Britain rides the wrong bikes...but we're learning

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

When was biking something that any of us make logical decisions about !!

Each to their own obviously, if you have fun on your sports bike thats great, we all want to have fun.

But lets make this perfectly clear before the whole thread turns into an argument about logic.

THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT LOGIC, I NEVER MENTIONED LOGIC!!!

It's about people who have ridden, loved and lusted after sports bikes all their lives, riding something different and saying to themselves, "hey I really enjoy this", and there is no denying that Britain is changing it's attitudes to the bikes it rides, just look at the sales trends.

Originally Posted by Stu

OK fair enough, but I think you've contradicted yourself by saying a sports bike is no use in Mexico because of the roads so Britain rides the wrong bikes

Don't think I drew that conclusion really I didn't even talk about the UK in the same paragraph, never mind the same sentence.

I used an extreme example of sports bikes in totally the wrong environment to illustrate a majority of folk in that country choosing a more suitable bike, ie: adventure bikes are king in Mexico.

Originally Posted by Stu

My commute of 35 miles each way has 15 miles at about a ton, so without having tried one, I imagine a DRZ would not be the most suitable/fun for me

No I dare say it would be a nightmare, but I didn't say it would be suitable. I just said they were good fun bikes, and people who do ride a majority of tight B roads and back lanes, are only just getting over the lust factor, selling the sports bikes, coming round to the fact the DRZ suits them better, and grinning from ear to ear.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

It's about people who have ridden, loved and lusted after sports bikes all their lives, riding something different and saying to themselves, "hey I really enjoy this", and there is no denying that Britain is changing it's attitudes to the bikes it rides, just look at the sales trends.

I've done that to. I had a huge amount of fun on a Bandit 1250 that I got lent whilst my GSXR had some work done on it. I quite liked the naked Bandit 650 that I rode as well. Its just if I only had to have one bike it wouldnt be a Bandit or something of that ilk...

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

The minority of those in Mexico who do have sports bikes have 1 1/2 inch chicken strips, they don't know how to ride them because they don't have the opportunity. Normal everyday road surfaces are not in good enough condition to get those lean angles. Don't get me wrong they have some fantastic twisties, but from the centres of population you have to ride hours to get to them. In Mexico the adventure bike is king.

Go to the Pod and tell any drag-bike racer that they're riding an unsuitable bike because they don't corner enough, they are mostly sportsbike based aren't they?

Originally Posted by carlos

Go to the Pod and tell any drag-bike racer that they're riding an unsuitable bike because they don't corner enough, they are mostly sportsbike based aren't they?

"Britain rides the wrong bikes..." Do the majority of British bike riders race drags at the pod?

Anyway, I've got to get some work done guys! I'm going to log off until tomorrow.

[Biker Biggles]

I pretty much agree with Ralph.Living in the smoke I prefere to jump on the SV(naked,the bike not me)for most journeys than my ZX9R because its more suitable and more fun most of the time.Sportsbikes as weekend toys or trackday rides are fine but for everyday use the Europeans are ahead of us.

[tinpants]

The search for the perfect bike, that is the bike thats perfect for all conditions and situations has been going on since the first bike was built. I dare say it will go on longer than this thread too!! Different bikes do different things for different people. End of. There is not, at present, any bike that does everything perfectly. There are some that fit a lot of situations and do it quite well but nothing that really ticks all the boxes and gets 10/10 while doing it.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Sportsbikes as weekend toys or trackday rides are fine but for everyday use the Europeans are ahead of us.

Sportsbikes may not be ideal but if someone wants one and can cope with it as an everyday vehicle, there's no reason not to get one. Perhaps the Europeans are just soft?

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

A DRZ SM is not logical.

I agree, but I love it! Best bike I've ever had, never realised before how much fun twisty lanes were!!