IL4 compared to V-twin

Originally Posted by Daimo

Thats why I said it "shows" NEVER believe Speedos.

mind you, she's only a bit slower than a friends GSXR600 K4. SV would easily have it pottering around town, but opened up the Bandit would have it. I reckon a real 135 realistically.

IL4's just are not as exciting.

Yes, I'd agree the Bandit 650 has over the SV when you get it going mental at the top end of the rev range, it does pull harder, but the SV would win in most real life traffic situations.

The SV engine and gearing is IMO ideally suited to road riding. I also have quite a lot of inertia to overcome (who ate all the pies?), so stomp ability maybe holds more importance for me than most.

As for exciting? SV more exciting that a Bandit? Yes. V-Twin more exciting than an IL4 in general, for me probably not TBH. For me, in a mid capacity bike, it's just more suited to the way I ride most of the time. I'd have an IL4 1000cc with no complaints at all, but I'd rarely use anything near peak power, I'd ride on the torque all the time. I love the way the Bandit 1250 only needs 6th gear from 30mph upwards, come through a village at 3k revs in 6th gear, crack open the throttle at the national speed limit sign, and say bye bye, all without touching the gearbox. What it boils down to is I'm a lazy ******.

Originally Posted by simesb

Meh - it's horses for courses isn't it?

RAs nobody builds a bike which is available as a v-twin or IL4 the arguments will continue to rage, but I think that overall capabilities for the average rider are not so different.

No capabilities are not so different, "feel" can be very different, and that's just down to what and how you are accustomed to riding, how you use your throttle and what gear you ride in for any given situation.

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by simesb

Meh - it's horses for courses isn't it?

Riders being equal:
Round town - not much in it (although I found filtering on the SV easier as it was higher and narrower)
Pushing on - V-twin probably easier as you can be lazier with the gears. But otherwise not too much in it.
Ragging it - IL4 as it just has more power, but once again not all that much in it. (SS600 fastest lap at Oulton at the weekend was 1.48, Bemsee fastest ever lap is 1.51. )

As nobody builds a bike which is available as a v-twin or IL4 the arguments will continue to rage, but I think that overall capabilities for the average rider are not so different.

I'd guess your closer to what is really practical and I'd say that that is whats important.

What is more easier to get the best out of across the majority of riding conditions experienced. To a certain extent thats down to familiarity and learned riding styles. I went from an IL4 to a V-twin and found the V-twin lumpy around town and far too vibey on motorway runs.

The VFR I have now provides old man's pottering unless you give it a bit of stick and the V-Tec kicks in - a V config with the associated torque, 4 cylinders for smoother delivery and a V-Tec kick which is like having a turbo kick in (dare I say a bit like the powerband kick of the old 2-strokes).

At the end of the day its down to personal choice.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Maybe true between a Falco and a litre sportsbike, but again that's not comparing apples with apples, the closed equivalent IL4 is probably something like a Fazer 1000. What does a Ducati 1098 do in first gear? Is the RSVR geared the same as the Falco?

Indeed, the original one was, the newer shape got a slightly longer first gear, upto about 70mph I think.

Not really sure what a 1098/1198 does in each gear tbh.

Originally Posted by ThEGr33k

Not really sure what a 1098/1198 does in each gear tbh.

RavingDavis test rode one recently and I'm sure he said it was something silly like 90mph.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Bri w

a V config with the associated torque

Does a V config produce more torque?

Originally Posted by ophic

Does a V config produce more torque?

WAKE UP OPHIC!

No, it just produces it at lower revs compared to some other engine configurations.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

WAKE UP OPHIC!

No, it just produces it at lower revs compared to some other engine configurations.

ok lets move the discussion on to the relative merits of parallel twin vs V-twin, or IL4 vs V4. I take it any V config automatically produces more low down torque than it's inline equivalent?

Hold up, my dads old TL1000 done nearly 100mph in 1st...

that was a twin...

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by ophic

Does a V config produce more torque?

It provides a more efficient transfer of power from the piston to the crank. But I'd say that gearing is what makes power usable.