What is more FUN?

Ok kids, this is one of those esoteric questions about motorcycling. WHAT IS MORE FUN on the road...a sporty motorcycle that has a moderate amount of power or a sporty motorcycle that has almost too much power? With the former, one can really ring it out, ride with WOT, you know, really try to extract the power out of it. The thrill here is that one can use one's experience to get a bit more out of it, hear the sound of it when pinned, etc. With the latter, one cannot generally open the throttle all the way at all but it has so much power even half-way pinned. The thrill there is that there is so much power in almost any gear or any speed. An example of the former is an older, smaller displacment MC; the latter would be the typical newer liter-bike.
So, chime in...what do you all want. What is the most fun ON THE ROAD? (BTW, I kinda see the VFR as an in-between MC with some pretty good pep but not a liter-bike style machine at all...but I guess it all depends on your experience, desires, etc.)

 

I do like to rip it wide when I see the road stretch away in front of me...but, to flip side to side on a twisty road is more fun.
The heart does race when going 150+ on a super straight, empty road. The soul grooves in the twisties as the mind and body work together to hold a line in a tight uphill right hander, then a shift of the hips and you are diving into the lefty a few feet away.
Give me moderate power and some windy roads, please.

 

Cool! A split it down the middle guy...makes sense. And the VFR is so good at that. :thumbsup:
Keep it coming, folks...

 

"Its more fun to ride a slower bike fast than a fast bike slow".

 

Oh my, so much to this, lets see if I can break it down here. I know what ya mean when it comes to using all ya got. Thing is a 1098 or 100RR has so much bottom end it makes going fast and smooth real easy, no need to ring it out. yes you can ring out a 600RR, maybe, but to me it seams almost not worth it as it comes across as being just that, wrung out, why ride like that? Track? sure but on the open road, Na. Then if you do come across a section of pavement that will let you test your skills say on the 1098/ 100RR then the more hp and suspension the merrier I say. Plus it's not so feeling stressed, as you would being on a tracked out 400 or 600. Yep the reason why the VFR does so well is it fits between the two, LOL it's why I'm now lusting for a 1000cc VFR so much. I am needing to be a wee bit more for me now. I can ride at a pace that one would probably consider crazy, but it's all in the know, yea I like a good straight road every now and then to stretch the legs, but I like it when you can flaunt it corner to corner. again why my VFR fits like a glove for me. Still wouldn't mind a bit more though.

 

There is that too. but knowing what you have on tap is nice too just in case

 

Speed and power is easy. Twist the grip and go! Bigger bike = Faster speed. We all work on our bikes and try to fine tune everything, we try to get better as riders every day. We try to learn every day. With this, the skill and knowledge grows. This slow and steady growth makes us better riders. For me, slower bike = greater satisfaction and ever increasing skill. I can buy a bigger bike and have it now, but I always want to be a better rider and that goal will always be in the future!

 

Good responses so far.
For me, I feel the VFR is such a good balance.

I always like to look at the extremes to see a situation clearly. If a bike is too underpowered it isn't a lot of fun. If a bike has an extreme amount of power it can be unusable, overwhelming...and dangerous for some folks. But there are subdivisions of these too. A heavy bike with lots of power (like a Kawasaki ZX-14 or the 2.3L Triumph) is fast but it feels so different than a lighter bike that is quite fast. Not just in turns either. A heavy bike accelerating on a straightaway is...unique. A light bike with moderate power can be tons of fun in the turns AND the straights. A light bike with even more horsepower can be even more fun. What I like about a lighter bike with lots of power is that one can use that power in a short burst to create mucho fun. Naturally, a long burst of throttle is fun on almost any bike. A short burst of throttle on an average bike isn't very exciting but a short burst of throttle on a powerful bike is sooo exciting. You don't need a long acceleration to feel the rush. You know that power it is there whether you use it or not. You have fun either way. Give me a lighter bike with some punch. Yippee!

 

As the old adage goes, it is better to have too much power and not need it, than to need it and not have it. And brakes, and handling, etc. But then again, I do seem to collect far more than my fair share of speeding tickets.

So my answer is they are equally fun, as long as you don't get a ticket.

 

I like to just cruise so my 700 is enough.....however the 700 has enough ass left in that if I want to flog it I can. I never wanted a liter bike just to much for me I guess.

 

My last bike was an 86 VF500, and I still miss it. It was almost like it was designed with me in mind. That said, my 6G VFR is far and away a superior machine in all aspects. I currently have about 5k miles on it, and am nowhere near finding its true potential. If I ever need more power, it will be well into the future. The VFR just does EVERYTHING exceptionally well, IMO.

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Doggie style

 

I mean come on, does it really matter all that much what position you're in. Who's gonna complain?
Same with riding, IMO. Fast and straight or slower and twisty. I'm still gettin some!

 

yep, what he said; for sure

 

I'll second that drewl:thumbsup:

BZ

 

Good question Nung, but I don't think I'm fully qualified to answer your query.

For the length of time I've been riding, I've only owned three bikes. Two of them are VFR's. In addition, I've ridden only a few other models friends have owned. Since they were not my bikes, I didn't ride them hard or anything.

But, I'd say that based upon my last track day, it's alot of fun to make a nice clean pass on people who are riding 'better' more modern equipment than what God has blessed me with.

So my vote is for slower, lower power!

BZ

 

That is my NEXT thread! :wink:

 

Buddha likes the humble man...
I know what you mean. There are still many bikes left for us to ride. But, sometimes it is clear, like when I rode my boss's KTM RC8. Now THERE is a bike with waaaay too much power!