score your last three bikes out of 5

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

No nonsense quick fire round - score your last three bikes out of five

cbr600fx - 3 / 5 (wants to be in the upper third rev range, always - which is fine, except it's thirsty there - and starts to drink it, plus has a smallish tank, no range, is cramped and has a ridonkulous flat spot at 5k; is cheap ditto parts

zx9r c2 - 4 / 5 (roomy, fast, brilliant fuelling, a fabulous motor really - but sometimes takes against the idea of steering, for seemingly no reason - can munch headstock bearings, starting to look pretty long in the tooth now; motor is REALLY strong; cycle parts ain't bad but 6 pot tokicos need HAL lines or binning for Nissin fours;suspension can stand some adjustment - will soften off well and still steer; sweet saddle, clips ons not too low, pegs not too high - generally way comfier than it should be; is really cheap, ditto parts

klx250 - 3 / 5 only really any good for gentle off-roading i.e. green laning; doesn't like hills, headwinds or long journeys (no range); but can take a beating; is uncomfy; hard to find bigger foot pegs ime; is quite cheap - better than crf250l, surely??
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

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

[pepperami]

Kawasaki ZX6r = 5/5 , is quick, comfortable, good range, easy to ride .
Honley RX3 = 3/5 does what it does well enough for what it is.
It is let down by a seat that feels like it was carved from sharp rocks , only an Air-Hawk pad made the bike usable.
It’s a 250 single cylinder 4-stroke, so it’s never going to be fast, but that’s okay.
Hyosung GT250r = 4/5 , I love it . It’s been a good all round bike.
It’s been all over Blighty with me in all weathers and it’s still standing .
It’s only let down for me is the lack of dealer/manufacturers support .
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[chickenstrip]

Fazer 1000 (current): 5/5 Perfect for me.
Street Triple: 4/5 Great fun, but not great for touring*.
Fazer 1000 4/5 until I did all the mods, then 5/5.



*5/5 if you only use it for fun.
____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[ThatDippyTwat]

VFR750 - 4/5. Pro's - Solid, reliable, shift's as much as I need a lardy tourer to shift, Sounds fucking glorious on a decent can. Con's - Getting old, some parts and plastics an arse to get at sane prices.

GSX600F - 3/5 Pro's - Geared down (-1 front, +2 rear) it's a giggle. Surprises people that don't expect it to take off like that. Cons - Ugly as as sin, to small for me at 6'3"

Keeway RKS 125 - 2/5. Con's - Gutless motor even for a 125, soft handling. Pro's - Cheap as fuck to run, same as any other 125. Looks ok for what it is.
____________________
'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[NJD]

(4/5) MK1 FZS 600 [current]:

Excellent on fuel economy (should be criminal to have this much fun on a bike and it cost so little. The amount more I get to ride for the same money as bike below is stupid).
Easy to work on.
Headlight is the only let-down, but is well talked about.
Bit slow from 1st gear, but does have a lot of weight on it so suppose a bonus that such a small bike deals with it so well.
Parts are super cheap and most are easy to get hold of straight away.

Still ironing out and tacking some smaller jobs, but is a long termer I think.

(1/5) Honda CBF 1000 (my example, at least):

Fuel injection was nice to get going when it was raining.
Very quick and smooth when it ran good (mine wasn't often).
Starting issues intermittent and cooling issues towards the end.
Ran out of patience and confidence with it, flogged it because it couldn't even survive a simple one-way commute without issues as time advanced.
Best sat-nav mount position / type I've ever found (from Migsel, costs a bit).
Rubbish fuel economy around town versus expectation. Bit wasted for routes I ride most of time.
The amount of electrical gubbins it had made me wince. Far too many systems, plugs etc for my taste (give me a carb'd IL4 all day long).

(5/5) Kawasaki ZR7S:

Pair of hand guards, heated grips and pilot roads and I was away exploring every road I had the time to.
Engine ran and started like a dream in all weathers after sitting for a while. Never knew where the battery was because it never put up a fuss even once.
Great headlight and dash lights (based on memory, but is in comparison to a tiddler).
Very easy to service.
Heavy. Find yourself needing to pedal, by foot, the bike around on a camber and you're screwed.
Wide engine on either side, bit of an old lump. Powerful, good sound and reliable though.
I'd own another as a second, but given the short biking life we have I don't really plan to own the same one twice.
____________________
The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶

[struan80]

Current Ninja 650 3/5
Previous 3.
Honda Fireblade 4/5
BMWF550GS 3/5
Shadow 1100 4/5

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Royal Enfield 350 Bullet - 3/5. Performance of my YBRs in a heavier package, an agricultural build and a fucking huge gap between 3rd and 4th gear. Smoother engine than the 500, would be a 4/5 if it had the close ratio gearbox.

Royal Enfield 500 Classic - 4/5. To make it a 5/5 would need to be less vibey and produce maybe 30hp.

Honda CB Two Fifty Nighthawk - I'll reserve judgement on the 250 since I've only had it just over a week, but initial thoughts are as I expected - it's a 125 on steroids. Could use a 6th gear, but coming from the Enfield I'm changing up way too soon at about 5-6k instead of taking it up to 8k+. Just have to remember it's not a thumper. Given its remit, it's feeling like a 4/5.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[spottedtango]

Honda cb400 super four. 2/5. The bike was far too small for a European sized frame. The suspension was way to soft and the brakes were very good but upset the suspension. Chassis didn’t fit with the engine just felt like there was too much power for the bike as a whole which you could only access over 9k. Good build quality though.

Yamaha TRX850 4/5. The bike has good handling, fairly light and punchy. Good sound and one of my favourite bikes to ride. Downpoints is it’s really just a copy of a Ducati 900ss which I ended up buying and it could do with more power the chassis could cope with another 20bhp no problem. Also likes a drink of oil every so often.

Honda NTV600 3/5. Well built and very reliable, put the key in and away you go. It was mostly faultless apart from a few daft age related problems but I felt like Id die of boredom before the bike would die. Handled okay, maintenance free but it fails to inspire any sort of emotion, love or hate. Probably would rather take the car. Would not recommend it’s sister a deauville.

[Kentol750]

Tiger 800xcx.. 4/5, too heavy to seriously green lane happy.

Kawasaki z1000sx.. 4/5, too easy to go too fast.

Husqvarna 701 enduro, 4/5, too easy to wheelie everywhere and not comfortable enough to ride long for 3 days in a row.
____________________
Some bikes.

[arry]

(4/5) 2018 BMW R Nine T [current]:

Decent fuel economy for a 1200cc
Loads of torque which makes it really easy to ride but still fun
Weight is really low in the frame so it steers nicely and doesn't feel anything near as heavy as it is
Shaft Drive
Looks great I think - growing on me more and more
Goes through oil at a fair old rate - the sight glass is only 500ml and it'll do that in a few Saturday ride outs no bother, so you're checking oil more than you should have to - apparently this calms down with more miles but we'll see
Seriously hipster reputation and accessories kit to match; honestly you can buy a surfboard holder for it
Seat is alright, but not amazing - at first I thought it was quite a comfy bike having done 265 miles in one sitting with just small stops for food / fuel but the more I ride it now the more I realise the seat could be improved upon
BMW servicing / reliability stories do have me worried; I've not experienced anything untoward yet but still

Planning on keeping this one a while but that's my ~1200 mile review of life with it so far.

(3/5) 2012 KTM 990 SMT :

Handling for a big bike was exceptional with a very fast front end, yet surprisingly stable in the sweeping bends
Engine was very lively and a lot faster than its 115bhp ish would seem to suggest and it sounded well
Brakes phenomenal - I mean absolutely first class*
Very practical in terms of loading up luggage, screen protection, upright position, decent pillion seat etc
Fuel economy diabolical - if I averaged over 35mpg from it in my ownership I'd be amazed
Snatchy as hell fuelling just saps confidence from you mid turn if you're just wanting to relax into the ride. Bucking bronco doesn't come close to describing it. Such a tiring bike to ride
Starting issues - ate batteries for fun and even on a brand new battery, if it wasn't kept tip top it'd struggle to start on a cold day; recalcitrant as hell in that respect
Thief magnet
KTM dealers don't 'arf deserve the nickname Keep Taking Money
Front brakes (* from above) were prone to seizing if you didn't wash down properly after a winter ride; KTM were taken to court and found liable for a guy's injuries because of this and it very nearly got me on a roundabout one day, front just tucked - somehow I saved it.

Kept it 4 years and circa 5000 miles I think. Went off riding it in the end but that was more my fault than the bike's.

(4/5) 2017 Royal Enfield 500 Bullet (current):

It's so crap it's charming - every mile an achievement
Never had anyone ask me about my bike before until I bought this - charms even non-bike folk into conversation
It looks brilliant IMO
Servicing cheap / easy
Parts plentiful, mods easy to come by if you want to go that way too
Surprisingly agile, wonderful turning circle makes it a doddle to filter / use as a town bike
Great fuel economy and tank range
Could do with 5-10 bhp more
Build quality is suspect in a lot of places
Sort of linked to above but not; you would have to work really hard to keep rust at bay so I've just given up and gone with a used not polished look
70mph on any kind of road is too much for it, 55 comfy, 65 going some, so getting anywhere fast is a non-option
It'll rattle itself to bits regularly so a torque wrench and some locktite are friends to be cherished

Done 4000 miles on it now and I don't think I'll ever sell it. It's the perfect second bike in a lot of ways.

[wr6133]

All 3 current. All score well because they are toys so I have kept what pleases me.

2001 GSXR 1000 4.5/5

The original Gixxer Thou
It's fast
It handles
ASBO loud (Micron serpent system with a rather hollow looking can)
No Nanny state electronic crap, you ride this with luck and balls
Relatively comfortable
Lazy litre torque when you want to chill and ignore the gearbox
Pillion perch pretty crap
Depressing fuel economy
Eats tyres
Awkward servicing (as per any faired IL4)
Crap to ride slow (as per it's genre)
Tokico 6 pots

Had it a number of years now. Was a dream bike when it came out. Used it as daily transport for almost 3 years. I'm too cocky on it now, there's a good chance this bike will kill me. I rode this back to back with the 2017, the new one was boring in comparison.

2004 ZZR 600 4/5

Comfortable, like la-Z boy levels of comfort
Bit more low down poke than a proper supersport
Huge comfy pillion space and a proper grab rail
Can strap more shit to the thing than a gypo can fit in a transit
Very well balanced, makes low speed manoeuvres easier than they should be.
Easy to work on (compared to many other faired il4's)
Centre stand
Tokico 4 pots, almost as annoying as 6 pots
Stock exhaust is depressingly quiet
Wheel paint flakes for fun

Regretted selling my previous ZZR, bought this one as a low mile minter. Problem is I don't need an amazing middleweight sports tourer so it's still low mileage. This year it'll be the winter bike. Other half won't let me sell it, she loves the pillion position.

2015 Royal Enfield Continental GT (535 Single) 4/5

Comfortable, 300+ mile days are easy
Looks like a bike should
Easy and Cheap servicing
70+mpg when ridden hard
Handles very well
Sounds great
Goes anywhere, I've green laned this, ridden through fields, sides of hills, it just slowly plods through anything
Some QC concerns, mine is currently in bits after cooking it's R/R (with 4000 miles on the clock)
Feels like it wants another 5BHP
While it'll go a bit over 80, anything past 70 and you better have a Dental plan

I will never sell this bike, it's crap on many levels but still manages to be awesome. I even joined the owners club!

[Whosthedaddy]

Aprilia RSV1000R: loads of torque, poor at low speeds, overheats, sounds great, can he uncomfortable. Mixed bag, 3/5

Honda MSX125: what a bike shouldbe all about, the grin and fun factor ragging it everywhere but never getting into trouble. 4/5

Honda CBR 900RR: pretty much an original US import. You could tell why this changed the sports bike genre. Very much an all rounder that went like stink. 4/5
____________________
Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[mattyfattyboo...]

Yamaha XSR700 - 4/5
+ Cheap, basic & fun. Nothing over complicated, nothing flashy but offers fun back road blasts while sipping fuel.
- Sounds like a sewing machine, uncomfortable after an hour or so, some parts are cheap.

Piaggio Beverly 350 - 3.5/5
+ Fun flying about town, being able to leave my helmet under the seat when I go places. Cheap to run.
- It's still a scooter and has its limitations as far as riding pleasure goes.

Honda CB1000R - 4/5
+ Quick, reliable, comfortable
- Bit soulless.

[hellkat]

Snarley:
3/5 obviously, because Harley. When I first bought it I would only have given it 2. But its grown on me, quite a lot. Nice and small, excellently noisy, and NO black paintwork. Would haved scored four because of HUGE posing value in London, but things wobble off, always going to be a points-loser.


GSX750
3/5, mainly due to buzz of riding it back from Milan (and prove to BCF naysayers that it could be done, and by a girl), and it was perfectly tuned by previous owner. Has street cred amongst certain types but has suffered the ignominy of being locked away and ignored for a bit too long now. Hoping it will recover and gain its final point/s once I have tinkered with it a bit.

XJ900 Divvi
2/5: Only good point: large(ish) engine size. Centre of gravity was very wanky, not just because I am a short-arse but also boyfriend shaped like brick shithouse and with 37" inside leg found it to be unwieldy as well. Would only be 1 point, but extra point gained due to the fact that my ex sold it to me for £200 because he needed drinking money, and he had offered it to me for £300 two months earlier

Edit: Am adding a fourth because Stinkwheel did. But also because the XJ900 was not an intentional buy.

Kwak GPZ500: 5/5
Got me back on the road after losing my nerve for about 18 months. Nice size, increased my confidence again, and was easy to look after, to ride reasonable distances as well as to bomb around town on. Can't remember why I sold it, possibly because it was worn out by my lack of attention, but I would happily have another one now
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Vin]

Present Honda Transalp 650 3/5
Yamaha TZR250 10/5
Suzuki GSX750 EFE 2/5

[Moxey]

Last 3 on the road bikes (projects excluded).

2002 Hornet 900 3/5

+ Good fuel economy.

+ Comfortable (standard riding position if a little small).

- Numb handling

- Ate the battery for fun

- WORST injection on a bike I've ever ridden (took a bit of throttle input every time pulling away, very clunky at slow speed)

- Notchy and clunky gearbox

2004 Harley Sportster 3/5

+ Good fuel economy.

+ Memorable riding experience (yeah let's go with that )

+/- Looks, the cast wheels took away from it but I liked the retro appearance.

- Poor brakes

- Overpriced (the bike and parts)

- Alarm system killed the battery if not kept on optimiser every night.

- Stiff suspension (had stupidly short shocks with no travel)

2002 Fazer 1000 4.5/5

+ Pulls like a train!

+ Balanced handling

+ Comfortable

+ Economical (with right wrist restraint!)

+ Decent under seat space

- 18 year old suspension long overdue a refurb.

- Rusted exhaust nuts to tackle over winter (+ exup valve bolts)

- Exhaust recirculation system needs junking and blanking off.
____________________
Current: 02 FZS 1000 & 91 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Some Bike Pics...
'I was too busy paying attention to pay attention'

[Ayrton]

CCM 644 Dualsport 4/5 : First big bike, I like the low weight and it's fun with supermoto wheels. Downsides is the wiring is poor, finding parts isn't always the easiest and the seat isn't the comfiest as you'd expect.

YBR 125 4/5 : did what it was supposed to for a 125. I just wish Yamaha fixed the ignition switch which seems to be a common failure and almost left me stuck at work.

Honda CBR125 3/5 : I've owned 2, one was my first bike and another I never got on the road. A lot of other 17 years olds thought it was quite impressive . The YBR was probably a better bike for learning.

[MarJay]

2018 GSX-S1000F - 4/5

https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/topbox_120.jpg

Looks and slight lack of character aside, it's awesome. Smooth, grunty, comfy, fast and it's best quality is handling. I never thought I'd say that before I bought it, but it's true. It just works so well. As a weapon for getting from A to B quickly it's just right. Shame it's a bit on the ugly side at the front, and has the usual Suzuki finish problems. Hard to fall in love with, but a truly objectively great bike, if that makes sense.

2000 VFR800Fi-Y. 3.5/5

https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/vfr_small_546.jpg

Better than it had any right to be. Great value for money, almost perfect as a commuter. Weird sumptuous quality on the engine, frame, dash, fairing etc. Almost over engineered in those regards, and then let down by cheapo suspension and absolutely dire sliding caliper brakes. All the brake and suspension money was spent on the Dual CBS which really had very little effect. I loved it, but was not *that* sad to part with it in the end. Replaced by the GSX-S. Probably would have kept going after the nuclear winter and the cockroaches would have been riding it around trying to fathom what idiot thought Dual CBS was worth the effort.

Not sure what to put for number 3. Technically it's probably my last Buell which I both bought and sold last, but I also still own 3 other bikes which I bought before that Buell... I've reviewed Buells loads on here, you can search if you want more on them, but I guess I'll have to go for it here, but it might be a bit more of an abstract piece...

2006 XB12S Firebolt. 3/5

https://cdn.bcf.44bytes.net/files/img_4010_small_195.jpg

A good bike, but Euro and Japanese bikes have got better in the intervening years. I bought it to try to recapture the magic of my first Buell a red XB12R with flat bars, this one had clip ons. I also missed my XB12S which I crashed in 2011 along with my fledgling marriage. Starting to show it's age, it nevertheless will outstomp and outhandle a lot of bikes. A bike that is able to induce a deep passion, but sadly not enough loyalty to keep it. A good toy, but when quirkiness becomes it's USP, it's no longer enough.

For a solo road thrash at least semi within the bounds of the law it can't really be beaten, but you can't really *do* anything with it. The Street Triple ended up being more fun, better handling, lighter and easier to live with, and a reasonable amount quicker and nuttier too. I like that extra naughtiness that comes with the STR. Loads of good points, but just not anything I could use to justify it taking up a spot in my garage. The guy who bought it from me wrote it off the following week and I was genuinely heartbroken.

Having written that I realised that it is almost the exact polar opposite of the GSX-S. It's easy to fall in love with, but it's hard to justify as an objectively good package, even if it does go and handle well.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Blah blah]

1997 Ducati M900 - had been quite heavily modified when I purchased it with lots of upgraded bits so perhaps it wasn't the finest example of its kind. However it spent more time in pieces than being ridden due to a dying battery stuffing the sprag bearing. And then the flywheel. And then the starter. And then some wires melted. Not helped by the Italians inability to send me the correct bits (it took 3 attempts to get the right flywheel) When I did ride it I got the feeling that sometimes it didn't want to be ridden so corners easily taken one day turned into a complete disaster the next despite the same road conditions, speed etc. It got sold in a huff as I'd had enough of it, the new owner loves it and still has it many years later. 1/5

1996 CBR600 - the sensible option after my M900 woes. It went really well, stopped really well, cornered really well, but was so dull and uninvolving to ride it almost made me give up motorbikes for good. Probably perfect for a newer rider though 2/5

2006 Ducati S2r 800 - Always wanted one and while I was thinking about giving motorbikes up, I saw it for sale and bought it unseen as a final hurrah before hanging my gloves up for good. It's fuggin brilliant and it does absolutely everything I want, perfect for blasting on my own or pootling with the moped riding child. Open Termis make your ribs rattle and the surge around corners is addictive, everything a motorbike should be. It will not be sold and will be ridden until I can't ride no more. 5/5

[Polarbear]

Triumph Trophy - 4/5 - Comfy. all the toys. nice finish. Overcomplicated. A (somewhat) poor mans Goldwing 1800.

Triumph Tiger Explorer - 3/5 - Nice engine, shaft drive, a road adventure bike, quite boring.

Triumph Striple R - 4/5 - Gear fun, brilliant handling, awesome motor but...... Something I can't quite put my finger on stopped it being 5.

Going to add a 4th....

Honda Goldwing 1800 - 5/5 - Just
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[stinkwheel]

Enfield Bullet 500 with 612 conversion: 4/5 Even though I built it myself, still not quite happy with it yet. Forks keep shitting themselves is the main worry but should have that sorted this weekend.

It's not quite as quick as I'd hoped it would be. Handles nicely though and makes a glorious noise. I'd like to get it on a dyno and get the carb and ignition timing dialled in properly at some point.

Enfield Bullet 350: I'm going to give this 5/5 because it has exceeded every expectation I ever had of it. Yes it is slow and poorly constructed but it's done everything I ever asked of it and more. I bought it expecting it to be slow and unrelaible.

It's had its share of failures but in fairness, I have not treated it gently and it has soaked up a lot of abuse over the years. I'm proceeding to abuse it even more in its new guise as a trials bike.

Honda VFR750: Again 4/5. It's a do-everything road bike. Rides nicely, sounds awesome. This one is not as quick as my last one and they are a heavy old bus by anyones standards. A bit more power on tap and a bit less weight and I'd have the perfect bike... Honda actually made one with 50% more power and a lot less weight. Unfortunately, I can't afford an RC30 at the price they're gong for.
____________________
“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.

[ThunderGuts]

Honda VFR800X 5/5

Fast, fun, practical, capable, even a bit of under-seat storage (fit the manual, toolkit, overtrousers and a disclock under there) - it's a proper all-rounder. Engine excites, handles well, comfortable though and good weather protection too. It's rare enough to be interesting without being totally wacky. Only real con is it's a bit lardy when moving about by hand, e.g. out of the garage, onto centre stand etc.

Triumph Street Twin 3/5

Beautiful to look at, well engineered, sounds lovely, sips fuel. If bought purely for bimbling about on, it'd probably score a 4 or 5 because for that it's perfect, but for me it turned out to be just a little too specialised. Getting throwover panniers to fit was a pain, it has a little tank (although frugality does help a bit) and there's literally nowhere to store stuff, not even a disclock.

Kawasaki ER5 4/5

Good example of managing expectation; approach this for what it is, a basic utility bike, and it's great. Reliable, easy to work on, relatively good on fuel, peanuts insurance, some space under the seat and takes throwover panniers with ease. Despite being naked, it somehow deflects the wind pretty well too. Very narrow and pretty light, so it can filter through the narrowest of gaps yet I've spent all day on it comfortably.
____________________
TG.

[redeem ouzzer]

Suzuki GSXR1100L 4/5

Big old bus. Great engine with drive everywhere but still has a nasty streak at 9k+ RPM. Acceptable level of comfort, good brakes, handling is good but an acquired taste like all high frame GSXR's. Very heavy which makes it a handful when moving it around or riding at very low speed. Love the image of it - there's no doubt if you are riding one of these you are a REAL MAN. The only bike I own which is actually useful transport, I use it for work but it's happy taking me to race meetings or doing a couple of hundred miles on a weekend regardless of road type. The amount of power is a double edged sword, it makes it useful but it also means you don't really use all the revs very often which means it's less involving than my other bikes.

Yamaha YR5 3/5

Do you like two strokes? Do you like Premix? Do you like pulling wheelies in town and general titting around? I do which is a good job really as I built it. As a weapon to ride to the seaside / coffee shop / cafe and then ride home it's unsurpassed. It's even a passible track bike if you calibrate your brain to accomodate the TLS front drum. Otherwise it's uncomfortable (hard seat and high frequency vibes when thrashed) but luckily that ties in with the 50 mile fuel stops, will send you deaf from induction / exhaust noise if you don't wear earplugs for anything beyond a spin round the block, expensive to run, intensely annoying to ride at speed for any length of time and has you listening to every single noise it makes lest it suddenly start suffering from det. Although in it's favour I did take it to the Isle of Man a couple of years back. So from an outsider's perspective it's a bit shit, from my perspective it's perfect.

Suzuki GSXR400RKSP 3/5

I bought this about five years ago as I've had a few GK73A's in the past and wanted something I could ride on track that wasn't a 45 year old 2T. For an initial outlay of £600 I can't complain. It's done plenty of track days and a couple of thousand road miles. Pretty single minded (not much below 10K, handles and stops far too well to make any sense as a road bike) but tonnes of fun, lots of cheap spares about and I know them very well so no surprises mechanically. In the past year it's started to evolve into a more serious track tool - modern rear shock, reworked forks, Pod / jet kit, Race bodywork so it's likely it's days as a road bike are about done.
____________________
Be a REAL MAN!

[winz]

BMW K1200S — 3.5/5
Big old lady, does everything you throw at her. Doesn't tighten the trouser department as it's just a bit too good at everything. great for long rides, good spec, decent enough on fuel for a 1200.
Servicing and repairs were a bit of a pain and an expense as it's a bit complicated.
I enjoyed owning it but wouldn't own another. Was stolen last week and recovered and expecting it to be written off.

Honda CBR929RR — 4/5
Great nimble sports bike. Decent enough size. Made you grin and was hoot to ride. I did buy a bit of a lemon though.
Would certainly own again. Will be on the look out next year if finances allow.

Honda CBR11200XX Super Blackbird — 4.5/5
Owned this bike for most of my riding life. Super comfy, a bit of a pig at low speeds, although a shim in the rear shock did help with turn in. Super smooth, waaaay more power than needed. Great tourer and watching that needle climb and climb on private runways was pretty addictive. Doesn't look that outdated even with todays standards. Ate chain and sprockets, tyres, brakepads and reg/recs.
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Current Bikes: BMW K1200S
Previous: Honda CBR929RR, Honda CBR1100XX, Honda CB600F

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Only had three bikes in 20 years (four counting the ZX6R that got nicked) but never been without. 5 out of 5 for each one.

Yamaha XJR400 (grey import 1993 model) - lovely classic naked with chrome down pipes and trumpet, a real head turner. Easy to ride for a newbie, should have been able to crack the ton but I never worked out why it wouldn't. Only traded it in because I wanted a quicker bike but wish I still had it. Was exported again, according to some gov website.

Kawasaki ZX6R G (1999) - the bike which replaced my pre-test ZXR400 lust when I realised the smaller bike would be a compromise (but I still want one). The ZX6R looks great to my eyes, sounds epic, it's been very reliable and handles really well. It tips in nicely, settles in the turn and seems to appreciate some lean-off and firm counter-steering. It's quite big for a 600 so has reasonable weather protection and is not bad for luggage especially with a Renntech rack. Screen brace means the mirrors are rock solid. The bike was my only transport for a couple of years and has twice crossed France. I still have it on the road.

Yamaha YZF-R1 (2003) - escalating my need for powah! Very pretty bike. It surprised (almost disappointed) me by being easy to ride (smaller than the 600) yet massively quick in an electric, almost anodyne fashion until I stopped riding the torque and let it rev instead, although it can get a bit buzzy. Mirrors blur. It overtakes in the blink of an eye in any gear. Turns in very quickly but then seems to want to run a bit wide. Doesn't seem to benefit from lean-off in the same way as the Kawasaki, in fact it kind of says, "What the F are you doing, I've got this, now get back on!" Maybe because the bars are narrower and lower, you're perched on top instead of sitting in, and maybe a thou is a point-and-squirt machine requiring minimum time spent leaning over? I'm still running it. Commuting too.