+Reality hitting home!

Yesterday I went for a gentle bimble with a Dutch friend of mine, also called Peter. Conditions were not at all ideal as we passed through low clouds as we climbed our favourite biking road.

Peter is a former road tester for magazines, has had 2 books on motorcycles published and still writes for several magazines today. Very nice guy, superb rider and immensely knowledgeable. Odd perhaps that, as good a rider as he is he feels his GSXR1000 K6(?) is way too much for the road. He is actually seriously contemplating a V-Strom 1000!

But as we sipped coffee he recalled the launch of the 2004 Fireblade in Arizona which he attended. All the main test riders from the biking world were present and they all set about caning the new bike, larging it to see who could do the best lap time.

There was plenty back slapping and micky taking with some pretty good times posted, however.......

Also present at the launch was Chris Vermuelen, he went out and road the Blade also and no doubt impressive he was too. Apparently Chris posted a time which was something like 3 to 4 seconds better than anyone! But guess what? He was actually riding a German spec bike,(like those built for France it was limited to 100BHP!) and so the time he lapped truly was awesome when compared with some very handy riders on a full spec Fireblade.

Maybe puts our own riding ability in to perspective,no?

Yes- I know a very competent rider who rides a V-strom thousand. At sub 100mph speeds he is very, very quick indeed and shames most power rangers on SS600s.

What I didn't realise until recently was quite how detuned the TL lump in it is: 88bhp or thereabouts. Probably why the bike is only NU10 to insure!

Ceri...Funny you should mention the TL lump. Peter has a devilish plot which will see the motor in his bike a little more livelier than the norm.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Maybe puts our own riding ability in to perspective,no?

Some of us are fully aware that we're slow

can I get a german sv650 with just 100bhp please?

shame CV has to ride the Suzuki then!

It's the man not the machine.

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Ceri...Funny you should mention the TL lump. Peter has a devilish plot which will see the motor in his bike a little more livelier than the norm.

Well, people have shoehorned one into an SV (650) chassis before now (not an easy one apparently, before people go thinking it's a straight swap )

Do tell what you have in mind. Is it quite contrary to the attitude expressed in your first post in this thread?

Ceri..It's not me but my pal. He has a buddy back in Germany who is a bit of an engine tecno wizard. Apparently he did all manner of things to the motor and electronics to provide one hell of a power plant.

My pal Peter I think just wants to get some more get up and go out of the V Strom as opposed to top end speed.

[northwind]

One of the guys on Oldschoolsuzuki is putting a TL motor into a Ducati frame- not sure which, think it's one of the tourers- with 748 running gear. If nothing else, it'll be funny...

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Ceri..It's not me but my pal. He has a buddy back in Germany who is a bit of an engine tecno wizard. Apparently he did all manner of things to the motor and electronics to provide one hell of a power plant.

My pal Peter I think just wants to get some more get up and go out of the V Strom as opposed to top end speed.

I've only looked into it very briefly (came close to buying the GT version a while back), but I think tuning the V-strom thou is meant to be a bit of a no go; chassis isn't up to it apparently (particularly at speeds above 125mph), in spite of the motor obviously being able to handle it.

http://vstrom.info/faq/index.php?sid...d=8&artlang=en