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What brings you the most pleasure when track riding; massive power or nimble handling?

 

While a BMW S1000RR is nimble for a litre machine, it is still a tank compared to a 125cc GP racer. And in between there's a lot of different compromises to choose from. Which would you choose?

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What brings you the most pleasure when track riding; massive power or nimble handling?

 

While a BMW S1000RR is nimble for a litre machine, it is still a tank compared to a 125cc GP racer. And in between there's a lot of different compromises to choose from. Which would you choose?

 

I want it all!!!

 

With a long torso, the 125's were cramped for me, but man, what a cornering load of fun, and really they do pull pretty hard coming off the turns.

 

CF

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Handling.

 

The full throttle run down the straight only gets me to the next corner a little faster, the corners are what does it for me.

 

I race a Ninja 250 and just picked up a Moriwaki 250 for next season, so I generally gravitate towards the lower power end of the spectrum. When my motorcycle feels more nimble than my bicycle; that's what I like to see.

 

-Sean

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What brings you the most pleasure when track riding; massive power or nimble handling?

 

While a BMW S1000RR is nimble for a litre machine, it is still a tank compared to a 125cc GP racer. And in between there's a lot of different compromises to choose from. Which would you choose?

 

I have a Moriwaki 250 and my husband has a BMW1000RR. I rode both, so I get both extremes... I get the biggest thrill from the Moriwaki but after a while I really start to miss the stomach-dropping acceleration the BMW provides. I don't care much about top speed, but being able to point the thing and take off like a rocket is quite an amazing feeling!

 

The BMW is remarkably nimble, it never feels like a tank to me, and it's a heck of a lot more comfortable to ride than the Moriwaki, which is rough-riding, cramped, and very easily upset by any excess body motion, wind, arm tension, etc.; however, the Moriwaki is much easier for me to handle and load in the trailer, costs a lot less in tires and gas, and allows (forces!) me to work on entry-speed, throttle control, cornering speed, and body position.

 

If I could only have one bike, I'd personally take the Moriwaki because it is teaching me more about riding and it costs a lot less to operate, so I can afford more practice time, plus it suits my small stature well, and it is very, very satisfying to pass a 1000cc bike in a turn. :)

 

But, if I was EVER planning to do any street riding, OR racing was my biggest priority, I'd pick the BMW, because it is street-legal, more comfortable to ride, and race classes are a lot more available.

 

Sean - congrats on your Moriwaki! It's gonna feel a LOT different than the Ninja, I'm sure you will have a blast. :)

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For me it's the power!

 

I'm one of those folks who is uncomfortable leaning the bike. I don't naturally trust the physics, and I certainly don't trust the roads enough to just lean her in there and zip around like a wood sprite on amphetamines! So, I painstakingly tip toe through the corner like a junior high girl at her first dance, then get my kicks when I rocket out of the turn and grab a handful of 1/4 mile stomping acceleration!

 

Oh! Oh! Oh!

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I'm with cobie on this: Both.

Massive mid corner speed is a different thing when you're cracking the throttle open on a 200bhp bike as is the unbelievable rush as you pile into your braking zone.

Nothing requires precision quite like a litre bike.

For every 10th of a second you miss your braking marker by at 180mph and you travel 1.5yrds further than at 150mph - that's the real difference between a 600 and a litre bike. Half a second out and you've missed your braking marker by 7.5 yards more than at 150 but here's the scary thing: you're doing 180mph and you've overshot your marker by 44yds.

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Handling. It's good fun gassing it but if you have to slow down for bends because your bike's ######, believe me you get fed up with it a lot sooner than with people on bigger bikes getting away. There's something unmeasurable about suspension improvements, but for me they bring you the most pleasure.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm with cobie on this: Both.

Massive mid corner speed is a different thing when you're cracking the throttle open on a 200bhp bike as is the unbelievable rush as you pile into your braking zone.

Nothing requires precision quite like a litre bike.

For every 10th of a second you miss your braking marker by at 180mph and you travel 1.5yrds further than at 150mph - that's the real difference between a 600 and a litre bike. Half a second out and you've missed your braking marker by 7.5 yards more than at 150 but here's the scary thing: you're doing 180mph and you've overshot your marker by 44yds.

 

I have to agree with you my friend...at Road A this past year I used race fuel to clean the valves and tops of the pistons. I normally see about 170 mph on the speedometer down the back straight...with the race fuel I hit 180 mph. The brake markers were the same. The reaction time was the same but the forward momentum and speed carried me further into the corner than I expected...very exciting!

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POWER! You can compensate for lack of handling (unless it's a carbon fiber frame). I'm on a 636 that comes out of the box with 110 HP. It's 6 years old and nothing internal has been adjusted or maintained, so it's probably at 80 or so HP. I watched Pridmore, Rapp and Greg White tearing up the track on literbikes yesterday and today, so of course I want power right now.

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Who says you can't have both - the way they seem to be shrinking the new litre bikes to even smaller sizes...

 

I think electric bikes will be a whole bunch of fun when the technology matures. Smaller powerplant, small lightweight batteries, small dimensions no doubt and pretty much 100% torque from as soon as you twist the throttle... whoa!

 

For me it depends on where I'm riding - on a big fast track where you can get up to around 260km/h a big bike is still a real blast, that kind of speed always keeps you coming back for more. But that track I only rode once on a 600, it was just too boring. On the roads I'd prefer a 600 or smaller, too frustrating on a 1000cc when you can't legally shift out of 1st gear. laugh.gif

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