My first 4pot experience...

[BillyC]

Last night, I dragged myself over to a mate's house as he'd just been to pick up a 2000 Kawasaki ZX6R Ninja that he'd just bought.

He had one of these a few years ago, before upgrading to a Ducati 748S which was unfortuantely stolen. His girlfriend was also their on her RVF400.

To my surprise, I was offered to have a go on both of them! So without much hesitation, I popped my lid and gloves on, and got to it.

Now, I've not ridden anything other than a twin before. The opportunity was never really available. It's really only ever been the ER5 I did my DAS on, and my SV.

The main thing I noticed on the ZX6R, was that it was incredibly easy to ride. The lack of torque in the lower end is pretty friendly around town. To be fair, I never really got it above 3rd gear, but the sensation of the bike winding up is definitely there.

I then got on the RVF... this really is a girls bike! It's small, light, and not friendly to male genitals. It makes a great noise and is pretty nippy - especially considering it's a 400. Again, no opportunity to get above 3rd gear, but definitely a lot of fun! If these bikes had a cheaper reputation, I woud definitely consider picking one up as a bit of fun.

All in all, a lot of fun, and a new experience for me. It certainly highlights the difference of the V-Twin to me, and I still think the SV is a wonderfully practical bike with its low end torque.

One of the things that I have enjoyed since passing my test is trying out all the different bikes. The ones that really stand out are:

The Aprilia Falco, very, very strong big vee twin (gives a different feeling to an SV Thou' IMHO).

The BMW R1200GS... What a let down, I really wanted to enjoy it, and I absolutely hated it.

Surprise of the bunch was the VFR Vtech, a real experience.

Ducati 749 which seems to capture both a twin and a four, as you get the V-twin characteristics, but it revs like a 4 pot.

And, everyone must, at sometime, ride a Hayabusa...

Glad you enjoyed the experience, I'd like to try one of those little 400 in line 4's, they're barking made

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Too many on here condemn IL4 engines without ever having riden one. At least when you have a pop in the future you'll be able to do so from a position of knowledge.

Sounds like you quite enjoyed it. Also confirmed when I've been saying......... they're very easy to ride at slow speed.

[BillyC]

Yeah I did enjoy it, and I've always enjoyed trying something new.

As you say Jabba, they're much easier to ride at low speed. All the throttle does is make the engine spin faster! From that, I feel I'm a much better rider having been on the twin for the past couple of years. I could imagine my clutch and throttle control getting very lazy on the Ninja.

I can see why some call say they're dull and no personality. There simply wasn't the pull and grunt that the v-twin provides, or the noise. That's all reserved for the upper end that you only use when out and about on our clear and smooth roads

Funny that... Stupot and I were discussing IL4's in comparison to V-twins the other day and he says 'Once you've tried an IL4 you never go back...'

Does anyone agree with this statement? I'm not sure myself as I LOVE the V-twin noise and I've not ridden an IL4 since I got my riding confidence.

I rode a mate's CBR4 the other day, its full power. to me, it doesnt feel that much faster than my sv, but i guess thats torque for you.

hmmmm, I have ridden a fazer thou, hornet,cb1300,cb1000 and have enjoyed them all but on balance I still prefer the v twin. They are rather fun at the top of the rev range though

Originally Posted by Saint Matt

i guess thats torque for you.

I reckon that's got more to do with the +50-odd % increased capacity that the SV has over the CBR4 as the engine configuration.

IL4's, in general, make more torque than twins of the same capacity. cc for cc, my Hornet makes more torque than an SV and the Hornet's IL4 is detuned compared to the doner CBR600F.

This big difference is where in the rev-range the peak torque is produced, and the rev-range considerd to be the mid-range.

Each to their own, I say.

Vee twins tend to have a flatter torque curve, but IL4's are pussy cats at low revs and modern 600's can be ridden in traffic without hitting the "all hell breaks lose" spot.

I'd consider another twin, but as a 2nd bike, not as my only access to the hobby. I'd definately consider an SV again but for what I'd want another bike for (commuting etc) the DL650 may be a better choice, and it's much more comfy too...

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ive always had il4 sports 600's and still prefere the sv.