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General Category => General Banter => Topic started by: Elk on July 29, 2010, 10:14:49 AM
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As many of you know, I crashed on the ride Sunday. As it turns out, both of us are in worse shape than I initially thought. (http://www.smiley-emoticone.org/death/stretcher.gif)
I have a comminuted distal radial fracture with some displacement (left wrist - will be set in about a week when the swelling diminishes). I also broke my right thumb with the break going into the end joint. I'm glad I was wearing good leathers, racing boots and gloves, etc. The injuries would have been much more serious otherwise.
Much worse, my Ducati is almost positively totaled. (http://www.smiley-emoticone.org/death/rip1.gif) Gorgeous machine, perfectly sorted out, tuned by Doug Lofgren, etc,
So what should I get as a replacement? I'm thinking a BMW S1000RR. What else should I consider?
This is a good group to ask as there is a lot of experience here and lots of great bikes.
Final note: Lloyd's route was great! Exactly what I want for one of these rides. I'm going to ride it again - and finish it! - once I am healed.
Also, the crash was no one's fault but my own. I'm entitled to crash after 30 years or so of riding. :P My plan is to go much longer before the next one however. This one hurts like hell.
All replacement suggestions eagerly considered.
Ehrich
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Another guy with an S1000RR is GeLy. His bike also has all the hightech options that Tim has. Gely can be found on the ZG and TA forums. Tell him I sent you.
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If you like eccentric bikes, the new Honda VFR sure is a looker.
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Boy those are some no foolin injuries. Heal well and heal fast.
The S1000RR is definitely a bike to consider. Some other bikes to consider are the CBR1000RR. '08 used models are available for much less than half the cost of the BMW and are very close in performance. The KTM RC8R is being heavily discounted down to the same price or lower price than the BMW, as are leftover MV Agusta F4 1000s. There are also some very limited production Ducatis that are getting cleared out. Delano Sports Center recently sold a brand new leftover 1098R on Ebay for $25K, versus its' original list price of $40K. Wanna go full monty, pristine low mileage Desmosedici's have fallen to below $40K.
So it depends on what you want. The BMW is the performance king, the Honda is the price performance deal, the KTM, MV Agusta and 1098R are exotic deals.
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The injuries stink. I need to learn how to fall. The practice is painful however.
I don't get it. I wasn't going that fast, wearing good stuff. Sure glad I was dressed well.
Great bike ideas. The VFR is a fascinating critter certainly.
Ray, how do you track down who has what bike? Those are killer deals! The Desmo is out of my league, but the Honda is an astounding stellar deal. The others are also amazing.
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Ray, how do you track down who has what bike? Those are killer deals! The Desmo is out of my league, but the Honda is an astounding stellar deal. The others are also amazing.
I'm an inveterate shopper and keep an eye on Craigslist, Ebay and a variety of forums (eg. ZG, MNSBR, Ducati.MS). 1098R got discussed on Ducati.MS before the Ebay auction ended, and when I went to look at the auction I realized it was Delano Sport Center selling their off the ground display bike which I had seen earlier in the day while picking up parts. There are only a few Ducati dealers around, and Delano has KTM as well as Ducati and has been really aggressively pricing recently. Heinen's up in Osseo has been showing up on Ebay selling leftover Agusta's at aggressive prices. With the poor economy allot of the exotic stuff seems to end up on Ebay looking for a wider market.
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Top of my list is the BMW and number 2 is the CBR1000RR with ABS.
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Interesting observation on the ABS on the two bikes. Given that BMW has had ABS on bikes for years I would expect them to be especially good at it. I need to learn what Tim thinks of his BMW.
Idiosyncrasies often make a bike, car or friend appealing. It is hard to beat an Accord for reliable competent transportation - but it is the ultimate average car. :)
Almost all modern bikes are impressive and well executed.
I want another sport bike with communicative handling, but a bit of forgiveness is ideal. No matter how long I ride I am still learning. The BMW's traction control and ABS has an appeal. I like the back up of such things with the hope that I never need them.
It can be a bit of a bother in town as is a Ducati superbike as I ride in rural areas almost exclusively. I like personality.
I want too much power. I like being able to scare myself when I want to.
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Elk sounds like you want/need a R1
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Even though the press has panned the RC8, it has been winning in various series around the country. I like the looks of the tail section, makes it look like the previous generation motogp bikes.
The first go around with ABS that BMW did was not good, it was a servo assisted setup (or something like that) and had issues like if your bike died, you lost most of your braking. Their newer generation ABS that came out a year or two ago is much better and similar to most ABS setups. So they really haven't had alot of development time because they basically threw away their first gen ABS and started over.
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ive only seen one RC8 out there, they look uncomfortable but very cool at the same time. I would definately look up some of the S1000RR owners and get their opinions, might even be able to weasel a test ride out of one of em. I havent heard a bad thing yet about the BMW, especially with its price tag. Depending on what your wallet can afford it seems to be a great bike for the money. The 08 hondas are dirt cheap and are a really nice, light well balanced bike from what i have noticed.
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Elk sounds like you want/need a R1
I dont think so. Ask Andy how thats working out for him !
These are just another dime a dozen bike, and clearly he is looking for something more eccentric or at the very least, original.
I would love to ride an RC8 and maybe even see how they are to work on.....hint, hint.
I know Lloyd that was my lame attempt at a joke.
I like that RC8.
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BMW dealers are required to have an S1000RR available for demo and required to put miles on it. Getting test rides on them isn't very hard.
The KTM RC8 is very comfortable with the most upright seating position of any current sportbike and a pretty short reach to the bars. They also feature adjustable footpegs.Delano is anxious to sell what they have and offered me a test ride, which I declined since I wasn't serious enough about buying one.
All Erhich has to do is heal up!
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Just out of curiousity, what kind of price are they at on an RC8, or didnt you get that far, since you werent really interested?
$14.5K for an '09 leftover which originally listed for $20K. They've sold it since, but told me they would sell a 2010 at a significant discount.
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The BMW dealers do have demo S 1000 RRs. I asked.
Each dealer's demo has roughly 2,500 miles on it with no mishaps other than speeding tickets.
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My impressions of the S1000RR after 3500 miles:
Throttle response is a little sensitive particularly in "slick" mode where you have a quarter-turn throttle. On the street, there is no way would I run the bike in this mode. "race" mode works well for me on the street, but I still need to be very cognizant of making very minor throttle adjustments. It took me a while to adjust to the surge that would happen, even on the highway, when hitting a bump. Midrange I found to be a little lackluster, but looking at the dyno comparisons, it is right there with the Japanese inline fours. Get this thing over 11000 RPM though, it is a frigging rocket. A full system or a CAT eliminator with a PC V apparently livens things up quite a bit below 11000 RPM.
Turn-in is very quick, but under hard braking, the front-end can be a little twitchy when pushed hard. If I was racing or doing a lot more track days, Ohlins drop-in cartridges would be a must. The rear suspension held up well, and for my skill level, no need to change it. NOTE: The suspension was dialed in at the dealer while waiting to take possession of the bike. My suspension knowledge is embarrassingly non-existent, so it is hard for me to tell if I am maxing out the suspension or if it is not properly set up. The stock dampener is set a little hard, and there is no way to adjust it; this will probably be my next upgrade.
The race ABS, I believe, was a new design, and it is the same system that is run in WSBK. It works really well and inspires a lot of confidence; under hard braking, it does a very good job at keeping the chassis stable while still loading the front end for turn-in. I am used to a more linear braking system, so there was some adjustment as these brakes hit like a sledgehammer. The TCS works so well, you barely notice it doing anything. The adjustments it makes to keep the back tire from kicking out and the front tire on the ground are subtle. At my sill level, you rarely notice the TCS, but again, it is confidence inspiring to know it is there and doing its job. Kudos to BMW on their TCS, it really is a wonderful piece of engineering. The quickshfter is nothing special; a little smoother than the dynojet bolt-on I had on my R6.
Tim...
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Tim,
Thanks for the report! Great information.
Funny, my first reaction is that you are nuts to ride it on the street in slick or race mode. Then I remember that most bikes don't have ABS or traction control. :)
Suspension set up is tough!My understanding is that the stock suspension is designed to work with a 187 pound rider. Anything outside of this and you may need new springs.
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I have been bike shopping today, I think these are the bikes I would go with
1- Aprilia RSV4
2- BMW S1000 RR
3- Ducati 1198
now how can I get my wife to OK it..
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I enjoy my R1. If I got another bike, it would be another R1. The bike is common enough that it's easy to get parts for, it looks and feels great, has more power than I will ever use, and you can get a new one still in the shrink wrap for about 12K. I am an avid shopper on craigslist. I've found great deals on a couple cars and my current bike.
Although I wouldn't mind test riding that 3 wheeled thing that looks like a snowmobile, just out of curiosity. And the Augusta MV is hands down the sickest looking bike I have ever seen! ;D
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The latest R1 also sounds great out of the box.
One nice thing. All of these bikes are better than I am. :)
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The new-to-me bike is here!
I am the delighted new caretaker of a Ducati 1098S Tricolore.
Wonderful, babied machine at a price that I could not pass up. Delightful seller - I still have not gotten through all of the great stuff he sent me separately.
I have been out for just a couple of rides so far as my still healing arm and wrist will not put up with much.
Great bike; easy to ride, quick turn-in (light wheels), wonderful brakes, more than enough power.
I am using learning the new bike as an opportunity to re-assess my riding - it's a great combo, try to get rid of any old bad habits and work on skills while a new bike forces me to think.
I was lucky to run into Ray at Minneapolis Ducati (Friday?) as he was picking up one of his machines. Thus, while I don't have pictures I have a witness. ;D
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Congrats on the new Duc! However....
:needpics:
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Absolutely beautiful bike. Erich got a great deal on it too. Watched it come up on a forum, that we both belong too and saw Erich get the first PM in to the seller.
Here are pics from the seller's ad.
(http://www.ducati.ms/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=74504&d=1281986907)
(http://www.ducati.ms/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=74495&d=1281986378)
Congrats!!!
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I enjoy my R1. If I got another bike, it would be another R1. The bike is common enough that it's easy to get parts for, it looks and feels great, has more power than I will ever use, and you can get a new one still in the shrink wrap for about 12K. I am an avid shopper on craigslist. I've found great deals on a couple cars and my current bike.
Although I wouldn't mind test riding that 3 wheeled thing that looks like a snowmobile, just out of curiosity. And the Augusta MV is hands down the sickest looking bike I have ever seen! ;D
That's some good points.
Very nice bike Elk, ride safe
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Now THAT'S more like it.
DROOL!!!
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That is one of the sexiest bikes out there!
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Thank you for posting the pics, Ray. I didn't think of linking the seller's. But they are really BIG. :)
First PT appointment today. I can't wait to get more flexibility and strength back.
Thanks for the positive comments!
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congrats on your new treasure. that sure is one sexy ass machine.
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congrats on your new treasure. that sure is one sexy ass machine.
Hmmm... do mean the ass machine is sexy, or the machine is sexy ass? ???
Just kidding. Sort of. I've heard bikes called "butt jewelry", so "ass machine" wouldn't be too much of a stretch. :D
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Congrats! Beautiful bike. When can I see if it wheelies?? ;D
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congrats on your new treasure. that sure is one sexy ass machine.
Hmmm... do mean the ass machine is sexy, or the machine is sexy ass? ???
Just kidding. Sort of. I've heard bikes called "butt jewelry", so "ass machine" wouldn't be too much of a stretch. :D
i believe you put too much thought into my reply. :D
either way, i wouldnt mind owning a bike like that.
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Beautiful bike, how is the PT coming along?
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PT seems really slow, but I only started Thursday.
I could take the splint off Wednesday of last week, except for evenings (after multiple casts, not having something on my arm and hand is wonderful!)
It hurts all of the time with sudden, sharp pain on movement. This sucks. <whine>
However, it is already improving. Range of motion is a bit better. I have a tad more strength.
Only two months to go! :P