Post your bikes thread

[isset]

Sorry its slightly OT, seen a few KTM's on here. Whats everyones opinion on the 690 Duke, good first bike? Once I pass my test I wouldnt mind one.

They are very light bikes and feel even lighter than they really are on top of that because of the low slung exhaust. I've ridden all of the 690s (except the Enduro) and they're great machines, loads of fun. They require quite a bit of looking after though being quite highly tuned thumpers. Good up to about 85-90 and then run out of steam a bit, but that's to be expected. The 690 motor is very much improved from the days of the raw 660/640/625 LC4s; they don't shake your teeth out and don't destroy crank bearings every 5k miles anymore. The stock exhaust sounds absolutely rubbish, so an aftermarket upgrade is almost a necessity unless you like your bike to sound like a sewing machine

Plenty of known issues with these bikes but most have been sorted for '08 and '09. Give this thread (warning: long read) a read

Seriously good bikes though, very well specced (brembo, marchesini, i believe the stock exhaust, however crap sounding, is built by Akrapovic, braided cables everywhere, yada yada) and built very well.

Great for a first bike I reckon. Not too mental, nice and light, good residuals and will never be a problem to sell on

HTH

 

[panthro]

Excellent, very useful info, thanks

 

[Busa]

A few of my past bikes.

 

[MouseMat2004]

Tut tut Crash bungs?

Bought some but they're an utter git to fit the engine bolts have fairly small castle nets as well as allen key bolts, managed to make a castle socket but the allen key bolt was seized in place, ended up pretty much stripping it so I gave up and sold them probably would had saved a lot in my accident, although it might had caused more damage if it dug in once it mounted the grass, who knows.

 

[Fireskull]

Yea true they are great untill they catch something lol, luckily they have saved mine a few times, I remember when I went down on my old SV the crash bung actually got ripped out :/

 

[Draeger]

I spy an original ZX-10, albeit "streetfightered".

 

[Sagalout]

A few of my past bikes.

haha, lets play 'Snap'. Currently riding the ZX12R in my sig, and heres a pic of my old ZX9R. I havent ridden a Busa yet, but my mate has just bought an 08 model which I've had a site on. Fit and finish looks better than the 12, but I just cant get over the looks, and the 12 feels a bit higher and lighter......but I just love kwaks so am very biased!

 

[kidloco]

I certainly wasn't going as fast as I wish I could had done but I'm normally a little like that first time at a new track and I had very little confidence after a highside 2 weeks earlier, just to add to the excuses I also had a shoulder injury (from the highside), turns out I have torn my rotator cuff in my shoulder

Got some pics of my poor old bike last night

Damn shame that. my brother bought one of these a few months ago, it sounds immense with a set of aftermarket cans on. It has realy got me thinking again.

I went looking for a bike on the weekend, I think im finnally ready to get another after taking a year out after binning my R1. Looking at all the new ones I was left more confused then when I started. Hated the look of the new R, Blade and ZX10, I have never got on with Suzukis so they were out. The only ones I liked the look of were the KTM RC8 and Ducati 1098. both over what I am will to spend at the moment.

Im going to give my brothers SP1 a blast over the weekend, and if I get on with it (never ridden a V Twin before) I think I will start the hunt for a nice clean SP1 or SP2.

 

[Busa]

I spy an original ZX-10, albeit "streetfightered".

You do...it was a fun bike to, especially when i started to cut bits off it..my mate Colin went nuts when he saw all the darkies i layed outside his house...am i allowed to say Darkies?

 

[SimonB]

I certainly wasn't going as fast as I wish I could had done but I'm normally a little like that first time at a new track and I had very little confidence after a highside 2 weeks earlier, just to add to the excuses I also had a shoulder injury (from the highside), turns out I have torn my rotator cuff in my shoulder

Hi,

Sorry about the bike, always had a soft spot for twins and looked at the SP1's a while ago but settled on a Ducati. Thinking back I have never had more than Two cylinders on a bike, even the Honda and Yamaha I owned were twins.

Me several years ago on my 916,

and my current bike which is on a sorn and in storage because I never get time to ride it unfortunately,

Watched your video again and it does tempt me to get mine out on a track day, you never know

Hope you get yours sorted soon.

Cheers, Simon.

PS. Cadwell laptimes in my Midget were 1.55.407 but no chicane of course

 

[duc999]

Love that 996R. If you ever want to sell drop me a line !

 

[memphisto]

well guys been reading this thread for sometime as ive been doing my bike test from beginning to end over the last few months. anyway passed a week or so ago now and have recently purchased my first bike this week.

Now at this point normally im sure CB600 F and suzuki gladius etc would be the first bikes of choice or something like that, however being skint my first bike will have cost me the princely sum of £400

so realistically those bikes were a tad out of my price range, so I plumped for a 23 year old bike.

Now this bike has been in the family for at leas the last 5 years and has been in storage sorned for about the last 2 years. Iss in fairly good nick for the year with a brand new exhaust, battery and recently serviced.

So its nott as quick as some and won hadle as well butt I have been told that its a classic and is pretty much bulletproof. so what is it ?

A Honda VFR750 RC24

now at this point i would love to have pictures of it but i forgot to take them yesterday after id cleaned it and been out on it, so pics to follow however what a bike, bearing in mind my only previous bike experience was on a suzuki GS500 that i passed my Direc Access on !

looking forward to many weekends of riding !

 

[Fireskull]

Congrats well done

Yep its a honda it will last forever

 

[Busa]

A good compromise between old school and modern..good price to, 90+ bhp is decent enough for starters.

 

[PieEater]

nice, thats 4 of us here who have or have had ZX12s, one of those being Spie himself if I remember

i actually prefered the ZX12 to Busa, but that was the old shape one not new...only kept Busa from brand new for 4 weeks before chopping it for a R1, god knows what I was thinking

You can add another one to your list, I had mine for 6 months during which time I realised that it was way to powerful for my riding style and the minor roads I like to ride in Devon, I found I spent too much time worrying about overcooking the next corner and not enough time enjoying the ride, plus a rear tyre only ever lasted 2500 miles and at £160 a time it was expensive to keep properly shod.

 

[SimonB]

Love that 996R. If you ever want to sell drop me a line !

Can't bring myself to sell it unfortunately.

I store it at work and take it for a spin once a month around the car park behind locked gates to keep the belts lubricated and gearbox turning over etc.

So tempted to get it back on the road but then it starts costing me money!

Cheers, Simon.

 

[bloodiedathame]

Blimey, 125's look a lot sexier than when I was 17

This was mine 125:

I mean a 4 stroke 125...WTF?!!

I had one of these as my first bike 3 years ago:

Then onto my Bros:

Currently own a Triumph Speed Four (bike on the left, pic taken up in the Lakes a few weeks ago with a couple of mates on a new R1 and KTM Superduke).

 

[sunama]

Here is mine:

HONDA CBR125, 2006 MODEL

 

[duc999]

Just after a quick clean and road fairings back on after a track day

 

[Scuzi]

WANT