Discussion
Lovely evening tonight, so I went for a wee growl tonight in the Chim.
Anyway, after scaring some old ladies, getting shouted at (good things I think!)by some young chicks, and impressing the f**k out of the Lax Power brigade, I headed home.
As I took the slip down to the by-pass, I noticed a sports bike coming round the roundabout, heading the same way behind me - road was quiet, :nuts:game on!
Foot to the floor :driving:2nd/3rd/4th/5th - glanced in mirror and although he was keeping up, he definitely wasn't reeling me in as I thought he might.
We soon caught up with some traffic and speed trap area so normal service was resumed, and at the next roundabout he came up level and gave me a big:thumbup: - think he was quite impressed!
It was a CBR with underseat exhaust, so new 600 or blade - didnt get a good enough look to see - but whatever it was good to get respect from a sports bike - I love my TVR :bow:(and bikes!)
Anyway, after scaring some old ladies, getting shouted at (good things I think!)by some young chicks, and impressing the f**k out of the Lax Power brigade, I headed home.
As I took the slip down to the by-pass, I noticed a sports bike coming round the roundabout, heading the same way behind me - road was quiet, :nuts:game on!
Foot to the floor :driving:2nd/3rd/4th/5th - glanced in mirror and although he was keeping up, he definitely wasn't reeling me in as I thought he might.
We soon caught up with some traffic and speed trap area so normal service was resumed, and at the next roundabout he came up level and gave me a big:thumbup: - think he was quite impressed!
It was a CBR with underseat exhaust, so new 600 or blade - didnt get a good enough look to see - but whatever it was good to get respect from a sports bike - I love my TVR :bow:(and bikes!)
There is no way on earth a Chim could keep up with a well ridden Bike (well ridden being the key words), even a 600. I have been riding for 19 years owning Blades, GSXRs etc. The Chim doesn't even get close to the bike for performance.
Simple maths (power to weight ratio, blah, blah) dictates that the bike should win over straight line distance, but as with anything to do with speed and handling its more to do with the individual controlling the machine rather than the machine itself.
Nice of him to give you a wave though!
Simple maths (power to weight ratio, blah, blah) dictates that the bike should win over straight line distance, but as with anything to do with speed and handling its more to do with the individual controlling the machine rather than the machine itself.
Nice of him to give you a wave though!
I've also had an encounter with a 600 - on a track - in my Chim 400. Up to about 60 there was really nothing in it. It's only when the bike got up to the high revs did it pull away.
through a few corners it couldn't carry as much speed and my torque caused me to gain further on exit.
Biker didn't look too happy - i dont think he was expecting me to keep up so well.
through a few corners it couldn't carry as much speed and my torque caused me to gain further on exit.
Biker didn't look too happy - i dont think he was expecting me to keep up so well.
I always found the same problem, braking always lost me ground over a car and I couldnt carry as much corner speed as a well set up and driven car, but acceleration out of a bend always helped to pull back lost ground.
I find the Chim is pretty good for blasting out of corners and you're right about the acceleration surprising a few people, the braking is such a let down as standard though.
I find the Chim is pretty good for blasting out of corners and you're right about the acceleration surprising a few people, the braking is such a let down as standard though.
A lot of bikes get embarassed because they dont know how fast TVRs really are. Any TVR should wax a bike breaking into and exiting a corner. They'll leave you for dead on the exit though.......
Word of warning:
2 up in a v8s at the back of a line of traffic. Floored it and started to rapidly overtake. Some berk on a Ducati 916 pulled out to overtake and my passenger had to push him back into the traffic so he didn't hit us! Later he appologised at some lights and said he didn't think anything could match him so didn't look.
Word of warning:
2 up in a v8s at the back of a line of traffic. Floored it and started to rapidly overtake. Some berk on a Ducati 916 pulled out to overtake and my passenger had to push him back into the traffic so he didn't hit us! Later he appologised at some lights and said he didn't think anything could match him so didn't look.
Never had a run in since owning the chim but wouldn't expect to keep up with a sports bike. I remember one day accelerating briskly off a dual carrageway roundabout overtaking in my old LCR when a sports bike appeared behind me, I pulled over and I have need seen anything move so fast! OK the LCR (remapped to about 265bhp) was never going to worry an Enzo but it wasn't bad mid range upto about 70ish. God knows what it was (I know nothing about bikes) but still.
I have to agree with Steve - most bikes (certainly sports 600cc+) will leave even V8 TVR's trailing at least up to 100mph+ where aerodynamics start to have a larger affect. I have both a TVR Chim 400 and a YZF750 - in a staight line there is no comparison - the bike is much faster. Given the power to weight ratios already mentioned this is no suprise - even a Chim 500 at say 350hp / ton is not close. Corners will even it up a lot though depending obviously on both driver & rider skill. If people have matched bikes (in a straight line) it was either because the rider wasn't trying, has been suprised and is not in correct gear 
or prehaps they were staying behind to savour the noise .....
>> Edited by Tafford on Tuesday 6th September 15:47
or prehaps they were staying behind to savour the noise ..... >> Edited by Tafford on Tuesday 6th September 15:47
The reason people have kept up with a sportsbike is because either the rider wasn't very experienced, was caught unaware or couldn't be bothered.
I spent most of my adult life on bikes and the limiting factor is always the rider.
To get an indication of what a well riden bike can do compare Rossi Moto GP lap times with Formula 1.
I spent most of my adult life on bikes and the limiting factor is always the rider.
To get an indication of what a well riden bike can do compare Rossi Moto GP lap times with Formula 1.
Want to know which bike you can out drag from the lights?
www.totalmotorcycle.com/downloads/carmotorcycleperformancecharts1.htm
www.totalmotorcycle.com/downloads/carmotorcycleperformancecharts1.htm
I have a 5lt Chim and a GSXf 600, which is, as you probably know, a low end sports bike. Compairing the two, I think the GSX by far out accelerates the chim up to a point. But that said, the breaking and cornering of the chim takes over.
So like others have said, unless you are very experienced on the bike and are prepaired to corner like a nutter, all in all, I would say it was quite evenly matched.
So like others have said, unless you are very experienced on the bike and are prepaired to corner like a nutter, all in all, I would say it was quite evenly matched.
This reminds me of when i was out for a ride on my Triumph 955i and came across a Porsche 911 of some description.
We were on a bumpy B road and i was in the wrong gear. Anyway my bike is not what I’d call slow, but i could only just gain on this 911 thing up to the point where we were both going to jail if seen by the plod.
There are cars around that do give you a shock and will keep up with bikes. However I’m not sure if the 4.0 Chimaera is one of them.
We were on a bumpy B road and i was in the wrong gear. Anyway my bike is not what I’d call slow, but i could only just gain on this 911 thing up to the point where we were both going to jail if seen by the plod.
There are cars around that do give you a shock and will keep up with bikes. However I’m not sure if the 4.0 Chimaera is one of them.
What I was saying about the comparison is that the bike is a small engined, 2 wheeled machine with very little rubber touching the road and nowhere near the braking capability or aerodynamics of a F1 GP car, but still pulls very creditable times especially compared to the R&D money spent on each.
The production sports motorcycle is not of the same order of dissimilarity to full race bikes as a modern 'sports' car is to a genuine race car.
Money is obviously the key thing there.
The production sports motorcycle is not of the same order of dissimilarity to full race bikes as a modern 'sports' car is to a genuine race car.
Money is obviously the key thing there.
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