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What sportbike should I get.


Tonik

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So I got home Saturday afternoon from my ride with @DerekClouser and @whaler around 1:30 or so.  Wife says, what are you doing back, its usually 6 or so when you go to SEO.  Part of my answer was they were way faster than me and I didn't want to hold them up. And she says:

"You should add a sportbike to the garage so you can roll with those people."

Not what I expected, but I will certainly take it.

Not so sure I am going to do it, but maybe.  I am concerned about my back.  It isn't  'bad' but it is borderline, I have to be careful with it to avoid trouble.

Anyway, what should I get?  Bad's VFR was my first thought, just to piss him off. But that is more than I would want to invest in a once in awhile bike plus it would need to have front suspension work to make it right for someone of my weight.

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Not just saying it because I have one...but the VFR1200 is very tough to beat if you need ride distance to get to the twisties and want to go fast once you get there.  There really aren't any other bikes I would rather own right now.  

I personally don't think the VFR800 is as capable (I haven't ridden the Gen 8 though).

   

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I don't think that you can go wrong with either the Connie or FJR. They are both great bikes.  Those were my two finalists.  If you come down to IP to test out the FJR, you and the misses are more than welcome to take my Connie out for a ride.

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If we can make the fall ride Jim, you're welcome to take my Sprint for a spin....but I'm sure lacking legroom will be an issue, it is for me ( I'm barely 6ft ) on long rides.  

I agree with IP.  Demo some bikes, borrow some bikes, see what you feel suits you best, then surf out a purchase

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2 hours ago, Tonik said:

Not so sure I am going to do it, but maybe.  I am concerned about my back.  It isn't  'bad' but it is borderline, I have to be careful with it to avoid trouble.

Anyway, what should I get?  Bad's VFR was my first thought, just to piss him off. But that is more than I would want to invest in a once in awhile bike plus it would need to have front suspension work to make it right for someone of my weight.

As someone who has a bad back, I will say your posture on the bike is more important than how much you lean forward, especially given you are light (unlike me). You need to be able to be in a comfortable riding stance and keep your back straight without hunching forward. If you have the flexibility and core strength to ride a supersport without hunching then your back won't be a problem as long as you train yourself to not slouch. If that is difficult for you, stick to more upright bikes. My problem with sportbikes is not my back but rather my legs. I don't have enough flexibility to fold my long legs to the position required to ride most sportbikes for any length of time. Which is one reason I like Adv bikes and dual sports.

I won't suggest which are good fast bikes as I havn't owned any. However Pauly's Multi is probably a good place to start for something that is comfortable and very fast, especially for taller riders. 

 

Craig

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1 hour ago, Tpoppa said:

Not just saying it because I have one...but the VFR1200 is very tough to beat if you need ride distance to get to the twisties and want to go fast once you get there.  There really aren't any other bikes I would rather own right now.  

I personally don't think the VFR800 is as capable (I haven't ridden the Gen 8 though).

   

I second the motion. After chasing Tony up 556 etc yesterday I can attest that the VFR1200 is capable of going around corners at a pace that will get you home early. I would recommend a Ninja1000 but the damn things are chain drive.

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FJR is a great bike, I miss mine.  The new ones look awesome and seem to have the mods from the factory that folks were doing anyway with heated grips and cruise.  ABS on my Gen II was kinda rough (large feeling pulses (on engagement when I first used it), but it was predictable with practice.  I'm sure the new ones are better.  Katie cried when I told her I wasn't getting another one after my accident.  The factory top box is about a zillion bucks so I got a Shad with a Givi mounting bracket to the subframe, not mounted to flimsy tail section like the factory ones do.  With the top box on, all our gear (pants and jacket each) and helmets in side cases were locked and dry when we got off.

I liked it as a commuter bike with fully faring and windshield, riding in a sporting manner, and they are proven Iron Butt capable.  The 230+ mile tank is great, something I really hate about my CBR is the crappy distance between gas stops.

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