I'm thinking I made a mistake buying the new CBR1000RR, not much difference between the '07 and the '12 and they're the same color so it makes it even worse. I should have at least held out for the HRC colors. New bike is a little more refined in all areas but not night and day. It goes back to what I've been saying, the old bikes are too good, hard act to follow.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 6/17/2014 @ 8:03 PM *

Maybe you just a little more variety, Kruz. Seeing your three sportbikes lined up reinforces why non-bike people can't tell one machine from another! Kind of like I am with modern cars... but I digress.

I used to have a trio of sportbikes myself at one point (2004 GSXR750, 2001 Hayabusa, 1999 TL1000R)... now my garage contents are slightly more eclectic!

Still room in there for the Daytona 675 that I can't stop thinking about.

You've definitely got some classics in there Hayabuser, how did you come up with that Suzuki marque?

That reminds me, I had my ZX-14 parked in front of my gym when a guy pulls up on an identical CBR1000RR to my new one. They're virtually the same color red. Next, this Asian gentleman walks by and asks if they're the same bike. To my eye they look very different but to his they were nearly indistinguishable. Which brings up a point, all the Jap literbikes have evolved until they're virtually different takes on the same machine. Only the Euros seem to have gone their own way breaking the mold so to speak.

So "What's Next" Hub, sell the Two Juan Oh and buy the Katoom 1290?

@Kruz: I bought the Suzuki sign from a dealer that had closed down. He was selling everything he had and I couldn't resist the idea of having a 12'x3' illuminated sign in my garage!

Still room in there for the Daytona 675 that I can't stop thinking about

Friend of mine just rode the 2013 street triple R, and it had him not even wanting to ride his bike home. All he could talk about for a week was how much fun that thing is. How being able to rage on it hard on the street, and w/o the literbike thrust; keeps the speeds sane. and being so light at 400# it just handled amazing. he said it handled better than his 04 gsxr 750. At least on the street.

I suggest giving that a try also. Doesn't have the big rpm pull of the Daytona, but still should be a blast.

That is a way cool sign Hayabuser, I'd love to find a KaWasaki sign like that for my garage.

@dragking.... Holy smoke 230lbs, that's a lot of weight to pull for that 675R....actually, I'm about 210 lbs and my 6R pulls me just fine.

If you're going to drop that kind of cash though, I'd hold out for the S1000RR, it won't be as nimble but will have that searing top end thrust and the BMW is going to remain on the the top rung of the food chain for a long, long time.

The 636 got softened up a bit too much IMHO, Kawi tuned power delivery and suspension more for street than track bias and lost it's edge in my opinion. That's why I love my '09 ZX6R, it was designed to go fast on a track...period..no compromises to street sensibilities. If you think about it, that's why people either love or hate a Ducati, it's designed for the track with street equipment only as an afterthought. You adapt to it, not the other way around. You have to admire that singularity of purpose.

Hub, this may be something like you're talking about with bags in back.

Kruz,

I'm really thinking of going electric as in short trips to appointments, etc. This looks interesting at the moment. I sure hope those bags fit. Baggers are the 'in thing' right now.

Not only that, I just ordered my first performance mod. Think this will void my warrantee?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDafMzo4HO8

I suggest giving that a try also. Doesn't have the big rpm pull of the Daytona, but still should be a blast.

@Kruz: you're quite tall but can still enjoy bikes from 600 and up. At 6'5- 225-240 LBS I'm pushing the limit even on the 14! I felt like I lost too much weight and started lifting and eating too much when I got back from France this spring. 240 LBS is almost half of the weight of my 14 dry! I think motoGP racers are usually a third of the weight of their bike. Loris Baz is the tallest professional rider I know and he's on a 1000 so I may be dreaming when it comes to the 675R. I hope not everyman needs, a inline four, a triple and a twin in his garage.

6'2 - 175 LBS

* Last updated by: dragking on 6/19/2014 @ 8:00 PM *

Hub, that turbospoke is hilarious,sounds like the bike is passing gas...lol! We used to stick baseball cards in the spokes to achieve the same sound effect, inexpensive but it didn't come with the 15 sticker bling option...lol!

Dragking, Loris Baz don't look half bad on that Ninja, he's tall but like Connor Cummins he's wirey. I think those big guys look kind of cool compared to the shrimps that race MotoGP.

That said, I'm just a hair taller than Loris but at least 35 lbs heavier and I'm dieted down as lean as I can probably get. I'm just a more muscular frame than that, last time I weighed 175 lbs I was a junior in High School.

It kinda sux we're big guys in a small man's sport. I tried racing bicycles but had the same issue, pushing way too much air out of the way to be really competitive but could do great sprints.

Loris has two wins and five podiums in World Superbikes, currently 13th. Not exactly Tom Sykes but decent for a big man.

That's me in my Taichi suit, definitely bulkier than The Baz!

Loris has two wins and five podiums in World Superbikes, currently 13th. Not exactly Tom Sykes but decent for a big man

1. T. SYKES KAWASAKI201
2. S. GUINTOLI APRILIA 188
3. J. REA HONDA 179
4. L. BAZ KAWASAKI 170
5. M. MELANDRI APRILIA 147
6. C. DAVIES DUCATI 130
7. D. GIUGLIANO DUCATI 96
8. E. LAVERTY SUZUKI 90
9. T. ELIAS APRILIA 89
10. L. HASLAM HONDA 89

I really don't know how he does it. He is so much taller than the rest of the guys. Maybe I should go do yoga with Mrs Dragking more often lol

BTW TV does make those guys look bigger. I knew Nicky Haden, Pedrosa and Marquez (especially) where small guys but when I saw the latter at GP, I felt like I could put him away in my short's pocket lol

* Last updated by: dragking on 6/19/2014 @ 11:06 PM *

Is that him in yellow shorts? If so he is a giant compared to the rest of the field. I stand corrected, he is in 4th place this year, I was looking at 2012 WSBK results. Kudos to the big man!

yep and Sykes is to his left after Haslaam! I already found my third bike lol That KTM is a mad man machine. DUKE. Forget about that Harley Hub, get the 1290! By the way the motorcycle USA reviews are lame. Even when they test the bikes on close circuits they barely lift the front wheel. The guys at Moto & Motards ride like they stole it. I wish I had their skills.

* Last updated by: dragking on 6/23/2014 @ 12:18 AM *

+1 on the Super Duke 1290, mad machine. Looking at that picture, everyone has a six pack lol!

Barber Race last Sunday:

KTM: Comes down with electrical problems = DNF
Buell: Not only here but in you rope they are hanging themselves = DNF
Japanese bikes: Like the bunny rabbit, they keep running and running = Winner!

+1 on the Super Duke 1290, mad machine. Looking at that picture, everyone has a six pack lol!

I wish.

I have a buddy that calls me on his drive home. We discuss all the crap he's read at work. Today he tells me about yammie coming out with a 1000cc triple. Okay, so it's down 300cc's give or take. Here's the thing. Slow if this new trip has more bottom end than say the duke, boo-bye, duke, hello durable/dependability is one sin-say of the big4. I'm quite impressed to see those yams dominate the field over and over. Some racers mind you, bring out the same old bike from last year, nothing done to it but change the tires: it says something to me. We are talking, out of tune, butchered back together and it still runs all stock configuration. Turn the throttle and go.

Anyone have a clue about this new model from yammie-HA!? Back to a waiting game looks like. I want one of the big4 to stomp on that ktm, torque for torque. If they can crossplain the triple's crank, imagine the sound out of that. Might put the ktm's note to shame.

Hubstermeister, why all the hate on the KTM? Monster torque is it's wild card. That Yamaha triple will be reliable but way down on HP compared to the Duke is my take. The Big Four build great Literbikes and Super sports but lose the plot on the naked build, overweight and heavily detuned seems to be their standard formula.

Not a hate thing, more being discouraged the house uses an [outside source] for a part that holds up production. Yeah they are growing, but if they slip up that bad, my take is it continues. So once at the parts counter, that's my first thought. How long are you going to hold me up for what part?

With the big4 it's more a 2-day wait: it's that organized. Say honda is first, the rest are longer than the 2-day wait, but not far behind. That wiped duc cam has also wiped rockers or whatever hand rubbed the other part, that's a cam and followers from a duc dealer and is that duc still down I wonder?

Because I do not keep up with the bikes that much, my buddy caused a spark about the 1000cc triple and low and behold they did cross the cranks on the triples. After watching a few videos on yammie's site, they interviewed a duc owner. He notices the 09 is faster than his monster.

Now I see the 1000cc giving the ktm a run for some torque wars. And guess who wins that war? Cross me hard-on an hope to cry uncle. All the suckers waiting for the 'beast' to finally come out and the owner happens to test ride the 1000cc, comes back and duc's out of the way saying the yammie has it all over his ktm.

After all, it's just a matter of catching up in a year or two. Old yammie boat motor turned jetski beats ktm's paper napkin renderings.