|
Is the Ninja 1000 on the same level as the fz1? Better or worse? I'm debating replacing my sv650 with something a little bigger/comfier for longer rides but it's hard to narrow down.
|
#
?
May 13, 2019 13:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 19:13 |
|
|
hit the bricks pal! posted:Is the Ninja 1000 on the same level as the fz1? Better or worse? I'm debating replacing my sv650 with something a little bigger/comfier for longer rides but it's hard to narrow down. The Ninja 1000 is a modern full fairing sport/sport touring motorcycle with features like ABS, traction control, an IMU, modern suspension, integrated luggage, fuel injection that doesn't suck, and a frame that doesn't crack. (To be fair there was only 1 year of the FZ1 that had the frame issues). The fz1 is a decade old sportbike based on a de-tuned r1 engine. It's basically a naked bike with handlebars and half a fairing thrown on for some wind protection. The first generation (pre '06) developed something of a cult following by people who would throw some saddle bags over the back seat turning it into a cheap but surprisingly effective light weight sport tourer. In 2006 it underwent a substantial redesign which introduced a host of problems, namely a frame that liked to crack and some of the worst fuel injection ever used on a motorcycle. The engine also showed it's supersport roots in that all it's power was in the top of the rev range so it felt somewhat anemic unless you were really got on it where it would subsequently take off like a rocket ship. It produces more peak horsepower than the Ninja 1000 despite being 10 years older, but the Ninja will still "feel" faster. I've actually ridden both* and I think either would be a fine upgrade from an SV650, but if I had to chose I'd pick the Ninja 1000 any day of the week. The big caveat to that statement though is price. You can probably get a FZ1 for $5,000-$6,000 less than a Ninja 1000 which pays for a lot of tires and gas. * I've never ridden a pre-2006 redesign Fz1 but everyone I've talked to that owned one really likes it.
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2019 23:31
|
|
|
KodiakRS posted:The engine also showed it's supersport roots in that all it's power was in the top of the rev range so it felt somewhat anemic unless you were really got on it where it would subsequently take off like a rocket ship. This is true, but it made the FZ1 a decent choice as baby's first liter bike because it still had enough grunt to roll around town all day in 2nd gear without biting your head off if you got a little careless with the throttle. All bets were off over 8K RPM though. The fueling was indeed snatchy at low RPM (not the end of the world given the relative lack of power down low and easy to fix with an ECU flash), it got poo poo MPG, and that quarter fairing didn't do much except cause a lot of buffeting on the highway. Never did find a windscreen that fixed that. The stock shock also left a lot to be desired. That said, FZ1s are dirt cheap on the used market, OEM and aftermarket parts plentiful, they're reliable, maintenance pretty simple, and insurance inexpensive. It's a long way from perfect but the gen2 FZ1 is a lot of bike for the money.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 00:00
|
|
|
KodiakRS posted:The Ninja 1000 is a modern full fairing sport/sport touring motorcycle with features like ABS, traction control, an IMU, modern suspension, integrated luggage, fuel injection that doesn't suck, and a frame that doesn't crack. (To be fair there was only 1 year of the FZ1 that had the frame issues). The fz1 is a decade old sportbike based on a de-tuned r1 engine. It's basically a naked bike with handlebars and half a fairing thrown on for some wind protection. The first generation (pre '06) developed something of a cult following by people who would throw some saddle bags over the back seat turning it into a cheap but surprisingly effective light weight sport tourer. In 2006 it underwent a substantial redesign which introduced a host of problems, namely a frame that liked to crack and some of the worst fuel injection ever used on a motorcycle. The engine also showed it's supersport roots in that all it's power was in the top of the rev range so it felt somewhat anemic unless you were really got on it where it would subsequently take off like a rocket ship. It produces more peak horsepower than the Ninja 1000 despite being 10 years older, but the Ninja will still "feel" faster. I've actually ridden both* and I think either would be a fine upgrade from an SV650, but if I had to chose I'd pick the Ninja 1000 any day of the week. The big caveat to that statement though is price. You can probably get a FZ1 for $5,000-$6,000 less than a Ninja 1000 which pays for a lot of tires and gas. This is all true, but worth noting the z1000 is a steel frame truck that sells noticeably larger and heavier than the fz1. Which makes sense cause it's a zx9 engine shoved in a cheap steel frame whereas an fz1 is literally an r1 frame and engine. Really the differences are the typical ones you'd see comparing any given Yamaha vs it's Kawasaki equivalent. The kwaka will always be longer, heavier, roomier and gruntier.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 00:44
|
|
|
I'm sure they share a lot of attributes but the Ninja 1000 and Z1000 are different bikes. IIRC the Ninja 1000 has always had an aluminum frame and displaced more than 1000cc.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 01:47
|
|
|
I will say I'm getting a lot more wind in the face on the fz1 with stock windshield that I was on the ex500 even at the same speeds. It's no big deal, just getting used to it. I have an extended touring windshield I can swap out for big mile trips tho. I mean the FZ is a good 6" taller at least so i'm just up in it a bit more.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 01:52
|
|
|
FBS posted:I'm sure they share a lot of attributes but the Ninja 1000 and Z1000 are different bikes. IIRC the Ninja 1000 has always had an aluminum frame and displaced more than 1000cc. In some markets (I recently watched a video from Australia where this was the case) the Z1000SX is called the ninja 1000.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 02:13
|
|
|
A friend wants her first big bike after riding her old Duke 390. She’s smitten with the F800r and wants one. I heard it vibrates like crazy after 5000 rpms which leads to a lovely long distance tour bike which she wants to do but again, she also models and wants to ride her bike in the city between shoots so it has to do city and lane spitting comfortably and also it needs to fit her without straining her wrists (she’s 6’0). Since she can’t test the bike long distance, is it as bad as it seems or is it exaggerated? I also found bar end weights that people swear fixes the problem. Anyone has experience with this ? She’s looking at a jet black 2011 model with a GPR exhaust and panniers already installed.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 12:17
|
|
|
Is there any reason I shouldn’t buy a 2019 SMC R to upgrade my 125? I pretty much just commute 25mi through heavy central London traffic return each day, and maybe 100mi once a month on a ride somewhere in the warmer months. My only concern is a lot of people seem to think it’s a theft magnet, but it’s London, is it going to be any more of a target than anything else? I’m really not sure what to look at getting otherwise. The supermoto market in the U.K. is pretty much just the 690/701; the CB650R I’ve been training on is beautiful but horrendously uncomfortable; The xsr700 is on my maybe list, but it felt a bit weird when I sat on one at a trade show. A part of me is “get what makes you happy”, but getting my already high insurance premiums doubled because some scrote has nicked it wouldn’t name me happy.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 21:18
|
|
|
A 125 seems way more fun where you are than a 690, but that's just me. Get what you want and be ready for it to be stolen.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 22:06
|
|
|
oi m8, the chavs, the nicking. YOU BIKE!
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2019 22:30
|
|
|
Coydog posted:A 125 seems way more fun where you are than a 690, but that's just me. Get what you want and be ready for it to be stolen. Honestly, for the bulk of the riding I’ve been doing you’re probably right. But every now and then the lack of power crops up. Be it trying to overtake a slow vehicle without a runway of road to do it on, or wanting to take major 60/70mph roads to get somewhere fun quickly without feeling like I’m sitting on the precipice. I’d probably be happy with just a little extra, but there’s not much between 125 and 600 ccs.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 07:10
|
|
|
DRZ 400SM, KTM/Husqvarna 250/350/501 enduros, Ninja 300, CBR 300, Duke 390, R3, Svartpilen 401 are all wonderful 125><600cc motorcycles, and that's just in the "small bike hating" US. That being said the 600cc category has a multitude of fantastic options that would be great for a first bike. In my experience, brand new Austrian bikes tend to disappear into crim's vans in <24 hours YMMV.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 07:36
|
|
|
Horse Clocks posted:Is there any reason I shouldn’t buy a 2019 SMC R to upgrade my 125? I pretty much just commute 25mi through heavy central London traffic return each day, and maybe 100mi once a month on a ride somewhere in the warmer months. I feel the 690 would kind of be wasted on your (mostly) commuting use. It's a bike that wants to be wrung out, riding in traffic it doesn't feel happy. The engine is smooth for what it is but it's not like a Versys where it eats out of your hand and is actually relaxing to ride. Also they're kind of fragile/maintenance intensive, to the point where I feel I'm 'wasting' miles on my 701 when I'm not giving it the beans. I guess it depends on your priorities, the best thing to do would be to get a boring commuter bike but it'll make your monthly fun rides less exciting. Most opinions on theft will be anecdotal but it seems to me that a lot of people who'd want a supermoto don't have the means to pay for one.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 14:09
|
|
|
Honda cb 400 super four
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 15:03
|
|
|
I'd like to add to this and say that the 690 sucked for traffic and lane splitting. Newer ones probably have smoother throttles, but it's just a fat bike that isn't nimble that isn't fun in that area. All those speed cameras won't be your friend either. The 690 platform lives to be flogged like a hooligan and doesn't really fall into place for the day to day.
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 15:03
|
|
|
Wasn't someone in here looking for a cheap DRZ in San Diego recently? This isn't pretty, but it's a fair amount cheaper than your typical DRZ
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 17:48
|
|
|
Horse Clocks posted:Honestly, for the bulk of the riding I’ve been doing you’re probably right. But every now and then the lack of power crops up. Be it trying to overtake a slow vehicle without a runway of road to do it on, or wanting to take major 60/70mph roads to get somewhere fun quickly without feeling like I’m sitting on the precipice. There is an entire market segment available between 125 and 600 CC bikes? R3 CBR250 / 300 Ninja 250/300/400 Duke 390 / RC390 DRZ Rebel Boulevard TU250X GSX250R Husky401 Versys300 Z400 .... and more!?
|
|
#
?
May 15, 2019 20:02
|
|
|
Coydog posted:I'd like to add to this and say that the 690 sucked for traffic and lane splitting. Newer ones probably have smoother throttles, but it's just a fat bike that isn't nimble that isn't fun in that area. Thirding. I had a 690 as an only bike and sold it because commuting on it was such a pain, regardless of how fun it was to flog on weekends. It's a bike that only makes sense as a toy.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2019 04:13
|
|
|
It's hard to argue with a big Japanese standard that just thonks along for 100kmi with minimal maintenance and makes good->loving mind-bending power while handling well and floating along like a couch when it comes to commuting by motorcycle, I commuted every day on my FZ6 for 6 months, and it was perfect in every way, it's much less fun on the weekends than a Supersport, big V-twin sportbike, etc though.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2019 04:19
|
|
|
All good points. I think I’m going to see if I can get a test ride on the 401 svartpilen this weekend. Might see if I can do the same for the smcr while I’m at the KTM dealer, but yeah, I think the theft and suitability for commuting is probably going to rule it out. Kinda sucks, but no point dropping money on something that’s not fit for purpose.
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2019 19:33
|
|
|
The 401 is just a bajaj with a body kit fyi
|
|
#
?
May 16, 2019 22:22
|
|
|
It's a really nice body kit though.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2019 03:21
|
|
|
I’m thinking about selling my Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 and getting something new. It was my first bike and I bought it before I’d seen the sage advice to just get a Ninja 250 or 300, thinking a cruiser would be the way to go and with no interest in sport or naked bikes - until I rode one. Turns out I enjoy heading up into the foothills/mountains and would have been far better served with something lighter and more maneuverable. I usually just ride on weekends, sometimes commute 30 minutes to work on the freeway/highway. I’ve gone on one week-long tour but usually at most it’s day trips. My thoughts are: 1) Downsize to something like a Ninja 400, Z400, maybe a 390 Duke (I know KTM is probably a bad idea but they look fun as heck). Less power than I have today but lightweight and maneuverable. Question is whether I would miss the extra power. 2) Go for something similar in displacement to my current bike but sportier (SV 650, FZ-07/MT-07, Z650, Ninja 650, CBR 500). 3) Go for something like a Versys 300 or 650 so that I have the option to peel off onto fire roads or do light off-road when up in the hills. 4) Go for a dual-sport, but I’m short (5’ 8”) and also not sure if the trade-offs in comfort or the ability to go for longer rides are worth it. I’d love to ride a triple, like an MT-09, but I’ve been riding off and on for a few years and I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2019 04:33
|
|
|
I'd suggest option 2. Option 1 is good and there's a lot to be learned on a small bike and throwing them around corners, but you already have riding experience and can probably get away with something midrange that has some mix of the bigger bike power but smaller bike agility/confidence.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2019 04:50
|
|
|
mentalcontempt posted:I’m thinking about selling my Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 and getting something new. It was my first bike and I bought it before I’d seen the sage advice to just get a Ninja 250 or 300, thinking a cruiser would be the way to go and with no interest in sport or naked bikes - until I rode one. Turns out I enjoy heading up into the foothills/mountains and would have been far better served with something lighter and more maneuverable. I usually just ride on weekends, sometimes commute 30 minutes to work on the freeway/highway. I’ve gone on one week-long tour but usually at most it’s day trips. I'll stay true to form: get a smaller bike and reap all the benefits intrinsic to that, not least learning to ride not-poo poo without hurting yourself. From a straight-line performance view, a ninja 400 or r3 don't really lose much to your vulcan; they're still much faster than the cars and that's all that really matters. Like, if you want more experience before getting a big grunty bike, you can either get an SV or whatever and have effectively the same performance as now but with (marginally) better chassis parts & learn slowly, or get a small nimble bike which is drastically better dynamically & learn quickly. Smaller bikes don't give you the option of riding poo poo, you have to have good lines and inputs to maintain speed. Then when you get that shiny triple, you'll be very well armed against that power putting you in a bad situation. If you want to learn SUPER fast get a motard or enduro. They're similar to small bikes but drastically more forgiving and make it very easy to understand traction, with the tradeoff of reduced outright performance; it's not a big difference, personal anecdotal experience leads me to believe rider skill can bridge much bigger gaps than that if corners are involved. IMO versys 300/650 and similar are worthless in your situation as they're pretty mediocre both on- and off-road and won't teach you much unless you really commit to one or the other, at which point why not just get a bike built for that job?
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2019 06:46
|
|
|
I owned a gen 1 fz1 and wasn't a fan. Owned a couple sv650s and would definitely choose one of those over an fz1.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2019 22:27
|
|
|
How much of a letdown would a new(ish) CBR500R be coming from a CBR600 f4i? I want ABS and the 260 mile range seems great. I don’t want a gutless wonder though. Would be for commuting occasionally and weekend trips.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 17:22
|
|
|
I think they look pretty nice. Adjustable front suspension on the newer ones seems nice too. Consider me skeptical of 200+ range. Have you looked at the VFR? I got a brand new one for $8k, including abs and traction control and heated grips and self canceling turn signals and a center stand. It’s pretty nice too!
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 17:39
|
|
|
I hadn’t considered the VFR - thanks. That’s a good price too.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 20:13
|
|
|
I went for a test ride on an xsr700, at first wasn’t blown away by it, but had a think about it over the weekend and put a holding deposit down on an ex-Demo. I was really surprised how well it handles well at low speeds and filtering. And that grumbly engine, upright riding position, and more simple but drastic customisations... perfect. Have to keep the 125 garaged for another month or two to get a NCB certificate from the insurance, but looking forward to having something... substantial
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 21:17
|
|
|
mewse posted:90s as gently caress f3 just posted locally I used to have a 1996 F3 just like that until I hosed up and laid it down. I drove it home but the fairings were all hosed up. Insurance paid me more than it was worth, and then someone else paid me more than I originally paid for it so I just let it go. I've missed that bike every day since. Jim Silly-Balls posted:There are two perfect color schemes. That one and the Suzuki Alstare one. *Ahem*     The Suzuki wasn't mine.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 22:06
|
|
|
GnarlyCharlie4u posted:What exhaust does it have and where are you located? Winnipeg but the listing is gone, was listed april 9
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 22:18
|
|
|
Horse Clocks posted:I went for a test ride on an xsr700, at first wasn’t blown away by it, but had a think about it over the weekend and put a holding deposit down on an ex-Demo. Bar end mirrors like the lane splitter ones make hitting car mirrors with yours much less of an issue than with the stock mirrors. When things get tight you just fold them in and go places no harley can ever fit. In fact I find myself frustrated with baggers trying to fit their huge bikes in between spots and failing more often than anything.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 22:22
|
|
|
I want the side cases for my vfr but I know I’m going to catch them on a Volvo or something and crash embarrassingly when I split around LA
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 22:39
|
|
|
Take a closer look at the measurements. Your knees and shoulders are probably wider than the cases, so as long as you yourself aren't hitting anything, the cases won't either.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 23:19
|
|
|
mewse posted:Winnipeg but the listing is gone, was listed april 9 I'm just gonna assume it was Vance and Hines because of the sticker. That was a drat sweet bike. You shoulda bought it.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 23:20
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Take a closer look at the measurements. Your knees and shoulders are probably wider than the cases, so as long as you yourself aren't hitting anything, the cases won't either. You’re probably right and I’m overthinking it... there’s some pretty tight spots especially super slow filtering
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2019 23:28
|
|
|
Nostalgia4Ass posted:In fact I find myself frustrated with baggers trying to fit their huge bikes in between spots and failing more often than anything. There's a single bikes-only street parking spot near my customer's office downtown and 95% of the time I ride down there, 3 baggers have taken up the entire god damned spot where you should be able to fit 6 bikes. Not sure if the owners are afraid of someone scratching their chrome or they're too loving fat to get on/off the damned things unless they have an extra bike's worth of room on either side (or both). It's infuriating.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2019 01:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 19:13 |
|
|
Both. Also they probably can't accurately back the thing into a motorcycle-width space.
|
|
#
?
May 22, 2019 03:34
|
|