Motorcycle Enthusiasts

[Lowellejay]

Rep, that’s me . How did you get into my secret training facility? You don’t have bag of boiled lollies do you?

One good turn deserves another, so I sent my ninja out to get one of you.

 

[sltlelvleln]

I took a VTR1000 and a R1 for a ride yesterday. I made the mistake of ridding the RI first; the VTR was gutless in comparison, which is a laughable statement to make about something that will do 11.5 second standing quarters. The R1 was so much more powerful than my old Blade; I doubt that I could keep my licence very long at all with it. The handling was fine at speed, but felt a little strange when turning into slow corners, almost like it didn’t want to lean in. I was surprised by its stability, nowhere near as flighty as my old blade. The VTR felt very neutral and handled well; no doubt the R1 would run rings around it at the track. Overall two very different bikes both very enjoyable. If I did more track days I would go for the R1, but given that most of my ridding will be commuting and weekend mountain blasts the VTR will be easier to live with. I might look at a Triumph T595 as well, do any of you guys know of anything to look out for with these, do they have any common problems that I should know about?

 

[babyshainee]

WSB are at Valencia this weekend, do we have any bets on which Troy will win?

 

[KraziieGerl]

Colin


I see your ninja caught my good side.

While I'm not running right out to buy one I've had my eyes on one of these for some time now.



Here are the finer points, it's a Buell Firebolt. http://www.buell.com/en_us/bikes_gear/firebolt/xb9r/index.asp I have a need for a big tour bike first, like the Ultra Classic. My daughter will be 5 this July and can be onthe back of a bike, but I want her in a wrap around seat with a riders back rest if front of her. My wife will also be needing a bike so we can go family biking. My want for a sport bike is because they are so darn fun in the back country in the curves and turns. Plus I have this thing for "Controlled" speed. As in at the track.


Hey if the ultimate point of being is to ride a motorcycle, then a Helicopter is the ultimate motorcycle.

 

[Chrissyisafox]

Nordic I would like a XB12R to "play" with but I want to build a old school bober first. I want it to look old school but with a 124" power plant.

 

[DakotaG]

I like the XB12R and 9R, they both look realy good. I would like a few more horspower though. The other worry is the unusual steering geometry and front brake, I think they contribute to their tendancy to stand up when braking. I tend to use a lot of brakes deep into a corner and wear out the sides of my front tyres fairly quikely. On my old TRX and Blade a front sports tyre would only last 3500 klm and while the rear would do 4500 klm of road riding.

 

[cooldudejh12]

An old school scoot would be a nice addition to the collection. What do you have in mind for the frame?

 

[maccapacca]

Divine Bovine Colin, 3500 k isn't much. Are you power sliding around the corners, or are your tyres just that sticky?

 

[DomoC]

I was using Michelin Hi Sports and the later model Pilots. They both had similar life. I could bet an extra 1000 klm out of Michelin Macadam's, but at a loss of grip they also scolloped heavily on the sides of the front tyres. At that stage I lived on the western suburbs of Sydney and did a lot of Putty road rides, a good mix of fast and tight corners. I was much harder on the fronts than the rears, even on my blade and tended to wear the sides of the tyre out long before the centre tread.

 

[Caggy]

I just re-rubbered my front. I got 15,000 and a smidge out of my Dunlop. It's a good tyre and lasts a long timebut at the expense of grip. I ride everyday and have a 130 mile round trip commute so a longer lasting tyre is a must for me.

 

[Mimi]

Mine was exactly the same, it was very noticeable going into the hairpin at Mallory Park. You can fiddle the suspension a bit to alleviate the problem but never get rid of it without a rebuild.

I think the T595 is an excellent bike with a good reputation for reliability. Get a test ride though, not everyone gets on with them and they are a generation behind the latest Japanese/European sports stuff.

I'll see if I can dig out any tests on it and the VTR.

Mitch

 

[TrippyG]

I’m going to try a T595 tomorrow. I don’t mind it being a generation behind the newer sports bikes, they have become too track focused for me to live with now. I used to do lots of Track days, but now they are too far away to do regularly. The R1 was really strange, the seat really tilted forward pushing you into the tank. That is fine on the track, but not what I want to put up with commuting to work in our hot and humid climate. I also felt odd looking over the top of the fairing as if there was no front on the bike. No doubt it would come into its own when going fast and lying down on the tank to reduce drag.

My main concern with the T595 was reliability, I have never had one and I don’t know anyone that has. I seem to remember that the frames could crack and there was some problem with the efi system.

 

[Jenniphur]

I think the frame cracking story was only on the very first models and got blown out of all proportion in any case. Other than that my perception of their reputation is that they're bullet proof. I've never owned one but know people that have.

There was certainly an efi problem on the 600 triumph produced, but I don't remember there being one on the T595? I could well be mistaken though.

I test rode one when they first came out and was impressed. Fantastic brakes and a lovely engine. I'm a fan of twins but the triumph triple surely is a thing of beauty in road use.

Could you stretch to the price of the new speed triple? That has one of the best engines of any road bike IMHO.

Mitch

Edit to add: Came across the stuff below here

However, there is a difference between the T-595 and the 955i. The 955i has a revised engine management system, a new airbox, a new engine camshaft and new exhaust header pipes. This equates to around 10BHP more throughout the rev range and cures the T-595 midrange flatspot. So if you are contemplating buying a second-hand Triumph, our recommendation would be to stick a few extra pennies towards a 955i rather than a T-595 if you think you're going to need the extra horses. It'll be cheaper than trying to tune the nuts off the motor.

 

[rajg]

Yah I did mean the British Superbikes

 

[jmb]

I believe the T955 are a lot better, but I can get a T595 that has done 24000 klm for about half the price of any of the T955’s I’ve seen. Price is an issue at the moment as it is difficult to borrow anything. My wife just started a new job, and like most of our workforce it is casual and my credit union will not factor her wage. They also don’t like mine as my pay sheet say temporary as I work on contract. I’ve been there for 5 years but that doesn’t mean much to them. They really are behind the times in understanding Australia’s changes in Industrial Relations and employment environments over the last few years.

From memory the carbon fibre muffler Triumph sold as an accessory fixed the flat spot in midrange, and the one I’m looking at has one of these fitted. Of course this also makes the bike louder.

 

[AlexisInfectious®]

I think I'm going to try to get an old FLH and bob it. I would like to get a S&S shovel or pan and put it in the frame with a Baker trans. This way I have no title or insurance problems as the title will say Harley not custom.

 

[somethingawesome]

Whow! Verginy likes her money. What is the difference between the two? Here the insurance is based on the engine size and the regestration is $30.00 plus the various levies. That bike you described would be about 30 a month for full coverage and about 45 a year to regester. Of course the first time out you'd have to pay for plates, title, set-up fee but those are one time only.

 

[KeiA~N~A]

Well I took the T595 for a ride. Generally I like them, but this particular unit was not very good even though it had only 24000 klm up. He told me that it fell over in his driveway, so he had to repair the fairing and re paint it. The left footpeg was badly damaged and sloping down acutely, I doubt that this happened in the driveway. The bike in general looked very worn except for the bodywork. The tyres showed that he had a love for track day’s, no real problem, so do I. When I rode it I couldn’t believe how worn it felt, the motor performed OK except the engine management light was on, but the transmission had lots of back lash and was noisy, it just felt like my old FZR1000 that had done hundreds of thousands of kilometres. It was then I noticed the speedo readings were mainly in MPH, with KPH in small silver numbers on the inside of the main readings. Earlier he had been telling me how good ebay was for finding cheap parts for them. I’m guessing he has binned it at a track day, then repaired it, in the process replacing the original instruments with some from he found on ebay from somewhere that still uses MPH.

Tomorrow I’m of to look at a VTR1000, hopefully it is as he stated and I won’t have to go looking at more bikes.

 

[foodieNY]

That sounds very suspicious doesn't it? I guess he's had race bodywork on it and just put the original back on for the sale, hence it looks nice and new. That's a shame though isn't it, it would have been nice to get a good example to compare.

Let us know what you think of the VTR.

Mitch

 

[WarriorPooFlinger]

I was pretty happy with the VTR, it has done about 45000 klm but feels just as good as another I rode that has only 13000 klm on it. I put a deposit on it and will pick it up Friday. It is basically standard but with the baffles removed from the mufflers, it sounds nice without being as ear shattering as the Duke, the neighbours may even speak to me again. When I get it home I’ll post a pic, but first I might just have to go for ride.