Time to face the facts

Krusty said...

Not enough of a fairing. The Uglystrada is looking favourite at the
moment. I'd quite like something really quirky yet useable, and the
1000DS fits the bill.

So far the list goes:

Multistrada
Speed Triple
Z1000
Bandit 1200

This is all subject to me liking each of them on a test ride

 

Tim said...

 

Only in exchange for money.

 

Loz have you sat on a Multistrada yet? It's like a motocross bike in
riding position and about as high in the seat. It must also be in the
*hard to move on* catagory. I thought it looked quite nice too until I
sat on it in Ducati Glasgow.

Maybe we should swap back the Gixxer for this rather altered B12 for a
few weeks and see how you get on ) It's a mental engine too but the
whole setup does not encourage you to nail it over 120 at every
opportunity. I can pootle along behind Irene's GS500 playing
wheelies/stoppies just as happily as nailing it.

ps. boy at my sports club just got a new CBR1000RR. Not our type of
thing I know but what a *gorgeous* piece of kit

 

Hog said...

I haven't sat on one for a while, but the whole idea of getting
something different that I can keep for a while appeals. Whilst browsing
the Ducati site I clapped eyes on the 1000SS as well, that looks ok. The
Bandit 1200 should really be in second place as it has a fairing that
works, unlike the other two listed.

Just the sort of thing I'm trying to get away from.

 

Bear said...

Just look at the bikes I've been happiest on in the past, not many of
them have been your run-of-the-mill sports bikes. I was definitely
happier on the Thunderace than I was on the 9R, I just couldn't get on
with that bike. Before that I was happier on my old VFR750K than I was
on my Gixer 750L. The current Bandit 6, though it's a complete pile of
underpowered shite, is giving me far more pleasure than any bike I've
had in the past 5 or 6 years. I love the riding position and the way I
can hurl it around with those big Renthal bars.

I think I suit a more relaxed riding position and softer power delivery
for my style of riding. **** only knows why I put rearsets and
adjustable clip-ons on my Thou, I think I'm just trying to justify a
more sedate machine by making it unrideable for me. I'll try all of the
bikes I listed and a few besides and see what suits best.

New Ducatis are fucking cheap if you look around though. There are a few
pre-regd 2004 and 05 models in dealers for silly cheap money. I can get
a new pre-regd Uglystrada for 6499ukp OTR in black, there's also a
couple of new 1000SS's out there at 5799ukp OTR - now that's my kind of
money. I always fancied owning a Ducati as well.

 

Bear said...

I generally get on with most things for a short period of time, until
the long term niggles get too much to bear.

I've ridden one, too heavy, about 10 years out of date now and unfaired.

It is, but I prefer the Bandit purely for cost reasons, a new Bandit is
cheaper than a used ZRX12.

Unfaired, but probably a hoot to ride.

I am, and I admit it. I've tried to get on more with the Gixer, but my
whole coordination thing seems to be slipping backwards and things
happen too fast and too brutally for me to enjoy riding it. I want to
ride it as it should be ridden, but it's frustrating knowing that my
brain just can't keep up with the bike. Something slower would be a
better bet, I can rag the arse off it and not do myself serious damage.

I hadn't thought about a Brutale. I love the look of them too, but again
they're unfaired.

 

Bear said...

I have neck/shoulder and left arm problems, I do kinda need a fairing to
take some of the pressure off. I wouldn't mind something sportyish with
100-110bhp and a more sedate riding position such as a 1000SS Ducati or
my old Firestorm, but I couldn't put up with the blandness of the Storm
and the not terribly good handling either.

 

SV1000S ?

 

Well I did wonder mate. It was fairly taxing as standard. Slightly
higher bars made it plush enough though I always wanted the pegs an inch
back and down. When I sat on it again recently I though *owch*, I could
only just contort myself into it at a standstill. I just assumed you
were some kind of deviant mutant.

I think the standard B12 is a bit soft, something with a bit of engine
work and sorted suspension is just the ticket though. Metamachex, Maxton
and even a 7R/9R/GSXR front end. Sorted B12's abound at 3k. You like
messing around and have the garage (and WUN!!) so you could just look
for something clean but standard and work it up

Look at that bike FJ picked up. A *screaming* bargain, I noticed it
after 5 minutes on Autotrader.

Given the trade in value of the gixxer with it's clean record.... you
could go for the newer B12. I'm sure time and technology move on and it
will be a better bike in various ways. Yeah sure the engine was made
softer but www.holeshotracing.co.uk/tuning/suzuki_bandit1200.asp answers
that one.

I'm enjoying this one. I can tinker for the hell of it. Parts are dirt
cheap, breakers are full of them, it's never going to cost me big bucks.
It's comfy.

 

snip>

I've never been able to see the point in buying a Bandit and hosing
money at it to make it into something that was already available.

Surely an out of the case Fazer thou would do the same job more
efficiently and be better for resale a few years down the road? Given
the amount of cash some people sling at Bandits the cost is the same
(even though it's spread over a year or so as you do the work) and the
bike will always look like a rebuilt write off iyswim.

 

Hog said...

It'll be sold privately I think. I'd get a much better price for it that
way, and I get to sell all the extras on eBay and make a little more to
spend on tarting up the replacement.

Shit! £380 for an extra 30 bhp seems like a good deal.

 

I know you don't like Bandits and I do understand your point. I wasn't
suggesting throwing a fortune and it depends on whether you like
standard bikes or want to make them more individual. The Fazer was high
and uncomfortable but sure that could be sorted in the same way. Worst
bit was a sportbike footrest position. I prefer the Bandit engine over
the detuned R1. The Yam's tend to be £750-1000 more, spares are more
expensive and there are fewer around to buy and in breakers.

Horses for courses. More people buy B12's than 1000 Fazers so there must
be something too it. The new 600 with the underseat exhaust looks very
different though.

 

As it is the old 1100 slabside engine de-retuned I understand getting
the power back is easy enough.

 

When you say you prefer the Bandit engine do you mean the standard
engine with no mods at all (not even an end can) or one that's been
played with to make it more on a par with the Yam lump? If you want to
tune an engine then surely an R1 engine is a better base line than a
GSXR1100 one.

Does anyone really buy a bike using the availability of spares in
breakers as a reason for choosing it unless they're buying a write
off?

More people buy Bandits because they're a good buy for the money.
They're not a good buy if you feel the need to start looking for more
power and better suspension and brakes. You also mention wanting to
make a bike more individual, I'd have thought buying a Bandit is
hardly the definition of individuality no matter what you do to it.

 

Isn't the very latest fazer the full 150BHP old R1 engine though?

 

No. About 110hp. Quote Yam website:

"At its heart is a retuned R1 motor with massively usable mid-range punch
housed in a race-developed Deltabox frame."

 

Figures for the old 2001 Fazer 1000 (according to a test selected at
random) are 79 lb/ft torque and 143 bhp (claimed).

The same writer in a different review gave the figures for a similar
aged Bandit 1200 as 69 lb/ft torque and 99 bhp (claimed).

Interestingly enough a Kawasaki ZRX of same vintage has a claimed
torque figure of 82 lb/ft & 120 bhp to play with….

Any of us can search the net for figures to suit their personal point
of view but I just googled and used the first test which was written
by Kevin Ash for the Torygraph.

 

Yes, you're right, I just misread it.

 

The Zed thou's unfaired too, but the addition of the MRA screen gets the
wind up and over ore effectively than they would appear to. I don't seem to
have much more protection from the wind when I ride my pal's Gixer 750 (if
any at all) and I like the "easy to ride-ability" of the Zed. Gurly or
macho, it does 'em both. The macho bit is too much for me though.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19