Sports Bikes = Make Sense
- Thread starter Flukester
- Start date
No I like having all my limbs in working condition.
I bet crashing in a caterham isnt a great experience either though
Have got the sprocket cover off the RSV now, the only damage it's done is to the cover around the sprocket (ripped part of it open and bent it). But luckily it's only purpose is to stop muck getting in there, it has no structural or other function. Might have to bodge it back into shape just to stop it getting dirty all the time, but once the top cover is back on over the sprocket, you can't even tell.
I'm going for standard sprockets again Draeger, it's fast enough for me at the mo! First gear is almost unusable due to it wanting to wheelie, though 6th gear being lower so I actually got to use it sometimes would be nice.
I'm going for standard sprockets again Draeger, it's fast enough for me at the mo! First gear is almost unusable due to it wanting to wheelie, though 6th gear being lower so I actually got to use it sometimes would be nice.
Your call m8, but i remember when I went one tooth up on the front and first rode the thing. Was gobsmacked by the increase in "pull".
Then some of the guys over on the Oracle were saying "Nah m8, if you think thats good, wait till you go 2 up on the rear".
Didn't bother me but then I chucked a random bid into fleabay one evening and won a new Renthal Gold 44t rear.
I honestly could not believe the further increase in stomp. Knocks a tiny amount off your top end but it spins up much quicker and the front will come up off the throttle in first and second with barely a sniff.
Sounds scary but once you have got used to it the bike is much more rideable from A to B in 99% of most normal road situations you encounter. Easier to ride around town at slow speeds/in traffic too, not as much snatch from the fuel injection or transmission. Best thing is though, the drive out of corners and increased overtaking ability.
There's very few bikes, even newer superbikes that will touch a well sorted Mille with the right gearing and mods ( and of course, an experienced rider on board ).
I honestly can't believe I took so long to switch from standard gearing. It must be THE most cost effective performance mod available, anywhere!!!.
Then some of the guys over on the Oracle were saying "Nah m8, if you think thats good, wait till you go 2 up on the rear".
Didn't bother me but then I chucked a random bid into fleabay one evening and won a new Renthal Gold 44t rear.
I honestly could not believe the further increase in stomp. Knocks a tiny amount off your top end but it spins up much quicker and the front will come up off the throttle in first and second with barely a sniff.
Sounds scary but once you have got used to it the bike is much more rideable from A to B in 99% of most normal road situations you encounter. Easier to ride around town at slow speeds/in traffic too, not as much snatch from the fuel injection or transmission. Best thing is though, the drive out of corners and increased overtaking ability.
There's very few bikes, even newer superbikes that will touch a well sorted Mille with the right gearing and mods ( and of course, an experienced rider on board ).
I honestly can't believe I took so long to switch from standard gearing. It must be THE most cost effective performance mod available, anywhere!!!.
Ah mate, only just seen your post on the first page. Unlucky fella, although lucky that it didnt do more damage. You regretting not buying Japanese yet?
We'll have to sort a ride out in the next few weeks up to Devils/Hawes or maybe Helmsley?
You regretting not buying Japanese yet?
Don't be daft.
Everyone knows the RSV is the best Japanese bike to come out of Italy.
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Jan 2004
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- Leicestershire
Don't be daft.
Everyone knows the RSV is the best Japanese bike to come out of Italy.
lol. i'll stay quiet given my love of hondas
saying that though the rav mille is an awesome bike.
I managed to shear off half of the universal joint last week, shaft drive + torque = fail . Luckily I'm in France at the moment so waiting for a new one to arrive isn't quite so painful, but I still can't wait to get back on the road.
. Luckily I'm in France at the moment so waiting for a new one to arrive isn't quite so painful, but I still can't wait to get back on the road.
I just found out today why I can never get bike to turn in easy, steering damper was set to max, what a plank....
I think I turned it up to max when I got bike coz I was scared of the high speed oscillations you get when pinned and never though of turning it back down, now only 4 clicks out (as opposed to 18 lol) from soft and though front is quite lively now I can live with it as a trade off for easy turn in.
I think I turned it up to max when I got bike coz I was scared of the high speed oscillations you get when pinned and never though of turning it back down, now only 4 clicks out (as opposed to 18 lol) from soft and though front is quite lively now I can live with it as a trade off for easy turn in.
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I managed to shear off half of the universal joint last week, shaft drive + torque = fail
So much for maintenance free shaft drive! Not cheap I bet either...
Sagalout, give me a message on msn or a text (if you still have my number) and we'll arrange a ride. If you read this in time and you're free tomorrow, I'm off work and probably going out on the bike .
Draeger, I've only ridden the bike <500 miles so far, it's still leagues ahead in power of my old SV and the handling is fantastic too! (even though I had slightly sorted suspension on the SV). New sprockets aren't expensive, so I can always change them in a couple of thousand miles or so once I'm used to it
. I can't see any reason why I would need more grunt than the RSV has.. it's amazing . All my previous bikes I've kept for about a year or so.. I can see this one being a keeper for a long while .
.Draeger, I've only ridden the bike <500 miles so far, it's still leagues ahead in power of my old SV and the handling is fantastic too! (even though I had slightly sorted suspension on the SV). New sprockets aren't expensive, so I can always change them in a couple of thousand miles or so once I'm used to it
. I can't see any reason why I would need more grunt than the RSV has.. it's amazing . All my previous bikes I've kept for about a year or so.. I can see this one being a keeper for a long while .Best part of £200
. It's a common misconception about shafties, they need greasing up at least once a year but it's an easy job once you figure out how to get the back end off. It looks like the previous owner never did this as it was bone dry the first time I serviced it, but I did haggle him down as I expected some maintenance costs. It's all part of owning a 17-year old Italian bike, I guess... I just want to ride the thing though.All my previous bikes I've kept for about a year or so.. I can see this one being a keeper for a long while
Yep, they are that good.
I was in the position to buy another bike last year but because of lack of time to use my current Mille I didn't bother. However, when I do get around to blagging another set of two wheels, this Mille I have at the moment won't be going anywhere. I'm keeping it.
I'll probably hang off for a year or so from the launch of the RSV4 and then grab one of those beasties. But the Mille will be a second bike and remain with me.
Get yerself over to some of the forums like RSVZone and the RSV Bikers Oracle m8.
Used up a tank of fuel today. Went to Andover and back to meet some mates, but on the way back it was so sunny I drove past my house and kept going to the new forest as was having too much fun! Saw a few police but not too many.
Spent a few hours cleaning my trusty steed last weekend and it's still nice and clean today! Was tempted to fill up and use another tank but it got cloudy and I got cold
Spent a few hours cleaning my trusty steed last weekend and it's still nice and clean today! Was tempted to fill up and use another tank but it got cloudy and I got cold
Me and St0rmer went out and did 110 miles today in a cracking rideout. Quite a fast pace, and those Milles really do shift - I couldn't live with it out of the corners. We were joined for a few miles on a nutter on an R1 - he was a good rider but we were all keeping up a fast pace and he was about 3 feet off stormers back wheel LOL. Looked like an accomplished track rider.
Associate
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- 8 Oct 2006
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- 1,236
To Flukester, other top end sports bike owners,
Is there a need for stock road bikes with MORE power? Or are we content with the current amount of power delivered?
Is there a need for stock road bikes with MORE power? Or are we content with the current amount of power delivered?
Personally?. I don't think so.
Now I'm not blowing my own trumpet but my RSV is packing @130bhp. A mediocre power output in this day and age of 180bhp superbikes.
However, there's not much that will stay with me on the road if I feel the urge to really press on.
Power delivery and useability in real world conditions matters more to me, which is why I find the dynamics of a large capacity v-twin suit my riding style perfectly. I carry a high cornering speed but I also come out the other side at a high rate of knots. I know you hear all this "In slow/out fast" stuff getting banded about but it's not all true in a lot of cases.
However, getting back to your original question, superbikes and power outputs evolve over time. It's a natural progression for manufacturers to increase power with every new model or current model revision. Otherwise they would be perceived to be getting "left behind" in the performance stakes.
Think about it. Some of the superbikes that you can quite legally purchase in a motorcycle showromm today, would have simply wiped the floor with some of the big manufacturers "race bikes" from only a few years ago. I can't recall exactly what bike it was but I think it was the first Gixxer 1000 road bike that came out that was taken straight from the crate and lapped a certain track quicker than the then current factory race superbikes.
So yeah, evolution marches on.
Do we need 180-200bhp in a road bike?. I don't believe we do but some folk love waving their willies around with big bhp numbers and until they put their wallets away, bike manufacturers will continue to deliver for them.
Then of course there is the whole homologation issue. Your average superbike for the road is a lot closer in spec to a WSB/BSB racer than you would think. Or should that be the other way around?
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