Police presence on test rides

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I'd love to see an averagish RGV with 100,000 miles on it that's averaged over 40mpg and the engine hasn't had anything other than basic maintenance

I don't see this comparison, is same every time similar thread comes up. The SV's a cracking bike, and simple physics do dictate that a bike with twice as many valves and another 100cc will go faster.
I think you'd struggle to find anything which is anywhere near as good and fun round a twisty back road than an SV with surprisingly few pounds thrown at the suspension and still being near perfect to ride to work on as well.
If you can find me anything as good then I bet there's little enough in it that it comes down to personal choice, which you can't argue with figures.

Who was comparing longevity, we were only comparing performance. I could also show you a multitude of cared for SVs that have been regularly serviced that now have blown bottom ends... and I'm sure you know a few too.

[ogden]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

The difference between you and Squirrel Hunter is that you actually could afford and wanted to buy a new bike and weren't just joyriding so you could write half-ar5ed reviews for the SV forum.

In this case, sure. But the Aprilia (and ex Suzuki) dealer I used to use for work on my gixer continually tried to goad me into taking their RSV4 demo bike out for a spin. They knew I wasn't in a position to buy, but knew how plant the germ of an idea in my mind.

Fortunately for my bank balance (and somewhat regretfully) I declined the offer each time.

[ChrisCurvyS]

See I wouldn't have complained if the Kawasaki people had asked for a deposit - tbh I was expecting that - and I was genuinely thinking about the Z750/Z1000 as prospective bikes. That's why I took those out, rather than the ZX-10 or ZZR1400, which were equally available but I would have felt like a fraud, plus I'm not experienced enough to make any use of bikes that powerful on a half hour test ride.

What I didn't appreciate was being treated as though I couldn't be trusted (I'm doing my RoSPA test myself, ironically so I'm hardly fecking Ghostrider) and having to ride to someone else's tune.

Sure the police were being 'flexible' with regard to speed limits but that's part of what made the whole thing leave a bad taste in the mouth. I'm not anti-police by any stretch of the imagination - good friend of mine is a detective - and he'd be the first to say that in recent years, casualty reduction targets etc have led to a bit of cosy culture of police bikers taking a paid day out to have a cost chat with a handful of bikers to tell them not to do naughty things - naughty things which they will then most likely go and do themselves on the way home.

Might have been OK a few years ago but now with force budgets under such pressure and so much bike safety information available to anyone who wants via something called the internet, you'd thing these officers' time would be better spent elsewhere.

And I don't go in for the 'well they can speed cos' they're so amazingly well trained' - their training is only really comparable to RoSPA advanced course, plus a module in pursuit riding. It doesn't automatically make them Rossi.

Did anyone see the figures MCN got on the number of crashed unmarked police bikes, mostly from single-vehicle collisions? Made for interesting reading...

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

The difference between you and Squirrel Hunter is that you actually could afford and wanted to buy a new bike and weren't just joyriding so you could write half-ar5ed reviews for the SV forum.

Lozzo it sounds to me like you don't approve, I'm sorry that you feel that way. Judging by that quote I would have thought that you have read what I had written, but I fear not. You see it all started from a dealer chasing me offering me a ride and another lending me a bike while they worked on mine.

While testing these bikes at shows and from dealers I've had an opportunity to chat and gain insight into the industry from multiple manufacturers. I have been told that they do not care if I'm just riding for the sake of it, they are happy to have the bikes moving as the big brands have already paid them for the bike and the service cost and prefer to see that riders have been on them and using them. I am unsure why your dealership is different.

While I've not recently test rode bikes as I once did I still keep an interest in trying out different machines any many of the dealers knew full well what I was doing and encouraged me to try others in their range. I think they could see the value of customer service in it as for example one of the dealers that gave me a few miles now has my business for spares based purely on their attitude to test rides.

Fear not, I will not be asking for a test ride at your dealership, I think you have made your standpoint on test rides very clear.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I'd love to see an averagish RGV with 100,000 miles on it that's averaged over 40mpg and the engine hasn't had anything other than basic maintenance

I don't see this comparison, is same every time similar thread comes up. The SV's a cracking bike, and simple physics do dictate that a bike with twice as many valves and another 100cc will go faster.
I think you'd struggle to find anything which is anywhere near as good and fun round a twisty back road than an SV with surprisingly few pounds thrown at the suspension and still being near perfect to ride to work on as well.
If you can find me anything as good then I bet there's little enough in it that it comes down to personal choice, which you can't argue with figures.

Keep it real Chris, the SV is a cracking wee bike, but there's plenty out there which is as good or better on a twisty back road. Most of the mid capacity sports bikes kick it's rrss on braking alone. Most supermotos would kick its rrsss on turning ability. You've had to put a full gixxer front end and a bloody expensive Penske shock on yours to get it how it is today. You can make a good bike without spending thousands, but there are still other bikes that will feel better.

[ogden]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Keep it real Chris, the SV is a cracking wee bike, but there's plenty out there which is as good or better on a twisty back road.

Quite. If I was going to pick a good/fun bike for twisty back-roads, it wouldn't be an overweight 70bhp twin with bargain-bucket suspension.

Originally Posted by ogden

bargain-bucket suspension

Well he did say one with surprising few pounds thrown at the suspension, but a second hand gixxer shock and new springs and oil isn't going to transform the SV into top of the twisties winner 2012.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Keep it real Chris, the SV is a cracking wee bike, but there's plenty out there which is as good or better on a twisty back road. Most of the mid capacity sports bikes kick it's rrss on braking alone. Most supermotos would kick its rrsss on turning ability. You've had to put a full gixxer front end and a bloody expensive Penske shock on yours to get it how it is today. You can make a good bike without spending thousands, but there are still other bikes that will feel better.

Actually a full gixxer front end with a load of revalving done too...

But I'd argue that a sorted SV is better on the twisty lumpy stuff than a 600.
You're also spending a load more money.

And I will happily go for a pootle round some roads like that with a mate on a competition motard.
Lets take a quick jaunt on some normal A road or motorway on the way home... the 'tard will either catch fire at some point or you'll have an rse like freddie mercury when you get back.



Sure if you're loaded like ogden and want to show it off... get something else just for the twisties, go for it. But I say again find me something that's as good that is anywhere near as good all round.

I keep looking for a replacement for it and failing.

[ogden]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

I say again find me something that's as good that is anywhere near as good all round.

I keep looking for a replacement for it and failing.

*points at sig*

The future is orange. Really. I've just spent ten days belting it round twisty roads in the Pyrenees and the south of France, and even with full luggage it was absolutely staggering.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

The difference between you and Squirrel Hunter is that you actually could afford and wanted to buy a new bike and weren't just joyriding so you could write half-ar5ed reviews for the SV forum.

Personally I think you're short sighted with that.

Plenty "test pilot tossers" have said to their mates "wow that GSZXYZ1034ccRR went like bloody stink" and that's got them a sale. Maybe not as directly as you like but maybe some people on here have been inspired to go look at something new they wouldn't otherwise have done.