Topic: Thinking about getting a crotch rocket, what are your thoughts?

[Duke McDukiedook]

They look effin' sweet, period. 

[ColinMc]

I had one for a brief stint...fun bike but I could never get comfortable on it...no matter the rearsets, clip on changes...risers...that and the tank started changing shape because of the ethanol. Ducati replaced it once, and I was done with it.

[westondc]

The only crotch rocket i've ridden is my brothers 1994 Honda CBR 900rr. Fun, fast bike! Not comfortable for rides longer than an hour, at least for me. I like the dual headlight look.

[ColinMc]

I still think any year of the Yamaha FZR series bikes from 87-9x can be one of the best buys ever. The 87-88 FZR1000 are VERY comfortable, the FZ750 from 85-87 being even more comfortable. But any FZR series bike from the early 90's are fun bikes and easy to get parts for on ebay etc...those early 90's CBR's are hard to beat too! The early 90's GSXR's are awesome too...hell any early 90's sportbike I love lol.

[lordmoonpie]

oooo yes - Yamaha OWO1!

I'll stick with my Ducati - if you can find a mid-90's 888 they are going up in value year on year and are tremendous fun to ride compared to a Japanese sportsbike which are brilliant but they have no character and are so capable they can be ridden fast and hard with no effort relatively speaking...

[winnipeg550guy]

 Have a look at Motorcyclist Online, good for comparing makes & models

 http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/new/sport_bikes/04/index.html
 

 

[ColinMc]

oooo yes - Yamaha OWO1!

I'll stick with my Ducati - if you can find a mid-90's 888 they are going up in value year on year and are tremendous fun to ride compared to a Japanese sportsbike which are brilliant but they have no character and are so capable they can be ridden fast and hard with no effort relatively speaking...

Heck, you can find a killer Ducati Super Sport in the price range he's looking for too! Just make sure it doesn't have the dreaded "frame cracking" problem lol.

[bucky katt]

I've said it once and i'll say it again..........get a modern Triumph

[techy5025]

I would at least go with a bike with fuel injection. Any late model bike should have that. Let's face it....for the most part computers have made modern bikes a lot more "user friendly". Nothing like starting in a second or less with no fiddling! 

I like the 600F4I. The bars are higher than the 600RR and it has plenty of power for me. Last year I put around 2500 miles on mine during one road trip. Maybe I don't lean on the bars as much as others, but the hands were not much of an issue for me. After using the single disk/pad on the 750's for 30 years though, getting use to the F4I brakes was more of a challenge! 

I'm still waiting for Honda to make a competitor to the WeeStrom or the Versys though. Oh well!

Jim

[wannabridin]

I've said it once and i'll say it again..........get a modern Triumph

couldn't agree with you more bucky!!  triumphs have surpassed honda and all the jap bikes, even BMW, in their relative amounts of service recalls and break downs.  they are simply VERY well made machines!!!  i want a speed triple first, unreal bikes, and pretty damn comfy IMO, then a rocket 3, and finally a thruxton with all the goodies!  those are some of the funnest bikes i've ridden around, and with a nice arrow or chain reaction exhaust on the speed triple, it's auditory nirvana!!!  (next to a well tuned rc-51 mind you)

http://www.chainreactionmoto.com/product-info/audio-and-video

[ColinMc]

I actually prefer the Street Triple. I've ridden both the Speed and the Street...and the Speed is a blast but the Street is just more useable fun.

 Plus the insurance cost is like half for me for the Street lol.

Now that there is finally a Triumph dealer near me i'm VERY tempted to buy my first ever brand new bike lol...the Thruxton is awesome too!

[wannabridin]

i agree with you there, but i've had the speed triple on a track and out on an old LONG runway in CO, and man oh man that thing was SO badass!  just the raw power!!  took everything i had to keep the nose down...  but i do agree about the street's useable power.  i LOVE a triple motor, perfect combination in performance and sound between a twin an a 4...  and hey, it's a triumph!!

but i think the speed looks better, IMO... 

[ColinMc]

Lol well yeah the Speed Triple looks awesome! No way around that, that and the Thruxton are two VERY sexy bikes.

From a financial standpoint both in bike cost and insurance the Street wins for me is all. Plus on the street I never found myself wishing it had more power (I only rode it for an hour or so).

The Speed Triple is just awesome raw "hand of god" power and "sound of satan" exhaust note hehe. Plus i'm a sucker for the single sided swingarm.

The Street Triple is quick and still good sounding fun

...kinda like dating your hot neighbor so you can be around her even hotter supermodel mom. It's still fun...but ya know...

[wannabridin]

haha ya!!  so what were the insurance price differences colin?  and after listening to that exhaust clip i posted of the street, it doesn't sound too bad afterall  

maybe it'll go into consideration since it's 3k less!!  i mean the daytona 675 is still a beast of a bike!!!

edit:  i just got a progressive quote on the speed triple, and even with the uninsured motorist coverage, and the average coverage amounts across the board, i was looking at $1500 a year, $1100 w/o the uninsured motorist coverage, both of those are with a $500 deductible.  NOT too shabby!

[Gaucho]

I didn't go thru the ten pages on this thread but, did anybody mention Aprilia Tuono as an alternative?
It will spank pretty much any other naked bike this side of the KTM Super Duke.
Monster torque, 140 HP, reliable, chassis that feels carved out of billet aluminum and a more relaxed riding position. Just get a Corbin seat, you be glad for it. 
Gaucho

[Really?]

edit:  i just got a progressive quote on the speed triple, and even with the uninsured motorist coverage, and the average coverage amounts across the board, i was looking at $1500 a year, $1100 w/o the uninsured motorist coverage, both of those are with a $500 deductible.  NOT too shabby!

Wow, that seems way high to me.  I pay less than $500 a year with everything for my bike and it is 1200cc.  I use State Farm too.

[ColinMc]

edit:  i just got a progressive quote on the speed triple, and even with the uninsured motorist coverage, and the average coverage amounts across the board, i was looking at $1500 a year, $1100 w/o the uninsured motorist coverage, both of those are with a $500 deductible.  NOT too shabby!

Yeah I pay less than that for all my bikes combined(Ducati, Norton, BMW, Honda MB, Honda CB)...I get a beefy discount for being an MSF instructor and for multiple bikes insured but still lol. Oh and yes I do have the CB750 insured even though it's in pieces...because i'm lazy and it's the second cheapest bike I insured above only the Honda MB.

For reference to add a Speed Triple would be an extra 220 a year for me, the Street triple would only be about 100 more a year.

[wannabridin]

wtf, are you kidding me???  damn!  maybe it's because i didn't get a quote with my other 2 bikes listed on there...  the MSF discount is only so much, but i bet the instructor thing helps quite a bit!  any chance you can get me into the advanced class for free down here??  haha!  i never took a course, but it's been 5 years since i started riding...

[Laminar]

And of course even that seems excessive since I pay $75/year for the CB750 with full roadside coverage and trip interruption insurance.

[Frankenkit]

yeah, sweet baby-j.  We pay around $300/yr for the Harley and the Honda combined.

[wannabridin]

man, good deals there!!!  i think another factor is how long you've been riding and how long you've gone with insurance.  i need to re-renew asap, haha!

And of course even that seems excessive since I pay $75/year for the CB750 with full roadside coverage and trip interruption insurance.

what's this trip interruption insurance???

[Frankenkit]

man, good deals there!!!  i think another factor is how long you've been riding and how long you've gone with insurance.  i need to re-renew asap, haha!

And of course even that seems excessive since I pay $75/year for the CB750 with full roadside coverage and trip interruption insurance.

what's this trip interruption insurance???

Well, as for our price, MickeyX has just resumed riding a couple years ago, and I'm a 'new' rider starting a couple years ago and we still have that price. We go with Progressive...  might get a discount because they cover our cars, too, though.

[MickeyX]

Nope, the cars are on a separate policy. We pay more because I added really good medical coverage for us if something were to happen, which is much more important than adding inflated coverage for the bikes.

[Laminar]

what's this trip interruption insurance???

I hadn't heard of it until I went to check into Roadside Assistance for my motorcycle. Turns out there was no extra charge on top of the $75/year I was paying to add both RA and Trip Interruption.

Roadside assistance:

Roadside Assistance coverage provides towing to the nearest qualified repair facility and necessary labor at the place of breakdown when your motorcycle or off-road vehicle is disabled due to any of the following:

    * Mechanical or electrical breakdown
    * Dead battery
    * Flat tire
    * Lockout
    * Insufficient supply of fuel, oil, water or other fluids
    * Entrapment in snow, mud, water or sand within 100 feet of the roadway

Trip interruption:

Motorcycle riders can buy Trip Interruption Coverage. It pays up to $500 for lodging, transportation and food if the bike has a mechanical breakdown more than 100 miles from home

I'd say both are fantastic things to have when riding an old bike long distances, ESPECIALLY when they added $0 to my premium.

[MickeyX]

lockout?