Inline 4s
 

What is it with them? You either love them or you don't. Granted I've only been on 5 il4s but everyone just felt bland. On the other hand every twin or triple I've been on has at least had character even if i didnt particularly like the bike

Re: Inline 4s
 

All the IL$'s I've ridden havent been bland, even the sheddy Bandit 600 I got give as a courtesy bike. The trick is to find where in the rev range the "Character" is.

The just need approaching with a different mindset, if you ride a 4 like a twin, its never going to be any fun. But then life would be boring if we all liked the same thing wouldnt it.

Re: Inline 4s
 

What do you mean by character? Any better way you can define it?

If I had to interpret that I'd say it was the acceleration (I guess...assuming you aren't talking about the sound, what else can the engine give). And yep, that's in a different place on an IL4 so....

...is right IMO. That nutty top end rush on an IL4 can be quite addictive!

By comparison, my last ride on a twin left me feeling bored and soul-less (it was a K7 SV650S, standard). Half of that was the fact it felt wheezy and gutless (but then I was riding it at 5k+ all the time, naughty naughty) and the other half was the fact it had a standard exhaust and so I couldn't even get a nice sound out of it...

Re: Inline 4s
 

More difficult to ride and ride well than a "equivelent" 4.

Low frequency vibes (man:smt033)

Uncommon sound.

Instant punt.




I'm no IL4 hater, having owned 3 (400,600,1400) and 4 twins too. Its just for me, you know exactly what you are going to get from a four. From 400cc - Litre+. Impressive and easy but a little uninspiring.

Solution? Have more than one bike unless you are a serial changer.

Re: Inline 4s
 

If by character you mean exhaust note, then I guess most people will prefer the v-twin (on here at least ;)). Personally, I find the constant demand of the engine to rev it harder and harder more enticing than the lazy application of torque. But that doesn't mean that IL4s aren't perfectly tractable at low revs - just a different noise.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Because?

Re: Inline 4s
 

I've liked 1s, twins and IL4s so far, all are good but different.

Re: Inline 4s
 

I'm not a big fan of IL4's in general, they just sound so bland unless you are screwing the bits of them. Odd numbers of cylinders sound the best, give me a triple or a 5 cylinder(for a car) engine any day, closely followed by a V twin.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Hate is a fairly strong word. I could understand it if you didn't like the exhaust noise, or if you just prefer riding at lower revs, but to hate something for no reason is fairly dumb. :confused:

Re: Inline 4s
 

I actually prefer the noise of an IL4 :smt097












8-[

Re: Inline 4s
 

Much prefer the burble of the twin but I love my IL4! When you get in that powerband its awesome!

Re: Inline 4s
 

You still using the stock white powerband (or is it red on your bike, I cant remember off the top of my head)

You really should upgrade to a blue or black one ASAP

Re: Inline 4s
 

I love Vtwins. I don't like IL4s.

I like the 'bus' though, but thats because its big and fast, and belongs to Peg, so I'm biased.

Re: Inline 4s
 

I shall presume you are extracting the urine here......

Re: Inline 4s
 

"Powerband" is that the same as "Go Faster Stripes" or is it something different?:D

Re: Inline 4s
 

:lol:

Re: Inline 4s
 

Would I?

Re: Inline 4s
 

What's wrong with saying powerband???? The powerband is at the top of the rev range??? Me confuzzled!

Re: Inline 4s
 

my next bike will probably be an inline 4, r6 or the likes, ill admit the sv sounds much nicer low down, and much nicer throughout how you would use it normally on the roads, but for the odd rake the scream of the i4 is fantastic. Dont really like the sound of the sv at really high revs.

Only i4 ive driven properly was my mates cbr600rr, and good god that was an experience

Re: Inline 4s
 

Another fan of the twin or single but only because every 4 ive ridden i never got a good enough go to get comfortable with it....also i own a twin and single and love that instant pull from the word go.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Yeah, V twins have some interesting characteristics. However, I think that whilst I only have a single bike, it will remain an IL4. Just need to justify 150 more cc.

The thing is you can have a gutless il4, or a ferkin hell il4. the same with V twins, you have the gutless SV650 70ish BHP or 130bhp sp2

Re: Inline 4s
 

A VERY informative article on Powerbands.

http://www.planetash.net/gos/powerbands.html

Re: Inline 4s
 

That is awesome SK! I especially like the script about a pink powerband!

Re: Inline 4s
 

Interesting comment that always comes up about the instant shove you get with twins - cos it doesn't always apply so much higher up the rev range, e.g. you could say that when comparing the SV at 3k, but comparing it at 8k...hmm, well it would be blown away by the 'instant shove' of my 750 (or my 600) at 8k.

I don't think either are more difficult to ride/ride well, just that they need different styles.

Re: Inline 4s
 

You miss the point, if both were burbling along at 3k then you would need to drop a gear or two to get your 600 up to 8k. It's no longer instant shove.

Re: Inline 4s
 

No that's exactly my point, what if you were hammering it along at 8k - the twin can't compete (when compared to an IL4). It's no longer instant shove (for the twin).

Re: Inline 4s
 

I realise I may not have been clear btw - I am talking about *both* bikes being at 8k.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Except on the IL4 you might well be burbling along at 5 or 6k. 6k feels like low revs in the same way as 3k might on the SV.

Re: Inline 4s
 

I have found riding in wet/icy/snow I prefer the soft delivery low down (ie not cutting about like Rossi) of a il4 compared to a twin.
Better throttle and clutch control required on a twin than a 4, harder to ride.

Cutting about like Rossi on a twin you need to know what you are doing if attempting to drop through the gears. I have never had a 4 try to lock up on me. Harder to ride well.
Slipper clutches/back-torque limiters are making it easier for us mechanically unsymapthetic dullards, but they make feck all difference in the slippy shicht.

I think you find out a lot about your bikes "character" in not dry conditions. Trying to be safe n' smooth, y'kna?

Re: Inline 4s
 

Quite a lot of us don't particularly like being at those sorts of revs. It's one of the reasons I chose a v-twin. The howl of a short stroke middle weight IL4 just doesn't do it for me.

Re: Inline 4s
 

That's fair enough, I'm not arguing with what you like/don't like. Equally there are probably quite a lot (not necessarily on this site, after all it is a v-twin owner's site...) that don't particularly like being at low sorts of revs. And the grumbly sound of a v-twin doesn't do it for them.

All I'm saying really, I suppose, is that it seems a bit silly for people to say "I luvs the instant torque of a twin, I do" as though it's just "right" and it can't be turned around the other way to benefit an IL4. It's a personal choice not a simple, global, "truth"...

Re: Inline 4s
 

Hi Rob.

I think this is a conversion issue. If you're used to twins you'll tend to ride the IL4 like a twin whee you get on it and thats not going to get you anywhere.

Riding an Inline 4 is about the top 30% of the rev range unline a twin where its the middle 30%. You have to rev them and once you've got used to that then its a different world.

Despite half a season on the minitwin I'm still riding it like an IL4 looking for another 5K revs once I'm at the red line. Takes a while to change the mind set.

C

Re: Inline 4s
 

And quite alot of people on here write off IL4's without even having ridden one. They'll base their opinion on what they've read on the internet or what their mate told them. Rather than finding out for themselves.

I appreciate that you might not like it, but why not ? Engine was made to rev, you arent going to break it by doing so.

I've talked to many people who wont even try an IL4, because they think that they might not like it, thats hell of a lot of bikes to discount from riding purely based on its engine configuration.

Amen to that

Re: Inline 4s
 

Well, that was quite a response!

I think the issue isnt the noise, as I do actually like the sound of IL4's, but its the seat of the pants test which it seems to fail on. Having been used to various twins and rode singles and triples, I actually like the buzz/vibes etc which I feel through the bike. The IL4s are very smooth which I think is what puts me off. I like to feel the bike buzzing away beneath me.

Re: Inline 4s
 

You sound like a girl ;)

Re: Inline 4s
 

Character can mean a lot more than noise and acceleration. Vibration, power delivery, handling, anything you feel or hear when you're riding it.

Big singles thump, v-twins burp, triples howl, flat twin BMW's do that twisting thing.

What kind of IL4 are you talking about Robchester? There's a big difference between a 600 Diversion and a litre sportsbike, and another big difference again between that and a Bandit 1250.

I'd never buy an IL4 600 personally, but I'm currently shopping for a 150bhp Fazer 1000, which is a completely different kettle of fish. Though the fact that 4000-8000 revs on the Fazer is very comparable to the SV between 6000-10000 revs, is a big compliment for the way in which the little 71bhp SV delivers it's power. Take the Fazer above 8000 and there's no other way to describe it other than "it just goes mental".

Re: Inline 4s
 

After RF600, Hornet, R6, ZXR400, CBR600 and test riding loads of IL4's I finally saw the light, Triples and twins for me. Took the FZ1 out last month from Yamaha for a full days riding I have never been so bored with 150bhp in my life. By the time the engine had wound itself up to the power band it was time to decelerate into the corner and out of the band again.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Hmmm, you need try try riding in a lower gear mate. You can ride round a corner at 10000 revs if you want to.

Re: Inline 4s
 

Nonsense! Clearly weren't in the correct gear either that or you were on an EXTREMELY twisty road.

They are different riding styles and I like them both. The one thing I miss from the SV is the engine braking.

Re: Inline 4s
 

I've never really noticed much difference. Brakes make you stop and engines make you go :D

I don't remember missing much engine braking when I was doing the test rides, or remember finding much more when I got back on the SV.