High perfromance bikes

[sib]

I admit to it, hit 138mph Saturday on the `14 MV Agusta F4. It had plenty more left and do not doubt it would come close to it`s 180.9 advertised top speed. It`s was only about a 20 second run from a rolling 20mph start and shifts were 2000 under redline, it was leisurely and no real strain. The Quickshifter and  Auto-blipper are nice items also.

Well, either you or your bike is lacking in the cojones category.  You chickened out at 40 mph under the top speed?  Strong admission, indeed.

[Kentktk]

Well, either you or your bike is lacking in the cojones category.  You chickened out at 40 mph under the top speed?  Strong admission, indeed.

Ran out of room, stopping is part of the equation.

[Kev m]

I totally get the allure.

But the temptation to do it, and not always at the ideal time, is part of my reasoning for choosing the bikes I keep in the fleet.

That's not to say I don't enjoy it on occasion (especially on the right bike).

But I've generally found it's a better idea if I don't tempt myself every day.

Kudos to those of you who have better throttle discipline on a more regular basis, enjoy your rides.

[Kentktk]

I totally get the allure.

But the temptation to do it, and not always at the ideal time, is part of my reasoning for choosing the bikes I keep in the fleet.

That's not to say I don't enjoy it on occasion (especially on the right bike).

Yup, you`re right, because if you have it you`ll use it

[blackcat]

I try to keep my wrist action to occasional single riding on remote roads and even then for short bursts. Fast group riding is just asking for a trip in the back of a patrol car.

[Kev m]

Yup, you`re right, because if you have it you`ll use it

And after all these years, we find common ground.     

[mjptexas]

I got out of the high performance bike business about 4 years ago (or so I thought).  I had this 2006 BMW K1200r - 163 hp - that just wasn't happy below 80 mph.  After back to back weekend 'discussions' with a couple of rural Texas sheriffs I decided to sell it.

However, over the years I've gradually moved back towards the dark side.  First came the 2006 Griso, which may not be considered a performance bike, but is perfectly happy going down the road at 85 mph + for miles.

But then came the Ducati Monster 821.  I told the dealer I wasn't interested in the 1200 Monster because I didn't need all that power.  So fast forward to the present:

I do the bulk of my riding in the Texas Hill Country.  Once you get about 150 miles west of Austin you run into a lot of wide open roads.  The locals seem to treat the posted speed limits, usually 70-75 mph minimum on surface roads, as 'suggestions'.   If you don't run about 10 mph above you will continually get passed.

So I put over 400 miles on the 'little' Monster this weekend.  I did at least two desolate 10 mile stretches at 100 mph. Never saw any cars, just wide open roads.  Oh, and the little Ducati will go considerably faster than that speed, but we won't get into that here. 

Guess my only hope is finding a twelve step program for speedaholics and sticking to it.

[Rough Edge racing]

  At the LSR tracks we race on there are quite a few street bikes sometimes. A lot of guys are disappointed when their supposed fast bike, usually an older modified machine , can barely top 120, despite claims of much higher speeds on the highway.
 But most of the stuff that's supposed to be fast is, like near 185 MPH in the one mile standing start for the best stock hyper bikes. But stock at the track means stock external appearance , not necessarily internal engine stuff.
 My 85 Guzzi Cali cafe bike ran 4 consistent 117 MPH runs. The bike was still pulling slightly in 5th so might have gone 120 with more room..
 In the world of land speed racing there are about 50 naked frame bikes over 200 MPH, none are stock of course.

 I still find acceleration to be a thrill.... Hanging onto a machine by fingertips ,ass and toes as it accelerates fast enough to scare me...

[Kentktk]

And after all these years, we find common ground.     

Finally we do! 

[Petrus Rocks]

I love to ride fast as Rough edge knows 
I get tickets, on my Buell most recently. 
Rough's old Cal II hasn't seen 117mph with me- haven't found a road long and empty enough to hold it open.  Hit only 75 behind the pace car at Watkins Glen-I want more time to play!  On the road 75-85 is typical of open rural roads.  I slow down a bit when I'm on new roads.  You never know what's around the corner.

[Rough Edge racing]

I love to ride fast as Rough edge knows 
I get tickets, on my Buell most recently. 
Rough's old Cal II hasn't seen 117mph with me- haven't found a road long and empty enough to hold it open.  Hit only 75 behind the pace car at Watkins Glen-I want more time to play!  On the road 75-85 is typical of open rural roads.  I slow down a bit when I'm on new roads.  You never know what's around the corner.

 Yeah, you ride damn fast most of the time,  fast acceleration and breaking 80 on the rural two lanes. But last time was more sane... 

[Kentktk]

I love to ride fast as Rough edge knows 

  I slow down a bit when I'm on new roads.  You never know what's around the corner.

You never know what`s around a corner on a road you do know.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

Just last Saturday I was tooling down a back road outside of Lancaster, CA, on my 01 Cal Special with the speedo needle hovering around 130. The 7/33 rear drive might have something to do with that. I figure I was closer to 100.

[56Pan]

Outran a cop once.  Between Pinckard and Daleville, AL.  On an old non-stock Harley.  I swear it's true.  1977, winter.  Was leaving him behind very nicely and after I topped a hill and got out of his line of sight, I turned off the lights and took a sideroad.  I knew he'd radio the cops in Daleville.  A jerk that stayed right on my back fender every night when I got off 2nd shift in Dothan and came through Pinckard.  I was young and stupid, but it was a rush. Stopped coming home through Pinckard though.  I recommend it highly, if you're young and stupid.

[Yukonica]

It would be interesting to look at the median age of people and the context of their reply to this thread.
As we age (and survive) the painted lines seem to have changed tempo.

I fully admit to being stupid but lucky. I also admit to not having the brights to resist temptation if the opportunity is available so I've limited temptation.
There was a time in my life, when I lived in Alberta, that my (non-group ride) testosterone was validated through the challenge of tripling the posted corner speed on any rural road. Pretty much doable as long as the bike had the balance and the legs, and I had the balls. But that was decades ago (1980's).

Today I ride a 50 hp bike on which I've recorded 108 miles per hour by GPS.
Still here, still having fun. Can afford an xxx-hp bike. Prefer to try to ride into my eighties.
I want to be one of those old bastards in old styler leather you meet that say "look Sonny.... this is how it is..."

[Scud]

In my younger days...... I had a Yamaha FJ1100, which was a glorious beast of a bike. I just kept going faster and faster. Then one day, after putting it completely in the air (but only a couple feet) at about 130 on the street (and landing it), I thought, "I should slow down if I ever want to get old."

That's when I got a BMW R100CS (airhead). It was more challenging to ride at slower speeds, and I liked the sound and feel of the twin - which I supposed was a necessary step in my development before I could be allowed to become a Guzzisti. Fast forward more than a few years... the Guzzi V11s are faster than I really need to go, but still fast and sporty enough.

[motrhead]

 Back about 10 years ago, I was commuting to work on an FZ750 Yamaha...every morning I would pin it across a long straight at the bottom of a valley (this was 5:30-6AM-ish), and see 240kmh plus indicated (pipe/filter mods etc). One morning I passed a dump truck doing my usual speed, came up the long hill to the crest, and suddenly had a box full of neutrals as I started down the other side.  I figured I had blown transmission...clos er inspection that night revealed I had lost the front sprocket nut and the primary sprocket came off. Luckily Yamaha in their infinite wisdom casts a cone inside the sprocket cover that keeps the sprocket centered over the end of the output shaft and kept me from locking up a back wheel and getting spit off. That was an eye opening event!!!
 Now I try to keep it subsonic most of the time...but I did pull redline in 6th a couple weeks back on my V11 LeMans (ti pipes, K&N, PC, dyno tune) on a long level piece of pavement. I don't have a working speedo at the moment...but it calculates out to a respectable top speed...lol

[Zinfan]

I owned a 1050 Tiger that had all the speed (and then some) that I could need.  Sold it and bought a V7 once I figured out I never really ran the Tiger over 5000 rpm on a routine basis, it was just a hair trigger above those rpm's and too easy to get going faster than I realized.  Just before I bought the V7 I really laid into the throttle on the Tiger coming away from a light and maybe I had a head cold or something but my brain felt like it was 10 yards behind the bike and not in control, I didn't like that at all.

I did enjoy riding the Tiger up Highway 1 to Big Sur, it was a good bike for nipping around slow cars in the short straights between curves, I may take the V7 up there this week for a run.

[clubman]

I've ridden classic bikes for awhile now and like that, really like riding my V7C (not much faster than my Goldstar), but everrry now and then I've got to take my 955 Sprint out and pull the trigger. Still comfortable doing it and it keeps my blood thinned out.

[John A]

Riding on ice is sorta like riding a 170 hp bike - you gotta be so smooth

[Fuzzy]

I sold my Norton Commando because I knew I'd die on it. Next was a HD panhead which was more tractor than motorcycle. Now, with a little Breva 750, I kind of split the difference

[Kentktk]

Riding on ice is sorta like riding a 170 hp bike - you gotta be so smooth

Actually you don`t. With bank angle sensing traction control, anti-wheelie intervention, slipper clutches and ABS it`s not absolutely necessary, but it`s still better if you are.

[kirb]

I take the Diavel out for a short burst now and again. It has some much power that you can get there, enjoy it, and back off way before anyone will notice.

Not interested in jacking my insurance rates, so I try to keep the speeding to a minimum.

[mach1mustang351]

When I was 20 I decided that the Yamaha R6 was very cool and that I wanted one. I rode it the 500 mile break in as recommended and decided it is now time to see what this bike was all about. I was on a long highway onramp and grabbed a handful of throttle in first gear. That front end shot up faster than i could say "oh s***" I backed off of it and put it in second and revved it up. I got it to 125 and merged into traffic.

I mostly used the power of that bike to accelerate onto the highway. I rarely sped and rode it like a normal bike. I had taller bars and a Corbin seat and it was a sport tourer. These days I dont see myself owning a sport bike. It doesn't suit what I do and there are no roads in Alaska that would do it justice.

[Vasco DG]

Actually you don`t. With bank angle sensing traction control, anti-wheelie intervention, slipper clutches and ABS it`s not absolutely necessary, but it`s still better if you are.

This. Modern 'High Performance' bikes are so barkingly mad in front of almost any riders ability curve that these 'Anti-Wanker' devices, (As they were described to us by a Piaggio factory rep! ) are pretty much 'De Riguere'.

Like it or not the bikes are a lot better than we ever were or will be.

Pete

[lucydad]

I can't wait to get on the STRX this weekend....

I got the need.

The need for speed....

Been a very stressful week.

[jas67]

I can't wait to get on the STRX this weekend....

I got the need.

The need for speed....

Been a very stressful week.

 
 

[Yukonica]

I mostly used the power of that bike to accelerate onto the highway. I rarely sped and rode it like a normal bike. I had taller bars and a Corbin seat and it was a sport tourer. These days I dont see myself owning a sport bike. It doesn't suit what I do and there are no roads in Alaska that would do it justice.
[/quote]

Entirely disagree. there are some spectacular riding roads in your state.

[AH Fan]

Yep .............. My K13 tests me every time I'm out with her..... its turbine smooth amongst other obvious things and is in many ways the opposite of the M/Gs.

Ciao.

[blakebird]

One of my all time favorite bikes, and maybe the best sport touring rig I've ever owned (rode it 27,000 miles in a year) was my ZX-14.

Smoother than anything else I'd ridden, made my PGM-FI Blackbird feel like a cammy small block.... had reserves of power that you virtually never tapped into.....and was just a fun bike to ride.

A bike that is built to handle 186mph and 180hp will go down the freeway at 80 feeling so relaxed and unstressed, that you feel like you could hop off and jog alongside. Really hides the sensation of speed.

And when you do want to see what it can do....on a deserted two lane in southern New Mexico for example 
It makes everything you've ever ridden feel hopelessly slow.