Best Advice

[wana]

when i bought the BB some 6 years ago the guy selling it had 3 bikes for sale, a TLS 1000 - BUSA (which had just come out) and the Blackbird, I had a very specific set of needs which ruled out the TLS and BUSA all where near enough the same price so it wasn't a consideration, the Blackbird ticked all my boxes, comfort - reliability - passenger comfort - touring resillience - low down torque - power (especially with 2 up) and many more, ((add a passenger to an er6n and you are struggling - which is my only reason I would be reluctant to buy one)), nothing else at the time would have been its equal and dare I say even now very few bikes tick all the boxes, you can call it old or whatever (last one made in 2007) but it is one hell of a bike and still has the crown for many reasons and has had the top crown of the world - I'll rest my case at that

if you cant carry a passenger on a 650cc bike with 75 odd hp something is wrong

esp in a country where the roads are terrible and most FAMALIES travel on a 110cc wave

is your wife an elephant or are we missing something important here ?

[smedly]

ha ha very funny, I didn't say you couldn't - I simply meant you would notice more on a smaller bike in every way, people on 110cc bikes are not touring 1000's of kilometers round Thailand every year - they're going 3km and shopping, hardly a good comparison

do a power to weight ratio then add a passenger and you will see what I mean and it's not so much horsepower or CC it's more about torque and weight

[wana]

ha ha very funny, I didn't say you couldn't - I simply meant you would notice more on a smaller bike in every way, people on 110cc bikes are not touring 1000's of kilometers round Thailand every year - they're going 3km and shopping, hardly a good comparison

do a power to weight ratio then add a passenger and you will see what I mean and it's not so much horsepower or CC it's more about torque and weight

seriously though ,what speed do you normally ride with passengers ? i have been on a blackbird 1100 a few times and it is a fine bike and fast

ive had the use of an r1 for a while also and thought it was incredible but ive yet to meet a hill that an er8n cant go up satisfactorily

or a situation where i said shit ,theres not enough torque for this

it can do power wheelies,plenty of torque through the revs ,went up to 200km on it on a flat road with 2 persons once to see if it could do it

and it did

if anything ,the wind makes its uncomfortable for tall persons but i know guys that have done 210- 220 kmph on them but thats too much for thai roads anyway

[BigBikeBKK]

when i bought the BB some 6 years ago the guy selling it had 3 bikes for sale, a TLS 1000 - BUSA (which had just come out) and the Blackbird, I had a very specific set of needs which ruled out the TLS and BUSA all where near enough the same price so it wasn't a consideration, the Blackbird ticked all my boxes, comfort - reliability - passenger comfort - touring resillience - low down torque - power (especially with 2 up) and many more, ((add a passenger to an er6n and you are struggling - which is my only reason I would be reluctant to buy one)), nothing else at the time would have been its equal and dare I say even now very few bikes tick all the boxes, you can call it old or whatever (last one made in 2007) but it is one hell of a bike and still has the crown for many reasons and has had the top crown of the world - I'll rest my case at that

I know you love your Blackbird and there's nothing wrong with that.

BUT, AFAIK, the only "crown" it ever earned was "Fastest Production Bike" which it held briefly after beating the Kawasaki Ninja ZX11 and which it lost when the Suzuki Hayabusa came along and and knocked the Blackbird off it's throne.

After that it seems Honda simply gave up, while Kawasaki and Suzuki have continued to battle it out.

Honda seems more content to build cheap bikes for the masses these days...

[wana]

when i bought the BB some 6 years ago the guy selling it had 3 bikes for sale, a TLS 1000 - BUSA (which had just come out) and the Blackbird, I had a very specific set of needs which ruled out the TLS and BUSA all where near enough the same price so it wasn't a consideration, the Blackbird ticked all my boxes, comfort - reliability - passenger comfort - touring resillience - low down torque - power (especially with 2 up) and many more, ((add a passenger to an er6n and you are struggling - which is my only reason I would be reluctant to buy one)), nothing else at the time would have been its equal and dare I say even now very few bikes tick all the boxes, you can call it old or whatever (last one made in 2007) but it is one hell of a bike and still has the crown for many reasons and has had the top crown of the world - I'll rest my case at that

I know you love your Blackbird and there's nothing wrong with that.

BUT, AFAIK, the only "crown" it ever earned was "Fastest Production Bike" which it held briefly after beating the Kawasaki Ninja ZX11 and which it lost when the Suzuki Hayabusa came along and and knocked the Blackbird off it's throne.

After that it seems Honda simply gave up, while Kawasaki and Suzuki have continued to battle it out.

Honda seems more content to build cheap bikes for the masses these days...

ok ,if the cbr1000rr is a "cheap bike for the masses" at 799,000 thb then buy me one

[BigBikeBKK]

when i bought the BB some 6 years ago the guy selling it had 3 bikes for sale, a TLS 1000 - BUSA (which had just come out) and the Blackbird, I had a very specific set of needs which ruled out the TLS and BUSA all where near enough the same price so it wasn't a consideration, the Blackbird ticked all my boxes, comfort - reliability - passenger comfort - touring resillience - low down torque - power (especially with 2 up) and many more, ((add a passenger to an er6n and you are struggling - which is my only reason I would be reluctant to buy one)), nothing else at the time would have been its equal and dare I say even now very few bikes tick all the boxes, you can call it old or whatever (last one made in 2007) but it is one hell of a bike and still has the crown for many reasons and has had the top crown of the world - I'll rest my case at that

I know you love your Blackbird and there's nothing wrong with that.

BUT, AFAIK, the only "crown" it ever earned was "Fastest Production Bike" which it held briefly after beating the Kawasaki Ninja ZX11 and which it lost when the Suzuki Hayabusa came along and and knocked the Blackbird off it's throne.

After that it seems Honda simply gave up, while Kawasaki and Suzuki have continued to battle it out.

Honda seems more content to build cheap bikes for the masses these days...

ok ,if the cbr1000rr is a "cheap bike for the masses" at 799,000 thb then buy me one

5555+! Well, TiT- I'm sure I don't have to tell you that that's a rather outrageous price for a restricted Japanese spec CBR1000RR! The CBR1000RR is still a contender in the superbike wars, but it is overdue for a major update. 799k Baht for a restricted CBR1000RR is a piss take, IMO. I expect it will sell just as poorly in Thailand as the 650k Baht restricted Kawasaki ZX10R did.

[smedly]

OMG BigbikeBKK lets not take this thread down to lower levels like you seem to manage often, I love the er6n like I mentioned above, I gave an honest to god justification why I bought my Honda and not a BUSA or TL1000 at the time and if they still made the BB I would do it all over again - MY CHOICE for the reasons I gave.

the only thing Honda decided was not to contend for a pointless crown of fastest production bike - everything else they do is top notch and quality, they set a stake in the ground for others to follow for many years and in some respects still do.

you seem to have a habit of upsetting people or insulting people on these forums, I'll bet I can guess where you're from but not going to get into that

lets get back on topic

Edited February 15, 2012 by smedly

[BigBikeBKK]

OMG BigbikeBKK lets not take this thread down to lower levels like you seem to manage often, I love the er6n like I mentioned above, I gave an honest to god justification why I bought my Honda and not a BUSA or TL1000 at the time and if they still made the BB I would do it all over again - MY CHOICE for the reasons I gave.

the only thing Honda decided was not to contend for a pointless crown of fastest production bike - everything else they do is top notch and quality, they set a stake in the ground for others to follow for many years and in some respects still do.

you seem to have a habit of upsetting people or insulting people on these forums, I'll bet I can guess where you're from but not going to get into that

lets get back on topic

Bro, you don't read so good, do ya?

Here's what I said:

I know you love your Blackbird and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm not trying to upset you, but dare I say you are quite easily upset

And before you accuse me of insulting folks may I suggest you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror...

I'm just trying to keep you honest and set you straight on the exagerations you're making about your blackbird. It's really no faster than most present day 600cc supersports. A fine bike, but let's not try and make it out to be more than it is, ok?

Cheers!

T

Edited February 15, 2012 by BigBikeBKK

[smedly]

OMG BigbikeBKK lets not take this thread down to lower levels like you seem to manage often, I love the er6n like I mentioned above, I gave an honest to god justification why I bought my Honda and not a BUSA or TL1000 at the time and if they still made the BB I would do it all over again - MY CHOICE for the reasons I gave.

the only thing Honda decided was not to contend for a pointless crown of fastest production bike - everything else they do is top notch and quality, they set a stake in the ground for others to follow for many years and in some respects still do.

you seem to have a habit of upsetting people or insulting people on these forums, I'll bet I can guess where you're from but not going to get into that

lets get back on topic

Bro, you don't read so good, do ya?

Here's what I said:

I know you love your Blackbird and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm not trying to upset you, but dare I say you are quite easily upset

And before you accuse me of insulting folks may I suggest you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror...

I'm just trying to keep you honest and set you straight on the exagerations you're making about your blackbird. It's really no faster than most present day 600cc supersports. A fine bike, but let's not try and make it out to be more than it is, ok?

Cheers!

T

actually you did insult many people here i.e. every Honda owner on this forum

you just need to continue don't you

your on topic contribution on this thread so far has been

"Ride It Like You Stole It!"

You Brake, You Lose!

next it will be let the air out of your tyres lol

I'm not responding to you again offtopic

[BigBikeBKK]

actually you did insult many people here i.e. every Honda owner on this forum

you just need to continue don't you

your on topic contribution on this thread so far has been

"Ride It Like You Stole It!"

You Brake, You Lose!

next it will be let the air out of your tyres lol

I'm not responding to you again offtopic

Lolz! Regarding tire pressure- Yes, that IS good advice! Set your tire pressure to match the conditions of the road. Oh, and buy the right tires for your bike. Oh, and if you find yourself spinning the tire in 3rd gear, you're obviously doing something wrong, etc. etc.

Are we really going to do this again?

[Polanskiman]

I loved your post and very true what you say, only thing is I have none stock pipes but the soundf is out the back, I honestly don''t rely on anything to do with sound, it follows you not in front

I'll say this - when you ride a bike that does 110kmph in 1st gear in less than 3 sec's it doesn't matter about how much sound you are making you just need to be aware about what is infront of you - especialy if you have big power ----

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

now as i said - i love the er6n and may own one soon but i may miss my power trip too much.......and this is a pissed post, I may modify when I wake up tomorrow......

14R

Safest advice so far.......

When I did my riding test at 17, my instructor lectured me on respective speed with regard to passing other users of the road - and this was based on the instructor amusing I would always continue to ride large displacement bikes.

Several of the accidents in this video happened in the same way Nikster discribed, the u turning vehicle or the scoot pulling out blind from a behind a vehicle.

That is a "scary movie"!!

[wana]

I loved your post and very true what you say, only thing is I have none stock pipes but the soundf is out the back, I honestly don''t rely on anything to do with sound, it follows you not in front

I'll say this - when you ride a bike that does 110kmph in 1st gear in less than 3 sec's it doesn't matter about how much sound you are making you just need to be aware about what is infront of you - especialy if you have big power ----

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

now as i said - i love the er6n and may own one soon but i may miss my power trip too much.......and this is a pissed post, I may modify when I wake up tomorrow......

14R

Safest advice so far.......

When I did my riding test at 17, my instructor lectured me on respective speed with regard to passing other users of the road - and this was based on the instructor amusing I would always continue to ride large displacement bikes.

Several of the accidents in this video happened in the same way Nikster discribed, the u turning vehicle or the scoot pulling out blind from a behind a vehicle.

That is a "scary movie"!!

i saw a crash about half an hour ago

a woman in a big silver hyundai saloon car came outta the big C and tried to get into the 3rd/4th lane lane of fast moving traffic so she could make a right turn and avoid driving an extra 1km to make the u-turn and do it safely

she clipped a delivery driver on a fino and sent him sliding down the road on his elbows

the police were on the scene immediately and the girl crying a lot but its just too common in rush hour for bike users to get tipped off their bikes by an over eager 4 wheel driver

[Fishenough]

Below, how 'super bike' owners view themselves;

[soihok]

Back on topic.

Most important points I can suggest are to know your own and your bikes limits.

Be aware of what is going on around you on the road and expect the unexpected.

And always, always, always......look behind you before changing direction or pulling out / setting off.

I passed my bike test (UK) in 1981, the guys that taught me (voluntary training course, not compulsary, run by enthusiasts) were non stop mentioning about looking behind.

They called it your "lifesaver" and I still call it that myself now. Look over both shoulders regularly.

I ride everyday ( in Singapore, not Thailand ) and I like to ride agressively, rather than passively.

Been riding for 10 years in Singapore + 5 years in Hong Kong without any incident (the car drivers here are the most impatient I know, and I have driven in Thailand a lot).

In fact the worst I have experienced was diesel on the road , now I look out for this also.

[smedly]

diesel on the road is very similar to ice if not worse, you lose all traction and will be in serious trouble on a bike

[KRS1]

diesel on the road is very similar to ice if not worse, you lose all traction and will be in serious trouble on a bike

A very large pair of dangling breast bouncing down the road jogging is just as dangerous. You lose all concentration, look back and don't realize how close the car is in front of you.

They've endangered my life more than oil or diesel on the road ever has.

[saorsa]

Best advice I got is 'Don't take your bike on a pub crawl'.

[madjbs]

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

Your point being what exactly?

The reason most people don't "throw their leg over a monster" and keep riding their 650s is because they are vastly more suitable for 99% of the roads here in Thailand.

Not sure if you intended it but your post comes across as rather patronising. Many people who choose to ride smaller bikes here have much bigger bikes back home where the conditions are more suitable, they simply feel the 650s are more suitable and value for money here in Thailand.

[wantan]

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

Your point being what exactly?

The reason most people don't "throw their leg over a monster" and keep riding their 650s is because they are vastly more suitable for 99% of the roads here in Thailand.

Not sure if you intended it but your post comes across as rather patronising. Many people who choose to ride smaller bikes here have much bigger bikes back home where the conditions are more suitable, they simply feel the 650s are more suitable and value for money here in Thailand.

And your point being what exactly?

You all should meet and make some music together instead comparing the size of your engines

[ttakata]

Call me sadistic, but this 100 crashes video was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time (because I know they were all OK in the end).

So many people crashed for no apparent reason at all.

Maybe overinflated crap tires?

I only really pity the guy that lost it over the manhole cover (5:26); that's a tough one to see in the rain at night.

I'd say a large portion of the crashes were the bikers' fault.

If they weren't doing illegal things or speeding they could have avoided crashing.

Accidents are part of driving anything in Asia.

I dumped going too fast in Pattaya.

I also rammed into the back of a tuktuk as I was looking to switch lanes.

And I as well dropped my bike for no reason in a parking garage.

Considering the chaos of Bangkok, I'm surprised I don't crash more often.

If I rode a bigbike, I'd be dead by now.

Anyway if you're in the US or Europe, I suggest a professional racing school to learn how to ride better.

Edited February 15, 2012 by ttakata

[Dakling]

Sorry to bring this back to topic but.... 3 quick tips I was taught:

#1 Look for the exit to the curve, don't focus on whats directly in front of you.

#2 Target fixation, you ride where you look. Don't look at the pothole you want to avoid look at the clear path around it. Look at dog = hit dog (ok, not always a bad thing).

#3 As mentioned before, practice your panic stops and don't fear the front brake. On anything other than farm equipment (aka Harley Davidsons), most of your braking power in a proper panic stop, when at speed, comes from the front wheel (70+%).

Edited February 15, 2012 by Dakling

[smedly]

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

Your point being what exactly?

The reason most people don't "throw their leg over a monster" and keep riding their 650s is because they are vastly more suitable for 99% of the roads here in Thailand.

Not sure if you intended it but your post comes across as rather patronising. Many people who choose to ride smaller bikes here have much bigger bikes back home where the conditions are more suitable, they simply feel the 650s are more suitable and value for money here in Thailand.

vastly more suited, please explain you mean, I totally do not agree but I will say that a 650cc bike is a good starter bike for many to learn the ropes, if you offered to swap your 650 for my 1100 honda I would decline - in fact if you offered me same with 400kbaht I would decline simply because I am more than happy with my ride, as I keep saying and will say again - the 650 er6n is a fantastic bike but is far from being classed as a superbike - I promise I will keep pace to 220kmph ( and i say 220 because that's about it) with an er6n without going over 5000revs or half throttle and in fact I rarely go over 5k or half throttle anyway as it is seldome needed - 4k = 120kmph on the BB and the torque requires little gear change which as I have already said is why I picked it for my ride, er6n fills the gap between the 250cc riders and the absolute superbike band, if you think your 650cc bike is fast then you have not experienced anything above that, hell I thought going from a 50cc junior to a KE175 was dramatic - then up the ladder I went to the point where I need more and more lol but I do believe as Honda does - there is a point where it becomes obsolete on public roads, a bike that can break UK speed limits in 1st gear in under 3secs is almost pointless which in a way makes your case until you start to add a passenger

anyway be safe out there

I am trying to be none confrontational in my posts and sometimes that is hard to do on a forum

[smedly]

Sorry to bring this back to topic but.... 3 quick tips I was taught:

#1 Look for the exit to the curve, don't focus on whats directly in front of you.

#2 Target fixation, you ride where you look. Don't look at the pothole you want to avoid look at the clear path around it. Look at dog = hit dog (ok, not always a bad thing).

#3 As mentioned before, practice your panic stops and don't fear the front brake. On anything other than farm equipment (aka Harley Davidsons), most of your braking power in a proper panic, stop when at speed, comes from the front wheel (70+%).

I agree with everything you said except the last point - and sorry if I got it wrong, do fear the front brake as it will bring you down obviously depending on situation, heavy braking with end in either loss of control or loss of control resulting in loss of control unless you have the sense and reaction to steer away which you cannot do under heavy braking - not talking track conditions here but on public roads where you may need to slow down quickly if something happens in front of you, brake to a point but try and steer out of your situation - all within about 2-3 secs, some times impossible but hard on a brake will bring disaster on a public road, strange thing but I don't use performance brake pads on my road bike because I think they are dangerous and unnessesary, on a track yes when I want to slow from 200mph to 100mph in a short space with tyres that can support it but on a public road on a road geared bike....dangerous, if you can feather the brake and steer an exit from danger.....not always possible I know but fear the front brake

Edited February 15, 2012 by smedly

[Dakling]

Sorry to bring this back to topic but.... 3 quick tips I was taught:

#1 Look for the exit to the curve, don't focus on whats directly in front of you.

#2 Target fixation, you ride where you look. Don't look at the pothole you want to avoid look at the clear path around it. Look at dog = hit dog (ok, not always a bad thing).

#3 As mentioned before, practice your panic stops and don't fear the front brake. On anything other than farm equipment (aka Harley Davidsons), most of your braking power in a proper panic, stop when at speed, comes from the front wheel (70+%).

I agree with everything you said except the last point - and sorry if I got it wrong, do fear the front brake as it will bring you down obviously depending on situation, heavy braking with end in either loss of control or loss of control resulting in loss of control unless you have the sense and reaction to steer away which you cannot do under heavy braking - not talking track conditions here but on public roads where you may need to slow down quickly if something happens in front of you, brake to a point but try and steer out of your situation - all within about 2-3 secs, some times impossible but hard on a brake will bring disaster on a public road, strange thing but I don't use performance brake pads on my road bike because I think they are dangerous and unnessesary, on a track yes when I want to slow from 200mph to 100mph in a short space with tyres that can support it but on a public road on a road geared bike....dangerous, if you can feather the brake and steer an exit from danger.....not always possible I know but fear the front brake

When I say panic stop I don't actually mean that you panic and grab a fist full of brake. I just mean get used to breaking with the front real hard to stop, or to scrub off speed quickly and then maneuver your way out of trouble. In some cases where there is no escape route, the best you can do is try slow down as much as you can before you hit. For instance if a car in front of you panic stops you may not have a viable option to avoid it so you need to learn how to get on the break quickly and forcefully with out jerking on the lever and locking the front (once it locks braking efficiency is in the toilet). Granted with an ABS bike it may not be as important. Learn to love the front brake, at speed I never use the back brake unless I find my self unexpectedly on gravel or something (in which case I would panic stop with the front on the asphalt until I had none left then I would shift to the rear).

I guess what I am really trying to say is that you need to learn to use the front brake if you want to be able to stop or scrub off speed quickly. Using the back brake excessively at speed is both ineffective (bad) and unsettling to the bike (worse). Ok maybe you can ride like Rossi and you are trying to unsettle the bike to set up for a power-slide through a corner.

You can usually apply a significant amount of braking even when leaned over somewhat with the front brake (don't try at excessive lean angles obviously). Try it with the back brake and you will lose the rear and be cartwheeling down the road. You are better off 99% of the time to lose the front instead of the rear (if at speed). If you lose the front you will most often "low side" (slide), if you lose the rear it will most often "high side" (back tire comes around next to you and then you and the bike flip and cartwheel down the road).

I agree with what you said about braking to a point then maneuvering, all I am saying is you should be ready and able to use the front wheel to do the braking with.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Dakling

[madjbs]

vastly more suited, please explain you mean

in fact I rarely go over 5k or half throttle anyway as it is seldome needed

That's what I mean

Edited February 15, 2012 by madjbs

[madjbs]

but I will say that a 650cc bike is a good starter bike for many to learn the ropes

There are many reasons to buy a 650, they are not just beginners bikes....

the 650 er6n is a fantastic bike but is far from being classed as a superbike

So what, nobody claims they are. Not everyone wants a superbike anyway.

if you think your 650cc bike is fast then you have not experienced anything above that

I don't have a kawasaki 650. Like I said people don't buy 650s just because they can't ride a superbike or haven't experienced one

Edited February 15, 2012 by madjbs

[soihok]

diesel on the road is very similar to ice if not worse, you lose all traction and will be in serious trouble on a bike

A very large pair of dangling breast bouncing down the road jogging is just as dangerous. You lose all concentration, look back and don't realize how close the car is in front of you.

They've endangered my life more than oil or diesel on the road ever has.

Funny.

For safety's sake, it's fortunate that such jugs are few and far between in this part of the world. Especially jogging on the road.

[Fishenough]

Keep your feet on the pegs when your moving!

Saw a perfect example, Santa Claus was riding a 650 Ninja around a u turn on the ring road this morning; both sandaled feet out and down as out riggers the entire way around the bend. eek.

You can not stop, control, right, save, etc, your 200 kg + of bike (400 kg for you Harley riders) and your own 100 kg from a slid or imbalance with your feet at speeds such as 20 to 30 kph. Whatever kind of footwear you happen to be wearing, keep your feet on the pegs to properly assist you in the maneuvers you need to do.

Yes, put your feet down when you stop - but your feet can not stop you.

[JonnyF]

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

Your point being what exactly?

The reason most people don't "throw their leg over a monster" and keep riding their 650s is because they are vastly more suitable for 99% of the roads here in Thailand.

Not sure if you intended it but your post comes across as rather patronising. Many people who choose to ride smaller bikes here have much bigger bikes back home where the conditions are more suitable, they simply feel the 650s are more suitable and value for money here in Thailand.

I'm not sure I'd agree that big bikes are more suitable back home. Back in the UK/US there are strict speed limits and harsh penalties for speeding so having a bike that breaks the motorway speed limit in first gear is kind of a waste of time IMO. Here in Thailand you can use the power of the big bikes as soon as you get out of the city without having to worry about losing your licence. Obviously the driving and road standards are lower here so you have to be very careful/selective with your speed but if you use your common sense and are able to judge when it's safe to go fast then I honestly think you can use more than a 650 twin here, not necessarily for top end speed but for overtaking at typical Thai highway speeds or on long journeys like BKK to Chiang Mai where you don't want to be wringing the bikes neck for hours on end.

I'm currently riding a GSXR 600 but I'm considering a litre bike because on the big open stretches of road I find that while it's plenty fast enough, it's a bit revvy at higher speed. I probably won't make the change because I love the light weight of the 600 - but back home I wouldn't consider a litre bike because there would be nowhere I could even begin to stretch it's legs other than the track which costs an absolute fortune over there.

[BigBikeBKK]

I went to phuket from pattaya with a guy riding an er6n, I never once went above 5000revs or over 1/3 throttle to stay up close to him, you guys riding er6n's need to relalise - althought a fantastic bike....respect, and i'd love to have a ride on one, when you thrrow your leg over a monster 1000cc+ superbike you are entering a whole different world, when youuuuu... are screaming in 6th gear a superbike is still in 3rd......yes 110kmph in 1st gear - 3rd gear over 200, ask anyone here who has a 1000cc + superbike

Your point being what exactly?

The reason most people don't "throw their leg over a monster" and keep riding their 650s is because they are vastly more suitable for 99% of the roads here in Thailand.

Not sure if you intended it but your post comes across as rather patronising. Many people who choose to ride smaller bikes here have much bigger bikes back home where the conditions are more suitable, they simply feel the 650s are more suitable and value for money here in Thailand.

I'm not sure I'd agree that big bikes are more suitable back home. Back in the UK/US there are strict speed limits and harsh penalties for speeding so having a bike that breaks the motorway speed limit in first gear is kind of a waste of time IMO. Here in Thailand you can use the power of the big bikes as soon as you get out of the city without having to worry about losing your licence. Obviously the driving and road standards are lower here so you have to be very careful/selective with your speed but if you use your common sense and are able to judge when it's safe to go fast then I honestly think you can use more than a 650 twin here, not necessarily for top end speed but for overtaking at typical Thai highway speeds or on long journeys like BKK to Chiang Mai where you don't want to be wringing the bikes neck for hours on end.

I'm currently riding a GSXR 600 but I'm considering a litre bike because on the big open stretches of road I find that while it's plenty fast enough, it's a bit revvy at higher speed. I probably won't make the change because I love the light weight of the 600 - but back home I wouldn't consider a litre bike because there would be nowhere I could even begin to stretch it's legs other than the track which costs an absolute fortune over there.

Yep, well said- if I rode back home the way I do here I'd have been locked up a long time ago! Having a fast bike back home sucks because it's so rare that you can find a pig-free road where you can actually go fast. Gotta love "mai pen rai" Thailand!