What's the verdict on the RF900?

A bloke at work is selling a '98 RF900 for a grand and I'm very
tempted. It is a bit weird looking [1] but all the reviews [2] give it
thumbs-up. My concern is that it might be a bit cramped for a lanky
bloke. Anyone here had/ridden one?

[1] just like a stingray, apparently.
[2] well, all 3 that I read.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, the man with no

You'll be wanting Pip of this parish. He'll be along directly.

[1] Oddly enough, so is Pip.

 

Pip of this Parish will tell you all you need to know shortly, no doubt.
IMO, it is an ugly indestructable bit of kit that is keenly priced.
What's not to like?

 

As other's have said, Pip will give you the owning proposition. But,
until he gets here, I can let you know that his view is pretty well
aligned with the magazines when it was a current bike, which was that
bike is an amazingly potent yet good value machine, hidden under some
slightly odd looks. You can't go wrong for a grand.


--
Champ

ZX10R | GPz750turbo | GSX-R 600 racer
My advice as your attorney is to buy a motorcycle
To email me, neal at my domain should work.

 

Yeah. Never liked the look of those side slats, but Kawasaki appear
have revived it as an 'omage on the GTR1400 ..

Jeez, but they are ugly.

P.

 

Gradely - that'll do for me. I get to test ride it in our lunch break
on Monday and, hopefully, I'll have a new bike after he returns from
the Oirish races. The other good news is that he may even be
interested in my ZR-7, he's had some sort of injury and needs a more
upright riding position. Either way, it looks like I might have found
the bike for my Deutschland extravaganza.

 

hehe

Separated at birth

http://topsk.com/suzuki/suzukira/RF900R.jpg
http://img.moto22.com/2007/05/kawasaki_gtr_1400_01.jpg

Well, I was referring to the RF, but I like your sentiment. Cheers

P.

 

I don't know either of you well enough to join the love-in but seeing
the GTR pic has made me wonder about the availability of luggage kit
for the RF. I guess all the usual suspects do racks etc.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, the man with no

You don't have to know Zym that well, he's easy. Or so I've heard.

I'd be amazed if they don't.

Seriously, it's a *lot* of bike for the money. But wait for Pip's
opinion. He's got a nareff, and he know whereof he speaks.

 

Rather wooden brakes and a heavy clutch mostly. Otherwise pleasingly fast.

 

The brakes can't be any worse than the ZR-7, they are seriously
shiite. Then again, they don't have to slow me down from 140 mph.

 

"That's a whole lotta lovin' "

P.

 

Forty-two, thirty-nine, fifty-six - oh hang on, I'm confusing you [1]
with someone else entirely - or maybe not.

[1] and almost certainly the song and artist.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Jeremy Robinson

Sorry, we're a tad oversubscribed with Jeremys just at present. You're
going to have to be...

....Big Irish Jez. BIJ to your friends. Sorry, but there it is. Unless
you have an interesting deformity, or a *really* odd sexuality, in which
case we may be able to offer an upgrade.

(Snip good stuff)

Ah, now see, I've always had a soft spot for the GS1000 (never having
owned or ridden one). I lusted mightily after one when I had my Fizzie.

 

Eyup. I'd welcome you but I'm not really sufficiently significant -
I've only been reading ukrm for about 3 years so I'm a newbie. It's
more conventional here to tell you to FRO, etc. Anyway, your comments
are gratefully received by me.

Well, I had a GS500 for a year and looked like Hoppity Goes to Town -
in full stridulation. I should manage.

I imagine that they're not cheap and I'd be a little surprised if I
could get one for a bike like the RF - I may just have to make do with
the best bulbs I can get.

 

Wonderful (if very heavy) old beasts. Good power delivery for the time but
*massively* thirsty, ate rear tyres in <2500 miles, 630 pitch chains in ~7k
miles(heavy&£££) and suffered with the classic Suzi alternator woes of the
time. But I owned 3 and built the very first GS1000 Rickman Predator ever
(for a wealthy friend of a friend, as I was a skint DR at the time).Rickman
had only done CB900F <spit> based Predators prior to that one.
Totally bombproof engines but the original GS frames were made of old
conduit welded together by myopic pygmies on mushrooms.

JB

 

It'd have to be jolly interesting, or particularly odd, to stand out
around here.


--
Champ

ZX10R | GPz750turbo | GSX-R 600 racer
My advice as your attorney is to buy a motorcycle
To email me, neal at my domain should work.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, JB

Heh.

It's a GS1000S in the Ice Cream Van livery that really gives me the
horn. I have no rational explanation for why.

I suspect I'd only find a good one by turning left at the hen's teeth
and looking behind the rocking horse shit.

Other dream machines include a good Z650 (in green, natch) and a Ducati
900SS in silver and blue, purely because there was one in Coburn &
Hughes in Luton that I used to want really badly.

On reflection, I was 17. What I *really* wanted really badly was someone
to have sex with. Not too fussy on colour or capacity. Female for
preference.

But in the (seemingly interminable) absence of that, a 900SS was it.

*Then* that fit bird from the next village would have fucked me, deffo.

 

Cheers, I'll look into that.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, the man with no

Again, you need to speak to Pip. He (IIRC) did some sort of headlamp
conversion on his and melted the wiring. Don't do that.

WTF is the big galoot, anyhow?

He can't *still* be down the pub, surely?