Are smaller bikes more fun in many ways?
Discussion
I've got a few bikes at present and have just come back from a 4 hour early weekend blast with some friends on much bigger bikes.
I was on my CBR250RR from 30 years ago and it's just so much fun to ride quickly. This particular one was tuned in Japan prior to me importing it with things like Honda race cams, bigger carbs., higher compression and fully Blueprinted and balanced internals, etc. Just over 53 bhp (as against 45 bhp standard), which sounds modest by the 200 bhp litre bikes of today's standards but in reality it was very rarely shown up, indeed through the bends the 140 kgs weight was a real bonus. It handles and stops almost like an old GP bike, certainly revs like one, the rev limiter is set at 20,000 rpm on this particular bike with peak bhp at 16,900 rpm and peak torque at a crazy 15,400 rpm.
It sounds exactly like an old GP racer and i can see why replicas of Mike Hailwood's 250-6 are based on this bike. The best £2500 i have ever spent.
Amazingly this bike will happily pull top gear from 35 mph, albeit quite slowly, it is an absolute gem of an engine.
I was on my CBR250RR from 30 years ago and it's just so much fun to ride quickly. This particular one was tuned in Japan prior to me importing it with things like Honda race cams, bigger carbs., higher compression and fully Blueprinted and balanced internals, etc. Just over 53 bhp (as against 45 bhp standard), which sounds modest by the 200 bhp litre bikes of today's standards but in reality it was very rarely shown up, indeed through the bends the 140 kgs weight was a real bonus. It handles and stops almost like an old GP bike, certainly revs like one, the rev limiter is set at 20,000 rpm on this particular bike with peak bhp at 16,900 rpm and peak torque at a crazy 15,400 rpm.
It sounds exactly like an old GP racer and i can see why replicas of Mike Hailwood's 250-6 are based on this bike. The best £2500 i have ever spent.
Amazingly this bike will happily pull top gear from 35 mph, albeit quite slowly, it is an absolute gem of an engine.
If agree that you can get a lot more fun riding out of a smaller bike on regular occasions.
I've just had to choose which bike to keep due to a house move, and it's the 400 that's stayed and the 1000 that's gone.
Objectively the SV was the better bike in every way - faster, more comfortable over longer distances, less likely to break down. For sheer grin factor though, the NC30 has it by a country mile (and yes, I acknowledge they're totally different types of bike).
I've just had to choose which bike to keep due to a house move, and it's the 400 that's stayed and the 1000 that's gone.
Objectively the SV was the better bike in every way - faster, more comfortable over longer distances, less likely to break down. For sheer grin factor though, the NC30 has it by a country mile (and yes, I acknowledge they're totally different types of bike).
As with so many things it depends entirely on what you want. For shorter runs on an occasional sunny day along winding back roads then smaller bikes can be great fun. Longer days and/or longer distances, faster more flowing roads with a bit of traffic etc. and smaller bikes can become hard work and tiresome.
black-k1 said:
As with so many things it depends entirely on what you want. For shorter runs on an occasional sunny day along winding back roads then smaller bikes can be great fun. Longer days and/or longer distances, faster more flowing roads with a bit of traffic etc. and smaller bikes can become hard work and tiresome.
We'll soon find out in Italy. I think it will be only my bank balance and my clutch hand that suffers, not the enjoyment. NS400R said:
black-k1 said:
As with so many things it depends entirely on what you want. For shorter runs on an occasional sunny day along winding back roads then smaller bikes can be great fun. Longer days and/or longer distances, faster more flowing roads with a bit of traffic etc. and smaller bikes can become hard work and tiresome.
We'll soon find out in Italy. I think it will be only my bank balance and my clutch hand that suffers, not the enjoyment. 
You're on! https://www.myrouteapp.com/route/open/1491638
black-k1 said:
I'll pick up that gauntlet. I reckon I'll have just as much fun, if not more, on the geriatric stroker as you have on the H2. Grindle said:
I've got a few bikes at present and have just come back from a 4 hour early weekend blast with some friends on much bigger bikes.
I was on my CBR250RR from 30 years ago and it's just so much fun to ride quickly. This particular one was tuned in Japan prior to me importing it with things like Honda race cams, bigger carbs., higher compression and fully Blueprinted and balanced internals, etc. Just over 53 bhp (as against 45 bhp standard), which sounds modest by the 200 bhp litre bikes of today's standards but in reality it was very rarely shown up, indeed through the bends the 140 kgs weight was a real bonus. It handles and stops almost like an old GP bike, certainly revs like one, the rev limiter is set at 20,000 rpm on this particular bike with peak bhp at 16,900 rpm and peak torque at a crazy 15,400 rpm.
It sounds exactly like an old GP racer and i can see why replicas of Mike Hailwood's 250-6 are based on this bike. The best £2500 i have ever spent.
Amazingly this bike will happily pull top gear from 35 mph, albeit quite slowly, it is an absolute gem of an engine.
I can't wait for my CBR250RR's to arrive from Australia! Beginning of June is the current ETAI was on my CBR250RR from 30 years ago and it's just so much fun to ride quickly. This particular one was tuned in Japan prior to me importing it with things like Honda race cams, bigger carbs., higher compression and fully Blueprinted and balanced internals, etc. Just over 53 bhp (as against 45 bhp standard), which sounds modest by the 200 bhp litre bikes of today's standards but in reality it was very rarely shown up, indeed through the bends the 140 kgs weight was a real bonus. It handles and stops almost like an old GP bike, certainly revs like one, the rev limiter is set at 20,000 rpm on this particular bike with peak bhp at 16,900 rpm and peak torque at a crazy 15,400 rpm.
It sounds exactly like an old GP racer and i can see why replicas of Mike Hailwood's 250-6 are based on this bike. The best £2500 i have ever spent.
Amazingly this bike will happily pull top gear from 35 mph, albeit quite slowly, it is an absolute gem of an engine.
Going against the flow on this one
I rode and tracked CBR400RR Gull arms back in the 90s and loved them, despite the squeaky plastics. However they lack torque and the ability to punch out of corners. I now have a S1KR and can roll it on from 30mph in top if I want. I learnt to ride when the only rider aid was the one between your ears Today I wouldn't be without them and how I ever rode without an auto blipper I don't know!
I rode and tracked CBR400RR Gull arms back in the 90s and loved them, despite the squeaky plastics. However they lack torque and the ability to punch out of corners. I now have a S1KR and can roll it on from 30mph in top if I want. I learnt to ride when the only rider aid was the one between your ears
Today I wouldn't be without them and how I ever rode without an auto blipper I don't know! Evening,
Yes they are in my view, because you can actually use more of their performance on the road without worrying about police, damaging your bank balance and ruining your undergarments every time you go near the throttle. A lot of me not so secretly admits that I would not be travelling much slower on my old SV650 when compared to the Tuono V2 I sold it for, or the GSXS 1000 that replaced that. On paper they were better bikes possibly, but some things are not as quantitative as this.
Same reason why some people argue that smaller cheaper cars are more fun than supercars in the real world
Yes they are in my view, because you can actually use more of their performance on the road without worrying about police, damaging your bank balance and ruining your undergarments every time you go near the throttle. A lot of me not so secretly admits that I would not be travelling much slower on my old SV650 when compared to the Tuono V2 I sold it for, or the GSXS 1000 that replaced that. On paper they were better bikes possibly, but some things are not as quantitative as this.
Same reason why some people argue that smaller cheaper cars are more fun than supercars in the real world
t and is properly set up, and you are not high up in the mountains where the small capacity really loses steam.The 250 does suffer if you want to make quick progress without effort.
On your own it's relaxing and seems rapid enough using ''only'' 10,000 rpm but i was up against an RD350LC this morning and it was hard work staying in low gears all the time so i could respond to the relatively torquey LC. Outright performance wasn't too far apart but the top end power and sheer ability to rev ultimately saw off the Yamaha. It is a bike where you need to be switched on if you want to go fast, but it's going to be great fun on the 3 track days i have booked.
This bike has much wider tyres than any 250 i've come across and actually wider than my 1973 H2 750 Kawasaki had! Sticky Michelins and the superb brakes means it's going to be very good on a track even with a rider like me who is not far above Joe average in their lap times as a rule! Not enough balls to go super quick sadly.
On your own it's relaxing and seems rapid enough using ''only'' 10,000 rpm but i was up against an RD350LC this morning and it was hard work staying in low gears all the time so i could respond to the relatively torquey LC. Outright performance wasn't too far apart but the top end power and sheer ability to rev ultimately saw off the Yamaha. It is a bike where you need to be switched on if you want to go fast, but it's going to be great fun on the 3 track days i have booked.
This bike has much wider tyres than any 250 i've come across and actually wider than my 1973 H2 750 Kawasaki had! Sticky Michelins and the superb brakes means it's going to be very good on a track even with a rider like me who is not far above Joe average in their lap times as a rule! Not enough balls to go super quick sadly.
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