Two Wheels Bad Version of "The Answer is Miata"

"Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast." (twostrokesmoke)
03/09/2015 at 12:46 • Filed to: None

As some of you may know, I tend to dabble in the madness that is two wheeled transportation. Over the years I've had everything from big blown out cruisers to their antithesis, a '84 QT-50 Moped. It's always fun. But anyway, in my most recent quest to scratch the itch, I ran in to a Buell and and a few questions for those of you out there about them, but I noticed a pattern emerging, so I went back and checked the posts on laneslpitter and a few other cycle-centric oppo members.

It would seems that when in doubt, the cycling community seems to fall back onto the old stand by, the Kawasaki ninja. It doesn't really even matter which version either. Everything from the 250 all the way to the liter versions of the Ninja seem to be the bike of choice when asked for recommended riding advice. So the answer is clear. The standard answer to biking questions is "The answer is Ninja! "

DISCUSSION (9)

Michael Maguire > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 12:49

They key here is names with 5 letters. Hmmm. Very Interesting.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 12:54

Never really liked the Ninja, it's better than most sports bikes.. but.. I DO love the Suzuki DRZ 400 SM though. The ninja does not fit me, I'm a small guy, this SM though, right hight, right distance to the bars, and fast enough.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 13:01

I don't know, I've often refer to the miata as basically a motorcycle with 4 wheels... Lol

bob and john > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 13:01

Cant really think of a argument for this one. +1 from me

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
03/09/2015 at 13:05

I'm more of a standard/cruiser type myself. One bike in particular that I like is the Triumph Bonneville....I know they are only 650's but I find them lustworthy. ?w=600

Kinja'd!!!

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 13:08

Awesome bikes for sure. But I don't have a license for bikes, so pure streetbikes is not the thing for me right now :)

nermal > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 13:17

I've owned two so far, a 650R and a ZX-10.

It depends on what you want to do. The 300 / 650 is a great starter / road bike. They're both sporty enough to be fun, while still being comfortable at lower speeds, with plenty of power for the road. The ZX-6 is a great sportbike, good for carving up a back road or doing track days, crappy for commuting or anything slow.

The ZX-10 is completely worthless as a street bike. The bike itself is bad enough, in that it rides rough, the seat is too hard, and the ergonomics are bad, so your back / legs / arms hurt after just a short ride. The worst part is the motor. The tach can easily be divided into three parts: bogged down / warp speed / upshift you idiot!

And thus the problem. At street speeds, you'll be riding around at < 5k rpms the majority of the time, which is bogged down. Rev it much past that, and you get into the warp speed sector, at which point you experience acceleration that can only be described as blasphemous. You will then end up doing double the speed limit and quickly approaching a minivan whose driver isn't paying attention to anything. Once you realize that, assuming you managed to get slowed down to the point that you don't crash into the minivan, your entire life will flash before your eyes and you will question your decision to buy such a stupid and dangerous machine.

Everything bad about it on the street is the complete opposite on a racetrack. The upper rev range is intoxicating, the ergonomics are perfect, and there are no minivans. There are few things in life more satisfying that ringing out a literbike in its natural environment.

E. Julius > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 13:35

As someone who is currently shopping around for a first motorcycle, I do see this one come up a lot, and I'm definitely leaning towards it at the moment. That being said, I see a fair amount of those Triumphs you put in another comment and daaaaaaamn those things are sexy.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
03/09/2015 at 21:24

My answer is always SV650 when people ask me. It's more comfortable than a full on sport bike, but not quite a cruiser, has a pretty standard riding position. It's got good brakes and a good chassis. The engine makes lots of torque and reasonable horsepower, and delivery is smooth and controllable. It's tame enough for all but the most idiotic n00bs, yet has a dedicated racing following because they make amazing track bikes.