how to ride a goldwing!

[Xphyral]

I dont know where you come up with this, ok ok lets see one of those er6s win the moto GP(yea i know different engine size but that dont count for you) then what ill do is flog my car buy a goldwing an join you on one of your fantacy ghost rides where the goldwing outperforms everything.

what would you rether have an er6 or an r6 or gsxr6 or CBR6rr???????

Thats the thing, i'm not telling you it outperforms everything i'm trying to widen your view. My point with the pan and the goldwing was that there's much more to those bikes than people give them, there's a stigma that the only bikes that can go fast in a straight line and more importantly here, around corners are sportsbikes. This is a big myth.

I'll tell you why the ER6 did so well at Olivers mount, the course is incredibly technical with it's tight twisting turns, much more so than any motoGP circuit. It's raised handle bars allow a greater amount of control through those bends. Raised bars have always given a better amount of machine control. Race bikes(and their derived road based counterparts) have the bars lower down to place the rider in a much more aerodynamic position with the added bonus of a little extra feedback from the front tyre. Ever wonder why ballistic missiles are pointy?

As for what i would prefer, i'd love a modern naked bike, the Er6 is a nice ride but i'd rather have a z750 or z1000. Dont throw 600's at me please i find their revvy engines tiresome and a pain in the ass on the road, i mean honestly who wants to drop a cog for an overtake?

[RedexRobB]

My point with the pan and the goldwing was that there's much more to those bikes than people give them

I completely agree with that, my XJR400 was a real shocker, it weighed over 200kg, put roughtly 50hp but it showed alot my mates up on far sportier equipment. Ok, it had Ohlins rear shocks and probably Ohlins internals on the front end, but the point is, it was a heavy bike, not particularly well powered but it could definately hold its own. I also felt so much more confident on that than any bike ive ever had, even the ZXR. Only problem i ever had with it was the ground clearance.

[superman]

Very true... i would go for a modern sports bike for commuting as well thoe cos for me its not about comfort at all, its all about the thrill etc and you just get a thrill off the modern super sports bikes.I cant be the only one that loves the thrill.
As for the 400 i commute to work on my ZXR 400 and so far its fantastic i enjoy the ride to and from work as for speed and handeling its perfect for the commute as for space i just brought a backpac perfect solution. in general its al good....

[Jamz]

Sportsbikes are made for corner speed, and hence have to be able to achieve the greatest possible angle of lean.

Where you can get your elbow down on a sportsbike, a cruiser or tourer will have long ago grounded fairing/stand/chassis/exhaust and spat the rider off.

Conversely, at slower speeds, most cruisers and tourers will have more steering lock, and so will be able to actually TURN into the corners!

Sportsbikes rely on countersteering.

You could compensate by sliding the back end or drifting a bike into slow tight corners... but then you could do exactly the same on a tourer and so still beat the sportsbike for maneuverability.

Harleys are all gay toad, though. No offence. I'm not even including them in the above reply.

[Xphyral]

All bikes rely on countersteering jamz, there is no other way to turn the bike at speeds greater than a few miles per hour.

you cant acheive the same lean angles on the tourers but then again 90% of riders cant hold their sportsbike anywhere near it's maximum lean angle i know for sure i cant on the road, i'm quite happy to leave my tyres with a good half a cm of unscrubbedness.

Machine is largely irrelevant, rider ability counts for a lot but along with that you aint gonna learn to ride a sportsbike properly on the road, which i feel causes many people not to learn to ride a bike properly either. For most of us a tourer or naked commuter is by far the better choice for the road, you'll probably even ride faster due it's nature as a road bike. Given the funds i would definatly get myself a Superduke or a z1000, i love sportsbikes but i'm constantly disappointed riding one on the road when i find mud, cars, police, shitty weather, traffic and speed limits on my favourite routes. Sportsbikes are just not a fun option for me on the road anymore.

[Imsimon]

oh god! what have I started!

[superman]

Yea you are correct indeed it is all down to the rider i believe and is certainly a personal preference, i love the ZXR for everything at the moment, i mean for the kind of power you get to the insurance ratio its matched by nothing in my view its like having a lotus (without it breaking down every 5 minutes), the best bit is the cornering leaning in at some mad island or corner is the best part specially a good set of them no matter what speed your goin.

[wonderpupp]

[quote]when i find mud, cars, police, shitty weather, traffic and speed limits on my favourite routes[/quote]
Why would it be your favourite route if there's nothing to play with there?

To be honest, I read bike reviews and when I hear it's the hardest meanes muther to ride fast on a UK road, I'm hooked, cos I like a challenge.

I rarely compare myself to the other bikes on the raod, but it does irritate me when it's sunny and suddenly there are a hundred more out on the road not making progress though traffic and blocking my lines. That's what I see bikes for - making progress. So in that respect, a goldwing would be a little benign to me. Can't squeeze up through narrow traffic on some bikes. I remember scraping the handlebar on my kmx200 against a bus to out-ilter a R6 and then when I got home, took 4cm off the ends. Lol.

ZX636 has been my very best traffic dodger to date. Enough grunt to get through, and nice and narrow.

[Xphyral]

It would be my favourite because of the sequence of bends on it, the other roads are either too short or boring and contain several of the mentioned hazards in larger quantities. Not a whole lot of choice for decent roads around scarborough.

I read bike reviews, test ride the bike and wonder what the f*** journalists are smoking these days, hype is a wonderful thing but it generally leads to disapointment, although i'm obsessed with the new zx10. And tis true for normal people filtering a pan or goldwing is an impossibility, but the pan is actually a fun bike on the twisties as is every other bike. i just think it's funny that many people believe tourers cant do twisties, hell i've ridden around the outside of sportsbikes on a tiger.

My irritation also extends to weekend warriors on a sunny sunday getting in my way or trying to follow me, i dont like trying to race ahead of people i dont know because i've already had one dickhead take me out because he couldnt follow my lines. Wouldnt mind quite so much on a track but i'd probably still chin the asshole.

[superman]

i have a certain respect for anyone prepared to ride a bike whatever the weather to be fair, i personally try to keep away from a rainy day but if its gona be then fine, like at the moment its rainin outside and i have 20 miles to ride home from work so im gona get wet. why keep a car and ride in the wet.
my annoyance is something different, i dont know if anyone else thinks this but when i go for a ride and someone comes the other way i alwasy aknowledge them (unless on a bend goin quick or somethin) but when ppl dont do it back it fooks me rite off a touch.

[Xphyral]

Riders who commute to work every sunny or dry day are still much better than those that only get the bike out on a sunny weekend and never ride at any other time, it was one of these that stuffed an R1 into the side of my blade :smt013

As for nods i dont care mostly, sometimes i just dont feel like getting neck cramp from nodding at every bike that goes past. If someone gives me a nod i'll give one back, but i dont bother nodding to a group of riders.

[Jamz]

I even nod at mopeds.

That simple nod from me on a sportsbike could make their whole day and boost them towards their first ZXR400!

[superman]

yea thats true indeed thats what is all about ill generally nod at all not so much harleys but yea not to bad.

ah i see where you are comin from with the sunday league riders think they are good but the only reason they aint dead is cos everyone else around em has to move out the way and is careful for em lol.

[deviant]

hehe i'm getting worried that I'm turning into a bank holiday rider - rode every day to uni for three and a half years then commuted to work when I lived out in the sticks. Now I've moved to about 3 miles from work I walk or cycle all the time and the bike sits in the garage!

To be fair I ride every day through the winter when it's too dark and manky to cycle. Plus I've got about 800 miles into the last two bank holiday weekends so i'm getting my money's worth out of them!

As far as acknowledging other riders, I tend to except when in london - your head would fall off after five minutes.

[German]

awesome vid.

but i'd never buy a goldwing because i already have a car.