Power gone mad or progress?

[zebedee1984]

I'm just reading Superbike' magazine review of the new Kawasaki ZZR1400 and while I commend Kawasaki on a job well done for giving the Busa a "run for it's money" has the power gone mad on these bikes?

Here we have a 215kg bike with power that equates to 200ps (180bhp).

I can't use the power in my ninja to it's fullest and I consider myself to be a fairly competent rider and I see plenty of Racer wannabe's who ride thier R1 like it'll bite them at any time, becuase they don't really know how to control the power at thier finger tips.

The reason I'm bringing this up, is because of Direct Access, insurance remiums and mortality rates of the people who will aim to buy these new "power houses".

Am I being an old man about this or do you guys agree that there are quite a few muppets on the road that, if only had started on somehing with useable power, rather than jumping on the biggest bore thier wallets can afford, then we might have a few less accidents.

Power gone mad or good progress? - what do you think?

[BB]

People say motorbikes are dangerous, but lets face it how many people have been attacked or bitten by a parked bike? It the idiot in the saddle that is dangerous.

I sort of wander between liking the idea of stepped licence/cc and think this should be the same for cars/all vehicles as well. But I do think it smacks of 'nanny state'. Then I also think we should be allowed to ride whatever size of bike we want subject to recognition of our own capabilities or finances or whatever.

I do think some people buy a big cc bike because of peer pressure and not wanting to be thought a wimp with their mates and then find they have an animal they cannot fully control but won't admit it!

Just to throw something else in the pot - personally I think regular eyesight tests should be compulsary for all riders/drivers.

There is another thread on here - EU making it harder to get a licence on - where people are talking about proposed licence restrictions.

[zebedee1984]

I'll take a look at that thread.

You're right about the person being the idiot and no the bike (the R1 has always been a likeable model for Yamaha and as yet no reports of attacks have appeared).

off to this license thread, I'll have stuuf to say, because starting with an A2 license did me a lot of good and hopefullyhelped me not to kill myself in the early stages of riding as the power was limited.

cheers blackbonnie

[SkyJawa]

Yeah - its the rider not the bike, I've only been riding since Aug and have a ZX6R 636 - its foooking quick but only as quick as I turn the throttle. I'm not trying to keep up with mates that have been riding years and will only do what I feel comfortable with as people I've ridden with will say. So as said - its the person on it for sure - I guess the new talked of stepped licence may help for the idiots, but its a shame for normal people who aren't idiots.........

[blurbiker247]

Power junkies, you see em all the time, they should spend there money on fair ground rides, its cheaper and safer, I went to Italy last year, I don't consider myself slow, but I ride to my own pace and comfort, (wow that sounds definatly old fart) anyway, the same bunch of boy racers passed me, and passed me, and passed me, my beamer may be a grandads bike, but its quick enough for me and you can sit there for 9 hours a day if yer want. depending on how you ride sometimes less is more.

[BB]

Power junkies, you see em all the time, they should spend there money on fair ground rides, its cheaper and safer, I went to Italy last year, I don't consider myself slow, but I ride to my own pace and comfort, (wow that sounds definatly old fart) anyway, the same bunch of boy racers passed me, and passed me, and passed me, my beamer may be a grandads bike, but its quick enough for me and you can sit there for 9 hours a day if yer want. depending on how you ride sometimes less is more.

If you are riding a comfortable bike you can go a full tankful without problem. Ride steadily and smoothly and you can irritate the hell out of so called faster bikes! Ask anyone who has done the National Rally - it is bleeding irritating when you are thrashing your rocket ship to death between checkpoints and some bloke on a step thru or an old brit bike keeps bimbling into the same checkpoint within minutes of you! ::)

[blurbiker247]

Bit like the hare and the tortoise, ( how do you get the smilies?)

[BB]

hit the reply button on the bottom of the post and you get to choose all sorts of smilies and other stuff too. Quick reply doesn't give you any options.

;) :P

[blurbiker247]

:D....... :(... so you dont get just the kind of stuff you see when you type it then??? now I'm confused, I did that, looked at the preview and all i@m getting is letters, numbers and and stuff, OK I am thick :-[

[blurbiker247]

:D....... :(... so you dont get just the kind of stuff you see when you type it then??? now I'm confused, I did that, looked at the preview and all i@m getting is letters, numbers and and stuff, OK I am thick :-[


Ooops you do get it, well some of it ;D

[BB]

Don't worry, you will get the hang of it. It took me a little while & a few practices to get it right! :D you can always go back in and edit if you don't like the posted result. ;D

[blurbiker247]

:D :D :D Thanks mate, I'm going to have dinner now, chilli :P

[blurbiker247]

:D :D :D Thanks mate, I'm going to have dinner now, chilli :P

PS proberly a good job Ill be out in the fresh air tomorrow :-/

[BB]

Must have been a good chilli then! :o

[Snowy]

Just to add a bit more to this. When I was 21 and my CB900F was running sweet, it was said to be one of the fastest bikes around. 140mph and 0-60 in 3.5 secs. Now I rode that bike everyday, 12 months of the year as I had no other form of transport. I rode it on packed ice, slush, floods and everything else that was thrown my way. I considered myself a reasonably competent rider because I rode all the time. However, the one and only time I took that bike above 120mph, I scared myself silly and have never done it since. My point is that I was comfortable at speeds I was used to but once I went out of that comfort zone I was dangerous.

The accident statistics can make interesting reading. 25 years ago it was the under 19 age group producing all the fatalities. This was when you could get on a 250cc unrestriced bike at 17 on a provisional license and no training. That's how I learnt to ride. Now, the trend has reversed, in that many more accidents are involving born again bikers with lotsa money to spend now the kids have left home. The modern day sportsbikes are capable of speeds no one who rides only on weekends can either use proficiently or safely. And many weekend riders go out in company so there's competition, a bit of adrenaline and male pride and you have a dangerous recipe. The guys who take the training seriously, move up the cc range in progressive steps are the ones who will (hopefully) reach old age.

My soapbox and I'm still alive today to stand on it.

[zebedee1984]

well said BMWgraeme you've hit the nail on the head, I ride all year round and don't know the full limitations of my machine, how can someone riding a fraction of tht time hope to have the knowledge of thier machine to back them up if something did go wrong.

[JamesHockley]

I went from a sports 600 to an 1100 super tourer (or what ever the hell the blackbird is clasifed as), I ride slower now because I have nothing to prove and the bike is easer to ride slower because of all the torque it has. I hardly have to change gear any more!

[zebedee1984]

Sounds lazy in a good ay, you can have fun if you want, but you can sit back as ell if the mood takes you.

Mine doesn't allow that kind of relaxed riding (ZX7R) but I enjoy the ride much more when I'm riding smooth and steadily fast rather than wacking open the throttle and scaring myself to death.

I find it's quicker when you ride smoothly but fast anyway, becaus eyou find your average speed actually increases.