Your take on the Hayabusa is absolutely correct, UNTIL YOU RIDE ONE! I have had several sport bikes over the years, and then made the mistake of testing a Busa. That experience planted a seed that eventually, years later, unavoidably grew into ownership. Resistance was futile. My subsequent experience reminds me of the quote "Love is the feeling you get when you like something as much as your motorcycle." We are inseparable. Long live the Busa :)
It's kind of weird, but there are just some bikes that are really very "meh" on paper and you don't think much of them, then you get on them and their like f*@%ing paradise, just simply imaginably fun or great and you're totally whacked from out of left field and left all confused and giggling (and with sticky underwear). I've never ridden a Busa and I'm not really a fan of sport bikes, but something tells me this is one of those "surprising" bikes.
I simply can't agree with you. That is my opinion. I've had plenty of fast bikes and ridden every one from the 'Busa era. None of the lardy arsed Busa era bikes comes anywhere close to a modern sports bike through the corners and that, in my opinion, is why the 'Busa is sh1t. It is also the reason why the Busa has had a very limited past in Europe, where virtually none of them were on sale for more much than about 4 years, while they have been on constant sale Stateside since their introduction. On this side of the pond, there really aren't many people who are interested in power over everything else, and that is why the VMax was on sale for only a few years and the Busa likewise, just as with the ZZR14 and other power-over-everything machines. And I would argue that something like the KTM SD1290 has just as much of a gut-wrenching push from its torque as the Busa, especially as the Katoom is so much lighter. That the Super Duke is actually fun through the corners, where a Busa is simply unpleasant just piles on the pain for the Suzuki. And I know that the Suzuki is capable of accelerating fast (once it has been fettled) and that a supercharged Busa is about as fast an accelerator as it is possible to be on 2 wheel. But I, just like the guy in the video, get far more fun out of riding through corners than by blasting along straights. And I have zero interest in having my corners completely destroyed by rubbish handling.
Honestly, if they did that, it would be legendary… and incredibly smart for the Hayabusa/Suzuki…. Suzuki needs to make a statement with engineering ideas… it’s like they are asleep over there… definitely complacent, at the very least.
I agree 400cc is more than enough. I am really liking how the Indian market is bringing forth the development of the 400cc segment. If you live in a city 400cc is more than youll ever need.
@@SDrizzyThat's what the KTM RC390 is, fully adjustable WP suspension, Brembo brakes (well, Bybre, but that's just Brembo's cheap brand), very low weight and a very shocking electronics package for the class especially after 2022. TFT dash, traction control, wheelie control, switchable ABS which uses an IMU in order to also do cornering ABS. It's really just a superbike with a lawnmower engine
The Busa was introduced as a sport bike but it's basically its own category, it's half cruiser (comfortable + big) and half sport bike (fast in a line). So even if there are better sport bikes, that's no reason for Suzuki to kill the platform, because it'll still sell well.
They'll kill it, they are already planning on going full electric soon. They are even preparing to release Electric GSX in Indonesia to test the market
I would agree that beyond 400cc isn't really necessary for a single rider, though the 650cc class of power is a lovely place to be. If you have a passenger often then I do think those rules change a bit. My unpopular opinion would be that most brands focus on the wrong features; make the bike LIGHT, design a solid engine, and sort out the suspension, and you have a hot seller. Most bikes are too damn heavy.
@@DerpEye It's only really the ABS that adds anything more than a few grams. Everything else is engine management and you'd be lucky to get 500g out of the extra sensors that are added over a "bare" fuel injected motorcycle.
Coming from someone who's second bike was a Suzuki RG250, maintenance is the only thing that 4 strokes have over 2 strokes. I learned more in the 2 years that I rode that Suzuki than I have learned in over 20 years of riding 4 strokes. It is the only bike that I truly regret letting go, and I've owned quite a few bikes. If I could find one in good condition for a reasonable price, I'd add it to my collection in a heartbeat. And I'd argue that a 650cc class twin is better than a 400. You don't have the small bike feel like you do with the 400's, but they're still easy to throw around IMO. You have the advantage of 0-100km/h in under 4 seconds, which beats a lot more cars on the road. Plus there's the additional torque that can get you out of trouble with just a twist of the wrist.
I had a Suzuki RGV250 and it's one bike I'm so happy to have gotten rid of. It cured me forevermore of wanting a 2-stroke. I got a CBR600F2 soon afterwards and was much happier with the experience of ownership.
@@langhamp8912 You should have got the RG instead of the RGV. With less power & a smaller front wheel, the RG was easier to ride & carved corners with an ease that I've yet to see matched with any other bike. Cornering was so sharp that I used to overtake cars on the inside on hairpin bends at speeds that I wouldn't even dream of on any other bike.
@@punchbuggyyellow7097 Well, there was that TZ250R that was a lot more powerful and lighter. And any model of the Yamaha R6. But I was referring more to the cost of maintaining an RGV as a daily rider instead of its handling. I buy most of my bikes as 99% commuters, and 1% trackday, with the occasional very rare group ride thrown in.
For me there are 3 types of bikes: the tourer/ naked/ adventure bike for daily commutes and comfortable long distance rides, the crotch rocket for putting the knee down at the track, and the enduro you don't mind damaging for the sake of off-roading. 1 and 3 are all I'll ever need and want. Great therapy and keeps you young.
Keep voicing your opinion. It's worth seeing your vids and interesting to see people's comments. Motorcycling is a passion, business of the heart directed by the brain. Keep riding! ❤
The 400cc statement is too true. I had a Svartpilen 401 last year and I never wished for more power, except on the Autobahn. 170kph isn´t fast enough sometimes, even the least powerful cars can go faster. Anywhere else though... Yeah, I ate most cars for breakfast, I only wanted more to annoy those Golf GTI and Cupra dingleheads. If you don´t live in Germany, you never NEED more power than this. It´s only a question if you WANT more.
I find 75-100 hp is the most that one can use (with skill) on the roads. Ideal is probably 50-75 hp, depending on bike size. My V-Strom is 67 hp, but it's geared short and it's a hunk. Top speed sucks, but that teaches me to ride better.
The only bike I've owned so far is my current Duke 390, and i agree that there really isn't a need for more. It has plenty of get up and go, and raking through an entire gear box within road legal speeds is far more engaging than sitting in 2nd must feel like. Sure, it's only "sportscar" quick rather than "supercar" fast, but on a bike where you actually feel the wind it still feels quick enough. I'm like you though, far more interested in a corner than a straight line and the little Duke excels at that.
YES !!! I love riding my noisy vibrating road legal KTM 500 EXC ;) It more fun then my old 1985 Yamaha FZ750 I used to have that was what I call jailbait murdercycle... I could never control myself on that and always ended up going in 1 year in jail speeds with it. My KTM 500 is so unpleasant at that speed that you never go that fast lol ;) And there is plenty of fun to have just driving at normal legal speeds.
Partially agree, I enjoy my Duke 390 when riding through the Black Forest Germany, but it’s a pain on the autobahn or long high speed corners, cause the moment you hit around 140 it’s crawling its way up to 170 slowly (I maxed out at 171km/h before hitting the rev limit), that’s why I would go up a notch to 650cc. Been riding the 390 for over a year now
I have a friend with a Hayabusa and he's the slowest rider I know. It's painful riding behind him as he's always on the brakes and keeps slowing through a corner until he's out the other side. I really feel for that bike. It's like keeping a gorilla in a bird cage. My usual comment about him is that he's wasting at least 1,000 ccs because he could just as well be on a 250. There should be some sort of rescue organisation that will rescue mistreated bikes like this, just as animal rescue works.
I mean you sure can, but that's like at the same genre of having fun with a RoadGlide. And on the money/weight/necessity -to-fun scales there are much cheaper, more nimbly and practical bikes to have the same or not more fun on with.@@countryjoe3551
I agree with the 400cc. A lot of people just buy really big motorcycles and never learn how to actually ride them or never take them on a track. They just gun it on the highway and eventually get into an accident. Sure going in a straight line is fun but after a while they thrill goes away and it requires no actually skill. Learning how to properly ride a small displacement motorcycle is one of the best skills you can teach yourself and will ultimately make you a better rider.
@@ntdscherer You're correct. I am mostly criticizing motorcycle riders that start off on large displacement motorcycles and never end up learning the fundamentals and techniques of riding a motorcycle. They just own a liter bike to hold the throttle wide open on the highway putting their as well as other peoples lives at risk in pursuit of acceptance among the riders who buy large displacement motorcycles because they have to have the fastest bike. There are people who buy large bikes because they are very attracted to them, that can be adventure bikes or even cruisers. I am just advocating for more riders to at least practice fundamentals. It leaves a bad reputation for bikers and especially for new riders who think that they have to buy large displacement motorcycles to fit in who then end up crashing not two months later.
These are also the liter bikes that are for sale, used with less than a thousand miles on the clock. Poor fellow, never did get used to the big cow, scared the hell out of him every time he rode it. An adventure is what ever you make of it, little bikes will get you almost anywhere you want to go.
I’m 60 and have 4 bikes. The largest engine is a 2001 zx6r I’ve had since new. 2021 z400 2024 klx 230s 2001 kl 250 super sherpa. I’ve had bigger bikes over the years but prefer smaller lighter bikes.
Piece of information that could change your mind: At 6 foot 4 inches (193cm?) and a 34 inch (86.36cm?) a touring bike is too cramped for me. I rode a same year R1200RT and a GS back to back and the GS is more comfortable for me hands down. It just has more leg room which is more comfortable for long days riding.
I think an important issue about buying larger bike is stability and longevity. You hit the open road on a 300 and it will get buffeted by the wind. It might do 160: but at 100 it is still working hard. Plus things like going up hills or overtaking strain the engine , I have a GSX1250FA that can sit stably on the road in strong cross winds and can travel 500 kilometres in a day without and issue and barely notices hills. And it isn’t too slow around tight bends. And that motor is going to outlast a lot of other because it just doesn’t need to be worked hard. I have my FZ8 for revving and cornering fast. And I’m not into riding hard & fast enough to justify an R1 or a GSXR. So what I have suits the highway and the tight corner riding I do, but I could never go back to a small bike. Even if it had the top end power, I’d be ruining its’ neck just to ride how I wish.
That's a gearing thing tho. The bigger the bike the more it's working (assuming all parts are built with the same materials), because the bigger bike will need beefier parts which weigh more and lead to more stress. Now a 125 is weak af, but anything really mid-classed will pull your ass up a mountain and do what ever revs. Because the engines are also designed to rev, that's why there is a limiter at some point. Or does any handbook state that you can't rev the bike at (example) 7000rpm for a certain amount of time?
@@Daniel-dj7fh Actually I disagree. The bigger, 4 cyl motor has smaller pistons than a 2 cyl 650. 1000cc/4 = 250cc/cyl and 650/2 = 325cc. The bigger bike will spool faster, rev easier and work less hard. Also, the higher you rev you engine the faster it wears out. If I ride at 5000rpms and you at 7000, your engine, assuming the same build quality will break down sooner. That's why you'll see big bikes easily going over 100k km while the smaller ones not that much. Bigger engines, 1000cc, for instance have a higher rev ceiling than smaller engines with bigger pistons and valves. The rev limiter is there to prevent the motor to self destruct and also to prevent valve floating. Smaller engines have lower rev ceiling for a reason.
They might be smaller, but they have to endure way more revolutions and from the power alot more bangs, meaning that those cylinders have to be alot more stable. Which could then come at the cost of weight. I've noticed lower rev ceelings on bikes with lower cylinder counts not displacement or power. A 2500cc Rocket3 isn't revving to 14k rpm either. Yes at 7000rpm your engine wears out more than at 5000rpm, but my 500 does 120kmh at around 5000rpm, I'd not have to rev higher. And my bike doesn't have the best gearing for high speeds.@@johnnyblue4799
Very true. I have a KTM 400 Military and feel like im torturing it when going 100km/h. A thing that a bigger displacement bike does without breaking a sweat. A really light bike isnt always a good thing either, since it becomes unstable at higher speeds. Also bike size tends to match the displacement. I dont fit on a 390, 890 fits better and 1290 fits like a charm. Downside of not having different framesizes like mountainbikes do.
I agree, I love the Suzuki style, but I would love for them to try something else in the "fast straight and nothing else". I love this kind of bikes, as a rider with just better than average capacity, having a bike that I can handle on the turns at the limitation speed but has incredible straight lane power is how I get my kicks.
400CC opinion on point. My 650 is a killjoy in most places aside from long high speed highway hills where the power is handy. Everywhere else I find myself wishing for more gear changing action.
This week I saw a guy in full gear riding a modded Africa Twin, just going to the store to buy a bottle. Maybe a bit overkill, but he looked like he was having a pretty good time. Bike was huge, a little bit like an elephant, really.
Started on a Honda XR200R went up to a CB550. After a year I got a Triumph Bonneville T100. Now I’m finding my self enjoying a smaller bike like my new Honda Monkey. It’s fun and very nimble. Ride safe ✌️
Hey CC, as an Africa Twin rider I can tell you that although I use it mostly for touring, as you suggest in the video, 95% of the time we are touring 2 up. A 700cc bike is just not going to cut it and would always feel like the frame is at it’s limit, while the big touring bikes are more than double the price, even over the already expensive CRF1100L! If you have any other alternatives in mind that could do the job just as well, I’d love to hear your thoughts 😁 Cheers!
My V-Strom 650 handles me (215lbs) and my wife (150lbs) two up just fine, neither the engine nor frame feel stressed. Not as dirt capable as an AT of course, but still plenty for my needs which is mainly to reach campsites down dirt roads and mild trails that my sport bike would be very iffy on.
@@johncaswell2648 we like to take long rides and the AT is our primary vacation vehicle, so it sees a mix of highway and B roads. I had a CB500x before and we were just getting blown away on the highway by larger vehicles and strong winds, whereas the AT is very planted and isn’t affected at all. As you mentioned, everyone has their own needs, I find bigger bikes more stable for my use case in particular. Best regards!
No idea about lbs, but my cb500x had a max payload of 180kg, which although we are both fit and weigh about 140kg combined, doesn’t leave much room for luggage and some change 🤷🏻♂️
Well I agree that a poorly implemented ABS system could be dangerous. But tbh I haven't experienced an ABS system (car or motorcycle) that doesn't pulse. It's just... doing it's thing. The dangerous thing you are describing in the video isn't poor ABS, rather your weird/bad habit. Besides - mostly agree on the rest.
This video is brilliant! More of these please! Unpopular opinions: 1. People new to the track should not ride 1000cc bikes since they ride slow in the corners. 2. AGV is like Ducati as either rich newbies buy it or experienced riders who can appreciate them. 3. Knee sliding on the public roads rarely make you faster. It's for the show.
I love your videos man. But did you do any research on the Hayabusa besides looking at the HP, TQ and weight numbers? The internals are stronger that pervious models, the engine is way under stressed so it will last a long time, it makes more power everywhere else in the rev range over the Gen 2 but yes lost 7 crank HP on the very top where you spend almost zero time. Look up Busa's doing track days here on youtube as well. They aren't just a straight line can't turn drag bikes unless you make it that way. It's more comfortable than any liter bike out there too. I've owned a Blackbird VFR800 5th gen FZ/MT-10 SV650S as well as seven other bikes in my 26 years of riding and now a Gen 3 Hayabusa. It's not a perfect bike but none are. These days of every bike being a niche machine vs how streetable sportbikes used to be honestly sucks. You used to be able to ride a CBR954RR all day and not need a chiropractor after. When the CBR600RR came out Honda still made the CBR600 F4i and that I think is a better way to do things instead of every bike being so hyper focused. There's my unpopular motorcycle opinion.
When it comes to ABS, I think we all should actively practise losing the rear and controlling fishtailing. Also, combi braking is a very good practice which most aren't good at. My Honda 180cc only has a single channel ABS (front) and it's very intrusive. It's only when I started practising combi braking and progressive squeezing of the front lever that I truly figured out how to not let the ABS intervene and even then, the ABS does intrude from time to time.
I'd suggest it's more down to a lack of feedback from the cheap brake setups than an overly intrusive ABS system. It's something I struggled with on a loaner KTM Duke 390 when my RC8R (no ABS or traction control) was in for a major service and a sensor replacement. Basically the caliper starts to really bite late on in the lever's travel, leaving a narrow range of good braking force before the ABS sensor is triggered.
Together with a friend we own (& regularly ride!!) about 30 popular Japanese year 70's and 80's motorbikes (250,400,750,1000,...), different brands. I can tell you that the 'good old indestructible bike from whence' is very much at the end of it's life; insulation of wires and electrical plugs are failing totally, carburetors are cracking, O-rings are hard & start to leak,.... Most of this started when the bikes were +30y old. BUT most of these items can be repaired/replaced fairly easy if you are a bit handy. Not so with modern bikes with ECU & fuel injection & ABS,....
About the big adventure bikes, in my opinion having a R1250GS is mostly just about your own personal liking. It is true that you don’t necessarily need those 1250cc but it’s just like choosing between a luxury SUV, a high performance sports car, a sedan, or pretty much anything else, it’s just up to you, and even if having the most luxurious SUV isn’t really that useful or even if it doesn’t make sense, you just take it because you like it :)
Love your videos. Agree with everything…sort of. As a person approaching 50, that rides the sh#t out of my Tiger 900 RP off-road (in the USA), I like to think I’m the exception, though my circle of friends all seem to be exceptions as well. That said, though we likely don’t like to admit it, 3/4 of your time is on tarmac reaching the start of the trail in different states, therefore ADVs are the tailor-made solution! When you have 100lbs+ of gear for your 10 day trip, and are less than aerodynamic, certainty you need 75hp+ to ride and overtake trucks on on interstates etc. 400cc bikes don’t fit.
I owned a busa back then, and i called it the 90's viper of motorcycles. Might of been just me and my experience at the time but that thing felt like it wanted to leave me at the light more times than I could count
I have a 2015 390 duke with some mods on it like better mono shock at the rear, full system exhaust, and fresh forks and that thing is an absolute blast to ride here in italy with all these shitty but twisty raods… but i still want a faster bike to take on the race track like an rs660 and use it comfortably on the road
@@Daniel-dj7fh yes i do, the duke is very comfortable but the vibrations are incredibly annoying and for a little bit of travelling is not ideal, is even worse on the freeway, but apart from that is an incredible machine, i really love it
I have a 2020 Duke 390 and I love it most of the time but when I’m on the open road I do wish I had a bit more power for passing and just so I don’t have to thrash the motor so much. I’m 6’4” and ~100kg so maybe a lighter/smaller rider might have a better time with it. For commuting and just ripping around I love it. It’s an awesome bike. It’s only when I go out on a canyon ride that I wish I had an extra 10-20 hp. It would be cool if they made a Duke 590 with an inline twin. That would be sweet. Still small and light but with a little more grunt. I’m currently saving for another bike but I’m still thinking about just keeping the 390 because I really do love it to bits. It’s so fun.
Some great opinions, I started on 2 strokes - loved them, got even better when they added oil injection systems that negated the need to premix the fuel, but the reliability and convenience of 4 strokes won me over, and now most 2 strokes are just not available. Never understood the Hayabusa revival, nor the appeal of a big adventure bike, although most of that is down to an insufficiency in the leg department.
I rode a 400cc four stroke Suzuki impulse for 38 years. (2x bikes 1.7m kilometers). It could hit 242kph on the track (rpm limiter at 13700rpm) corner like a demon despite 1987/88 suspension. Had phenomenal brakes, and made a whole 53Hp. It required the rider to ride hard, but the bike loved being hammered. These were favoured by motorcycle couriers, and f3 racers. It was designed as a Japanese 400cc racer, sold overseas as a commuter to meet homologisation rules, because they were built asymmetric with the rear offset an inch from the centreline to suit the Japanese tracks. I rode it severely overloaded at times because it was my day to day transport. I also rode it off road, through shallow boulder strewn rivers, and across farmland. The 158kg (dry) weight made it easy to ride in all conditions.
I agree with the last one. Since kawasaki released the zx25r, i always think like i'll be happy with it. I just hope they release a Z variant of it with the same engine.
I borrowed a JDM CB400 SF with a suspension and brakes overhaul and have been a small bike person ever since. Honda should bring back the VFR400 to compete with the Kawasaki zx4rr. So so fun
I owned several 400cc bikes, and yes - it is enough for city riding and slower b-roads, but if you live where traffic is more fast paced and you do longer travels on all kind of roads I found that I needed more horsies to feel safer. For example in my country the traffic is pretty fast - 140 km/h highways and 90 km/h for most out of city , even on more curvy/mountainous areas, and it is common for cars to speed a little above, so you need to be defensive and adaptive, and some times this requires power. Since I switched to 1200 cc I ride with almost the same speeds as on my previous 400cc bike but I feel less fatigue and can do longer hours, and most importantly I can be more adaptive to the modern traffic, like keeping up without stressing the bike and having quick access to power for different situations, avoiding tailgaters when safe and do faster overtaking when necessary, especially if the vehicle in front is creating dangerous situations.
I dissagree about the 400 cc bikes, dont get me wrong, I love good 400 and I agree that for most people its enough, but for example for touring or longer commuting bigger displacment is better. You see, if you ride something like duke 390, to reach good highway speed you need to be pined at gas and hold it there for long periods of time, its uncomfortable and painful. Its better to have bike with bigger displacment where you dont need to catch carpals every time you ride.
I ride a cb500f the only time I'm pinning my gas is when I'm trying to do a 170kmh top speed run, which I've done 3 time during one ride back home in the past 5 years. It does 120-130kmh no questions asked at half revvs. If I pinned my 2nd gear I'd be doing 90kmh, and in the city that's a very big fine. Might even lose my licence. 2up 100kmh and higher could be a problem. But I've also lived with a 125cc for 2 years so I know what actual slow is (Still haven't ridden a 50cc tho if I'm honest).
@@Daniel-dj7fhevery bike feels different I guess. I used to ride a Svartpilen 401 (which is basically a Duke 390) and to get up to speeds like 120km/h or even just 100km/h and keeping it at that speed for longer periods of time it’s just not comfortable and since I switched to a Versys 1000 it felt so much better to take those long roads
I think this only applies to sport and sport naked bikes. If you vowed to stay under 400cc and we’re afraid of an old bmw airhead because you think it’s be too much power you’d be a fool. Also this would rule out every Harley since like 1930.
I agree with you on that. Not just long commutes, every commute outside heavy traffic in the city in general. With a smaller displacement bike you have to downshift and rip it in order to simply overtake someone. I think something around 130hp is the sweet spot for most bikes. I don’t have much experience riding big bikes due to my license limitations, but the 50hp im used to is pretty underwhelming compared to a ktm 1290r i was riding on as a backpack.
In my experience, ABS also depends on the brand making it. Haven ridden 2017 Kawasaki and now a 2022 BMW, its a huge difference. The kawa let you know when the abs kicked in by ticking but the BMW doesn't do that. you dont even notice it kicking in until you look at you app riding data and see how often it interveend.
@@Daniel-dj7fh I have a 750GS. As far as I noticed there is no feedback. Don't see a downside to it's since it doesn't make you scared of slamming the brakes
The Hayabusa is not a sport bike, it's a sport touring bike. Big adventure bikes weigh significantly less than baggers which are the only bikes that really rival the amount of storage available on motorcycles. As the owner of a Ducati Monster 696, part of owning one is the prestige the brand has, and the other is they're beautiful motorcycles. Also note, Japanese motorcycles don't use chipped keys so they're easier to steal. As for the 400cc debate, it's a bare minimum here in the US. When Yamaha sent its FZR-400 here, they had to bump up the displacement to 600 cc as the 400 wasn't selling. Was it really necessary? No. If I had a real job when they came out, I would have been the first one buying one. Anyway, good discussion.
i mostly agree on the 400cc one but its just that i like to go offroad with bikes that can spin the back wheel easier so it would be better with like 500cc-700cc
Totally agree with the point about the ABS, but also agree with other commenters that it's partly a skill issue. After learning with no ABS, I eventually found with my '21 MT-03 I'd get the stuttering that felt like a foot scraping so I'd flinch, then when I got my '16 MT-10 I found the same thing. But I would put it down to my not often having to actually get the ABS to engage so it comes as a surprise when it does.
On the 400cc point It's absolutely more than you'll ever need if you live in Europe or in a city, but if If you live in a place that's a little bit more rural such as the states, then you can easily justify those larger bikes
For the 400cc stand. I considered using 400cc since I am using it going to work and occasional long rides. I choose 400cc because I can reach 170 to 180kph in an open road, can cruise inside the city, ride with my pinion plus my bags in long haul rides while just getting the fuel economy of a 125cc sports bike. It is a very good starter bike for anyone who would like to beat the city traffic. I would consider higher displacement if I have like 20k to 50k gran excess from my monthly savings😂
Personal anecdote: first bike was 400cc. the highways where I live have speed limits of 75mph, where drivers routinely drive at 90mph or above. My bike was screaming for dear life at 75mph and was terrifying to navigate the highways on. Side roads were fine but I eventually traded in for something larger that gave me more confidence in higher speed scenarios and riding with a passenger
When i go for touring, I’ll usually cover 600 kilometres per day, and i ride a Dominar 400. Which is more than enough for a fun smooth ride. And I hate people who asks about top-ends. They’re not enjoying the journey.
"It's basic because I feel pulsation" is such a silly thing to say. That's just how ABS works, and that acts as extra information to the rider. look at new Fortnine video about ABS, there is a nice explanation there. That feedback also allows you to feel the edge of the grip and safely try to break to the max point, as overbreaking won't fuck you up thanks to ABS And pulsing is just an effect of how every ABS is constructed, trying to isolate it from the brakes to not have pulsing would just make whole system more complex and less reliable
On the topic of 400cc. I agree but draw the line more around 700cc. It think a bike with at least 40 ft/lbs of torque is needed to cruise on the highway without feeling like you're really ringing out the poor engine. Engines working well below their max capacity experience a lot less stress.
Front brakes perform more(80-90% for streat/sport/etc) braking force's then rear. So breaking distance will be almost the same with or without rear brake. Of course if front will be used for maximum. And abs for front wheel might help a lot.
2 stokes against 4 strokes it´s just diferent, it will only depends on what do you want, in my case I have an R6 to make speed, and a YZ 250X for enduro, I think to be use on the road obviusly the 4 stroke will go better, but a 2 stroke for enduro will be always my choise, fot the exact same reason you put on your video, they have a less engine break, less moving parts, they heat less, they rev faster and they are less likely to stall the engine when you are moving slow.
I've got the same issue with abs. It sucks and just increases cost. Highways where I live are cruising north of 140kph. A 400 doesn't have much power left here. I think 600s are the biggest you need. Possibly 500 depending on hp and torque.
It's not what the bike can do when you buy it... is what you can do to the bike once it's yours. I could say that is not to be kept exactly as you bought it, but as a development platform... and what a starting point is! And a little less complicated than many other electronically overcontrolled bike. Very simple to work on, very difficult to properly ride on. A challenge all the time
Agree with everything except abs. Yes experienced riders will outperform on a dry track but no one will outperform in emergency or in the wet. I own a ninja 400 and a road king and love them both for different reasons
bigger bikes are easier to ride. as I get older I get lazier and don't want to have to down shift three times for every corner. big twins are best, find a gear and stay there. that's also why I love electric bikes, no shifting. I get enough of that dirt biking. small bikes are fun too but sometimes you just wanna chill and watch the scenery go by.
Haha, agreed to all except the ABS. I have 2 400cc bikes, one Himalayan and another is an RC390, honestly I'm never left behind cars on either of them, because the speed limit here is 80kmph.
I agree with most of them, except for Abs one. Even the most rudimentary of Abs will save lives compared to a non abs on the road. The complaint about feeling is subjective and can be overlooked momentarily. Another good thing about 400cc or 375cc in case of Duke390 and Dominar 400 is the cost of ownership. They are relatively cheap to run fuel consumptions are better, cost of part replacements are also cheaper, engine service is more budget friendly and overall a best motorcycle for daily riding.
Totally agree on the last one. So many bike reviews are like "Is the SuchandSuch 900cc fast enough to ride on the highway?" And the answer is usually "No, it can do it but it struggles and its dangerously slow, you'll get run over"
I do everything on my big ADV, including big adventures in the dirt. I don't find cruisers or touring bikes to be comfortable most of the time, but I like doing big road trips where the destination is the trail network I plan on riding. I hate the idea of loading a bike onto a trailer and mostly refuse to drive anything with more than two wheels, so I ended up getting a bike that truly does it all. That said, so many people really do buy adventure bikes just to ride them to Starbucks on the weekend.
Big ADV riders - especially BMW GS riders - are the SUV-drivers of the motorcycle scene. Most seem to own it simply because of the comfort and the status symbol, maybe to take it out on a proper trip once a year at most. I’ve seen guys riding them to work in short normal clothes, wearing a backpack. While having panniers and a top box mounted. They greet less than chopper riders and some overtake in dumb and dangerous spots (like just before a roundabout a few days ago). They think they’re the bosses of the road just because they have spent a lot of money on an overengineered bike. Of course there are riders who use them properly but they appear to be the exception in my area.
Unpopular opinion..too much gear makes you more likely to fall, like a tightrope walker. It also makes you more likely to ride in a way where you might fall, like a skater with kneepads on. As one of the og pro's once said "We stopped wearing pads and we skated smoother, we couldn't fall so we wouldn't fall." Obviously there is a balance, I won't ride without a full face helmet, that is a personal line but I have room for everyone else's without condemnation.
Going to have a gaggle of old codgers with GS key rings and itchy boots subscriptions after you with that ADV bike opinion. Tell'em to go pick it up without a youtube tutorial
I would say for many riders CBS is actually superior to budget ABS - despite ABS having the premium badge - as many motorcycle crashes relate to excess rear brake use and CBS , in it's most basic form partially powers the front brake from the rear
As others have said the Busa for me is just a giant sports-touring bike for large gentlemen like myself. We can't all be 5'6" and fit on an R1, some of us have spines. 😂
Well I traded in my 2021 MT07 for a 2023 ZX4RR and totally enjoy it a lot more. It's so much more exciting to ride on the country winding roads I ride on. It has more then enough power to ride on the bypass around my town doing 70 and above. I don't need to do over 80 on the Interstates. The wind is not your friend.
Totally agree 400cc is all you'll ever need. I ride a 900cc but it's not a sport bike, it's a modern classic, redlines at 7k and only produces 54bhp stock. It's not fast, not flashy, but for roads here it's all you need and I know myself, if I had a faster bike, I'd have come off it months ago.
We motorcyclists complain a lot about what bike manufacturers do. We get upset with them holding on to a model (like the Hayabusa), or getting rid of another, but we rarely stop to understand all the various forces that act upon the manufacturers. Emission regulation, manufacturing costs, labor, legislation, and good old Return on Investment. Do we know what it takes to bring a new motorcycle model to the market? Do we know what it costs to discontinue a model? We might be a little more grateful if we knew.
As a person who live in Northeast of India I say most of my friends who have a 1000cc bike telling me they can't have fun much cos of the road,and living on the city cos of work is the worse cos the road the traffic you are in pain cos every second you need to handle the weight which is ass ultra pain And you can't shift your gear that much, even in the highway also they say it ain't safe too much cornering and uneducated vehicle driver who use to overtake in those situations too, the gas prices and no servicing center and parts you have to buy only or pre-order.
drove 2 water cooled suzuki 2 cycle 3 cyl 750 cc. smooth as glass on hwy. sold them both with 65,000 + mi on them. oh, they never leaked. only briefly smoked on crank. after that no.
agreed...except two strokes brother ...once you own one...its good reason not made anymore. and no it doesn't have more traction...theyre good forcollecting only
I hate ABS in cars for that reason, I can't stop if I'm fighting the brake pedal. As far as I know, I've never triggered ABS on my 390. So, so far, having to pay for it has been as wasteful as insurance payments.
I've been preaching the "more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow" thing for about 25 years now. Bought my wife (then fiance) a Ninja 250 and found that I kept stealing it for all my in-town riding/commuting/errand running... and I'm 6'4"/230lbs. The only thing it didn't do well was 2-up with me as the rider, simply too physically small. We've owned 6 of the Ninja 250's, usually something I pick up for a couple hundred $$ and repair before flipping it back into another new riders hands. I simply can't imagine NOT having a small, light, nimble, flickable, fun bike in the garage... leave my liter Aprilia for the long trips. As for the Busa, was always a bike that made me go "m'eh". Ridden a few, along with Blackbirds, modified GSXR1127s, one worked over FJ1200 (way back in the 1980's) and the thrill of stump pulling acceleration becomes old after about the 3rd time you twist the throttle. Or at least it does for me, and I know others don't feel that way... so let them have the bike that brings them joy. Don't really care what someone rides, just that they have the passion to ride. Suzuki wouldn't be selling it if they didn't make money either....
I never get tired of stump acceleration fun lol ;) ... But I did get tired of the threat of 1 year in jail every time I took a trip with my old 1985 Yamaha FZ750 because I could not control myself. Now I drive a road legal KTM 500 EXC dirtbike and have maybe even more fun at road legal speeds, and even more fun at walking speed at dirt roads and similar offroad ;)
The thing about big ADV bikes is that if you want a large comfy bike with an upright riding position, good luggage options and high end components you HAVE to get a high capacity as well.
Try going near top speed on the s1000. It will feel like you’re about to be thrown from the bike in 5 different directions. The hayabusa on the other hand doesn’t not only have the power, it has the chassis designed to to sit at 200 like it’s nothing. That stability comes at a price, it’s not nearly as nimble, but everything is a give and take. It’s not comparable to a supersport in any way but power.
Well i guess i break the mold a little with the ducati. I bought a 950 supersport and im only 21. Not a new rider either. I just decided that i was tired of riding old bikes and wanted something new and beautiful. Its not the best bike statistically, but i think its the best for me.
If my commutes were shorter and/or not interstate based, I would be on an RE 350 Hunter. Living in the middle of nowhere, makes small bikes a difficult choice.
If I lived somewhere with twisty mountain roads, yes. 400cc would be all I’d need. But, if you have to ride any major highways or interstate, you need something bigger with more than 1 cylinder. Even small twins work hard at 80mph on the super slab.
I have a RE Scram 411 here in the US. For 90% of my riding, 400cc is totally fine, even my agricultural little guy. But having to get around an 18 wheeler on the interstate (70-75 mph limit, so here everyone is cruising 80-85 on long stretches,) and you need that extra power. Probably a second cylinder to be honest, just because those singles usually dont like running high for too long.
@@michaelmurdock4607 honestly that might be my ideal bike, and if the time comes when they release it and I can get reliable parts for it, then yes. However, currently I just transferred over to the Honda Transalp 750
loud pipes don't save lives because loud pipes point backwards. (400cc is overkill in the UK because it's rare nowadays to keep within the limit AND max out revs in top gear. That's why a lot of Harley riders are downgrading to 125cc Monkeys!)
me riding a cheap old beater (FJ1200) with enough ccm for decent torque, power for the autobahn and crappy abs being shocked that I support almost all of those opinions😅
About the 400cc thing, i think it also depends a lot on where you live. Here speed limit is 110 km/h on a highway. Trying to go faster than that on a normal road here will just get you pepsied (super mountainy, curves and wild animals everywhere, with really bad roads that are broken all the time) So for us 250cc - 400cc its just perfect, anything more is just overkill and a waste of gasoline. Most of the bikes you see around here are dualsports.
The most popular bike here by far is the Honda XR 150L, and that's more than enough for most people. Cause it's really cheap and it can go up to 110km/h
If they hadn't updated it I would agree to kill the busa. The old one was terribly uncomfortable, the new one is however actually really comfortable for a superbike, it's a really good sport tourer. Of course, if I was to buy a sport tourer I'd get a h2sx but I'm way too biased towards Kawasaki and I don't even care how good the other bikes are. Speaking of Kawasaki, they are probably the best case of you don't need more than 400cc. That Zx4rr has more power than some 600cc bikes.
I can't argue against any of your points, infact I work with a lot of new riders and preach at lot of the same things. On the 400cc's is enough front I agree 100% I started on a first gen ninja 400 (2011) and it was the prefect bike in all but one aspect.. leg room/position. I have long legs and old knees, a two hour scoot on the ninja had me almost in tears some days. I now ride a tiger 800 and love it but it also way to much bike for anything I'll ever do. there is a caveat to the 400cc thing though - the bike has to be a parallel twin or single with liquid cooling. an air cooled vtwin 400 would be painful in every aspect to someone who weights north of 200 Lbs (90 Kilos)
CCs are not really important. Power to weight ratio is more important but I would say anything that can get you to a 160 to 180 is enough. I ride a BMW g310GS and top speed of 144km/h is simply not enough on the German Autobahn. Everywhere else its great. If you go for two up, then you need a little bit more power around 70HP.
Your take on the Hayabusa is absolutely correct, UNTIL YOU RIDE ONE! I have had several sport bikes over the years, and then made the mistake of testing a Busa. That experience planted a seed that eventually, years later, unavoidably grew into ownership. Resistance was futile. My subsequent experience reminds me of the quote "Love is the feeling you get when you like something as much as your motorcycle." We are inseparable. Long live the Busa :)
He's talking about new ones being made. I mean they aren't exactly uncommon on the second hand market
I'm not a busa fan, I'd rather take the new one than an old one. @@jacobwhite9961
It's kind of weird, but there are just some bikes that are really very "meh" on paper and you don't think much of them, then you get on them and their like f*@%ing paradise, just simply imaginably fun or great and you're totally whacked from out of left field and left all confused and giggling (and with sticky underwear). I've never ridden a Busa and I'm not really a fan of sport bikes, but something tells me this is one of those "surprising" bikes.
@@carlosf.chancellor9693 Sounds like you're describing an Air-Cooled Ducati, or a Hopped up Buell/Sportster.
I simply can't agree with you.
That is my opinion. I've had plenty of fast bikes and ridden every one from the 'Busa era. None of the lardy arsed Busa era bikes comes anywhere close to a modern sports bike through the corners and that, in my opinion, is why the 'Busa is sh1t. It is also the reason why the Busa has had a very limited past in Europe, where virtually none of them were on sale for more much than about 4 years, while they have been on constant sale Stateside since their introduction.
On this side of the pond, there really aren't many people who are interested in power over everything else, and that is why the VMax was on sale for only a few years and the Busa likewise, just as with the ZZR14 and other power-over-everything machines.
And I would argue that something like the KTM SD1290 has just as much of a gut-wrenching push from its torque as the Busa, especially as the Katoom is so much lighter. That the Super Duke is actually fun through the corners, where a Busa is simply unpleasant just piles on the pain for the Suzuki. And I know that the Suzuki is capable of accelerating fast (once it has been fettled) and that a supercharged Busa is about as fast an accelerator as it is possible to be on 2 wheel. But I, just like the guy in the video, get far more fun out of riding through corners than by blasting along straights. And I have zero interest in having my corners completely destroyed by rubbish handling.
You can't kill the busa they just need to supercharge it😂
Honestly, if they did that, it would be legendary… and incredibly smart for the Hayabusa/Suzuki….
Suzuki needs to make a statement with engineering ideas… it’s like they are asleep over there… definitely complacent, at the very least.
Suzuki will kill it anyway. They're planning to go full electric soon
You can supercharge it. Moore Mafia does that type of work.
@@literallyhuman5990then we will have an electrobusa.
@@Rose_Butterfly98 i bet those hardcore busa and Gixxer nuts gonna hate it
The abs issue you're having is a personal problem I think. I never get startled by it because I know it's just the abs doing its thing lol
Ditto. I’m perfectly comfortable with the noise and feeling of abs. Even in a pinch.
Yeah it was weird hearing him talk about riding error that he makes and blaming it on the bike.
btw, why is he using the rere breaks to slow down!
@@rimilmurmu10 I guess he wants to fall off the bike :D
@@rimilmurmu10 Because you should generally use both brakes.
I agree 400cc is more than enough. I am really liking how the Indian market is bringing forth the development of the 400cc segment. If you live in a city 400cc is more than youll ever need.
we need a true performance 400 though and i dont mean power i mean low weight with great suspension
@@SDrizzyThat's what the KTM RC390 is, fully adjustable WP suspension, Brembo brakes (well, Bybre, but that's just Brembo's cheap brand), very low weight and a very shocking electronics package for the class especially after 2022. TFT dash, traction control, wheelie control, switchable ABS which uses an IMU in order to also do cornering ABS. It's really just a superbike with a lawnmower engine
@@SDrizzy ummm. the ktm 390s, new triumph 400s, BMW 310s? theres even a new aprilia 457 coming out
@@fieryspy6414 the 2024 model
@@SDrizzyzx4rr
The Busa was introduced as a sport bike but it's basically its own category, it's half cruiser (comfortable + big) and half sport bike (fast in a line). So even if there are better sport bikes, that's no reason for Suzuki to kill the platform, because it'll still sell well.
They'll kill it, they are already planning on going full electric soon. They are even preparing to release Electric GSX in Indonesia to test the market
What's the model name on that?@@literallyhuman5990
i consider the busa and the zx14 to be 'super sport touring'
The busa is a sports tourer with bias to wards touring
@@literallyhuman5990 where did you read that that are going full electric?
I would agree that beyond 400cc isn't really necessary for a single rider, though the 650cc class of power is a lovely place to be. If you have a passenger often then I do think those rules change a bit.
My unpopular opinion would be that most brands focus on the wrong features; make the bike LIGHT, design a solid engine, and sort out the suspension, and you have a hot seller. Most bikes are too damn heavy.
Most bikes are heavy because they need to pack a shitload of safety features on it, and also make it cheap.
@@DerpEye My Svartpilen weighs 150kg.
@@DerpEye
It's only really the ABS that adds anything more than a few grams.
Everything else is engine management and you'd be lucky to get 500g out of the extra sensors that are added over a "bare" fuel injected motorcycle.
Light bikes get thrown off the road by cross winds
@@HeldIntegral sounds like a skill issue
Coming from someone who's second bike was a Suzuki RG250, maintenance is the only thing that 4 strokes have over 2 strokes. I learned more in the 2 years that I rode that Suzuki than I have learned in over 20 years of riding 4 strokes. It is the only bike that I truly regret letting go, and I've owned quite a few bikes. If I could find one in good condition for a reasonable price, I'd add it to my collection in a heartbeat.
And I'd argue that a 650cc class twin is better than a 400. You don't have the small bike feel like you do with the 400's, but they're still easy to throw around IMO. You have the advantage of 0-100km/h in under 4 seconds, which beats a lot more cars on the road. Plus there's the additional torque that can get you out of trouble with just a twist of the wrist.
I had a Suzuki RGV250 and it's one bike I'm so happy to have gotten rid of. It cured me forevermore of wanting a 2-stroke. I got a CBR600F2 soon afterwards and was much happier with the experience of ownership.
@@langhamp8912 You should have got the RG instead of the RGV. With less power & a smaller front wheel, the RG was easier to ride & carved corners with an ease that I've yet to see matched with any other bike. Cornering was so sharp that I used to overtake cars on the inside on hairpin bends at speeds that I wouldn't even dream of on any other bike.
@@punchbuggyyellow7097 Well, there was that TZ250R that was a lot more powerful and lighter. And any model of the Yamaha R6. But I was referring more to the cost of maintaining an RGV as a daily rider instead of its handling. I buy most of my bikes as 99% commuters, and 1% trackday, with the occasional very rare group ride thrown in.
For me there are 3 types of bikes: the tourer/ naked/ adventure bike for daily commutes and comfortable long distance rides, the crotch rocket for putting the knee down at the track, and the enduro you don't mind damaging for the sake of off-roading. 1 and 3 are all I'll ever need and want. Great therapy and keeps you young.
Keep voicing your opinion. It's worth seeing your vids and interesting to see people's comments.
Motorcycling is a passion, business of the heart directed by the brain.
Keep riding! ❤
The 400cc statement is too true. I had a Svartpilen 401 last year and I never wished for more power, except on the Autobahn. 170kph isn´t fast enough sometimes, even the least powerful cars can go faster.
Anywhere else though... Yeah, I ate most cars for breakfast, I only wanted more to annoy those Golf GTI and Cupra dingleheads.
If you don´t live in Germany, you never NEED more power than this. It´s only a question if you WANT more.
I find 75-100 hp is the most that one can use (with skill) on the roads. Ideal is probably 50-75 hp, depending on bike size. My V-Strom is 67 hp, but it's geared short and it's a hunk. Top speed sucks, but that teaches me to ride better.
The only bike I've owned so far is my current Duke 390, and i agree that there really isn't a need for more. It has plenty of get up and go, and raking through an entire gear box within road legal speeds is far more engaging than sitting in 2nd must feel like. Sure, it's only "sportscar" quick rather than "supercar" fast, but on a bike where you actually feel the wind it still feels quick enough.
I'm like you though, far more interested in a corner than a straight line and the little Duke excels at that.
YES !!! I love riding my noisy vibrating road legal KTM 500 EXC ;) It more fun then my old 1985 Yamaha FZ750 I used to have that was what I call jailbait murdercycle... I could never control myself on that and always ended up going in 1 year in jail speeds with it. My KTM 500 is so unpleasant at that speed that you never go that fast lol ;) And there is plenty of fun to have just driving at normal legal speeds.
Partially agree, I enjoy my Duke 390 when riding through the Black Forest Germany, but it’s a pain on the autobahn or long high speed corners, cause the moment you hit around 140 it’s crawling its way up to 170 slowly (I maxed out at 171km/h before hitting the rev limit), that’s why I would go up a notch to 650cc. Been riding the 390 for over a year now
I have a friend with a Hayabusa and he's the slowest rider I know. It's painful riding behind him as he's always on the brakes and keeps slowing through a corner until he's out the other side. I really feel for that bike. It's like keeping a gorilla in a bird cage. My usual comment about him is that he's wasting at least 1,000 ccs because he could just as well be on a 250. There should be some sort of rescue organisation that will rescue mistreated bikes like this, just as animal rescue works.
😂😂😂 what name should the organization have?
If he's trying to rip canyons on the busa he's dumb.
But you getting mad that he's not agile on that is equally dumb
@@Daniel-dj7fh Thinking that you can't have fun on a Busa in the twisties is just dumb.
I mean you sure can, but that's like at the same genre of having fun with a RoadGlide.
And on the money/weight/necessity -to-fun scales there are much cheaper, more nimbly and practical bikes to have the same or not more fun on with.@@countryjoe3551
Because you can also have alot of fun with a grom or a 50cc scooter in the twisties, it's just very relative.@@countryjoe3551
I agree with the 400cc. A lot of people just buy really big motorcycles and never learn how to actually ride them or never take them on a track. They just gun it on the highway and eventually get into an accident. Sure going in a straight line is fun but after a while they thrill goes away and it requires no actually skill. Learning how to properly ride a small displacement motorcycle is one of the best skills you can teach yourself and will ultimately make you a better rider.
Your criticism seems to be about the riders and not the motorcycle. What about someone who buys a big bike and does learn how to ride it?
@@ntdscherer You're correct. I am mostly criticizing motorcycle riders that start off on large displacement motorcycles and never end up learning the fundamentals and techniques of riding a motorcycle. They just own a liter bike to hold the throttle wide open on the highway putting their as well as other peoples lives at risk in pursuit of acceptance among the riders who buy large displacement motorcycles because they have to have the fastest bike.
There are people who buy large bikes because they are very attracted to them, that can be adventure bikes or even cruisers. I am just advocating for more riders to at least practice fundamentals. It leaves a bad reputation for bikers and especially for new riders who think that they have to buy large displacement motorcycles to fit in who then end up crashing not two months later.
These are also the liter bikes that are for sale, used with less than a thousand miles on the clock. Poor fellow, never did get used to the big cow, scared the hell out of him every time he rode it.
An adventure is what ever you make of it, little bikes will get you almost anywhere you want to go.
@@paul5683 You didn't read my second comment.
I’m 60 and have 4 bikes. The largest engine is a 2001 zx6r I’ve had since new.
2021 z400
2024 klx 230s
2001 kl 250 super sherpa.
I’ve had bigger bikes over the years but prefer smaller lighter bikes.
Piece of information that could change your mind: At 6 foot 4 inches (193cm?) and a 34 inch (86.36cm?) a touring bike is too cramped for me. I rode a same year R1200RT and a GS back to back and the GS is more comfortable for me hands down. It just has more leg room which is more comfortable for long days riding.
Ducati spot on, an old neighbor i had bought it as his first biike. Laid it down on his 2nd ride with frinds on twisty roads and never rode again.
lmao
I think an important issue about buying larger bike is stability and longevity. You hit the open road on a 300 and it will get buffeted by the wind. It might do 160: but at 100 it is still working hard. Plus things like going up hills or overtaking strain the engine , I have a GSX1250FA that can sit stably on the road in strong cross winds and can travel 500 kilometres in a day without and issue and barely notices hills. And it isn’t too slow around tight bends. And that motor is going to outlast a lot of other because it just doesn’t need to be worked hard. I have my FZ8 for revving and cornering fast. And I’m not into riding hard & fast enough to justify an R1 or a GSXR. So what I have suits the highway and the tight corner riding I do, but I could never go back to a small bike. Even if it had the top end power, I’d be ruining its’ neck just to ride how I wish.
That's a gearing thing tho.
The bigger the bike the more it's working (assuming all parts are built with the same materials), because the bigger bike will need beefier parts which weigh more and lead to more stress. Now a 125 is weak af, but anything really mid-classed will pull your ass up a mountain and do what ever revs. Because the engines are also designed to rev, that's why there is a limiter at some point. Or does any handbook state that you can't rev the bike at (example) 7000rpm for a certain amount of time?
@@Daniel-dj7fh Actually I disagree. The bigger, 4 cyl motor has smaller pistons than a 2 cyl 650. 1000cc/4 = 250cc/cyl and 650/2 = 325cc. The bigger bike will spool faster, rev easier and work less hard. Also, the higher you rev you engine the faster it wears out. If I ride at 5000rpms and you at 7000, your engine, assuming the same build quality will break down sooner. That's why you'll see big bikes easily going over 100k km while the smaller ones not that much.
Bigger engines, 1000cc, for instance have a higher rev ceiling than smaller engines with bigger pistons and valves. The rev limiter is there to prevent the motor to self destruct and also to prevent valve floating. Smaller engines have lower rev ceiling for a reason.
They might be smaller, but they have to endure way more revolutions and from the power alot more bangs, meaning that those cylinders have to be alot more stable. Which could then come at the cost of weight.
I've noticed lower rev ceelings on bikes with lower cylinder counts not displacement or power. A 2500cc Rocket3 isn't revving to 14k rpm either.
Yes at 7000rpm your engine wears out more than at 5000rpm, but my 500 does 120kmh at around 5000rpm, I'd not have to rev higher. And my bike doesn't have the best gearing for high speeds.@@johnnyblue4799
Very true.
I have a KTM 400 Military and feel like im torturing it when going 100km/h.
A thing that a bigger displacement bike does without breaking a sweat.
A really light bike isnt always a good thing either, since it becomes unstable at higher speeds.
Also bike size tends to match the displacement.
I dont fit on a 390, 890 fits better and 1290 fits like a charm. Downside of not having different framesizes like mountainbikes do.
Thats just rationalization . a 400 would be the sweet spot for displacement then
I agree, I love the Suzuki style, but I would love for them to try something else in the "fast straight and nothing else". I love this kind of bikes, as a rider with just better than average capacity, having a bike that I can handle on the turns at the limitation speed but has incredible straight lane power is how I get my kicks.
I have a weird feeling Suzuki is going out of the Sports class, the only supersport they offer on the German website is the gsx125r..
400CC opinion on point. My 650 is a killjoy in most places aside from long high speed highway hills where the power is handy.
Everywhere else I find myself wishing for more gear changing action.
Short shift
This week I saw a guy in full gear riding a modded Africa Twin, just going to the store to buy a bottle. Maybe a bit overkill, but he looked like he was having a pretty good time. Bike was huge, a little bit like an elephant, really.
I mean, do we know where or how much he rode before getting to the store? I cross the border to buy KFC, just to have an excuse to ride longer 😂
@@goduxunike Yeah good point, maybe he was making a day of it.
Started on a Honda XR200R went up to a CB550. After a year I got a Triumph Bonneville T100. Now I’m finding my self enjoying a smaller bike like my new Honda Monkey. It’s fun and very nimble. Ride safe ✌️
Hey CC, as an Africa Twin rider I can tell you that although I use it mostly for touring, as you suggest in the video, 95% of the time we are touring 2 up. A 700cc bike is just not going to cut it and would always feel like the frame is at it’s limit, while the big touring bikes are more than double the price, even over the already expensive CRF1100L! If you have any other alternatives in mind that could do the job just as well, I’d love to hear your thoughts 😁 Cheers!
My V-Strom 650 handles me (215lbs) and my wife (150lbs) two up just fine, neither the engine nor frame feel stressed. Not as dirt capable as an AT of course, but still plenty for my needs which is mainly to reach campsites down dirt roads and mild trails that my sport bike would be very iffy on.
@@johncaswell2648 we like to take long rides and the AT is our primary vacation vehicle, so it sees a mix of highway and B roads. I had a CB500x before and we were just getting blown away on the highway by larger vehicles and strong winds, whereas the AT is very planted and isn’t affected at all. As you mentioned, everyone has their own needs, I find bigger bikes more stable for my use case in particular. Best regards!
unless you both are north of 300lbs most mid sized bikes have payloads of 500lbs most people are fine carrying the things
No idea about lbs, but my cb500x had a max payload of 180kg, which although we are both fit and weigh about 140kg combined, doesn’t leave much room for luggage and some change 🤷🏻♂️
Not to mention overtaking power and uphill performance
Well I agree that a poorly implemented ABS system could be dangerous. But tbh I haven't experienced an ABS system (car or motorcycle) that doesn't pulse. It's just... doing it's thing. The dangerous thing you are describing in the video isn't poor ABS, rather your weird/bad habit. Besides - mostly agree on the rest.
This video is brilliant! More of these please! Unpopular opinions: 1. People new to the track should not ride 1000cc bikes since they ride slow in the corners. 2. AGV is like Ducati as either rich newbies buy it or experienced riders who can appreciate them. 3. Knee sliding on the public roads rarely make you faster. It's for the show.
I love your videos man. But did you do any research on the Hayabusa besides looking at the HP, TQ and weight numbers? The internals are stronger that pervious models, the engine is way under stressed so it will last a long time, it makes more power everywhere else in the rev range over the Gen 2 but yes lost 7 crank HP on the very top where you spend almost zero time. Look up Busa's doing track days here on youtube as well. They aren't just a straight line can't turn drag bikes unless you make it that way. It's more comfortable than any liter bike out there too. I've owned a Blackbird VFR800 5th gen FZ/MT-10 SV650S as well as seven other bikes in my 26 years of riding and now a Gen 3 Hayabusa. It's not a perfect bike but none are. These days of every bike being a niche machine vs how streetable sportbikes used to be honestly sucks. You used to be able to ride a CBR954RR all day and not need a chiropractor after. When the CBR600RR came out Honda still made the CBR600 F4i and that I think is a better way to do things instead of every bike being so hyper focused. There's my unpopular motorcycle opinion.
Unfortunately, bro is just riding the spec sheets 🤦♂️
When it comes to ABS, I think we all should actively practise losing the rear and controlling fishtailing. Also, combi braking is a very good practice which most aren't good at. My Honda 180cc only has a single channel ABS (front) and it's very intrusive. It's only when I started practising combi braking and progressive squeezing of the front lever that I truly figured out how to not let the ABS intervene and even then, the ABS does intrude from time to time.
I'd suggest it's more down to a lack of feedback from the cheap brake setups than an overly intrusive ABS system.
It's something I struggled with on a loaner KTM Duke 390 when my RC8R (no ABS or traction control) was in for a major service and a sensor replacement.
Basically the caliper starts to really bite late on in the lever's travel, leaving a narrow range of good braking force before the ABS sensor is triggered.
Together with a friend we own (& regularly ride!!) about 30 popular Japanese year 70's and 80's motorbikes (250,400,750,1000,...), different brands. I can tell you that the 'good old indestructible bike from whence' is very much at the end of it's life; insulation of wires and electrical plugs are failing totally, carburetors are cracking, O-rings are hard & start to leak,.... Most of this started when the bikes were +30y old.
BUT most of these items can be repaired/replaced fairly easy if you are a bit handy. Not so with modern bikes with ECU & fuel injection & ABS,....
About the big adventure bikes, in my opinion having a R1250GS is mostly just about your own personal liking. It is true that you don’t necessarily need those 1250cc but it’s just like choosing between a luxury SUV, a high performance sports car, a sedan, or pretty much anything else, it’s just up to you, and even if having the most luxurious SUV isn’t really that useful or even if it doesn’t make sense, you just take it because you like it :)
Plus those guys keep the wheels of the economy turning which benefits us all. Like Apple fanboys :)
Love your videos. Agree with everything…sort of. As a person approaching 50, that rides the sh#t out of my Tiger 900 RP off-road (in the USA), I like to think I’m the exception, though my circle of friends all seem to be exceptions as well. That said, though we likely don’t like to admit it, 3/4 of your time is on tarmac reaching the start of the trail in different states, therefore ADVs are the tailor-made solution! When you have 100lbs+ of gear for your 10 day trip, and are less than aerodynamic, certainty you need 75hp+ to ride and overtake trucks on on interstates etc. 400cc bikes don’t fit.
I owned a busa back then, and i called it the 90's viper of motorcycles. Might of been just me and my experience at the time but that thing felt like it wanted to leave me at the light more times than I could count
I have a 2015 390 duke with some mods on it like better mono shock at the rear, full system exhaust, and fresh forks and that thing is an absolute blast to ride here in italy with all these shitty but twisty raods… but i still want a faster bike to take on the race track like an rs660 and use it comfortably on the road
can't you use the 390 comfortably on the road? I have no issues with my old 125cc 11hp road hazard. My cb500f is also definitely never sweatting.
@@Daniel-dj7fh yes i do, the duke is very comfortable but the vibrations are incredibly annoying and for a little bit of travelling is not ideal, is even worse on the freeway, but apart from that is an incredible machine, i really love it
Vibrations are a thing on singles, that's true@@FraxeroneMemone
I have a 2020 Duke 390 and I love it most of the time but when I’m on the open road I do wish I had a bit more power for passing and just so I don’t have to thrash the motor so much. I’m 6’4” and ~100kg so maybe a lighter/smaller rider might have a better time with it. For commuting and just ripping around I love it. It’s an awesome bike. It’s only when I go out on a canyon ride that I wish I had an extra 10-20 hp. It would be cool if they made a Duke 590 with an inline twin. That would be sweet. Still small and light but with a little more grunt. I’m currently saving for another bike but I’m still thinking about just keeping the 390 because I really do love it to bits. It’s so fun.
Some great opinions, I started on 2 strokes - loved them, got even better when they added oil injection systems that negated the need to premix the fuel, but the reliability and convenience of 4 strokes won me over, and now most 2 strokes are just not available. Never understood the Hayabusa revival, nor the appeal of a big adventure bike, although most of that is down to an insufficiency in the leg department.
I rode a 400cc four stroke Suzuki impulse for 38 years. (2x bikes 1.7m kilometers). It could hit 242kph on the track (rpm limiter at 13700rpm) corner like a demon despite 1987/88 suspension. Had phenomenal brakes, and made a whole 53Hp. It required the rider to ride hard, but the bike loved being hammered.
These were favoured by motorcycle couriers, and f3 racers.
It was designed as a Japanese 400cc racer, sold overseas as a commuter to meet homologisation rules, because they were built asymmetric with the rear offset an inch from the centreline to suit the Japanese tracks.
I rode it severely overloaded at times because it was my day to day transport. I also rode it off road, through shallow boulder strewn rivers, and across farmland. The 158kg (dry) weight made it easy to ride in all conditions.
I agree with the last one. Since kawasaki released the zx25r, i always think like i'll be happy with it. I just hope they release a Z variant of it with the same engine.
A Z25RS would be beautiful! Yes, need more small bore fours please!
I borrowed a JDM CB400 SF with a suspension and brakes overhaul and have been a small bike person ever since. Honda should bring back the VFR400 to compete with the Kawasaki zx4rr. So so fun
I owned several 400cc bikes, and yes - it is enough for city riding and slower b-roads, but if you live where traffic is more fast paced and you do longer travels on all kind of roads I found that I needed more horsies to feel safer. For example in my country the traffic is pretty fast - 140 km/h highways and 90 km/h for most out of city , even on more curvy/mountainous areas, and it is common for cars to speed a little above, so you need to be defensive and adaptive, and some times this requires power. Since I switched to 1200 cc I ride with almost the same speeds as on my previous 400cc bike but I feel less fatigue and can do longer hours, and most importantly I can be more adaptive to the modern traffic, like keeping up without stressing the bike and having quick access to power for different situations, avoiding tailgaters when safe and do faster overtaking when necessary, especially if the vehicle in front is creating dangerous situations.
I dissagree about the 400 cc bikes, dont get me wrong, I love good 400 and I agree that for most people its enough, but for example for touring or longer commuting bigger displacment is better. You see, if you ride something like duke 390, to reach good highway speed you need to be pined at gas and hold it there for long periods of time, its uncomfortable and painful. Its better to have bike with bigger displacment where you dont need to catch carpals every time you ride.
I ride a cb500f the only time I'm pinning my gas is when I'm trying to do a 170kmh top speed run, which I've done 3 time during one ride back home in the past 5 years.
It does 120-130kmh no questions asked at half revvs.
If I pinned my 2nd gear I'd be doing 90kmh, and in the city that's a very big fine. Might even lose my licence.
2up 100kmh and higher could be a problem. But I've also lived with a 125cc for 2 years so I know what actual slow is (Still haven't ridden a 50cc tho if I'm honest).
@@Daniel-dj7fhevery bike feels different I guess. I used to ride a Svartpilen 401 (which is basically a Duke 390) and to get up to speeds like 120km/h or even just 100km/h and keeping it at that speed for longer periods of time it’s just not comfortable and since I switched to a Versys 1000 it felt so much better to take those long roads
I think this only applies to sport and sport naked bikes. If you vowed to stay under 400cc and we’re afraid of an old bmw airhead because you think it’s be too much power you’d be a fool. Also this would rule out every Harley since like 1930.
I agree with you on that. Not just long commutes, every commute outside heavy traffic in the city in general. With a smaller displacement bike you have to downshift and rip it in order to simply overtake someone. I think something around 130hp is the sweet spot for most bikes. I don’t have much experience riding big bikes due to my license limitations, but the 50hp im used to is pretty underwhelming compared to a ktm 1290r i was riding on as a backpack.
Who would have thought a 50hp bike is underwhelming compared to a 160hp bike.@@halo-7797
In my experience, ABS also depends on the brand making it. Haven ridden 2017 Kawasaki and now a 2022 BMW, its a huge difference. The kawa let you know when the abs kicked in by ticking but the BMW doesn't do that. you dont even notice it kicking in until you look at you app riding data and see how often it interveend.
I think feedback is always good, wouldn't bee too interested in the bmw, which one are you riding?
@@Daniel-dj7fh I have a 750GS. As far as I noticed there is no feedback. Don't see a downside to it's since it doesn't make you scared of slamming the brakes
@@Diablo97810 It's not about "scaring" you, how on earth are you gonna know when your tires actually lose grip if you can't feel the abs?
The Hayabusa is not a sport bike, it's a sport touring bike. Big adventure bikes weigh significantly less than baggers which are the only bikes that really rival the amount of storage available on motorcycles. As the owner of a Ducati Monster 696, part of owning one is the prestige the brand has, and the other is they're beautiful motorcycles. Also note, Japanese motorcycles don't use chipped keys so they're easier to steal. As for the 400cc debate, it's a bare minimum here in the US. When Yamaha sent its FZR-400 here, they had to bump up the displacement to 600 cc as the 400 wasn't selling. Was it really necessary? No. If I had a real job when they came out, I would have been the first one buying one. Anyway, good discussion.
i mostly agree on the 400cc one but its just that i like to go offroad with bikes that can spin the back wheel easier so it would be better with like 500cc-700cc
Totally agree with the point about the ABS, but also agree with other commenters that it's partly a skill issue. After learning with no ABS, I eventually found with my '21 MT-03 I'd get the stuttering that felt like a foot scraping so I'd flinch, then when I got my '16 MT-10 I found the same thing. But I would put it down to my not often having to actually get the ABS to engage so it comes as a surprise when it does.
On the 400cc point It's absolutely more than you'll ever need if you live in Europe or in a city, but if If you live in a place that's a little bit more rural such as the states, then you can easily justify those larger bikes
For the 400cc stand. I considered using 400cc since I am using it going to work and occasional long rides. I choose 400cc because I can reach 170 to 180kph in an open road, can cruise inside the city, ride with my pinion plus my bags in long haul rides while just getting the fuel economy of a 125cc sports bike.
It is a very good starter bike for anyone who would like to beat the city traffic.
I would consider higher displacement if I have like 20k to 50k gran excess from my monthly savings😂
I own a XSR900, I love the bike, power everywhere but the smaller engines are easier to fine tune the riding skills.
Personal anecdote: first bike was 400cc. the highways where I live have speed limits of 75mph, where drivers routinely drive at 90mph or above. My bike was screaming for dear life at 75mph and was terrifying to navigate the highways on. Side roads were fine but I eventually traded in for something larger that gave me more confidence in higher speed scenarios and riding with a passenger
When i go for touring, I’ll usually cover 600 kilometres per day, and i ride a Dominar 400. Which is more than enough for a fun smooth ride. And I hate people who asks about top-ends. They’re not enjoying the journey.
"It's basic because I feel pulsation" is such a silly thing to say.
That's just how ABS works, and that acts as extra information to the rider. look at new Fortnine video about ABS, there is a nice explanation there.
That feedback also allows you to feel the edge of the grip and safely try to break to the max point, as overbreaking won't fuck you up thanks to ABS
And pulsing is just an effect of how every ABS is constructed, trying to isolate it from the brakes to not have pulsing would just make whole system more complex and less reliable
Love 2 strokes so much fun to ride in motocross I’ll always be a 2 stroke guy
It would be awesome if you could animate the MT as your co host. I kept waiting for it to come alive and give a motorcycles opinion. 🙂
On the topic of 400cc. I agree but draw the line more around 700cc. It think a bike with at least 40 ft/lbs of torque is needed to cruise on the highway without feeling like you're really ringing out the poor engine. Engines working well below their max capacity experience a lot less stress.
Front brakes perform more(80-90% for streat/sport/etc) braking force's then rear. So breaking distance will be almost the same with or without rear brake. Of course if front will be used for maximum. And abs for front wheel might help a lot.
2 stokes against 4 strokes it´s just diferent, it will only depends on what do you want, in my case I have an R6 to make speed, and a YZ 250X for enduro, I think to be use on the road obviusly the 4 stroke will go better, but a 2 stroke for enduro will be always my choise, fot the exact same reason you put on your video, they have a less engine break, less moving parts, they heat less, they rev faster and they are less likely to stall the engine when you are moving slow.
I've got the same issue with abs. It sucks and just increases cost. Highways where I live are cruising north of 140kph. A 400 doesn't have much power left here. I think 600s are the biggest you need. Possibly 500 depending on hp and torque.
It's not what the bike can do when you buy it... is what you can do to the bike once it's yours.
I could say that is not to be kept exactly as you bought it, but as a development platform... and what a starting point is!
And a little less complicated than many other electronically overcontrolled bike. Very simple to work on, very difficult to properly ride on. A challenge all the time
"i mean, a porsche is obviously a better choice" what a chad. that gains him a sub.
Agree with everything except abs. Yes experienced riders will outperform on a dry track but no one will outperform in emergency or in the wet. I own a ninja 400 and a road king and love them both for different reasons
bigger bikes are easier to ride. as I get older I get lazier and don't want to have to down shift three times for every corner. big twins are best, find a gear and stay there. that's also why I love electric bikes, no shifting. I get enough of that dirt biking. small bikes are fun too but sometimes you just wanna chill and watch the scenery go by.
Lool soo true
Haha, agreed to all except the ABS. I have 2 400cc bikes, one Himalayan and another is an RC390, honestly I'm never left behind cars on either of them, because the speed limit here is 80kmph.
I agree with most of them, except for Abs one. Even the most rudimentary of Abs will save lives compared to a non abs on the road. The complaint about feeling is subjective and can be overlooked momentarily.
Another good thing about 400cc or 375cc in case of Duke390 and Dominar 400 is the cost of ownership. They are relatively cheap to run fuel consumptions are better, cost of part replacements are also cheaper, engine service is more budget friendly and overall a best motorcycle for daily riding.
Totally agree on the last one. So many bike reviews are like "Is the SuchandSuch 900cc fast enough to ride on the highway?" And the answer is usually "No, it can do it but it struggles and its dangerously slow, you'll get run over"
I do everything on my big ADV, including big adventures in the dirt. I don't find cruisers or touring bikes to be comfortable most of the time, but I like doing big road trips where the destination is the trail network I plan on riding. I hate the idea of loading a bike onto a trailer and mostly refuse to drive anything with more than two wheels, so I ended up getting a bike that truly does it all. That said, so many people really do buy adventure bikes just to ride them to Starbucks on the weekend.
The last point, it's not just the top speed. It's how fast you get there.
And this is a Moto GUzzi V7 850 owner speaking, with "just" 65hp.
Big ADV riders - especially BMW GS riders - are the SUV-drivers of the motorcycle scene. Most seem to own it simply because of the comfort and the status symbol, maybe to take it out on a proper trip once a year at most. I’ve seen guys riding them to work in short normal clothes, wearing a backpack. While having panniers and a top box mounted. They greet less than chopper riders and some overtake in dumb and dangerous spots (like just before a roundabout a few days ago). They think they’re the bosses of the road just because they have spent a lot of money on an overengineered bike.
Of course there are riders who use them properly but they appear to be the exception in my area.
Unpopular opinion..too much gear makes you more likely to fall, like a tightrope walker. It also makes you more likely to ride in a way where you might fall, like a skater with kneepads on. As one of the og pro's once said "We stopped wearing pads and we skated smoother, we couldn't fall so we wouldn't fall."
Obviously there is a balance, I won't ride without a full face helmet, that is a personal line but I have room for everyone else's without condemnation.
Going to have a gaggle of old codgers with GS key rings and itchy boots subscriptions after you with that ADV bike opinion.
Tell'em to go pick it up without a youtube tutorial
Haven't you seen? They stand next to it and wait for their buddies to stop and help. Usually requires 3.
I would say for many riders CBS is actually superior to budget ABS - despite ABS having the premium badge - as many motorcycle crashes relate to excess rear brake use and CBS , in it's most basic form partially powers the front brake from the rear
I agree with the 400cc statement, but as you said. . . i have a tuono v4 but i never ever break the speed limit. . . . never. . .
As others have said the Busa for me is just a giant sports-touring bike for large gentlemen like myself. We can't all be 5'6" and fit on an R1, some of us have spines. 😂
Well I traded in my 2021 MT07 for a 2023 ZX4RR and totally enjoy it a lot more. It's so much more exciting to ride on the country winding roads I ride on. It has more then enough power to ride on the bypass around my town doing 70 and above. I don't need to do over 80 on the Interstates. The wind is not your friend.
Totally agree 400cc is all you'll ever need.
I ride a 900cc but it's not a sport bike, it's a modern classic, redlines at 7k and only produces 54bhp stock. It's not fast, not flashy, but for roads here it's all you need and I know myself, if I had a faster bike, I'd have come off it months ago.
We motorcyclists complain a lot about what bike manufacturers do. We get upset with them holding on to a model (like the Hayabusa), or getting rid of another, but we rarely stop to understand all the various forces that act upon the manufacturers. Emission regulation, manufacturing costs, labor, legislation, and good old Return on Investment. Do we know what it takes to bring a new motorcycle model to the market? Do we know what it costs to discontinue a model? We might be a little more grateful if we knew.
As a person who live in Northeast of India I say most of my friends who have a 1000cc bike telling me they can't have fun much cos of the road,and living on the city cos of work is the worse cos the road the traffic you are in pain cos every second you need to handle the weight which is ass ultra pain
And you can't shift your gear that much, even in the highway also they say it ain't safe too much cornering and uneducated vehicle driver who use to overtake in those situations too, the gas prices and no servicing center and parts you have to buy only or pre-order.
Agreed, except on abs &'busa. Your fright is weird, sorry & 'busa will be made until it won't sell anymore....
8:10 That's an alien and no one can convince me otherwise.
drove 2 water cooled suzuki 2 cycle 3 cyl 750 cc. smooth as glass on hwy. sold them both with 65,000 + mi on them. oh, they never leaked. only briefly smoked on crank. after that no.
"All you need is a 400cc"
Yes 400cc ZX4RR remapped with racing kit and racing tyres
i kinda disagree with the 400cc i would say to stay in the realms of legality you only need 300cc maximum & still overtake most vehicles
I daily a hayabusa. Its unrestricted. Its amazing. Its still fast through corners and incredibly stable at 170 plus because of its weight.
I ride a 650 twin and find it to be the perfect trade off between power and fuel efficiency.
agreed...except two strokes brother ...once you own one...its good reason not made anymore. and no it doesn't have more traction...theyre good forcollecting only
I hate ABS in cars for that reason, I can't stop if I'm fighting the brake pedal.
As far as I know, I've never triggered ABS on my 390. So, so far, having to pay for it has been as wasteful as insurance payments.
I don't know enough to critique your points, but I appreciate your willingness to buck conventional notions and make them!
I've been preaching the "more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow" thing for about 25 years now. Bought my wife (then fiance) a Ninja 250 and found that I kept stealing it for all my in-town riding/commuting/errand running... and I'm 6'4"/230lbs. The only thing it didn't do well was 2-up with me as the rider, simply too physically small. We've owned 6 of the Ninja 250's, usually something I pick up for a couple hundred $$ and repair before flipping it back into another new riders hands. I simply can't imagine NOT having a small, light, nimble, flickable, fun bike in the garage... leave my liter Aprilia for the long trips.
As for the Busa, was always a bike that made me go "m'eh". Ridden a few, along with Blackbirds, modified GSXR1127s, one worked over FJ1200 (way back in the 1980's) and the thrill of stump pulling acceleration becomes old after about the 3rd time you twist the throttle. Or at least it does for me, and I know others don't feel that way... so let them have the bike that brings them joy. Don't really care what someone rides, just that they have the passion to ride. Suzuki wouldn't be selling it if they didn't make money either....
I never get tired of stump acceleration fun lol ;) ... But I did get tired of the threat of 1 year in jail every time I took a trip with my old 1985 Yamaha FZ750 because I could not control myself. Now I drive a road legal KTM 500 EXC dirtbike and have maybe even more fun at road legal speeds, and even more fun at walking speed at dirt roads and similar offroad ;)
Agree with everything except the 400cc thing.
400cc on American interstates is miserable and a little scary. They're fine around town, though.
The thing about big ADV bikes is that if you want a large comfy bike with an upright riding position, good luggage options and high end components you HAVE to get a high capacity as well.
I ride a 2013 1st Gen Duke 390 in India and I totally agree with you.
Try going near top speed on the s1000. It will feel like you’re about to be thrown from the bike in 5 different directions. The hayabusa on the other hand doesn’t not only have the power, it has the chassis designed to to sit at 200 like it’s nothing. That stability comes at a price, it’s not nearly as nimble, but everything is a give and take. It’s not comparable to a supersport in any way but power.
Well i guess i break the mold a little with the ducati. I bought a 950 supersport and im only 21. Not a new rider either. I just decided that i was tired of riding old bikes and wanted something new and beautiful. Its not the best bike statistically, but i think its the best for me.
If my commutes were shorter and/or not interstate based, I would be on an RE 350 Hunter. Living in the middle of nowhere, makes small bikes a difficult choice.
If I lived somewhere with twisty mountain roads, yes. 400cc would be all I’d need. But, if you have to ride any major highways or interstate, you need something bigger with more than 1 cylinder. Even small twins work hard at 80mph on the super slab.
I have a RE Scram 411 here in the US.
For 90% of my riding, 400cc is totally fine, even my agricultural little guy.
But having to get around an 18 wheeler on the interstate (70-75 mph limit, so here everyone is cruising 80-85 on long stretches,) and you need that extra power.
Probably a second cylinder to be honest, just because those singles usually dont like running high for too long.
@@michaelmurdock4607 honestly that might be my ideal bike, and if the time comes when they release it and I can get reliable parts for it, then yes.
However, currently I just transferred over to the Honda Transalp 750
loud pipes don't save lives because loud pipes point backwards.
(400cc is overkill in the UK because it's rare nowadays to keep within the limit AND max out revs in top gear. That's why a lot of Harley riders are downgrading to 125cc Monkeys!)
ABS kicking up the lever is a very scary feeling, I never got used to it on the motorcycle mastery AVB course I just brake less now lol
me riding a cheap old beater (FJ1200) with enough ccm for decent torque, power for the autobahn and crappy abs being shocked that I support almost all of those opinions😅
The ABS thing is pretty typical. my 23 S1000RR does it. my Ducati did it. it's kind of just how abs is
About the 400cc thing, i think it also depends a lot on where you live.
Here speed limit is 110 km/h on a highway. Trying to go faster than that on a normal road here will just get you pepsied (super mountainy, curves and wild animals everywhere, with really bad roads that are broken all the time)
So for us 250cc - 400cc its just perfect, anything more is just overkill and a waste of gasoline.
Most of the bikes you see around here are dualsports.
The most popular bike here by far is the Honda XR 150L, and that's more than enough for most people. Cause it's really cheap and it can go up to 110km/h
If they hadn't updated it I would agree to kill the busa. The old one was terribly uncomfortable, the new one is however actually really comfortable for a superbike, it's a really good sport tourer.
Of course, if I was to buy a sport tourer I'd get a h2sx but I'm way too biased towards Kawasaki and I don't even care how good the other bikes are.
Speaking of Kawasaki, they are probably the best case of you don't need more than 400cc. That Zx4rr has more power than some 600cc bikes.
471cc for 63k miles, but I am jealous when I see sport bikes smoothly glide by.😢 I could afford one, but my commercial license would be in jeopardy.
I can't argue against any of your points, infact I work with a lot of new riders and preach at lot of the same things. On the 400cc's is enough front I agree 100% I started on a first gen ninja 400 (2011) and it was the prefect bike in all but one aspect.. leg room/position. I have long legs and old knees, a two hour scoot on the ninja had me almost in tears some days. I now ride a tiger 800 and love it but it also way to much bike for anything I'll ever do. there is a caveat to the 400cc thing though - the bike has to be a parallel twin or single with liquid cooling. an air cooled vtwin 400 would be painful in every aspect to someone who weights north of 200 Lbs (90 Kilos)
CCs are not really important. Power to weight ratio is more important but I would say anything that can get you to a 160 to 180 is enough. I ride a BMW g310GS and top speed of 144km/h is simply not enough on the German Autobahn. Everywhere else its great. If you go for two up, then you need a little bit more power around 70HP.