, but every FI Suzuki I've ridden has had beautiful fueling at initial roll-on, especially compared to the jerk/snatch of the FZ1.

Have fun shopping. For me, at this stage, I'd go Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX!

Showdown: Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX vs Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+

Sport touring bikes have been pushed aside by ADVs, but the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX and Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ are here to prove sport touring is still alive.

www.motorcycle.com

 

[scott43]

I would respectfully suggest to skip the bike...

 

[Philpug]

Miata, a 4 wheel motorcycle with doors.

 

[DesmoDog]

With no big interest in either brand, I'd say go with the R1.

No flame intended, but I find the argument against rider's aids to be flawed at best. You won't "loose all ability to ride without help" - you won't even know they are there until you need them. And you won't know you needed them until after the fact. Do you honestly think that after decades off, you could reel in a 200hp bike that just lost traction mid-corner? No, seriously. Could you? You are a better man than I if you can outride current aids. You're a better man than 99.9% of the riders out there if you can. 200hp bikes with no aids don't exist in the real world for a reason. Even WITH aids, they are punishing to ride.

I'm not familiar with the R1 but on bikes I've owned with aids, there are a lot choices about how intrusive they are, up to the point of turning some of them off.

If you want to get where you can delete all the electronics and push the bike to it's limits without crashing, buy a smaller bike and take it to the track. You'll learn more, faster, on a smaller biker. I've ridden with expert level riders on prepped track bikes who are used to doing things like catching slides and they still don't get it right at times.

 

[scott43]

Miata, a 4 wheel motorcycle with doors.

Umm. Just no.

 

[François Pugh]

With no big interest in either brand, I'd say go with the R1.

No flame intended, but I find the argument against rider's aids to be flawed at best. You won't "loose all ability to ride without help" - you won't even know they are there until you need them. And you won't know you needed them until after the fact. Do you honestly think that after decades off, you could reel in a 200hp bike that just lost traction mid-corner? No, seriously. Could you? You are a better man than I if you can outride current aids. You're a better man than 99.9% of the riders out there if you can. 200hp bikes with no aids don't exist in the real world for a reason. Even WITH aids, they are punishing to ride.

I'm not familiar with the R1 but on bikes I've owned with aids, there are a lot choices about how intrusive they are, up to the point of turning some of them off.

If you want to get where you can delete all the electronics and push the bike to it's limits without crashing, buy a smaller bike and take it to the track. You'll learn more, faster, on a smaller biker. I've ridden with expert level riders on prepped track bikes who are used to doing things like catching slides and they still don't get it right at times.

LOL, I am under no illusions about my (lack of) skill level. I don't plan on doing anything that would require electronic assistance, for a long long time. I do have a fair bit of self-control and a lot of will power.

 

[wooglin]

Clearance for 40 mm tires or gtfo.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Need pictures. Which one looks cooler?

 

[Bill Talbot]

Miata, a 4 wheel motorcycle with doors.

As much as I love my Miata (for 33 years now!) there is no comparison to a good moto. Both FUN and enjoyable but extremely different!

As for the moto, I'd skip the pure sports bike and either go Sport Touring or ADV.(you'll maybe live longer)

There are old motorcyclist and there are bold motorcyclists. But there are VERY few old, bold motorcyclists

 

[Tom K.]

I'm not familiar with the R1 but on bikes I've owned with aids, there are a lot choices about how intrusive they are, up to the point of turning some of them off.

Yup. No real downside. At my age, I'll take them, along with a (good) quickshifter.

As for the moto, I'd skip the pure sports bike and either go Sport Touring or ADV.(you'll maybe live longer)

Agree on the sport touring, not so much the ADV. I did a year on a Yamaha Tenere 700 and it suited me in most ways, except there was no real way to get rid of the buffeting from the narrow-ish windshields they all seem to have.

Note also that bikes like the two that @Francois Pugh are typically kind of crazy to insure, especially those with the word "Ninja" in their name.

Used Bike Nomination: Suzuki Bandit. So fun. So much low-rpm torque. For me, a far more entertaining engine for street use than the two Frank is considering, as it's wide awake at 3,000 rpm.

 

[cantunamunch]

Wait, just catch me up here... OP is going to a liter bike straight out of a multi-decade retirement?

 

[Bill Talbot]

Yup. No real downside. At my age, I'll take them, along with a (good) quickshifter.



Agree on the sport touring, not so much the ADV. I did a year on a Yamaha Tenere 700 and it suited me in most ways, except there was no real way to get rid of the buffeting from the narrow-ish windshields they all seem to have.

Note also that bikes like the two that @Francois Pugh are typically kind of crazy to insure, especially those with the word "Ninja" in their name.

Use Bike Nomination: Suzuki Bandit. So fun. So much low-rpm torque. For me, a far more entertaining engine for street use than the two Frank is considering, as it's wide awake at 3,000 rpm.

Yep, the Bandit 1200 is a street bike beast of low rpm torque. Great fun and a decent chassis too. Come as S (with fairing) or without. And those air/oil cooled engines are as durable as an anvil.

 

[scott43]

Wait, just catch me up here... OP is going to a liter bike straight out of a multi-decade retirement?

Correct!

 

[crgildart]

Miata, a lawn mower with a windscreen and seats.

Fixed it for you

 

[scott43]

Fixed it for you

The Miata is a great car but...

 

[crgildart]

The Miata is a great car but...

I think of them like a slightly under powered go cart with turn signals. Several friends LOVE them. Not my thing but I do kinda get it..

 

[Tom K.]

Yep, the Bandit 1200 is a street bike beast of low rpm torque. Great fun and a decent chassis too. Come as S (with fairing) or without. And those air/oil cooled engines are as durable aa an anvil.
View attachment 192879

If that were for sale, and we weren't on opposite sides of the country, I'd buy it from you without hesitation.

Which would only slightly violate my motto of don't buy used unless you truly know the provenance.

 

[François Pugh]

Wait, just catch me up here... OP is going to a liter bike straight out of a multi-decade retirement?

Thanks for your thoughts (everybody).

Well I was leaning towards the 750, but the R1 is winning the poll. I kinda decided when I sold my 750 Interceptor that I would get a 750 in-line 4. I do recall everybody (all the motorcycle reviews etc.) raving about the low end torque on my 750, but it did not do much for me. I was almost always out on the open highway, using the top half of the tach anyway. I really missed the peaky high end power and pull of the in-line 4 I was forced to learn on until I could afford my own bike. I know the modern sport bikes have at least double the horsepower of my old V-4, and no doubt a lot more than the old modified I-4 I had as a learner cycle. Still it's only there when you call on it.

I also like the selectable levels of interference on my fun car. IIRC it's full on stability and traction control (brakes throttle and timing), performance/track (brakes for stability), and off on my corvette (still getting to know the corvette and not driving the corvette like I used to drive - at least until it was stored this winter). Even when full on you still get a little back end wriggle speed-shifting into 4th, and you do feel like you're burning out if you just mash the pedal without thinking, but if you go look, the tires are not burned off into the pavement in two dark strips, so it's obviously doing something.

I also find it rather frustrating trying to do some research on my options, sifting through all the adds and BS. Any good sources of information? Is the stock steering damper on the Suzuki any good? That sort of stuff.

 

[cantunamunch]

Thanks for your thoughts (everybody).

Well I was leaning towards the 750, but the R1 is winning the poll.

By one vote. Better hope that person likes you on here