What bike has surprised you?

[Zero]

Has there ever been a bike that, say, you just brought as a crappy winter hack to abuse and it ended up being a much better bike / riding experience than you thought it would be? Or maybe borrowed a mates bike thinking it was going to be total shit, then tried to buy it off them the same day??

[Mystery]

my dad got a chinky offroad copy that i thought would be crap for riding position but it was ok and i quiet like supermoto's now
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Carbon knuckles assure you maximum protect against debris and unfortunate accidents or if someone cuts you off, their side mirror.Mopeds are like chubby chicks.. they are really fun to ride until you're friends catch you on one

[AngelGrinder]

Yamaha MT-03.

I bought one last year hoping it would be fun.

I was right, but on paper it looks terrible, low power, high weight etc.

I had some carbon fibre arrows on the thing, and the sound had me giggling by the end of the road, absolutely awesome it was.

On the backroads and around town.....nothing could come close. Infact...on the roads, it was perfect, aslong as you didn;t go on the motorway!

If I could have a 675 as a trackbike and the mt-03 as a road bike I would b a happy man.
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[baldy]

I had a yzf1000 thunderace that i thought would be very powerful as it was my first 1000

It did supprise me because it was shit.

The blade seems to endlessly supprise me as it seems to never run out of acceleration. It still sometimes scares the shit out of me.
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One day i will rule the world, just not today.

[chris-red]

TDM900 I thought it would be dull as dish water but is actually quite fun and sounds the tits.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[TUG]

[chris-red]

[craigs23]

Yeah, I bought a CG don't ya know.

[windy12]

XT660X

On paper they have to be the crappest bike ever, on the tight twisty roads absolutely superb.

Same engine as the MT 03 so I identify with what is said above.

It has to be torque, maybe as bikers we do not understand torque the way we do BHP.

My first choice now would always be a single.

[Handsome]

My old Zephyr 550, I miss that bike, bought it from a mate for a couple of hundred of the Queens English whole round pounds, as a step up from my NSR...

Thought it would be boring and a pile of cack tbh, first day of using it I loved it, so versatile, easy on petrol, great round town, decent on the motorway, sounded good, looked great when I'd polished most of the engine casings, seating position was spot on and it got me and a load of gear to many a rally and weekend blasts, plus the Missus loved the look of it...

Nearly bought it back the other week when he was selling it but I couldn't justify it, I tried a mates 1100 Zephyr but didn't take to it, and if I could have found the 750 version I wouldn't have bought the SV, as much as I like it it's not an upright naked and at the moment I'm considering moving the SV on and trying to find a tidy 750 Zeph' in all honesty...
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Previous Bikes...Honda NSR 125 RR...Kawasaki Zephyr 550...Suzuki SV 1000 S...Yamaha FZ8...Current Bike...Suzuki GSX-R 750...

[Dr. DaveJPS]

I had an opposing experience when I test rode a Daytona 650, I was expecting it to be a million miles better (sharper/faster/more exciting) than the fzs600 i was riding.

but it just wasn't. It felt pretty much the same but with a more lent forward riding position. Thus I didn't buy it as I couldn't justify the extra money (~3k) for a little extra power but similar delivery.
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"intelligent inattention is preferable to unintelligent tinkering"
www.davejps.com

[McGee]

My bro's '07 sv650, a small cc twin I thought it would be utter shite, but I really enjoyed it for around town and motorway use.
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◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Grav]

[JAMSXR]

Aprillia RS125 full power the bike was made of win!
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Honda SFX50 > Aprilia SR125 > Aprilia RS125 > Honda RFV400 > K4 GSXR600 > KTM Duke > C1H 636 > K3 GSXR1000 > Aprilia RSV-R > Triumph Street Triple R > Ducati 899 Panigale > Aprilia Tuono 1100 > Triumph Daytona 675R > KTM SuperDuke 1290 2.0

[Blau Zedong]

[smegballs]

[stevo as b4]

CG125's have already been mentioned, but mine suprised me with it's fun, steering and also the ability to hold 60mph on most A, B roads, and Even motorways, both up and down hill. So reliable too!

Had a go on a DRZ400SM, which was better to ride than i thought, as it's seen as a bit weak in bike mag road tests.

The 2002 CBR600 suprised me too, in that just how shit is was to ride compared to my 2001 ZX6R. The flat spot in the midrange made it feel more like a CB250 i thought, the gearbox felt horrible, and the brakes were wooden. Nasty bike compared to a ZX6 A1!

[Luke_Retrofly]

I test rode a 2007 gixxer 6 and was surprised how shit it was compared to my SV1000.

[Blau Zedong]

[windy12]

CG 125s are good nice and simple straightforward bike and more fun to ride than you may think.

When it used to drift in with snow at night so all the roads were blocked (lived in the sticks in the hills) we all used to pile on as many clothes as possible put on a puddle suit and go for a pub crawl on our CGs which we used as second bikes for work and go to the most far out pub possible, their faces when the only people in the bar were bikers was a picture!!

It was great fun we used to ride two up and were off more times than we could count but it didnt matter in the soft snow, what a laugh.

[KevTM]

Canny say that I've been really surprised by any bike.

When I had wee 125's I had a shot on a KLR250 and I was slightly 'surprised' then by the low down torque the first time I pulled away (first time on a 4T).

When I got my 2nd Bandit400 running properly I was 'surprised' on how much of a better/faster bike it is than my 1st Bandit400 (But not that surprised).

Jumping on my first sports 600 wasn't even surprising apart from the riding position (after only having had trail bikes and naked's).

If someone donates a Moto Guzzi V11 to me, I'll be surprised. (Go on, someone must want to make me happy )

[G]

[tutton]

RS125 might be a chav toy, but immense fun on twisty sections, if i ever get a stable enough job ill be buying its bigger brother as a sunday fun bike
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Past: '05 Peugeot XPS '99 Aprillia RS125 '94 FZR600R
Current: '02 ZX636 A1P '51 CCM R30

[Jrod]

ZX12r so fast it shouldnt be legal.

[Bishbash]

GS 500 in all areas Best bike I have ever had!
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My current bikes are - YZF-R1 & GS 500 E

Trackday videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/bishbash13