motorcycle riders unite!

I've been street and track riding for over a decade now, and have had some great bikes. I've had a ZX7-R, 2 RRV Blades, 2 Aprilia RSV-R's, RC51, Hayabusa, and I'm currently on an 05 CBR1000RR.....

Matt
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Beautiful bikes. I love the Agustas. I've only ever seen one out on the road and I ran him down and we talked for a bit. It's an amazing bike and I would definately like to get my hands on one.

 

2000 Hayabusa (last year of the unrestricted factory missiles) with chip, Nitrous Oxide, and full titanium Muzzy exhaust header and can. On a few local FCA fun runs, I would ride next to a gurl riding in her 355, and click down two gears, and pull the gas back. - Kind of like using the hyperspace button on Defender !!!


2005 Benelli Tornado Novecento


______


Past bikes

1990 ZX-7 (Very first bike ever) Just walked into the K dealer, and I thought they looked cool. Friend told me how to ride. LOL (airfilter and re-jetting kit with s/s Muzzy - sounded baaaaadass)

1991 GSXR-1000 with 38mm smoothbore Mikuni, Yosh header, and c/f Yosh can.

2000 Ducati 748 yellow Mono - FbF chip, and Termignoni slip-on c/f can.
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Sweet bike Ralph, I've heard about those but never have seen one.

 

Here's a picture of my 996:
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I was on my way home from work this evening, just tooling along around 80mph on I-20 between Dallas and Fort Worth. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a bike coming up behind me at an alarming closing rate. I watched as it moved over and went around me. I had to check and see if I had accidentally shifted into reverse or something. It moved away from me so quickly I was shocked. I did notice it was a Duc 996. Fortunately that late into the evening, the traffic had thinned out.

Man Art, when I used to race for Kawasaki on those M/X bikes I could get thrilled pulling to about 75 mph on some of the straights and then laying it over to slam a berm and hit a 90% direction change. Way back when I was racing privateer for a Suzuki shop out in West Texas I was at the shop one day just hanging out and a large transport with all the Suzuki markings on it pulled onto the side of the lot. The owner of the shop told me that the truck was hauling a couple of race bikes from Florida to California for a race and had some parts drop shipped to his shop for pickup by the crew there. The driver unloaded one of the bikes from the trailer and rolled it into the shop to install a new clutch pack. After the mechanic finished, he asked the owner of the shop if he had a rider there who could check out the adjustments for him. He said sure, I have my rider here, he can do it. He did not tell the Suzuki guys that I was a dirt rider and not a road racer. I just about fell out being offered a chance to ride a factory works bike.

They put me on the bike, situated the controls to my smaller hands and asked me to just roll the throttle on and off and run through the gears while giving it decent throttle. I guess I looked okay on the bike but I was sweating bullets and my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I pulled out onto the section of road in front of the dealership and slowly built up my nerve. This section of road is out at the edge of town and has some good wide curves on it so I thought "what the heck". I rolled the throttle on pretty quickly and promptly almost lost the bike, standing it straight up. I dropped it back down and rolled the throttle again, only to do the same thing. I learned very quickly to slip the clutch or break the rear tire loose or I was going to do that every time I got on the throttle.

That bike had such acceleration that this old dirt riders eyes were watering. I was used to riding a bike where the handlebars felt like a Texas Longhorn and riding with the family jewels pushed up against the tank and standing up most of the time when racing. I was not used to laying down on the tank with my chin on the pad while trying to hold onto those clip-on bars. It is a totally different type of riding than I had ever experienced before.. I am really jealous of the time you got to do it....wow.....

And think, that was back in the 70's. How much have the street bikes advanced now? I am sure they are light years ahead of the old "works" bikes of back then. I know the M/X bikes are.

Having that 996 pass me and then seeing the picture you posted of your bike brought back memories I have not thought of in years. Makes me want to do it all over again. My mind says yes and my body screams NOOOO!!!! I think my body remembers more of the old injuries than my mind does.

Keep on having fun, sir. I am envious but not covetous............

Audiguy here. Somehow I keep ending up logging on under my sons logon. Well, time to delete cookies again..........

 

IROC,

The RC51 was a nice bike. It handled well, had some modifications (chip/pipe/filter etc) but never really seemed to be on the pace. I had the RC after my Hayabusa, so guess it may have been something to do with that.

The CBR is a much better machine. It's effectively 5 years of development down the line from the RC, and it shows. The CBR handles better, stops better and is significantly stronger both in midrange torque and of course at the top end, where the V-twin runs out of strength. I have fitted an Akrapovic exhaust (end can) and PCIII to the CBR, and it has been dyno'd on two different dynos at 154.1bhp and 81ft/lbs at the back wheel. It's pretty healthy!

If I had to chose, I'd go for the CBR over the RC every day of the week.

Cheers
Matt

 

Hi,

nothing beats a Honda Z50 Monkey bike with fully tuned 125cc five speed Race-Engine as a commuter bike in a very crowded city.

the best shopping trolley on wheels must be my sidecar Monkey bike.... turns heads everywhere....

got a couple more bikes: HD Heritage Softail Classic 1340cc (80cui.), Honda A "Hardtail" Monkey Bike, HD Sportster S+S 1450cc (88cui.) and Chinese Chang-Jiang sidecar bikes (very similar copies to BMW R71 1938 bikes).

some more projects in the works including turbo charged and supercharged Monkey bikes.... to be continued.....

Best Regards and Happy New Year!
Dilligaf

ps: might get a BMW 1200GS Adventure very soon....
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Thumbs way up on the Monkey!

 

IROC,

You'll find that the RC feels not dis-similar to a CBR600RR in acceleration terms. I love V-Twins, and have had 2 Aprilia RSVR's. The Aprilia is considerably more urgent than the Honda and handled better from the crate. The Aprilia has stock Ohlins all round and OZ wheels etc. The motor in the Aprilia is made by Rotax in Germany. The story behind it is that Suzuki wanted a 1000cc V-twin motor and commissioned Rotax to design one. Once it was made, Suzuki turned round and said that they had developed their own, and wouldn't be using the Rotax designed lump. Aprilia steppd up to the mark and the rest is history.

A v-twin is a very different proposition to an inline 4. You get huge engine braking from a V-twin, and a slightly narrower power band. More torque in the lower reaches of the rev range too. I'd suggest you try your friends RC before deciding. Not sure about the smoothness either. I know that all my V-twins have been "vibey". This is just a characteristic, so nothing bad. The 1krr is certainly smoother than my old RC, however I never got the RC to spin up the rear, whereas I can leave darkies on the 1krr.

I guess that in reality, a stock 1krr and a tuned RC will deliver similar on road performance. It just depends on the rider etc. If both bikes were stock, and the riders of the same ability, the 1krr would walk away from the RC.

If you're coming from a 600, the RC will feel very different, but in a good way. In order for a stock RC to become a great bike it requires better suspension, cans, chip, filter, brake upgrade etc etc. The 1krr is already there.

The thing to remember is that any bike will only go as fast as you open the throttle. I suspect that neither bike would scare you, coming from a 600. They'll make your heart pound, and make you grin and laugh outloud, but that's gotta be a good thing, right!

Matt

 

That 145 rear wheel HP must have been done on a dyno jet. If it was, it's about 15% too high. Right around 120 is about all you're going to see on something ridden on the street, and that's about right here. My 996 has had a little work done, and it makes about 125 at the rear wheel, about the same as a 999R on the same dyno.

The twins put their power down better, won't get loose as a 4 cylinder will because of the power delivery. When ever I ride a 4, seems the rear tire is always spinning, not a good deal. With a twin, you get better traction, better drives off the corners. That's why a 1000 twin, which makes less HP than a 4 can run with them on the track.

Art

 

Aprilia Mille +10000000000000......


love 'em. Dead sexy bikes. Feel, well... Italian. The only reason I sold mine? Was done racing them, and wasnt riding that much on the street anymore, and they are "too much" for the type of street riding I do now... mostly sport touring destination rides. Keeping an eye out for a good used Tuono though (a Mille with flat bars), but it would have to be a GOOD deal, cuz my FZ1 fits the bill PERFECTLY, and its was cheap as muck.

the RC51 are fun bikes. But, have a very different feel than others. Yer first thoughts when riding it are... They won championships on THIS? Takes a bit of getting used to. Suspension tweaks are a must. Get that dailed in and they start to come around.

 

One of mine.....

http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Royal%20Enfield%20Bikes/pages/Rickman%20Enfield.htm

 

Bill, that is as cool as they come. Nice bike.

 

One guess on my choice of bikes.

Here's my 1991 907ie at the VMD show last summer at Mid-Ohio. It's the first bike I ever bought (bought it new, still own it obviously)

The 2000 996 is my third Ducati, traded in a 900ss on it.

The 1974 750 GT is my current project, should be done by spring. Finally! (more info at http://www.teamyikes.com/RoundcaseHome.html )

The next one (yellow single cylinder) is a 1966 250 Monza and then a (red) 1966 160 Monza Jr. The 250 will be redone (as something a bit more sporty!) when the 750 is finished, the 160 will be redone (as a 100 Sport-ish sort of deal?) as time permits.

And finally, a "before" picture of the 750. Yeah, I should have put that pic before the "current" pic but I'm not that bright. I'm also not that fast a rider, so after I bought the 996 I realized I am not worthy and that's what got me headed backwards in performance instead of sticking with the ever escalating technology race.

I've owned other bikes, but the Ducati's are the ones I tend to keep. I'd love to have an RC30 too though.
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Craig:

Like those bevel drives. Are any of them Desmos? Looks from the pictures like sports. I won the AFM twins championship in 84 on a bevel drive. Neat bikes

Art

 

Thanks Art,

None of the bevels are desmos. I certainly wouldn't turn down a desmo, but for what I'm doing the springer heads will be just fine too.

The 750 GT has been a three year project so far, and it still isn't done! I'm hoping the 250 gets finished a little faster...

 

Thank you!

It sits in my office, ready for a short blast whenever prescribed.

Regards,
Bill

 

Just had to go out to the garage and take a peek. The weather has been cr4p here, and all the main roads are salt covered. Not a good mix with Aluminium parts.


Matt
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This link may or may not help you make a comparison.

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_perf_nums/

 

DesmoDog:

I saw your Paso at Mid-ohio. Stunning! I read that the Pasos were either love it or hate it. I don't see anything to hate. I don't suppose you would be interested in parting with that 160? I am out of projects and I would love to take a stab at that.