Do slower bikes encourage you to ride faster?

[Lupine Lacuna]

I have had my bandit for a couple of months now and find it mega easy to ride.

Before this, I used to ride a bicyle like a maniac in London - in and out of traffic as fun speeds.

The problem I now have is that I am too tempted to do that all the time on the Bandit, because its so easy to ride and predictable.

It made me think, if I was riding a Ninja, or a snatchy v twin of some sort, this wouldn't be possible.

In short, because there is less of a beast to tame, does that mean we ride like bigger dickheads?

[Tenko]

No, but its more satisfying to ride a slow bike quickly than a fast bike at the same speed...

[UnspeedySam]

I agree. At least between my two 'big' bikes. My Bros 400 and my ZZR 6.

The Bros is a much easier bike to ride than the ZZR, partially because the ZZR has appalling worn-out tyres and the Bros had nice predictable BT45s. Partially because it's just a smaller, lighter bike with smooth but torquey power delivery.

Either way, yes I ride it faster than I do the ZZR because it is just a whole lot easier to control...and the brakes are better.

I don't doubt that the ZZR is as fast or faster when ridden by a rider that knows its limits. However I don't...and the suspension is probably set up completely wrong.
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Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[garth]

I tend to be a bit of a plum on whatever I ride. Just depends on the speed that I am being a plum.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[UnknownStuntm...]

I think if you're riding a bike more towards it's limits it feels way more satisfying. I took an NC30 out a while ago and it felt like a toy! Gave me a great feeling of 'taming' the bike and I think it gave me more confidence than I should have had.

I've felt like it before when I've borrowed 'the loaner', a CB500 from a place while having a service. That thing seemed to handle like it was on rails, but only when I thrashed it!

[P.addy]

Well, I'm currently on a really low powered bike, big step down from my GSXR750.

I seem to ride more sedated, pretty much like I'm on a test pretty relaxed ride.

On the GSXR I was pretty much ragging the tits off of it for parts of my commute

[Shaane]

xD If i said the only time my 636 stayed below 7k revs was when I started it, Does that say anything about my riding style my old ninja was restriced so 33bhp rather than 117bhp, But it was a simular story with that.
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EMRA Roadstock #92 - Paperwork Permitted.
Previous: 1992 DT125R
Current: ~ 2005 ZX6R C1H

[nowhere.elysium]

Hold on - isn't the OP the same guy that was freaking out about riding faster than 20mph not so long ago?

Oh dear.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[AL-]

My poor 125's used to be ragged so hard back in the day, did put a huge smile on my face though

[G]

What bandit? What ninja?

Easy to ride and 'slower' I don't necessarily consider the same.

Infact, generally I'd consider 'easier to ride' bikes to be faster - for instance the GSXR1000 is very 'easy to ride' because it can go very fast with very little effort.

On slower bikes I am certainly encouraged to make more effort - though the end result may be a similar road speed.

[Lupine Lacuna]

nowhere.elysium - I am used to it now!

[Shaane]

[sickpup]

[Lupine Lacuna]

Chill out sickpup.

You guys can't say the following two statements:

1. You lack of confidence is dangerous get more training

2. Your confidence is dangerous thinking you know what you are doing

[sickpup]

[james1988]

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with everyone else about you being used to it. I've been riding for 3 years this month, I too thought I was Rossi after a few short blasts and thought I'd had biking nailed by christ was I wrong. I entered a corner far to hot and almost binned the bike in oncoming traffic which to be fair shit me up quite a bit.

I now ride a Firestorm which will shift but isn't the fastest bike in the world but can certainly get the adrenaline going. When I first got on the bike it sort of 'reset' my confidence levels as now in my mind I'm riding something that will quite happily spit me off if I get a little bit to throttle happy.

In short take your time and learn. As for the original question; I first rode a CBR125 it would have been quicker if I'd thrown it off a cliff so because of this I used to rag the tits of it everywhere and it got the point where I felt sorry for it so I sold it and did DAS instead.

James

[P.addy]

Been on a bike for just over 5 years now.

I'm "used to it" to an extent. As in I can hold the throttle open on a straight line and I can corner pretty well.

I'm still not used to the feeling of a bike lifting the front wheel, shaking the front end when you hit a bump, rear wheel stepping out, loosing traction...a whole manor of things.

I've done silly speeds and I've done silly things on the bike...but no way am I used to it

[nowhere.elysium]

[Shaane]

A throttle will make you go as fast as you want it to, But the main question is can you still make the bike do what you want it to at such speeds?

I guess no.
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EMRA Roadstock #92 - Paperwork Permitted.
Previous: 1992 DT125R
Current: ~ 2005 ZX6R C1H

[StevRS]

I have a ZZR1100 and a CBR125 at my disposal. I ride the CBR at near its limits most of the time and I sometimes get off in tears of laughter. The ZZR genuinely is faster in 1st gear but a bit more serious (and more enjoyable, but I'm far less childish on it than the 125).

The faster bike is easy to ride fast. I am the limiting factor by quite some margin. The slower bike is easy to ride hard - it is largely the limiting factor.

[/b]
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MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR, Unfinished 1978 XS250

[P.addy]

[garth]

[Lupine Lacuna]

Sorry if I was misrepresenting myself, and I am wary of being over confident. Its a bit like avalanche danger with motorbikes, it seems to me; the problem is that you often don't get any feedback you are doing something wrong until it is too late, and the snow collapses, or your rear wheel gives way, a car pulls out...

It was only a thought that I had on the way to work; the Bandit with its position and predictible ride make it a lot easier to be too agressive in traffic, therefore you must be mindful of that and keep thinking so that you stay out of harms way.

[Teflon-Mike]

There may be a 'little' in your initial proposition.

On the 125, having to work it hard 'just' to do ordinary road speeds, I will probably be doing that bit 'more' to 'make progress' where on the 750, having the oomph that I know I can get it to pick up it's skirts and GO, at the flick of the wrist, I probably wont bother trying so hard..

So we are talking about 28 on the dial instead of 32 in a 30 limit; or weaving it through a queue to a round-about....

As for "I'm Used to It' and 'mastering the beast? I've been riding over thirty years; I learned on dirt in trials, I'm a pretty competant rider....

2Upped Snowie to the MOT garage to collect my car yesterday on 'The Pup', and had the back end 'skit' on some rather nasty broken road, around a connobation of little utility tap covers....

I have mastered most bikes I have ever ridden; I am STILL not 'used to it' and those kind of 'moments' STILL give me a 'flutter' of 'will I wont I'....

It's NEVER a certainty....

Quarter of a century on public roads, twenty years since the last 'off'.. track record sort of suggests more likely "I will"... but there's NEVER a guarantee.....
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