bike types/decisions [longish]

there aren't enough of them. Court case/financial situation depending,
I'm vaguely thinking of replacing my Fireblade in the spring, with
another "main bike". I'll be selling one of the other two - probably
the BMW (though maybe both, and getting a traillie for commuting).

My problem is that I don't know what I want. No class of bike seems to
be quite right for what I'm after/I don't really know what I'm after.

I've not be riding all that long (test passed a bit under 8 years ago,
with a few years of arsing around before that) but I've had a
reasonable range of different types of bike in that time:

CG125 : Learner 125
SZR660 : Supermono "race" bike[1]
Bandit 1200 : Retro/Muscle bike[2]
TRX850 : dunno. Ducati-wannabe twin sports
CD200 : shit commuter
R1150GS : Giant Traillie
R30 : Supermoto
CBR929-RR1 : Race Rep/Superbike
R65LS : ugly all-rounder

So, a mixed bag. I like all of them, in different ways, though none of
them are "perfect". Firstly, we'll discount the CG, R65 and CD for a
"main bike", for the obvious reasons (rubbish).

I really liked my SZR, and wouldn't have sold it had I been capable of
fixing it myself. It didn't have /quite/ enough power for what it was
though - another (apparently fairly easily achievable) 10bhp would
have sorted it out. It was pretty damn uncomfortable for long
journeys, mind (though that didn't stop me doing a 3500 mile/3 weeks
tour of France and Italy on it).

I liked my B12 too, but as standard they really don't handle all that
well - I don't want to buy something that immediately required
modification. I don't really want to buy something I've had before
either, which in this class leaves me with a couple of choices - the
Hornet 900 or the Z1000. I don't like any of the others.

The TRX was "OK", and sounded great, but was too slow, underbraked,
and frankly too uncool. Although not quite the same, I did quite fancy
a Tuono, but SimonK's managed to put me off italian bikes.

The R1150GS was, as everyone "knows", a great bike. I didn't get on
with it - too tall, too heavy, and more than anything else, too
fucking slow. I quite fancied something similar, but lighter and
faster, like a .See the point above re:Aprilias.

The R30, and supermotos in general: great fun, but just not practical
enough as a "main bike".

The Fireblade is probably the closest I've got to "perfection" in
terms of what I want from a bike, but it's still not quite there: It's
fairly uncomfortable around town - too much weight on my wrists, and
crap turning circle. I'm also just not that keen on having a
fully-faired bike. When I'm riding around, I'm constantly aware of how
much the plastics would cost to replace in even a fairly minor bin.

So, is there any general class of bike (except cruisers - not
interested) that I've overlooked? I mean as "main bikes" - I'd quite
like a dirt bike of some description, but not as my #1 machine.

The current "front runner" is, bizarrely enough, the Z1000, but it
*is* a Kawasaki, and I've got some "issues" with the range of colours
available...

[1] it was developed specifically for the Italian Supermono race
series.
[2] though the B12 is arguably not "retro", as it has a monoshock rear

 

It is now runnning just fine, however I haven't yet got it MOT'd.

 

got any pics?

 

<snip>

Big V Twin?

 

Something between the B12 and 'Blade - a Triumph Sprint RS or ST
perhaps?

They do it in green. That's all that matters[1].

[1] I quite like the black one with red trim, actually.

 

Conceptually, that is the right answer.

However: which one?

I'm too influenced by what bikes look like and what people have told
me about reliability to make a totally objective decision.

* I don't want anything fully faired.
* Kenyon's put me off Aprilias[1]
* and I don't want a Ducati for similar reasons
* The Suzuki SV1000 is blandola.
* Firestorms are shit.
* Don't want a cruiser.

[1] my main choice was going to be a Tuono.

 

Not at the moment. might sort some out later in the week - I've done
very little with the cosmetics other than the fact it's patched up and
has had a basic covering of black spray paint.

I might tart it up in spring.

 

Ugh. Triumph are too pricey, too ugly, and apparently unreliable shit.

[Z1000]

I'm not allowed a green one. The black one would be ideal if it had a
black seat. The orange one is...very orange.

 

VFR?

Blackbird/Hayabusa etc.?

ZX-9R?

Oh no, wait...


....Gixxer thou.

 

SP2 with the bottom fairing removed. Lovely bike.

 

A streetfighter-ed SP2 would be great. They're a tad expensive,
though.

 

Not if you get one thats been dropped on its fairing.

 

for a start, which bit of "not fully faired" did you not understand.

Too bland.

I'd quite like a 'busa. But the fairing thing again...

ridden one - didn't like it. Styling ugly and bland at the same time.

 

interesting idea.

 

Really? Why?

 

KTM 950?

 

[Snip bikes owned]


Howabout a Hornet 900 ?

 

I have an SO who's very understanding about my buying bikes with
reasonable frequency, but she's also fairly hatstand, and has the
belief-with-no-basis-in-fact that green vehicles, especially bikes,
are inherently more dangerous than non-green vehicles, and hence her
only restriction on my spending money on bikes is that I don't buy a
green one.

 

don't know very much about it. It's bloody ugly, though, and that seat
doesn't look particularly comfortable. Plus, probably too slow.

 

yes, I mentioned those in my OP. I quite like them, but I don't like
the idea of owning a bike with the same motor as my 'blade but
detuned.