What makes a bike fun?

I've been idly musing this question for a while. It's no secret that I
failed to fall in love with the 955 Tiger, simply because although it's
extremely capable, it never makes me want to go for a hoon. It's great
for commuting or visiting client sites, i.e. journeys with a pupose,
but not really /fun/ to ride.

I could never figure out why this is, as on paper, it should be
everything the '96 Tiger is & more besides. More power, more torque,
less (perceived) weight etc. Yet the '96 was a complete hoot before I
modified it, & now it's even better - probably the most fun bike I've
ever owned. It was this post-modification change that gave me the clue
I needed.

Many of the mods were cosmetic (& removed a lot of weight), but two
changes made a big difference to how it feels to ride. One was Renthal
bars which are lower & wider than the originals, & the other was
raising the forks through the yokes far enough to fit the rubber
mounting straps for the enduro headlight unit. The resulting riding
position & somewhat twitchy handling seem to suit my riding style
perfectly, & it's new 'character' makes me ride it like a loon
constantly (which may not be a good plan given the very knobbly tyres,
but heyho).

So armed with this clue, I started tweaking the 955 t'other evening. I
moved the bars forward as far as they would go without hitting the
fairing, rotated the rear eccentrics to raise the back up to full
height, & slid the forks up 20mm to drop the nose. What a difference!
It still needs wider bars for the full effect, but it is *so* much more
fun now. I highly recommend these minor tweaks to any other 955 Tig
owners, especially as it'll only take a few minutes to put back to
standard if you don't like it.

To answer my question in the subject, it seems that, for me at least,
the answer is a bike that's twitchy & unstable. The exception to this
rule is the MV, which is perfect as it is. Maybe the same would apply
to all sports bikes.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

My CBR600 is definitely more fun to ride than my SV650. It's not that
the CBR makes more power or is ultimately faster, but it just sets my
teeth jangling in a way the SV doesn't.

I've stripped the road bits like lights and indicators off, there's no
mirrors and the bodywork has all seen better days. The number plate is
held on with pins and R-clips so I can remove it in seconds for
trackdays, the speedo is normally gaffa taped over and the handlebars
are now mounted under the top yoke rather than above it - it's these
things that put me in 'track mode' whenever I throw a leg over it.

Even though it looks highly dubious with regards to legality I still
like to go and play on it, always looking for an excuse to just get on
and ride it just for the hell of it. There's a perfectly legal and
beautiful condition SV sitting there and if the sky is clear I'll jump
on the scabby CBR. Part of the attraction is it cost me a lot less than
my SV and was already partially pre-disastered, and I'm not at all
bothered if it gets knocked about or scraped again, it's just fun.

--
Lozzo the velologist
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

I've ridden Danny's several times on 3 different tracks, I didn't like
it. I'm faster round all three tracks on my CBR.

--
Lozzo the velologist
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

You're probably right, especially as one of those is top of my list for
the next project.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

For me, it's about being able to use it totally as a toy.

Whenever I've had to use a motorbike or a pushbike for work, I've
hated it and rarely gone for rides for pleasure.

 

<snip>

You can have fun on almost any bike, if you're in the right frame of
mind, but bikes that are *always* enjoyable to ride, that always bring
a grin and a feeling of well-being, are surprisingly few IMHO.

I always used to think that bikes that are fast-as-**** couldn't
possibly be anything except fun, until I rode a Blackbird. So it's not
just about power, though overpowered bikes tend to be fun while
underpowered ones hardly ever are (note: underpowered does not mean
the same as 'low powered').

'Great fun' bikes I've owned, in no particular order: Honda SL125,
Yamaha XT600, Suzuki TS250, (almost any dirt bike is fun), Ducati
750SS, Honda 400 Four, Yamaha XS650, Moto Guzzi V50 Monza, Yamaha
RD350F2 power-valve, Kawasaki GPz550, Honda CB175, Yamaha RS125DX,
Kawasaki H1E, KH400 and KH250. Probably some others.

Boring bikes: Yamaha 900 Diversion, Kawasaki GT750, Honda CB200, Honda
CB400N, Suzuki GS400, Suzuki GS550, Honda CB750, Yamaha XS500, Honda
CJ250, Kawasaki ZX400, Honda CB550, Honda CB650, Yamaha XJ550.
Probably some others.

Really horrible bikes: too many to list.

 

I'd go along with that, & add that any bike can be fun on certain types
of roads. For example I can't imagine not having fun going down Fish
Hill, no matter what I was riding.

I think that describes the RatTig perfectly.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Thanks - I'll take you up on that once I've sorted some CIHAGM
insurance.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

I've never (?) gone out on my bike purely for the fun of it.
It's always had to earn its keep, so it's been a more fun
way of getting from here to there.

That barge of mine has too much decorum for its own good.
When funds permit I would like a smaller something for
playtime, and cooler for summer.

--
Jeweller
R100RT
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo,
R80/7, R100RT (green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

 

Oh, Christ.

Um, Honda: CB200, CD175 xmany, CB750F1, CB500T, Gold Wing 1100
Aspencade, CD200, CJ250, CB250G5, CB360, CB400N.
Suzuki: GT250, GP100, GN400, X7
MZ: TS125, TS250
Jawa: 350 Combo
Norton: Easy Rider moped
Triumph: TR6R
Kawasaki: Z200, Z250, Z400F
Moto Morini: 500 Sport
Yamaha: XS250, XS250 Custom, XS400 Custom, XS500, XS750

That's for starters. Please note that these were all decent, sound
runners in nice nick, some very clean and original indeed. Well,
except for the Triumph TR6R. If I added the ones that were just dogs,
fucked, crashed or broken, it would trip your binary filters.

 

In communiqué

I have always found light bikes with significantly more power than they
left the factory with to be great fun. The 2C/375 being a classic
example. Great grin factor on a twisty 'B' road, but then so has almost
any *350* Morini IMO. The same territory suits anything supermoto style,
hence the Nordwest. A frantic sports 125 two-stroke also has its
attraction, so a tick for the GFR.

That leaves the tart. That's a bit too unwieldy for the ultimate
'earoling' experience, but is enjoyable on faster going. Mainly, because
the motor is so flexible but with decent top end. I shall miss not
taking it to Shelsley this year to try and crack the magic ton through
the finish.

Perhaps my choice of bikes over the years steered me luckily towards
machines I enjoyed riding. Even the R90/6 had endearing qualities.

TBF one bike I did find slightly disappointing was the Morini 350 'K2'.
The cam was just not right somehow. Not the grunt (in relative terms) of
a Strada, but even when revved hard it didn't start to sing like good a
Sport.
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Nothing from this century then?

 

You bastard.

Er, no.

Closest was my 2001 Triumph Trophy, but I sold that.

There's not much from this century that I would *want* to own, actually.
A Triumph, or two. Maybe a Ducati ST3.

 

Sounds right to me. I love trundling around sedately on my Guzzi, but
the Aprilia is vastly more fun when pressing on on twisty roads. At
higher speeds the R1 starts to make sense (it's really a bit pointless
at anything less than about 80). I have found that since I've fitted a
new rear tyre, the R1's lost some of its flightyness - the handlebars
don't flutter so easily over bumps (though my freeing up the rear
shock rebound adjuster might also have had an effect; it's possible
that I lost count of the clicks as I was working it free) and in fact
it has got a bit dull from that respect.

 

Anne Widdecombe would be more fun to ride than an SV650.

 

I can vouch for the contents of my sig. Especially the bottom one.

 

That all depends on how good the rider is, not how good the bike is.

--
Lozzo the velologist
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

Which really goes to show you need more than one bike if you can
afford it, to suit all frames of mind.

Sometimes I feel like going out for a not-particularly-quick tootle,
so I would take the FJ12. Sometimes I just want to go down the shops,
so that would be the CCM. Sometimes I need to get somewhere a bit
sharpish (like the airport the other morning) so i'd take the ZX12.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

The above statement was in the context of my being a riding god and
world-class gigolo.

 

That's why I've got a KTM motard, a 10R and a BMW K100RS.

It'll all go to rat shit when I fit a chair on the K but I'm much too
old to give a **** about that.