Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

I find it amazing that a company that nearly went bust in the 90's has now created this. Superbikes are always insane looking yeah, but the V4 is borderline sci-fi in looks and go!

Yeah.

I’m moving back to London, so probebrly shouldn’t be a Ducati any time soon. Might just get a scooter instead. Or an sv 1000. Or a faze 1000. But I think blackbird has had its time, it’s too big and heavy for my weedy frame.

Ah noice noice! North or South of the river?

If I had to move back to the city, I'd go for a scooter as well. My sister just got her CBT and is looking into getting one as well. Insurance is shockingly high for them as I guess the current spate of theft and use of them is what did it.
SV1000 is nice, but it's just as low slung as the blackbird. SV's sit quite low as well, so with your long ass legs, you'll feel cramped I reckon.

Thundercat? ZX800? CB1000?

Mate has a yamaha majesty 400 I think, a maxi scooter I guess you'd call it. If I was to live in London and commuter / grocery go getter / have fun on some roads on my days off. I'd prob get something like that. 400 single has plenty of torque and can sit on motorway happy. Also get lots of wind protection, which is important for commuting less against wind, more against rain and spray. Arriving at work not soaked through or even just keeping your outer layer that bit more sheltered makes a huge difference

Yeah for sure. I found motorcycling around London is a lot like cycling to be honest. It's a pain to get out of and you're better off just cruising around on something you don't have to eat 10kg of protein just to for a ride.
I like the Burgman 400's. They're shockingly rapid and with a decent exhaust, sound pretty good too.
Expensive though.

I think someone mentioned it a page or so back but TLs (and I suspect the SV) are positively painful in London. The rear cylinder is literally an inch and a half of foam away from your nutsack. They're also quite tall bikes, I used to stand on tippy toes at traffic lights to get a bit of ventilation.

Absolutely love the things otherwise. I could set off every car alarm on Lots Road with the Remus cans on my TL on the way into work in the morning. Crack. Of. Doom.

Naah, Cylinder on the SV is quite a bit forward and has pretty good insulation from the tank. On the other hand, the frame is pretty snug to the engine so freshly seared legs are guaranteed.
In naked form, it's perfect around London. In faired form, not so much.

Rented an Aprilla Shiver 750 last week. Not bad, but a bit forgettable.

Is leather lining just too hot? Was considering a Bullitt - or an AGV sport modular in carbon for open face safety

I found it hot, sweaty and just harder(?) than fabric.

Whereabouts was that?

South.

Yeah good point about the Sv. Maybe I should just buy superduke 990! Sure itd he stolen in a week :(

Somewhere between Moffat and inners. Did all the little roads roundthere. The main roads are also excellent but wouldn't go a on a weekend, too many lunatic squids on litre bikes and corresponding police speed traps.

Don't think the xv goes far enough over the speed limit for them to bother with me!

Pfft!

My street triple didn't last two months. That was up near Hampstead. In a garage. KTM's hold the same kind of 'want' from scrotes.

Yeah hence a week. Scooter would probs go as quick!

Older bike?

Or better. A cheap scooter, and a solid concrete garage with said V4 inside!

I do love my bike but I can’t help but feel something smaller would be more fun around town. Like a 400 or something you can actually rev up.
Not that I’m gonna be trading it in any time soon.

A good crashing helps avoid many of the professional villains. Loads of the newer stuff is nicked for parts and cracked and scraped fairings, dented tanks, exhausts, clocks etc are worthless. Most of my bikes used to get the treatment...the only one that didn't got nicked inside 3 months!

Like a beat up blackbird 🤣

or an old cb500 with a green furry seat - make sure you get stick on goat horns for the helmet and wrap old 'special brew' cans around the exhaust.

When I got a super duke as a courtesy bike it made me ride like a madman - any gap was possible. Much fun for a day but I suspect I wouldn’t last long if I owned one.

Pretty much! Unless you go full Top Gun and get this bargain!

The Cooper Hewitt has a 1299 Panigale Superleggera. Absolutely sick up close, dripping in carbon fiber with such amazing ATD.

Triple engines don’t do it for me, the sound. I want a roaring twin again. Like mine before, but betters handling.

Rc8? Ha

Yeah man, I had a 990 smt untill recently. Not sure why I sold it, mental. But I wanted something that handled better.