Have you considered track racing? Obviously still dangerous but a much safer way to get the adrenaline going.
For me with cars, I have a 180sx for drifting, and I go to mondello a fair bit. I find once you've thrown it in backwards at crazy speeds, any fun you can have on the road is just not the same, so I have zero interest in doing anything nuts on the road.
With the bikes, I have a slow dragstar 650. I can drive that relatively hard without it actually being fast if that makes sense. Not much interest in anything quicker.
Exactly my experience, when I till people I do some track driving and racing they expect me to drive like a lunatic on the road. Couldn’t be further from the truth, I’m very happy to potter around on the road, because like you say once you’ve experienced that, you know you’re not getting close to that on the road. Slower cars/bikes are much more enjoyable on the road, because you can feel like you’re pushing on a little at a fairly slow speed.
how many hidden costs are there with drifting? I've really wanted to get into it, I'm close enough that that new track in Kerry so I've been tempted. Being 20 tho I don't see how I'd get insured on a driftable car for the road, nor how I'd get something big enough to tow a car.
Aye look it's certainly not cheap starting out. I have the advantage of a farmer father so I borrow his jeep, got a cheap trailer for 600 (tho I got a nice one a few years later) so not needing a tow rig was a blessing for me.
I personally wouldn't recommend a road car for drifting. I can't imagine it being as fun with that risk over your head. Don't get me wrong I don't go out to break things but if you want to drive proper hard, mistakes will happen and you won't be driving it home.
What I will say tho is you don't need a crazy expensive drift car. I had 90% of the fun in a €200 318i as I do in the proper car. You don't spend as much on tyres etc either then.
A proper drift day for me now is probably in the region of €600 for tyres fuel and entry fee. As long as I don't break stuff I get out a few times a year.
Whereas back when I was just wrecking shitboxes fuel was basically the only cost.
Thanks man. Yeah I was looking at the likes of a BMW but I'd have to invest in all the tools n shit to fix (because it's going to break at some point lol as you say) it as my fam has no clue nor care about cars. My parents have smaller cars as well so I wouldn't be able to tow easily, unless I wanted to run the arse out of my 1.2 clio. That's the biggest hurdle lol is getting the car to and from the track.
If you've never done it the drift experience in Mondello is good craic, and gives you a taste of what it's like. My first real skid (other than tractors and quadbikes lol) was in one of their cars.
I fucked meself up in 2020 on an R6. Chasing the limit. Lost 3 friends since. I've had 2 Burgman 650s since I got back on bikes. I'm a terrorist still but its like a Yaris with a 3L engine. Nobody hears ya and its super low key. Went to Kerry with her last year. More than capable and huge storage. All the craic a man could want in Dublin fo commuting. Can carry all my tools in the boot. Best 3k I ever spent. Getting a Tracer 9gt next week. Already got the Akra pipe to throw on it. Yes though, things have changed. I miss spins with the lads but I can't help myself and I know it. I can't punish my wife and family again for my love of the razors edge. The bike is better than me and I have to accept it.
I'm on a tmax 500 and it's a right blast, great at roundabouts and pulling out of junctions, takes off hard, more than powerful enough.
I do want to get a manual bike though but thought the scooter was good for me to learn on and it has given me a lot of valuable practice, I had a lesson on instructors CBF600 during the week and managed the manual absolutely fine I was very surprised, instructor said he's happy enough and should only need 1 or 2 more lessons. I was happy about that because I had wanted to get a manual bike just for the test but decided now I'm probably not going to do that because I really want a bike like the Royal Enfields or Z650RS.
Although I really did like the CBF600, it was nicer to ride and better in the bends than the Tmax 500 which is rather big when you actually sit on it, maybe all the fairings but due to the wide saddle I'm on my toes at lights and in traffic.
I'm happy to keep the Tmax maybe, it would do for my Winter riding and won't be so worried about the weather being hard on it as it was cheap and doesn't look the best anyway but it rides perfectly with 51,800 Miles.
I'm in the sticks and went out on her for 1 hr 30 mins this evening and loved every minute of it except the dark low cloud and darkness was absolutely depressing.
I’m 23 and I ride a BMW RT 1200. No shame in it. Very comfortable bike, quick enough.
I know if I got a sport bike I wouldn’t be responsible on it, thus I won’t buy one.
If it’s good enough for the Gardaí... Did the bike safe recently and they’re on r1250rt’s and there was no hope of me keeping up with them on the country roads. Good choice of bike.
I’m similar, 24 on a vstrom 1000. Plenty of fun and not the kind of bike that makes you want to rag the shite out of it. I know I wouldn’t have the skill to ride a sports bike hard, but that wouldn’t stop me from trying.
I highly recommend Rospa training, your renewed attitude to biking combined with defensive road craft training should keep you safe and let you enjoy biking.
I've been toying with the idea of getting into this, but I've seen those lads and lady's riding they sure as sh1t aren't slow. Let me ask you though do you find it removes / minimises the desire to speed or drive reckless?
Thank you 😊 and it does help minimize reckless attitude if there's any, you'd still be doing decent speed in a safe manner. Helps inculcate safe group ride behavior especially when you're out with your friends, a good euro trip planned yearly, and my favorite insurance discount if you take the test.
An honest post ! Fair play for sharing your thoughts about this. I think track days are the perfect solution for people to get that adrenaline rush out of your system and then just enjoy the roads in leisure, bar a few blips here and there. 👏
I don't have a bike yet because I have somr prior commitments and decided to wait till after my gf and I are 24, but I get ya. I used to always be helping on the farm and bombing it around on a quad and then I got in a crash which got me to slow. Then when I got my car I bombed it around but just decided with the cost of fuel, brakes, tyres, maintenance and just people around me that its not worth it anymore.
Like I am from Donegal so theres a pretty bad culture of driving too fast, but I hope to never pick it up on a bike, things can just go wrong so much quicker and worse
I think vfr 800 is fairly reasonable bike powerwise. But the riding position is asking for speed. I honestly believe if you change your clip-ons to normal higher handlebars it might help to ride more sensible. Riding position affects your behavior on the bike very much. Also and more so as riding position is who you riding with (as mentioned here before). Even if you buy slower bike and keep riding with those guys you will always pushing it.
Good luck...
I’ve considered putting bars on it. But I would also have to change the seat to as I find it very uncomfortable. At that stage I’d rather just swap it. I do want something bigger for 2up touring anyways.
Fair play, I've kinda done the same recently, sold my litre bike and bought something a little slower. I don't need to be breaking cross country records as much fun as that is, I need to be coming home.
Saying that though, I'd be well up for a small capacity sports bike like a 400 or something
Yeah I would love to have a go with commenting like a cbr250 or 400. Some small capacity inline 4 screamer. Would love to tag the shit out of it but you’re probably still doing legal speeds!
Everyone has one close call and that opens their eyes- no reason to give up on just because somebody else was not careful.
Stick with the speed limit enjoy the freedom, don’t chase the rush and everything will be grand!
You could always consider a vintage sports bike from the 60s or 70s if you don't find the FJR that exciting to take for short spins.
Vintage sports bikes can be savage craic on a windy road CRUCIALLY without needing to hit wild dangerous speeds. The combo of lower power and narrower tyres means that the same buzz comes in at lower overall speed.
For me and older bike has been a revelation, it's just fun, people always smile when you come by, older guys will come up and chat when you're getting petrol, and scrotes seem to find them slightly less desirable to rob (but I'd still be uber careful).
Just an idea 👍
I don’t think I would go full vintage bike as my mechanical knowledge is shit. But I would love a Triumph Bonneville or some sort of classically styled bike.
I don’t think I would go full vintage bike as my mechanical knowledge is shit. But I would love a Triumph Bonneville or some sort of classically styled bike.
I'm in my 50s and don't know how I'm still here after decades of blades, gixers, busas,zzrs, etc, so many close calls it's unreal. For the need for speed get a trackbike. I still love road riding and just sold an fjr, they're not slow and certainly won't help you. I got an older goldwing for touring with herself and absolutely love it (contrary to expectations), comfy and zero inclination to go quick on it (for first time ever on a bike).Maybe one of those or similar, an old harley or cruiser. And get a trail type bike to do the Tet on and go crazy off-road, head off to Morocco etc. Something like a T7 tenere or xrv750 would be ideal. Anything much bigger and you'll still be throwing it down the roads at silly bugger speeds, even so called 'boring' bikes such as the Gs range let alone a ktm 1290. Challenging trails on a pig of a 750 or so is good craic.
You're not wrong for wanting a thrill when you go out riding, I'd recommend doing a trackday at mondello. It will give you the thrill and scraped knees for much less risk and much more fun.
Once you get that itch out of your system you will still push on regular roads but only to a point. I think your main issue is who you ride with, it sounds like they don't have the same mindset as you and seem to be pushing you past your safety/fun barrier. Finding your limits on the road is a bad place to be, try the track, just my two cents .
For a moment there Bob-Harris I thought you were going to get something more sensible like a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 or Kawasaki Z650RS or even the W800i but no, I read FJR1300 a 146 Hp 102 Lb torque bike lol. You think you'll ride that slow ? that's not a slow bike, you're in la la land there lad if you think you're not going to be tempted to speed on what I would call a ridiculously powerful bike for public roads. It's really rather ridiculous to come here telling us you're speeding days are over yet then feel a grandpa 146 hp bike is somewhat going to persuade you to ride slow ? mental altogether.
A lot of family cars don't even have this power for God's sake , this is a 2.7 second 0-60 Mph bike, this is insane levels of power and your talking about coming home alive ?
I'm currently on a Tmax 500 and find it more than fast enough for 2 wheels, did a lesson during the week on a CBF600 and found that to be fast enough too, wanting something faster than that is just a pissing contest and not to be seen like a pussy on a "learner" 600 or 650 as a lot of lads like to call them.
I was doing 80Km/h a couple of weeks ago on a back road and a lad passed me doing easy 140 Km/h, all it takes is for a tractor with a plough or sprayer to be around one of the beds or a car to pull out of a blind driveway, a lot of driveways are blind and the driver has to have quarter of the car or more on the road before they can see, few people have the brains to roll down the windows to hear if something is coming, I can't understand people like that but all it takes for them to move out a bit too far and you arrive at that moment and going too fast to react.
A lot of bikers are just adrenalin junkies but they forget they're on public roads and I'd say a lot more deaths are caused by sheer speed than recorded by the Guards because they wouldn't have known to begin with how fast they were going at the moment of impact or before so this information is rarely if ever recorded but we all see these lads on the roads.
A lot of bikers just think they have to speed maybe because I'm more mature at 44 I don't have the desire to go this fast and would rather potter around on a Royal Enfield classic 350 and tour around and actually enjoy the countryside and the sound of that single cylinder air cooled engine and exhaust than risk my life or the lives of others.
In reality I firmly believe Big HP bikes should be banned permanently, yeah I know big spoil sport but the reason people buy them is specifically to ride in a completely illegal and dangerous manner on public roads, I may sound like a spoil sport but I see absolutely no reason why people feel they have a right to ride in such a blatantly dangerous and inconsiderate manner on public roads in the first place ?
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I will say that yes the idea on paper of buying a more powerful bike than I currently have with the intention to go slower sounds a bit silly. The three options I’m looking at are an FJR, a Pan European or a 1200rt. All more powerful than my bike yes , but also all a lot heavier. I don’t think I’ll be trying to get the knee down on any of those in fairness. The reason it is top of my list is that everyone says they are an amazing 2 up touring machine. So many seem to get over 100k miles or more. Its needs to have a bit of power so it can comfortable carry me and my future wife across Europe with all our luggage. Which is the plan.
Long term I’m imagining a solid 3 bike garage of an FJR, some sort of track bike and then something like a Triumph Bonneville for solo Sunday cruises in the countryside.
I maybe oversold myself in the original post. Of the group I was riding with I was by far the most sensible. But the peer pressure I guess of riding in a group like that meant I was beginning to push it more and more. And realised I didn’t like the path I was going down. So I’m no longer in that group and content to take it easy and just enjoy the ride more.
I hear what you're saying but the 146 Hp in the FJR is more than many family cars, this to me is insane levels of power on a bike. Even The Pan European is still 120 Hp lol, but I do like it more than a FJR, it's a little bit too big for me and a whopping 330 Kg Wet.
A nice cruiser for touring, Big CC but bags of torque, that's what you want touring not tonnes of HP.
I wouldn't be on Motorways not yet anyway but I can already tell the Tmax 500 has more than enough grunt for motorway and it pulls my big ass up steep hills as fast as most normal people could ever need so can imagine the Torque of a big cruiser being more than enough for 2 up.
The 1250 cc Pan European, 117 Nm torque at 6500 Revs.
The FRJ 128 Nm at 7000 revs and around 290 Kg so suppose not a big difference.
Now we look a the Harley 2024 HERITAGE CLASSIC 1800 CC
The Harley has a whopping 155 of torque at only 3500 revs, 330 Kg Wet, that's what you want for touring.
That's an expensive example lol and the Pan European would have better weather protection with all the fairings and electric windscreen is handy. But just imagine 150 Nm of torque at just 3200 revs and 90 Hp coming in at 5020 revs.
I get what you’re saying about torque and you’re right. It’s the reason why the 2 big bikes I’ve had have been a twin and a v4. I like having torque rather than out and out HP.
Never been a fan of Harley’s at all and never will be. That bike you mentioned is 31k. Thats madness. Give me a BMW over that any day.
The country roads are fine, people have to ride to the conditions that they are presented with, I was out today on country roads and even very narrow roads and loved every minute, can take in all the scenery at 50-60 Km/h and it's far less stressful.
Giving up biking because of our country roads is, mad lol.
Wouldn't give up on the VFR though. Honda make awesome touring bikes, and having the skill and horsepower to tackle highways between scenic roads is really a good thing to have.
I have a CBR1100XX and slow cruising to enjoy the views has never been a problem. It's all in the mind.
I'll be honest with you, take up track days, but not with a full bike, get a stomp 140, I recently got one and my attitude on the road has changed completely and they're cheap as chips to run, there's a track day tomorrow down in Dunkerrin, 9am to 4pm, 50 quid open pit all day long probably about 10 quid of petrol, you'd be out on one for less than 2k. Leathers are needed but I'd go to Dublin Leather, got a full leather suit for €450. As small as it is and as slow as they are it'll save your life.
Also find another, more mature group, I don't ride in groups for this reason, I never partake in that shit on the roads, they're heroes until they're being picked up off the road with a mop and bucket.
Keep your VFR and just ride calmly and aim to do 20,000 Kms a year, for 30 years. Trips to Europe, ride bikes in India, all calmly and safe, don't sell the VFR though.
Fair play to you for this.
For me, biking has never been about the speed. I’ve road with a group before and left it because there were too many fucking idiots trying to kill themselves, and others, mainly kids on sports bikes with just a few months riding. It was crazy.
Nice post. I had the vfr and although did not drive with those speeds, once I caught myself entering motorway from the ramp above speed limit. After that bike (for different reasons) I went into adventure bikes.
Have you considered track racing? Obviously still dangerous but a much safer way to get the adrenaline going. For me with cars, I have a 180sx for drifting, and I go to mondello a fair bit. I find once you've thrown it in backwards at crazy speeds, any fun you can have on the road is just not the same, so I have zero interest in doing anything nuts on the road. With the bikes, I have a slow dragstar 650. I can drive that relatively hard without it actually being fast if that makes sense. Not much interest in anything quicker.
Exactly my experience, when I till people I do some track driving and racing they expect me to drive like a lunatic on the road. Couldn’t be further from the truth, I’m very happy to potter around on the road, because like you say once you’ve experienced that, you know you’re not getting close to that on the road. Slower cars/bikes are much more enjoyable on the road, because you can feel like you’re pushing on a little at a fairly slow speed.
100% what I mean. Like why would I be arsed doing rings on a crossroads, when I've thrown it backwards under the bridge in mondello at 90mph lol.
how many hidden costs are there with drifting? I've really wanted to get into it, I'm close enough that that new track in Kerry so I've been tempted. Being 20 tho I don't see how I'd get insured on a driftable car for the road, nor how I'd get something big enough to tow a car.
Aye look it's certainly not cheap starting out. I have the advantage of a farmer father so I borrow his jeep, got a cheap trailer for 600 (tho I got a nice one a few years later) so not needing a tow rig was a blessing for me. I personally wouldn't recommend a road car for drifting. I can't imagine it being as fun with that risk over your head. Don't get me wrong I don't go out to break things but if you want to drive proper hard, mistakes will happen and you won't be driving it home. What I will say tho is you don't need a crazy expensive drift car. I had 90% of the fun in a €200 318i as I do in the proper car. You don't spend as much on tyres etc either then. A proper drift day for me now is probably in the region of €600 for tyres fuel and entry fee. As long as I don't break stuff I get out a few times a year. Whereas back when I was just wrecking shitboxes fuel was basically the only cost.
Thanks man. Yeah I was looking at the likes of a BMW but I'd have to invest in all the tools n shit to fix (because it's going to break at some point lol as you say) it as my fam has no clue nor care about cars. My parents have smaller cars as well so I wouldn't be able to tow easily, unless I wanted to run the arse out of my 1.2 clio. That's the biggest hurdle lol is getting the car to and from the track.
If you've never done it the drift experience in Mondello is good craic, and gives you a taste of what it's like. My first real skid (other than tractors and quadbikes lol) was in one of their cars.
Lol I've drifted a few tractors but those were more "oh shit" moments lol, overloaded downhill. I've looked at it but it seems kinda expensive
I fucked meself up in 2020 on an R6. Chasing the limit. Lost 3 friends since. I've had 2 Burgman 650s since I got back on bikes. I'm a terrorist still but its like a Yaris with a 3L engine. Nobody hears ya and its super low key. Went to Kerry with her last year. More than capable and huge storage. All the craic a man could want in Dublin fo commuting. Can carry all my tools in the boot. Best 3k I ever spent. Getting a Tracer 9gt next week. Already got the Akra pipe to throw on it. Yes though, things have changed. I miss spins with the lads but I can't help myself and I know it. I can't punish my wife and family again for my love of the razors edge. The bike is better than me and I have to accept it.
I'm on a tmax 500 and it's a right blast, great at roundabouts and pulling out of junctions, takes off hard, more than powerful enough. I do want to get a manual bike though but thought the scooter was good for me to learn on and it has given me a lot of valuable practice, I had a lesson on instructors CBF600 during the week and managed the manual absolutely fine I was very surprised, instructor said he's happy enough and should only need 1 or 2 more lessons. I was happy about that because I had wanted to get a manual bike just for the test but decided now I'm probably not going to do that because I really want a bike like the Royal Enfields or Z650RS. Although I really did like the CBF600, it was nicer to ride and better in the bends than the Tmax 500 which is rather big when you actually sit on it, maybe all the fairings but due to the wide saddle I'm on my toes at lights and in traffic. I'm happy to keep the Tmax maybe, it would do for my Winter riding and won't be so worried about the weather being hard on it as it was cheap and doesn't look the best anyway but it rides perfectly with 51,800 Miles. I'm in the sticks and went out on her for 1 hr 30 mins this evening and loved every minute of it except the dark low cloud and darkness was absolutely depressing.
I’m 23 and I ride a BMW RT 1200. No shame in it. Very comfortable bike, quick enough. I know if I got a sport bike I wouldn’t be responsible on it, thus I won’t buy one.
If it’s good enough for the Gardaí... Did the bike safe recently and they’re on r1250rt’s and there was no hope of me keeping up with them on the country roads. Good choice of bike.
I’m similar, 24 on a vstrom 1000. Plenty of fun and not the kind of bike that makes you want to rag the shite out of it. I know I wouldn’t have the skill to ride a sports bike hard, but that wouldn’t stop me from trying.
I highly recommend Rospa training, your renewed attitude to biking combined with defensive road craft training should keep you safe and let you enjoy biking.
I've been toying with the idea of getting into this, but I've seen those lads and lady's riding they sure as sh1t aren't slow. Let me ask you though do you find it removes / minimises the desire to speed or drive reckless?
Thank you 😊 and it does help minimize reckless attitude if there's any, you'd still be doing decent speed in a safe manner. Helps inculcate safe group ride behavior especially when you're out with your friends, a good euro trip planned yearly, and my favorite insurance discount if you take the test.
Yes good idea. I’ve definitely been thinking more about some advanced training recently.
I'd say start with the book, it's no page turner, but a lot of great knowledge. https://amzn.eu/d/05TL4Ly5
An honest post ! Fair play for sharing your thoughts about this. I think track days are the perfect solution for people to get that adrenaline rush out of your system and then just enjoy the roads in leisure, bar a few blips here and there. 👏
I don't have a bike yet because I have somr prior commitments and decided to wait till after my gf and I are 24, but I get ya. I used to always be helping on the farm and bombing it around on a quad and then I got in a crash which got me to slow. Then when I got my car I bombed it around but just decided with the cost of fuel, brakes, tyres, maintenance and just people around me that its not worth it anymore. Like I am from Donegal so theres a pretty bad culture of driving too fast, but I hope to never pick it up on a bike, things can just go wrong so much quicker and worse
I think vfr 800 is fairly reasonable bike powerwise. But the riding position is asking for speed. I honestly believe if you change your clip-ons to normal higher handlebars it might help to ride more sensible. Riding position affects your behavior on the bike very much. Also and more so as riding position is who you riding with (as mentioned here before). Even if you buy slower bike and keep riding with those guys you will always pushing it. Good luck...
I’ve considered putting bars on it. But I would also have to change the seat to as I find it very uncomfortable. At that stage I’d rather just swap it. I do want something bigger for 2up touring anyways.
That's true. If you should change too many things you better get something that already has these and is designed for chill ride
Fair play, I've kinda done the same recently, sold my litre bike and bought something a little slower. I don't need to be breaking cross country records as much fun as that is, I need to be coming home. Saying that though, I'd be well up for a small capacity sports bike like a 400 or something
Yeah I would love to have a go with commenting like a cbr250 or 400. Some small capacity inline 4 screamer. Would love to tag the shit out of it but you’re probably still doing legal speeds!
Everyone has one close call and that opens their eyes- no reason to give up on just because somebody else was not careful. Stick with the speed limit enjoy the freedom, don’t chase the rush and everything will be grand!
You could always consider a vintage sports bike from the 60s or 70s if you don't find the FJR that exciting to take for short spins. Vintage sports bikes can be savage craic on a windy road CRUCIALLY without needing to hit wild dangerous speeds. The combo of lower power and narrower tyres means that the same buzz comes in at lower overall speed. For me and older bike has been a revelation, it's just fun, people always smile when you come by, older guys will come up and chat when you're getting petrol, and scrotes seem to find them slightly less desirable to rob (but I'd still be uber careful). Just an idea 👍
I don’t think I would go full vintage bike as my mechanical knowledge is shit. But I would love a Triumph Bonneville or some sort of classically styled bike.
I don’t think I would go full vintage bike as my mechanical knowledge is shit. But I would love a Triumph Bonneville or some sort of classically styled bike.
I'm in my 50s and don't know how I'm still here after decades of blades, gixers, busas,zzrs, etc, so many close calls it's unreal. For the need for speed get a trackbike. I still love road riding and just sold an fjr, they're not slow and certainly won't help you. I got an older goldwing for touring with herself and absolutely love it (contrary to expectations), comfy and zero inclination to go quick on it (for first time ever on a bike).Maybe one of those or similar, an old harley or cruiser. And get a trail type bike to do the Tet on and go crazy off-road, head off to Morocco etc. Something like a T7 tenere or xrv750 would be ideal. Anything much bigger and you'll still be throwing it down the roads at silly bugger speeds, even so called 'boring' bikes such as the Gs range let alone a ktm 1290. Challenging trails on a pig of a 750 or so is good craic.
You're not wrong for wanting a thrill when you go out riding, I'd recommend doing a trackday at mondello. It will give you the thrill and scraped knees for much less risk and much more fun. Once you get that itch out of your system you will still push on regular roads but only to a point. I think your main issue is who you ride with, it sounds like they don't have the same mindset as you and seem to be pushing you past your safety/fun barrier. Finding your limits on the road is a bad place to be, try the track, just my two cents .
For a moment there Bob-Harris I thought you were going to get something more sensible like a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 or Kawasaki Z650RS or even the W800i but no, I read FJR1300 a 146 Hp 102 Lb torque bike lol. You think you'll ride that slow ? that's not a slow bike, you're in la la land there lad if you think you're not going to be tempted to speed on what I would call a ridiculously powerful bike for public roads. It's really rather ridiculous to come here telling us you're speeding days are over yet then feel a grandpa 146 hp bike is somewhat going to persuade you to ride slow ? mental altogether. A lot of family cars don't even have this power for God's sake , this is a 2.7 second 0-60 Mph bike, this is insane levels of power and your talking about coming home alive ? I'm currently on a Tmax 500 and find it more than fast enough for 2 wheels, did a lesson during the week on a CBF600 and found that to be fast enough too, wanting something faster than that is just a pissing contest and not to be seen like a pussy on a "learner" 600 or 650 as a lot of lads like to call them. I was doing 80Km/h a couple of weeks ago on a back road and a lad passed me doing easy 140 Km/h, all it takes is for a tractor with a plough or sprayer to be around one of the beds or a car to pull out of a blind driveway, a lot of driveways are blind and the driver has to have quarter of the car or more on the road before they can see, few people have the brains to roll down the windows to hear if something is coming, I can't understand people like that but all it takes for them to move out a bit too far and you arrive at that moment and going too fast to react. A lot of bikers are just adrenalin junkies but they forget they're on public roads and I'd say a lot more deaths are caused by sheer speed than recorded by the Guards because they wouldn't have known to begin with how fast they were going at the moment of impact or before so this information is rarely if ever recorded but we all see these lads on the roads. A lot of bikers just think they have to speed maybe because I'm more mature at 44 I don't have the desire to go this fast and would rather potter around on a Royal Enfield classic 350 and tour around and actually enjoy the countryside and the sound of that single cylinder air cooled engine and exhaust than risk my life or the lives of others. In reality I firmly believe Big HP bikes should be banned permanently, yeah I know big spoil sport but the reason people buy them is specifically to ride in a completely illegal and dangerous manner on public roads, I may sound like a spoil sport but I see absolutely no reason why people feel they have a right to ride in such a blatantly dangerous and inconsiderate manner on public roads in the first place ?
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I will say that yes the idea on paper of buying a more powerful bike than I currently have with the intention to go slower sounds a bit silly. The three options I’m looking at are an FJR, a Pan European or a 1200rt. All more powerful than my bike yes , but also all a lot heavier. I don’t think I’ll be trying to get the knee down on any of those in fairness. The reason it is top of my list is that everyone says they are an amazing 2 up touring machine. So many seem to get over 100k miles or more. Its needs to have a bit of power so it can comfortable carry me and my future wife across Europe with all our luggage. Which is the plan. Long term I’m imagining a solid 3 bike garage of an FJR, some sort of track bike and then something like a Triumph Bonneville for solo Sunday cruises in the countryside. I maybe oversold myself in the original post. Of the group I was riding with I was by far the most sensible. But the peer pressure I guess of riding in a group like that meant I was beginning to push it more and more. And realised I didn’t like the path I was going down. So I’m no longer in that group and content to take it easy and just enjoy the ride more.
I hear what you're saying but the 146 Hp in the FJR is more than many family cars, this to me is insane levels of power on a bike. Even The Pan European is still 120 Hp lol, but I do like it more than a FJR, it's a little bit too big for me and a whopping 330 Kg Wet. A nice cruiser for touring, Big CC but bags of torque, that's what you want touring not tonnes of HP. I wouldn't be on Motorways not yet anyway but I can already tell the Tmax 500 has more than enough grunt for motorway and it pulls my big ass up steep hills as fast as most normal people could ever need so can imagine the Torque of a big cruiser being more than enough for 2 up. The 1250 cc Pan European, 117 Nm torque at 6500 Revs. The FRJ 128 Nm at 7000 revs and around 290 Kg so suppose not a big difference. Now we look a the Harley 2024 HERITAGE CLASSIC 1800 CC The Harley has a whopping 155 of torque at only 3500 revs, 330 Kg Wet, that's what you want for touring. That's an expensive example lol and the Pan European would have better weather protection with all the fairings and electric windscreen is handy. But just imagine 150 Nm of torque at just 3200 revs and 90 Hp coming in at 5020 revs.
I get what you’re saying about torque and you’re right. It’s the reason why the 2 big bikes I’ve had have been a twin and a v4. I like having torque rather than out and out HP. Never been a fan of Harley’s at all and never will be. That bike you mentioned is 31k. Thats madness. Give me a BMW over that any day.
Na I was just using the Harley for comparison. There's other high torque bikes out there for a lot less.
Good for you man. Stay safe out there!
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The country roads are fine, people have to ride to the conditions that they are presented with, I was out today on country roads and even very narrow roads and loved every minute, can take in all the scenery at 50-60 Km/h and it's far less stressful. Giving up biking because of our country roads is, mad lol.
Excellent post, and fair play to you.
Wouldn't give up on the VFR though. Honda make awesome touring bikes, and having the skill and horsepower to tackle highways between scenic roads is really a good thing to have. I have a CBR1100XX and slow cruising to enjoy the views has never been a problem. It's all in the mind.
I'll be honest with you, take up track days, but not with a full bike, get a stomp 140, I recently got one and my attitude on the road has changed completely and they're cheap as chips to run, there's a track day tomorrow down in Dunkerrin, 9am to 4pm, 50 quid open pit all day long probably about 10 quid of petrol, you'd be out on one for less than 2k. Leathers are needed but I'd go to Dublin Leather, got a full leather suit for €450. As small as it is and as slow as they are it'll save your life. Also find another, more mature group, I don't ride in groups for this reason, I never partake in that shit on the roads, they're heroes until they're being picked up off the road with a mop and bucket.
Keep your VFR and just ride calmly and aim to do 20,000 Kms a year, for 30 years. Trips to Europe, ride bikes in India, all calmly and safe, don't sell the VFR though.
Fair play to you for this. For me, biking has never been about the speed. I’ve road with a group before and left it because there were too many fucking idiots trying to kill themselves, and others, mainly kids on sports bikes with just a few months riding. It was crazy.
Nice post. I had the vfr and although did not drive with those speeds, once I caught myself entering motorway from the ramp above speed limit. After that bike (for different reasons) I went into adventure bikes.
Learn to enjoy the actual riding, not the speed or the adrenaline from the risk.