Giving up sportsbikes

[Ste]

£4k is an expensive bike!!

tintin, there is a difference surely between having the money and being able to spend it on a nice a nice expensive bike but not being able to afford to repair it easily if you damage it to being able to afford an expensive bike and repair it or replace it as often as needed?

It's not people saying they ride all the time thinking they're going to crash, it's being able and willing to push the bike further as you're not as worried about the financially impact if you do crash it. This could be something as simple as being more happy about taking it out in the rain, or something like being more willing to learn stunts on it.

Does make more sense to have a bike you want to ride rather than one for the posing value and resale value. Was good at the weekend seeing at the Ace Cafe someone doing lots of very impressive stunts quite happily on a new 04 R1 and it got a lot more attention and people impressed than the overly tarted up one parked up hoping for people to be impressed by it.

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

[Korn]

They're expensive, impractical, cop magnet death traps

But they sure are absolutely fucking fantastic fun
(when the roads are clear, the cops aren't around and it's not raining)
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3516 Miles, 11 Countries

[Bendy]

I think it all comes down to spending within your means.

I've never understood people who spend £x on a bike and then can't afford to maintain it or even run it. Your saving or your loan repayments or whatever should never leave you scrounging cash for petrol or leaving a knackered chain on your bike cos you can't afford a new one.

Nobody wants to throw their bike down a road, but I think that the 'investment' can weigh on some people's minds, as can other considerations like it being your only form of transport. Maybe this is good if it stops you doing silly things or maybe it stops you having fun.

My bike was £4k. When I first got it, I wrapped it in cotton wool - it was the most expensive thing I'd ever bought and I was damned if anything was going to happen to it. That wore off. I'm not a bike abuser, but I look at it this way - I spent four thousand pounds on that pile of metal and plastic and I'm damn well going to get something out of it. If I should crash it, I'll pay to fix it. I'd rather not have to, but if I'd wanted something to just stand around and look pretty, I'd have bought a sculpture. These days, my caution stems from a desire not to hurt *myself* rather than not to stack the bike.

In summary... I think you have more fun if you can afford to do some damage.

[izzi81]

[NickD]

One of my brothers has just got rid of an SV (faired version), and my other brother currently has a fazer. I had to borrow both when some tw4t 4cked up my Triumph whilst trying to nick it. Out of the two, the Fazer is the better riding position, really comfy over distance, and is soooo easy to ride fast. It just does everything for you, helping you out of situations that would otherwise put you on your @rse. The finish has held up well, and with a micron on it sounds great, good for pillion and luggage too. The Sv requires a little more commitment, and the riding position reflects this (can't help you with the unfaired one i'm afraid). While slower than the Fazer, the engine is a absolute 4cking riot, with so much low down grunt it's hilarious. This one had an Art can on it, and you couldn't help but keep opening it up just to hear it roar. Because of the nature of the engine, it's not terribly forgiving if you're in the wrong gear (first bike i've stalled in 10 years). The handling and position are fine at speed but around town I found it to be a bit af a pain in the @rse (and back, and arms).
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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

[Smoto Bob]

[Ant]

i've only got a £2000 bike because i can only afford that but if i could afford 10k on a bike then i'd treat it the same
like my dad says

"It might be a knacker, but its my roles royce"
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04 ZX10R ~

[Big Pete]

if nobody bought sportsbikes (and dropped them) where would I (and like minded souls) find the ready supply of cheap high quality running gear for my old bikes?
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Trust me, I`m an engineer
GarageOfPower.co.uk

[Andy99]

Having owned quite a few bikes of various values over the years i've found advantages and disadvantages of each.
My dirt cheap RGV250 was great to thrash around and was great on tracks as it was so tatty that i didn't care if i dropped it. However it blew up on a regular basis and the idea of taking it further away than someone could come and get me was a big no no. However when i bought my R6 new,4 years ago, i was scared to drop it(i still am,but not as much) but could ride it anywhere no problem,we even rode down to Spain for the GP. So whats the answer,well in the ideal world i'd be loaded and have a track bike,commuter,supermoto etc.. well most of would i guess,so until we all win the lottery we pays our money and buy what makes us smile.

[Dusty]

You all need a Bros.

If I stacked mine, It'd probably improve the thing.
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Gallery

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[Demonic69]

I don't understand why a crashed SV is better than a crashed anything else? They're awfully underpowered for a wheelie machine (around 70bhp claimed), not torquey at all and just a bit boring. Also they're probably no cheaper than a crash damaged Blade, Exup or anything proper sporty.

Fairly light Damaged Blade for £1850? https://www.cheshiremotorcyclesalvage.com/Superbikes1.htm

Easy Fix RF900 (135bhp claimed) £1450.

There are more cheap damaged superbikes than SV's etc because SV's are boring
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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[G]

I think mark was considering, ah, 'height' issue.

To be fair my wheelies improved quite a bit when I got lower powered bikes (say about 40hp or a bit less at the rear wheel)... because you really have to work them to keep it up, so you /have/ to get it high. While on bigger bikes you can just ride along on the torque and revs.

[Demonic69]

just because some of us have to compensate for lack of skill
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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[Luke_Retrofly]

Hi
Non sports bikes aint so bad

.

Luke

[MarJay]

[Born2bVile]

My bike cost me £500 in 1987.

It doesn't wheelie. Or rather, I don't need to try and show off.

I've always thought of wheelie & other stunts on public roads as being akin to the Nova boys with the loud stereos.

'Look at me, I'm dangerous I am'.

What my bike does is get me from A to B with a smile on my face.

And as for being noticed, this is me on my bike.

Stands out more than an 'off-the-shelf' sports bike don't it?

Cheers,

Byrnie.
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NABD Treasurer
National Association for Bikers with a Disability
Reg Charity No. 1040907

[stinkwheel]

Riteous apes dude!

There is a lot to be said for riding about on that style of thing. There is no pressure to 'hammer' it, you just enjoy the road and the freedom of being on it. If you see a sports bike coming up behind you, all you need worry about is if your shades are on straight and if the fork in your beard is blowing evenly over both shoulders...and if there are too many flies stuck in your teeth from grinning.

I garauntee that if I were to park my bobber rat jawa anywhere there are bikers and stood next to it, I would spend all day with people coming up and asking me about it then walking away chuckling and shaking their head.

Be different, stand out from the crowd and enjoy the riding, whatever you ride.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[aqualung1]

cool bike BTBv

i think it comes down to memories...
some of the best mortorcycling memories i have come down from when i couldnt afford much ( still cant really) so relied on cheaper bikes..
once you reach more £sd you worry more re value, paint, bike in general, etc and fun goes out..

ah the old days, cans of dulux for a colour scheme, club hammers for a toolkit
and a mars bar was 6 pence
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"still no idea where poohsticks bridge is"
www.bosunsbikes.com

[Born2bVile]

[G]

If I wanted to get from A to B in a leisurely fashion and get noticed by everyone while enjoying the 'freedom' of the road, I'd paint my Passat estate bright pink (don't get any ideas Kev, Laura.)

However as I prefer riding I go for a bike with performance rather than erm, 'style'. I ride for the expereince, or to get to B quicker than in the car.

Personally, while I admit I have occasionaly done stunts infront of the public in general (for the same tarty feelings as those that make you put some rather impractical, I presume, bars on your bike) I make sure that I'm way within in my skills, so I'm not endangering anyone.

Whatever makes you happy, I suppose .

[Scotty]

Dunno since i crashed the Goose an i have the house going through, problems are high, i'm being hassled by my parents and brother.
If the house isn't much of a problem crashing my pride and joy and loosing a stack of cash might teach me a lesson to do things correctly next time.

I just hope i can source a cheap motorbike or car to get to work and back!
But searching for a cheap motorbike is becoming a task in itself!

But ever since i went on holiday i was definetly coming round to just getting an older 4 stroke 125 off road bike just to tie me over. But even thats becomeing a pain.
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Regards
Scott

[McJamweasel]

You should do what I did.

Let some other muppet buy a shiny sportsbike, then crash it and wipe the value off. Then you buy it cheap and have great fun on the thing without worrying about dropping it cos its already about as dented as it can be!
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

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