I'm afraid of CB750 RC42

[kawashima]

I passed full license on school's CB750 in 2005.
That CB750 at school was so heavy and bulky, non smooth throttle, rattle making noisy hot big engine, heavy non smooth handling. Everything was scary.
Couldn't control like CB400SF for 400 license. Wondered if they are using such bike to make full license difficult on purpose.
What interesting for me was even instructors at school seemed to ride CB400SF easier than CB750, and were doing faster slaloms.

Though I could pass test on CB750, it was because our test is done in a closed small course at slow speed. I can't think of wide open its throttle.

I wondered why is CB750 so difficult to ride while CB400SF is so easy to ride.
I owned W650 and TDM900 but they were twins and lighter than CB750, and were also very easy bikes to ride.

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b295/kawashima_/CB750_zpspicu75u4.jpg

I think I am not good at bikes with IL4 engine which makes the bike very wide and heavy. Parallel twin bikes have usually narrow width and it makes me feel friendly for riders while IL4 big bike especially like RC42 makes me feel difficult to ride, like if I lean the bike, I will lose the grip easily and crash.

I only once rented kwak shop's ZRX1200, of course I could run it on a straight road with no problem, but the handling was really heavy, and I thought "I can not make a quick maneuver like swerve to avoid collision on this bike".

I have a full license but this isn't equal to having full license in UK.
So I won't be able to ride big bike over 1000cc safely yet.
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own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[doggone]

I'm surprised you found it hard to swerve for example, it's all technique really and counter-steering will make it turn or change lane as sharply as you could ever want.

They can be big unwieldy things to move when parking though, I guess almost everyone has had an embarrassing moment. Once they start to go over it's hard to stop unless you are very strong, and picking it up again is enough to cause injury if it's in a difficult position to get hold of it in the ideal way.

[kawashima]

[Nexus Icon]

You MUST be counter-steering subconsciously or you'd crash at every corner at speeds over 5mph.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[Beehive Bedlam]

Don't ride one then.

*Runs for flame suit*

[Itchy]

[esullivan]

The bigger bikes are hardest on the slow-speed and confined spaces manoeuvres that you did for your test in Japan. Once you get moving, they are no different than the 400, except that they feel less stressed, more relaxed at higher speeds.

I tried out a couple of litre bikes when I was looking for a change earlier this year, because I do a significant number of trips a year with a pillion. I tried the Honda VFR 1200 and the Triumph Street Triple 1050. Both were easy to ride on the move -- they didn't feel any different than the 700cc I had before -- but they felt a bit heavy on the slow-speed filtering that I need to do daily on my commute. The VFR 800 (with a V4 engine) I settled on isn't much lighter, to be honest, but it feels a bit better balanced and I have no trouble filtering. (Although I did drop the bike in a parking lot not too long ago...)

Don't necessarily discount the larger-bore bikes because of your experience in slow-speed stuff. You get used to that. It wouldn't take you very long. But I'd only get a bigger bike if you need one -- long trips, two-up or lots of motorways, where the bigger engine can be an advantage.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Nobby the Bastard]

It's conter-intuitive to manage heavy bikes at slow speed. You automatically want to back off the throttle when it starts to get un-manageable when turning.

That's the worst thing you should do. Add a bit of throttle. It'll promptly stand up out of the turn and take all the weight off.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[stevo as b4]

[Teflon-Mike]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10606032_838323939525858_2724844332140488475_n.jpg?oh=584e4f3c70a56087d7677ca3c7d79260&oe=57064C12
- 3" over-length rear shocks with Heavy-Duty Springs and dampers (It 'sits' on it's wheels at almost the same height as rested on the side-stand!!)
- Yokes dropped 3/4" down the stanchions, progressive wounds springs, heavier weight fork oil.
- 'Solid' mount foot-pegs, 2" further back, 1 1/2" higher up
- lower, narrower 'LC' bars
- 'Almost' open 4-1 + rejet

I don't know WHAT you're problem with one is?

It's NOT a nimble bike. It's heavy, 210Kg by the book; and its 'long', with 'conservative' steering geometry and 'soggy' suspension, as standard. Motor, is air-cooled, and 'de-tuned' from the 95bhp of the CBX engine it's derived from, down to 75bhp; the 20bhp lost on top (with about 2,000 extra rpm at the red-line) spread around the low and mid-range; it's NOT a rev hungry bike, and with big beef low down, yeah, does behave a bit tractor like! Stock geometry/suspension also tends to 'push' the front, and its none to keen to lean.. as stock, its pretty much a 'barge', and was sold in the US, I believe as a 'Starter-Bike'.. a big 'softie'.

The motor, so de-tuned for low and mid-range, as well as possibly emmissions on stock jetted versions, more so I suspect later post Y2K models, is a bit 'odd' in it's nature and doesn't behave much like a more modern water-cooled 'four', more like a V-Twin...personally I like it, it's a it 'wooly' low down, but then it get's into it's stride, and is at t's best the mid-range, delivering 'drive' like a V-Twin without the snatchiness or starting to feel asthmatic and loath to rev any higher.. and very easy to bounce off the rev limiter! The whole 'character' of the thing has grown on me in the last ten years; even tweeked a bit to suit my tastes, its still a bit of a barge, and it never did anything brilliantly; it's not what its about, it just does an awful lot 'competently'... and its a heck of a lot less 'barge-like' than a lot of the 80's 'muscle' I have known! Depends on what your references are I suppose.

And they will 'lean'.. and even 'hustle' a bit in the twsties, given a bit of encouragement! With a 34" inside leg, them pegs didn't get shifted closer to my arse for 'comfort'!

The rattles? Yeah... nature of not having a water-jacket... it's a 'feature', particularly on start up... lets you know the alternator chain is still on it's sprockets! I think they designed it in actually to stop 'old Honda four' rider's, used to the 'Knock Knock' cam-chain jokes, having apoplexy wondering what was 'missing' when they rode one
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[kawashima]

[deadwolf]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

This is quite interesting for showing just what could be gotten away with in relation to the biggest of the big bikes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHo0DiqXAys
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[kawashima]

[nowhere.elysium]

Big air/oil-cooled fours are great fun to ride. It's not the same thing as riding a narrow or small bike at all, although it uses exactly the same skills. Personally, I'd suggest having a go of a few middleweight air cooled i4s before deciding they're not for you. Yes, they're noisy and hot, but that's part of the charm: There's something delightfully unrefined about the experience that makes the extra effort worth it.
Don't be under the illusion that it will handle like a 400, though: They need to be told what to do, as opposed to it merely being suggested to them. Don't be afraid to use your body weight and shoulder strength to give it that extra little bit of convincing.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[Northern Monkey]

[ADSrox0r]

Big girls can dance easily, you just have to understand the effects of greater inertia and forces required.
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[kawashima]

[stevo as b4]

I feel a bit wimp myself about one of my dream bikes, but suspect apart from old fashioned handling and braking that I've not been used to with 90's> machines that there would be little to worry about?

I've lost a bit weight and strength in my 30's, and am enjoying little circa 100kg bikes so much at the moment, so I suppose a 280kg bike would feel a touch strange or different maybe?

But every time I see an example of the biggest of Zed's I still think I definitely would!

[Nobby the Bastard]

I'm 10 stone and have twig-like arms and legs (as anyone at BBQ will confirm) and have no problems wrestling a FZR thou around and that weighs at least a quarter of a ton.

Get the fucking sand out of your vag and just ride it.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[andyscooter]

[talkToTheHat]

One hand is plenty, pushing with one and pulling with the other at the same time is likely to reduce control by further damling the self-correcting geometry of the bike.

Push the right bar to start turning right. If you're enjoying some lean angle and moreso if hanging off, pushing the left bar to stand the bike up is difficult, so pull the right bar back towards you. This is what is meant by push-pull.

Wide tyres and narrow bars (especially clip ons) make for heavier steering. An r1 needs a hard shove but the bars barely move, a cruiser with a narrow front (like a virago) needs very little effort but the bars move a disconcerting amount.

A standard bike with wide aftermarket bars can be really twitchy. I cut the ends of my renthals to get a more stable feel.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[kawashima]

I've tested on mine, at lower speed I didn't need much strength but at faster speed even on 125 I needed to push with enough strength.
This must be more on heavier bike. This is really important tip for surviving. Thanks again I will do this on purpose from time to time.