If you pop the highlights to the article, Dorna is already in control. So what the cry is about is that if you buy cams, that's about it for the range, say for the cam is it's either a low end sprinter or a top end type. The other argument is to have cams as the limiting costs, where it's a never ending 'deep money pit' being dumped into the electronics.

The idea is to buy a limited production of bikes for racing. And that limit is a smaller production of high end bikes most of us can't afford sans the racing community. They buy production bikes with probably spares along with that price tag. So here is a bike worth 60-70 grand and you go racing with 230hp bone stock. Now, you find some head porters, valve train specialists, rods for more rpm, cams, but so very little thrown at the ECU or here we go again = Small fields like now.

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/ktm-rc16-motogp-2017/

Here's a trickle down winker bike coming soon.

after several rides on the s1000rr i just find it ...well, like a gixxer with a bit more power!
handles very well, lots of power and brilliant brakes, if you put gixxer badge on it i wouldnt have been surprised!
and while im impressed with it, im also mildly disappointed with it!
i like my bike to have an edge, a character if you will, i love my 14 because it has that edge feel, a bit low tech, a bit brutish, a bit like...'it will kick you if youre not paying attention'
otherwise i would have stuck with the blackbird.

having had the 990 superduke, it was just a raw, nuts bike to ride and i this makes me want the new one. it certainly looks the part but have they dialled out the very thing that seperates this bike from fazers, cb1000, z1000 etc?
ive found the 'new' superduke, its a 2 yr old ducati streefighter 1098s!!! raw, nuts and itll punch you if your not paying attention! better get crash protection then? ! haha

i love my 14 because it has that edge feel, a bit low tech, a bit brutish, a bit like...'it will kick you if youre not paying attention'

Very well said, jaffo. That's how I'd compare my 14 to my busa. The 14 has a little more of a rawness about it.

Good to hear from you Jafo, been a long time since you ventured over here for your tour of the U.S.

hey Kruz, you are right! i havent been stateside in many years and am itching to go again!
dip in to visit here every now and again to make sure you are behaving haha
still have my zx14, virtually unchanged since you did the valet for me! :)
completed its second cannonball in spain last month and turned 62000 miles in the process. its still running perfectly if feeling a little 'old tech' but i love it still!
hope you're keeping well buddy?

That's way cool you still have the '07 14, I'll bet you have some kind of miles on it by now? I still have my '06, great bike and just now approaching 20,000 miles on her as she splits duties with a few other bikes.

Hope you can make it over here again, you're welcome to try out my stable if you do, lot's of neat toys to ride now!

hey Kruz,
you have a stable worth drooling over for sure! must take a few minutes to decide what to ride everytime you go out? :)
my 14 has over 62000 miles and still going strong! its also sharing duty with a ducati streetfighter!
as always, you are also welcome to ride any if you find yourself on this side of the pond?
take care bro

Thanks Jafo, a visit to Ireland is on my bucket list for sure. I've put the IOM on the back burner for now, just too difficult to get a hotel there during TT week but a visit to the Isle of Man during the rest of the year looks doable. I would just like to ride the mountain course someday to see what it's like.

Cheers!

Resurrecting an old thread here as I'm getting the itch again for some new iron in the garage and man have things changed (in a good way)in the last year. Now we have the new R1 and R1M, the redone 2015 S1000RR, the H2 and H2R and the new 1299 Panigale, so many high tech choices though prices are really edging up.

On my short list is the R1 and the base Ducati 1299. The R1M is awesome as is the 1299S, both having active Ohlins suspension but both a little too rich for my blood.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/7/2015 @ 3:54 PM *

I ended up buying a new CBR1000RR a year ago. To be honest I haven't put a lot of miles on it, just broke 2000 the other day actually. I'd like to find something this time that would bring back the same feeling I got when I rode home my 2006 ZX-14. May take an exotic to do that which puts the Panigale on top of the list. My head is screaming R1, R1, it's the new Track King, the heart says, get the 1299.

I don't think either one is going to change your riding all that much. Not even the R1. I don't think that bike would even be much of an asset if you decide to do track days. A used track beater would be best for that.

Get the Panigale.

Do a track day and then see what you want to own. I think track riding any bike would be the kind of jolt you are looking for.

+1, what Rook said.

Get the used beater, or better, lend one from someone willing. Thrash it at the track, and decide if thats the ticket. Repeat as necessary until you're willing to risk that shiny new one that you own, and have to repair if you screw up.

Or, sell'em all, everything ya got. Then, buy the one that twists your heart and ride it every day (no choice, its the only one there...)

Or turn the '07 RR into the track bike? Once you can out ride that at the track then sell a few toys and by the BM.

Also I know at Autoclub Speedway in Fontana CA they will rent you a KTM 1L track bike, maybe take a trip to LA and we can meet up the track.

http://fastrackriders.info/

http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/?homepage=true

* Last updated by: cruderudy on 5/8/2015 @ 10:12 PM *

Kruz writes.."A lot of the Jap stuff is simply recyled with new stickers".Not so fast .....

"Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson has issued a large recall of many of its models.

The company is recalling 45,901 motorcycles for a problem with the clutch that may prevent it from fully disengaging.

The recall includes certain model year 2014-2015 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Electra Glide Ultra Classic -- Twin Cooled, Ultra Limited, Police Electra Glide, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, CVO Street Glide, 2015 Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low, Ultra Limited Low, Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low -- Twin Cooled, Road Glide Special, Road Glide (above) and 2014 CVO Road King motorcycles manufactured from April 28, 2014, to Oct. 24, 2014.

Clutch system defect
In the affected motorcycles, the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch, particularly if the bike has been parked for an extended period. If this occurs, the motorcycle could move unexpectedly, possibly resulting in a crash.

Dealers will flush the clutch system and rebuilt the master cylinder to correct the problem. Owners of the affected motorcycles should make an appointment with a local dealer for a free repair"...yup...what IS nextLOL!!!.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/9/2015 @ 7:45 AM *

Here at H-D, we farmed out a you guessed it, so we might be 'braking even' if we manu'd out masters in house. But hear us out. This is nothing more than a kit full of rubber baby buggy bumpers to reinstall in the masters, add a flushing and that recall is done. Note, this is not a HD design flaw. We putt for miles on end and your bike turns obsolete, but ours keeps on truck'inn as some chopper down the road are the twinkies coming around soon. Knuckle my pan and shovel thishitwinked!

Hub, shizzlemynizzle, I thought you'd be all over the new H2 tech like flies on a picnic basket but you're not biting. Not even the lure of forced induction has drawn you in to Mother Teapot's evil clutches this time round. They built this machine with guys like you in mind butt awl ewe can do is stifle a yawn. Price too high? Too much fat and not enough lean meat? What gives?

I notice there's very little magazine hype out on the H2, read a couple of articles but the new R1 is getting most of the press. What happened? Was KHI victim of their own over active press releases this time around? Set the expectations so high they could never hope to live up to them? There's not even much mention of the H2 on the other forums, built beyawn belief? It could turn out like the Hayabusa, that machine was ahead of it's time and not well received originally. The melted soapbar looks had folks baffled and the true high speed performance capabilities became well known only later. It's now an icon if not legendary.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/9/2015 @ 12:44 PM *

Kruz, that would be price and comfort; in that order. My name is all over that bike, but not the wallet. The HP is not matching the price either. Someone brought up the R1's factory suspension as an electrical kind of non-adjustable parts. So you are stuck with how the bike pogo's factory style. Whereas, buy the cheaper R1 model and upgrade the suspension.

I was thinking of the triple yammie as a kick around bike. Wheelies like a duke, is under 8k out the door. Has the crossplane crank. Then I see those huge duke cylinders and gravitate more to that bike. I've seen a duke sitting at the dealer and thought they'd be out the door as soon as they came in. So what gives on that?

Besides, this next round has to be some powerful bike to pull me off of the 14. When the article says the H2 was heavier than a 10, lighter than the 14, who cares about the handling package. I'm after something I can ride and not numb the arms in 5 minutes. That comfort zone also gave the H2 the boot. That's why I lean toward the 'situps' these days.

I hear ya Hub, your 14R is a stratolounger. Yea, that 1290 Superduke looks like a mean ride and more comfortable but why aren't they selling? Price maybe, that's a lot of cash.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SHv0aRJ9MjM

* Last updated by: Kruz on 5/9/2015 @ 8:02 PM *

"The Beast"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6LLCY0Xp2F4

http://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/8-motorcycles-gunning-for-fastest-bike-on-the-road.html/?a=viewall

I came across this just now. Pretty much the going bikes for now.

I think KTM is too new on the scene for buyers to be comfortable. Too new and yet nothing all that much better. Perhaps a bit worse.

KTM has been around a long time Rook and the Super Duke R has impressed just about everyone that has ridden it. There's a video of one cutting hot laps at the Nurburgring and it's holding off an S1000RR. That's very fast track by the way.