Better to ride a slow bike fast...

[2RR2NV]

I would actually like to see an FJR / ST / Connie in a 750 version.  Same chassis, just with a 750cc engine.

oh, now your talking.... oh wait.... that's basically a VFR800.  

[Carbonero]

oh, now your talking.... oh wait.... that's basically a VFR800.  

Except the VFR was an overly complicated techie showcase with enough quirks of its own.

[Squareman357]

Been there, done that, realized how NOT true that statement really is, went back to a fast bike and never looked back.  I still have that GS500, but now I use it as a trainer bike for friends and family that want to learn to ride.   I take it for a nice long run every now and then to keep it in running order and can't WAIT to get back to my ZX-14.

[1moreroad]

Been there, done that, realized how NOT true that statement really is, went back to a fast bike and never looked back.  I still have that GS500, but now I use it as a trainer bike for friends and family that want to learn to ride.   I take it for a nice long run every now and then to keep it in running order and can't WAIT to get back to my ZX-14.

Yeah but a stock GS500 has cheap suspension.  Small or mid-sized motor + good suspension is a lot more fun.

[ScottCBR]

...than a fast bike slow. I love it!
Anyone here gone from a 1100cc+ bike to a 650cc or less? Regrets? Did you go back?
Getting older and growing out of the sportbike thing, and unless I'm in the canyons, I ride my XX like a grandma, I get like 45mpg or some sh**

I sold my 2002 Honda CBR954RR with 87,000kms on the odometer in September 2010 after seven years of riding enjoyment. In January 2011 I purchased a new left over 2008 Honda CBR125R and since then have put on nearly 20,000kms including a trip of 3200kms last summer in Ontario, Canada. I won't lie, I really miss the power but the pros outweigh the cons. I was getting speeding tickets on the 954 and there is very little chance of that on the 125. My insurance has dropped from $960/year to $220/year. And my mileage has gone from an average of 5.5L/100km to 2.0L/100km approx while touring at the speed limit on back roads(80kms/hour). Yes, it is fun riding a slow bike fast although it is also fun riding a fast bike fast. Hence the sale of the 954 to save my licence and not land me in jail.

[DrD]

Been there, done that, realized how NOT true that statement really is, went back to a fast bike and never looked back.  

Agreed!!

Since I don't ride enough to justify having two bikes, I keep trying to decide what to do:  sell one and keep the other, or sell both and get something else.  The K1200GT I bought in October 2008 which makes it the bike I have owned for the longest time and when I do ride some distance, it shows why I have kept it.  Still, it is heavy and big.  

OTOH, I think I should sell the S1000RR; I can't use even half of its capabilities on the road, or on the track.  Then, like this morning, I turn a 24 mile ride to get a chore done into a 50 mile ride just because the bike is so fun to ride.  

[The Shepherd]

I've been having a hoot on the little KLX, so far I've smashed off two mirrors, two rear turn signals, the rear brake light and lost two licence plates. Riding in mud is a blast!

The bike also rocks in the city, every corner is an adventure and the most I've put into the bike is $7, that is Canadian prices and premium gas. You can't buy that much fun anywhere for $7.

[Dave.TX]

I went from an FZ6 to a K1200GT. Though the GT is mighty fun and real easy to slab a lot of miles on I still miss the FZ6. It was better in town and in the twisties. GT does OK it's just 200 pounds heavier but has what feels like 3 times the power. A small V twin like an SV would be different, would have more torque.

You can set up a Ninja 650 for touring.

[nesquikninja]

If my versys had abs and shaft drive....itd be perfect

[falconati]

If my versys had abs and shaft drive....itd be perfect

Oh!  And another 20 hp...and maybe 15 ft/lb more torque.  And electronic cruise control...  

[glockster]

I'm trading my Sprint for a Versys today.

I had my Sprint down for repairs for a couple of weeks and was riding my wife's CB360.  I realized I was having more fun riding it than I was the Sprint.

The other big issue for me is that I'm not smart enough to ride a fast bike slow.  It's pretty rare that I don't hit triple digits on my daily commute to work and sooner or later either a deer or the Highway Patrol is going to bite me doing that.

[Tpoppa]

...than a fast bike slow. I love it!

Anyone here gone from a 1100cc+ bike to a 650cc or less? Regrets? Did you go back?

Getting older and growing out of the sportbike thing, and unless I'm in the canyons, I ride my XX like a grandma, I get like 45mpg or some sh**

I went from a Buell 1125R, to a Suzuki Gladius.  

The Gladius is an absolute blast to ride.  The chassis is quite good and the motor is fantastic for street duty.  I modded front/rear suspension and now it handles as well as many sportbikes.  I have a set of Hepco Becker hardbags, but I usually get it naked.  70ish hp does just fine for spirited riding and most passing situations.

It's not the fastest bike I've owned but it might be the most fun.  No regrets.

I may get another sportbike, but I'll keep the Gladius.  I have ADD with bikes anyway...
  

[MCRyder]

Last month I traded in this:

'03 Sprint ST

For this:

'12 Shiver 750

205CC less capacity, 23 (if Aprilia can be believed) less HP, about 75lbs lighter.

[Windblown]

Depends on where I'm riding.

Nothing all that fun about wringing a small bikes neck at interstate speeds for any period of time. or being on nice sweepers that can be taken quicker than the bike will go. Riding warp speed on a big bike can be fun.

OTOH, a tight technical road that would never allows you to pin the throttle on a big bike is a complete blast on a smaller bike that you can wring the throttle, slam the brakes, and throw into corner after corner. Lot of fun to be had between 25-70mph on the right road.

[highside]

I gotta say that it's hard to find a reason to "upgrade" from my current ride (SV650S). With a few basic upgrades it is capable of handling way past my skill level. Considering the over-all poor skills that i have observed from the majority of riders around here, it is hard to figure out why so many people buy such powerful machines that they have no idea how to operate. I routinely pass liter-bikes in the twisties, and I am honestly a pretty cautious rider and not super-skilled, its a little scary.

In the US "slow" bikes can typically exceed 120 mph without taking all that long to get there. In the real world that is not really all that slow and I don't know many people who routinely exceed that speed and even fewer who are skilled enough to do so on anything more complex than a wide open freeway. It just seems like there is a lot more performance than skill in the current marketplace.

Some of the slow-bike vs fast-bike debate has a lot more to do with the attributes of the bikes than the outright performance. Take my SV for example. With the work that I have done to it (suspension and luggage) it is not really much cheaper than a 600 CC supersport. Despite the fact that a supersport has performance all over the SV, the fact is that I would take the little v-twin over a little hi-revving 4-cylinder every day for what I do with it.

Performance is not just about outright speed and acceleration, it is about its application to the riding that you actually do. For urban commuting (like what I do) a small twin or single is just a flat-out better configuration than a lot of larger or "faster" bikes. There are a LOT of real-world situations where a little 250CC dualsport is going to be the FASTEST bike you can get. People need to put away the spec-sheets and really think about what they want to do with a bike and buy accordingly regardless of what their poser friends are going to think.

[evilted]

The WR250X has to be one of the most fun bikes I've owned.

Alas, I sold it.  I've been on the lookout for a used one for a while and will eventually remedy my error.

[Giaka]

If my versys had abs and shaft drive....itd be perfect

And a V-twin or inline triple.

[expatbrit]

The WR250X has to be one of the most fun bikes I've owned.

Alas, I sold it.  I've been on the lookout for a used one for a while and will eventually remedy my error.

Oh my lord yes. Mine serves me as track bike and around town. Such a great little machine!

[coho]

I gotta say that it's hard to find a reason to "upgrade" from my current ride (SV650S). With a few basic upgrades it is capable of handling way past my skill level. Considering the over-all poor skills that i have observed from the majority of riders around here, it is hard to figure out why so many people buy such powerful machines that they have no idea how to operate. I routinely pass liter-bikes in the twisties, and I am honestly a pretty cautious rider and not super-skilled, its a little scary.

In the US "slow" bikes can typically exceed 120 mph without taking all that long to get there. In the real world that is not really all that slow and I don't know many people who routinely exceed that speed and even fewer who are skilled enough to do so on anything more complex than a wide open freeway. It just seems like there is a lot more performance than skill in the current marketplace.

Some of the slow-bike vs fast-bike debate has a lot more to do with the attributes of the bikes than the outright performance. Take my SV for example. With the work that I have done to it (suspension and luggage) it is not really much cheaper than a 600 CC supersport. Despite the fact that a supersport has performance all over the SV, the fact is that I would take the little v-twin over a little hi-revving 4-cylinder every day for what I do with it.

Performance is not just about outright speed and acceleration, it is about its application to the riding that you actually do. For urban commuting (like what I do) a small twin or single is just a flat-out better configuration than a lot of larger or "faster" bikes. There are a LOT of real-world situations where a little 250CC dualsport is going to be the FASTEST bike you can get. People need to put away the spec-sheets and really think about what they want to do with a bike and buy accordingly regardless of what their poser friends are going to think.

QFT

The sixteen horses and 280-ish pounds of the TW conspire to make it a better urban commuter than my chipped and piped R1100RT by an enormous margin.

[JonS]

Honestly, I find this whole concept silly. Both fast and slow bikes have a place, but which is better isn't it. Some like one and some like the other. Who cares?