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Old 11-04-12, 08:09 PM   #41
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Default Re: Test ride challenge

Cheeky c***, you're lucky you didnt post that in IB as i wouldve edited it again
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Old 11-04-12, 08:51 PM   #42
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Haha you are powerless here my friend!
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Old 12-04-12, 02:58 PM   #43
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Default Re: Test ride challenge

Test 8 - 2012 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade 35 Miles
Total Mileage 252


Don't really know what to say about this other than it is amazing. Everything about it feels perfect, the suspension is excellent, brakes are excellent and the engine is silky smooth.

It's also pretty comfortable, and looks great.

Only downside is that there isn't much engine braking, you sometimes get the feeling the bike is running away with you. Also the digital dash isn't going to be to everyone's taste but I rarely look at anything other than the speedo anyway.

Took a lot of will power not to put a deposit down there and then!






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Old 12-04-12, 03:11 PM   #44
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Test 9 - 2011 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade 27 Miles
Total Mileage 280


I have already ridden one of these briefly but as I liked the 2012 model so much the dealer offered me a ride on their old 2011 demonstrator as he was keen to know how people found the new model compared to the old one.

The older bike felt a little less refined than the new one, the engine was a little less smooth which in some ways made it a bit nicer as it has a bit more character. I was told that the engines are pretty much the same though so this was just down to the fuel mapping.

The suspension also felt a little less sophisticated, you could feel the bumps in the road a bit more than on the newer model.

The footpegs were a little lower as well so felt a tiny bit more comfortable.

Forgot to get a picture of it, but it was black. Like this



I have decided that I really need one of these bikes in my life, anyone want to buy a Gixxer??
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Old 12-04-12, 03:13 PM   #45
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Default Re: Test ride challenge

Could you try a K1200R or K1300R please?
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Old 12-04-12, 03:20 PM   #46
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LOL this isn't a request show! I didn't know what they were so Googled them and after seeing a picture a little bit sick came up.

I have never ridden a BMW actually and am not sure where my nearest dealer is but it's a different manufacturer so it will be a nice change.
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Old 12-04-12, 04:00 PM   #47
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Default Re: Test ride challenge

Quote:
Originally Posted by L3nny View Post
LOL this isn't a request show! I didn't know what they were so Googled them and after seeing a picture a little bit sick came up.

I have never ridden a BMW actually and am not sure where my nearest dealer is but it's a different manufacturer so it will be a nice change.
There you go mate

Clarks
472 Lickey Road
Rednal
Birmingham
B45 8UU
0121 453 3117

Fancy trying a G650 while your there?
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Old 13-04-12, 03:32 PM   #48
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Default Re: Test ride challenge

Test 10 - 2012 Yamaha R1 30 Miles
Total Mileage 310


Ever since the so called Big Bang R1 came out I have lusted after one, I love the aggressive looks and they sound amazing. I am sorry but I really didn't fancy those nasty looking BMWs and as I had only ridden the new Blade yesterday it would be good to compare to litre sports bikes back to back.

The R1 is completely different animal to the Fireblade and I can see why journalists rate it so highly. Unfortunately in the real world with a not very good rider on it it just doesn't work. The engine has so much low down grunt, riding around town is a nightmare, you just open the throttle slightly and you are already right behind the car in front, at tick over in second gear you are doing 40mph so trying to keep to the speed limit means going into 1st but then the acceleration is to fierce.

Out on the open road it is much more at home, although from 4-6,000 rpm there is quite a lot of vibration which is really annoying, after that the engine is much smoother but by that time you are already doing 80mph in second gear. If you change into 3rd or 4th then the bike shudders when it accelerates making it even worse.

When you do get the perfect stretch of road when you can open it up properly the power just hits you like an explosion, where most IL4s are smooth and inlier this is all or nothing.

Handling wise it didn't seem as planted as the Fireblade and the ride was a lot firmer. It still handled brilliantly though a proper "think and it steers" bike.

This demo was fitted with traction control and a 3 way power setting, I left the TC on max all the time and had a bit of a fiddle with the power settings but they all felt the same at the speeds I was going.

I am sure on a track or traffic free mountain road, for up to an hour, this bike would be amazing, once you got used to the power it would be faster and maybe more fun than the Blade but on the kind of roads normal people ride on most of the time it was just too much of a handful. Some people would like that and say the bike has character, I just think it makes for a more difficult and tiring riding experience.




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Old 15-04-12, 07:10 PM   #49
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The k1300s looks nice. Bloody expensive though.
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Old 23-04-12, 07:47 AM   #50
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First of all sorry for the hijacking

So I test rode the K1300R on Saturday, I was in 2 minds whether to bother or not due to the rain, but I soldiered on From MK to Northampton with the wife on back, the moment we got on the street triple it started to rain but we're all ready so lets just go, so it rained, hailed etc, but the moment we got into Northampton it was dry sunny and warm waited in BMW for 30 or so mins until we got a free sales rep, got on the bike, the first thing you notice is this bike weighs in at 211kgs dry, so quite heavy but it feels so light, lighter than the street, anyway the salesman gave me £10 for fuel, filled up and went for a blast after setting the suspension to rider only and in sport, had a raz about and apart from the slightly clunky gears and strange feeling of having no chain but a cam shaft it was a great bike, lots of power, I eventually turned aqround and picked up the wife set the suspension to pillion and shot off up the A45 going with the flow of traffic *cough 3 figures in 3rd gear cough* without realising I was in 3rd but it handled it well, we came off the A45 and headed to Olney around some twisties and apart from the tyres needing to be slightly harder it was a complete joy to ride.

Oh and thanks to it's clever front end you get no front end dive under braking.

[IMG][/IMG]


Last edited by SUPERSTARDJ01; 23-04-12 at 07:49 AM.
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