Why do you not ride a twin?

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Glad this has stayed fairly friendly so-far and a good exchange of views. Amazing how far afield the TVSF patch seems to extend. may be something to do with the bike related content found missing in some other local regions but that's another thread entirely

"Trolling.

If you want to make a post to wind up or get a rise out of other forum members. Remember its not big and its not clever. If this is your aim then we suggest that sv650.org isn’t for you."

Ho ho. Well done, as usual.

FWIW, I love the grin my VTR gives me every time I get on it - yes, it looks dated and dull but I enjoy the low down power and NOISE of the storm. However, every time I get on the Z1000 I love the way I can ride totally smoothly but then feel like a right hooligandan for a few thousand revs.

[skeetly]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

JAmazing how far afield the TVSF patch seems to extend.

WTF are TVSF

I had to have a look to see what you meant; I only use the 'new posts' button tbh

My tuppence worth:-

Originally Posted by Mark_h

So given many of the forum members no longer have a SV I was wondering why you've gone down the IL4 route.

- Do you feel you are in it's sweet-spot often enough to make it worthwhile? oh yes
- Do you crave the silky smooth power delivery? oh yes again (plus less engine braking)
- Did you just fancy a change?I wanted to try an IL4 and am hooked
- Will your next one be another IL4 ?Strong chance, but am also looking at an MV...
- Did you try a bigger twin before going down the IL4 route? yes

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

- Did you just fancy a change?

Basically yes. My SV started to bore me. It also started to turn into a money pit. I wanted something with more power, that had better brakes and chassis.

I wanted a change, a different riding experience...

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Do not read this as me slating IL4s as I know they are loved by many but I just don't get it myself so want the view of the converted as to what I'm missing.

its not something you can be converted to. You either get the IL4 thing or you dont. They do need riding in a different way to a twin. If you go litre IL4 you'll get all the torque and mid range you want. Theres also something satisfying about riding the smaller IL4's properly. Right gear, right RPM to ge the best from the bike. I like my 750 because it sits in between those two styles of riding it'll do either, its definately not boring. Yes I am under using it most of the time, but that really doesnt bother me. I dont need to feel like I'm on the rev limiter in every gear to feel like I'm having fun.

If you are thinking of changing I'd say go for it. But approach it with an open mind and make sure you test ride the IL4's from each manufacturer. The Blade has got a reputation from what I have read in the bike mags for being a bit like you describe...

Will my next bike be an IL4, probably not. But not because theres anything wrong with what I have, I just fancy a change again...

[Mark_h]

Originally Posted by eviltwin

[B]"
... I love the grin my VTR gives me every time I get on it - yes, it looks dated and dull but I enjoy the low down power and NOISE of the storm. However, every time I get on the Z1000 I love the way I can ride totally smoothly but then feel like a right hooligandan for a few thousand revs.

So if the boss decided you had to get rid of one of them which would you keep?
The Zed with oomf, technology and smoothness or the VTR with character and agricultural charm?

i love the kick in the pants at about 8k rpm. i finds that when I ride twins now I end up hitting the limiter every gear looking for that kick. So, yeah I guess I do spend a lot of time in that zone and thus enjoy an IL4. I also like the fact they (ZZR600 and ZX7R) are complete pussycats at ablow say 6k rpm. It makes them so docile in traffic and in the wet. Yes, I can manage a twin, but I just prefer not haviong to think so much about being smooth. The ony time I do miss a twin is when I'm filtering in London and want something with instant GO to nip into those tight gaps without having to down shift.

I also own a twin (well a deauville, it is sort of a bike, if you ignore the shocking lack of power) and it just does't get me excited at all, not just because it's slow but BECAUSE of the smooth talk curve.

Originally Posted by philbut

talk curve.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Why do you not ride a twin?

I do, sometimes. It's a naked SV1000, the alternative is my ZX6-R.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

but each time I got back onto my underpowered, cheaply suspended, poorly braked little SV and felt it was just about right for me.

Perhaps it's just what you like - maybe an SV is the right one for you.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

until you got to about 8k it was like you were in 5th with the handbrake on. Once again when you gave it the beans it woke up but that's only a place you're going to be occasionally.

I don't think is fair at all - it's just not fair to say that fours have no bottom end or midrange.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Do you feel you are in it's sweet-spot often enough to make it worthwhile? Yes, usually I am, it's not necessary to rev it madly to get all that's needed from it.
- Do you crave the silky smooth power delivery? I've got a Kwak four - thus smooth isn't the best way of describing it, Kwaks have a nice raw edge to the way they feel.
- Do you go to a few track days? It's been known.
- Are you often chased by machine gun wielding baddies? Not recently.
- Will your next one be another IL4 ? I know which bike I want next and it's a four.
- Did you try a bigger twin before going down the IL4 route?

That last one I feel well placed to answer as I've been back and forth between fours and twins, (and others), I've owned lots of bikes of differing engine configurations and I really can't say that any one is better than another, they're just different.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Do not read this as me slating IL4s as I know they are loved by many but I just don't get it myself so want the view of the converted as to what I'm missing.

I don't think you're missing anything exactly*, if twins are the way you like it - then twins should be what you own.

*Except good fuel consumption, twins can be terrible in that respect.

[ogden]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

Now I'm two years into my SV1000 and have recently swapped bikes with mates while out and about more recently a k8 blade and an old (96) Ninja.

The Ninja was beautifully smooth but until you got to about 8k it was like you were in 5th with the handbrake on. Once again when you gave it the beans it woke up but that's only a place you're going to be occasionally.

More than one bike had 'Ninja' stickers on it in 1996. From the description above, should I assume you mean a ZX6R? I rode a '99 GSXR600 SRAD years back and found it much the same - gutless at the bottom end, livened up a bit at the top. You say the top end isn't a place you're going to be very often on that kind of bike. I say that's exactly where you're going to be, or else you're riding it completely wrong.

My "other bike" is a twin. It also makes zero (and I mean zero) usable power below 8k and only gets lively at 10. And it's all over by 11 and a half. So where does the needle live when I'm riding it? Between 10k and 11500, where it belongs.

Originally Posted by Mark_h

So given many of the forum members no longer have a SV I was wondering why you've gone down the IL4 route.

- Do you feel you are in it's sweet-spot often enough to make it worthwhile?

My IL4 has a sweet spot from 3k to 10k and a downright scary spot from 10k to the redline. I'm in the former often enough to make it worthwhile and the latter any time I want to remind myself why I have a litre bike.

- Do you crave the silky smooth power delivery?

I have silky smooth power delivery. And a fat punch at the top end.

- Do you go to a few track days?

Nope. And if I did, it'd be on the 250.

- Are you often chased by machine gun wielding baddies?

I live in South London. It's a way of life.

- Did you just fancy a change?

I started out on strokers - 50cc first, then a TZR125. After that I had inline fours - ZXR400, Bandit 1200, ZX7R. It was only after about 13 years of riding that I bought an SV, partly because I wanted to see what the fuss was about with V-twins. It was like riding a bike with a diesel engine. Too agricultural, too much (!) engine braking, ran out of steam too early. A friend had what I have now, and replaced it with a 1098 - he seems to like the pose value but as a road bike doesn't rate it nearly as much.

- Will your next one be another IL4 ?

Probably.

- Did you try a bigger twin before going down the IL4 route?

I've toyed with a big twin (1098 or similar) but they just seem a waste of money when I can get something faster, comfier and more usable for a fraction of the price.


The short version is I have something with the bottom end stomp of a twin, the top end lunacy of a four and it's just as capable when being thrashed down A and B roads, used as a central London commuter, or going on a 2000 mile jaunt to Italy and Austria. I only have room for two bikes in the garage at the moment and the silly one is a twin. For everything else I have a litre four - the combination of practicality, frugality and banzai nuttiness is hard to beat.

I wouldn't touch a 600 four with someone else's bargepole, mind.

I've only ever riden my SV650 and a CBR600RR.

I definately prefered the way the power is delivered on the SV, but I prefered the smoothness and handling of the CBR.

If I ever get board with the SV then I'll be looking for a compromise between the two if that is possible.

Somebody needs to make a modern V twin with a smooth engine and put it in a top notch frame and fit top notch brakes and suspension.