Worthless, goddamn, motherfucking bastard, son of a whore, parts bin piece of shit computer!!!!!!
I had a review of all the bikes I rode today, and Fucking Firefox crashed on me!!!!!
Suffice it to say, dead camera because I went to the AMA Flat Track race yesterday. Ridiculous numbers of harley whores, and naked squids of all types.
B-King: FUN engine. Heavy clutch, best Zook gearbox all day. Still hard to get neutral, and stalled the damn thing trying to get the kickstand down from between the peg and shifter. Capable of near-light speed with incredible torque and really, really smooth. Used three gears and hit 75 mph without going over 6k. Wheelie and stoppie monster, but ultimately too wide in the middle. Someone needs to steal the engine and mount it longitudinally like Motocyzyz. Rear brake is much better than the SV. Gauges also. They look odd standing still, but riding, they're effective- you learn to ignore all the lcd crap behind the tach needle, and the digital speedo is surprisingly clear. Speed is highly deceptive, even without a fairing.
Spyder: Same size as a Ford Focus. No way to miss potholes with three track vehicle. Give me a front brake damnit!! Another fun engine, slick gearbox and nice clutch. Handles decent once you get used to leaning before you turn to counteract, otherwise the weight transfer from throwing your body out results in major wiggle. Almost feels like it should have a steering wheel. Clutch lever engages too far out from the bar.
SV650SF: Track Machine. Not a daily rider like my Ninja. Engine is rattley, clutch is heavy, trans is unpredictable- mostly because of the long shifter travel and odd positioning, suspension is vague, and hand levers are non-adjustable. Most of that could be fixed easily, but that's more money and time. Clipons below the triple feel more aggressive than the GSXR. Tank is too wide on top, and too narrow on bottom. Good torque, but seems to rev out too quickly. More engine braking than the Ninja. Only free movement is front to rear on the seat- I didn't feel like I could turn/slide around the tank. My lower back was hurting after 30 minutes. Tach is easy enough to see without looking away from the road for too long, but the speedo is a bitch to see. Throttle on/off transition is rough/twitchy, so I found myself riding around town at 5-6k so it was open more. Front brake is good, but rear feels like shit because it doesn't feel like anything is happening.
DRZ400SM: Thumper. Doesn't belong on the same streets as the B-K or SV even. Sixth gear and 75 mph sounds like it's going to grenade. Really have to throttle it, and beat the piss out of the engine. Couldn't find the pegs after putting a foot down, or the shifter without looking down. Damned uncomfortable seat. Could be fun on extremely tight roads where you can wind it out and fling it around. I need a fucking tach! Long suspension travel means lots of brake dive. Unpredictable trans gave me a couple false neutrals. Stand is easy to get down.
Ninja 650R: MINE! This bike feels absolutely perfect now. Reach to the bars (SM aftermarkets) is good, peg to seat relation is good, and the passenger pegs double as highway pegs and a perfectly placed helmet holder. Engine begs to play. Smooth throughout the rev range. Sounds like sex above 6k. Trans snicks into gear nicely. Kawi positive neutral finder FTW! Smooth throttle transition except for first gear. Analog gauges right below line of sight in the helmet shield area mean I don't have to move my head- just my eyeballs. Clutch pull is consistent, and engages fairly early. Clutch springs are a little light- I can feel the engine spin up slightly as the clutch slips for less than a tenth of a second. Sidestand locater is behind the peg, not in front- so much easier to use. Rear brake pedal feels like it's working. Think I need new front pads though- lever travel is getting long before heavy braking. Front suspension is stiff.