Yesterday I rode a Yamaha R6 that has been tuned for racing. Holy Guacamole! I have never before ridden any vehicle that accelerates so quickly. I was doing over 70 in 2nd gear and I was not even close to pushing it. Now I know what a track bike is like. It was exhilarating, an adrenaline rush, but definitely not the type of bike for me.

I am only guessing but since a stock R6 is supposed to do 0-60 in around 3.3 seconds, I suspect the one I rode is possible a sub 3 second 0-60 bike.

Yeah, I could use a little more power in the S40, but not in that rding position. Hey, just thought I would mention it, I thought it was way cool!

Proof... You CAN have too much of a good thing...

MM, if you get the chance go for it. It really is quite an experience. You're a much better rider than I am so all I will tell you is I did not goose it from  standstill, I waited until I was moving a bit before goosing it and did not lift the front tire (though you do see the eight coming off of the forks) and I did not smoke the rear tire. I would guess that if you wanted to pop a wheelie or smoke the rear tire you could do it. I'm just not that skilled, or that brave.

And the amazing thing is......any new rider can go right into the Yamaha dealer and buy one of these bikes.  That goes a long way toward explaining why you can buy a lot of parts for these bikes on eBay.....a lot of them get crashed with very low miles on them.

I have always come to understand that I have a Low HP personality.  I have always enjoyed riding low HP bikes.....and focusing on riding them as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Still....I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to ride a fast bike!

MMRanch rides really smooth and has a great line through the turns, and he does it using very little throttle and seldom uses his brakes.  He just gracefully carves through the turns on the Dragon.....that is one of the reasons he can get 25,000 miles out of a rear tire!

pg wrote on 02/02/16 at 05:21:57:


I don't know for sure what the top speed is - but the darn thing can go really fast if you want it to - I would guess it would to out somewhere around 130 - 140.  It is not in the same league as a really fast sport bike.  The speedometer is incredibly inaccurate and says you are going much faster than you really are....which goes a long way toward explaining why traffic was going 80 mph on I-71 when I rode it down down to the Dragon.....I believe its was nearer to the low 70's.

The bike felt large when pushed hard on the Dragon.....and it was scrubbing rubber off the tires when pushed hard on those tight turns.  One day some local sport bikes led the way on the Cherohala Skykway, and I felt comfortable tagging along as they knew the road well.  It was the first (and maybe the only) time that I rode the bike really fast on long sweeping turns....and the darn thing was incredibly fast and stable.

The other day I found that the STForum has a rider very similar to our Youzguys.  This guy has 375,000 miles on his ST1100 and has only done normal maintenance....the engine has never been apart!  If you want a big bike....these are an incredible bargain on the used bike market.  My bike now has 43,000 miles on it, and I don't expect that i will ever wear it out.  The Savage is a fun and nimble bike on the rural roads....the ST1100 is much heavier and smoother bike - it is kinda' like the comparison of a Mazda Miata and big Lincoln....they are both nice in very different ways.  The only reason that I am likely to sell it someday, is the tall seat height and heavy weight...there will come a day when I won't be able to "keep it up anymore"....(No Viagra jokes needed).

If you didn't like the boy racer position on the R6, you should go to a Victory demo days and test ride a http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/cruisers/gunner-titanium-metallic with a stage 1 flash in it. It's about 700 pounds wet and it has 110 HP and 116 lb ft of torque. I rode one last summer and it'd do 60+ in 2nd gear.

What can I say? It was fun to try at least once. I only took it to about 80 max and figured that was enough. It is hard to believe that anybody with the money can buy one of these. They are dangerous. And I have to admit that since I am somewhat inseam challenged the seat was just a bit too high for me. But once you got going ....

PG:

If you watch the STForum Classifieds, there are some great deals.  I bought mine for $ 3,500 and it had 34,000 miles.  It was in great mechanical condition and just had a few scratches from the previous lady having a couple of tipovers...she had a 28 inch inseam and just couldn't reach the ground well enough to hold the bike up when stopped a couple of times.  They ST1300 is about twice the price of the ST1100....and there is debate about which on is best.  The 1100 is a more stable touring bike and has a higher seat and more upright seating position - the 1300 is a bit sportier and is a bit more nimble, and does put more heat on the rider (and has more electronic gizmos and an electric adjustable windshield.

Here is the link to the bike section....you will either have to join or ask me to send a message on your behalf (some of the listings have a phone number).
http://www.st-owners.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?325-Bikes-for-Sale