My superbike dreams have hit an all time peak. Although the moneys will still take at least a year or two to gather, there's definitely no harm in some very intense future planning!
Now here's the moral dilemma i'd been facing for the past few months - the Superduke/Aprilia Tuono/FZ OR the CBR600/2006 ZX6R/2008 GSXR600.
The dilema pretty much got itself sorted out in the last week thanks to two very killer experiences -
1. The GODS meet outside SDA market before their IIT visit - I had a chance to observe in great detail riding positions, the obnoxious amounts of attention those bikes got, the focussed application of these bikes, and of course a huge big question as to what the living hell would I EVER do with a fully prepped up TRACK ready bike that's pretty painful to ride for over 2 hours. Also, I have a fairly weak back, so that superbly leaned position, despite looking like the coolest thing on this planet, would potentially cripple me! This event in itself, despite having absolutely NO riding experience so far on a machine with even 1/7th of its power, pretty much convinced me that it's time to take a huge big sigh of defeat, and quietly bow out of the whole faired bike segment dream.
2. A bunch of naked bike shootouts, preceded by my insatiable lust for everything Superduke, and succeeded by my unhealthy obsession with my current crush - the super sexy, ultra hooligan Triumph Speed Triple. I gave some serious thought to how I normally ride(which in itself is not much, but I make it a point to enjoy every ride I do get time for, to the fullest), what I want out of a bike, and most definitely what I DONT want out of a bike.
Which brings us to another corrolary to Ken's brilliantly written article about the more tame street specific bikes.
What I personally really need from a bike -
1. Ze s00par grin factor
2. Ooodles of power
3. Comfort
4. Anonymity
5. Something that allows me to own every millimetre of road that I travel on.
Nakeds pretty much satisfy all those needs. Faired bikes look very cool, make the heart race, but that seating position, all that unneeded attention, and all the crap that goes with them, are not my scene AT ALL!
When I'm on my bike, I'm alone, with a helmet, where no ones gives a crap about me, unless I'm being a total bitch on the road. Which I'm not. Mostly
. When I'm on my bike, I want shitloads of power, power which is easily accesible, road worthy, and I want LOADS of torque, good handling, not necessarily go to 150+ kinda speeds. Seriously, I don't go beyond 120/140 on the damned gurgaon expressway, and thats on a Baleno. I just want to be able to rip like a madman when I want, and in general be grinning like an idiot behind my visor! I doubt very much that you absolutely need an ultra focussed sports bike for that.
Which brings us to nakeds. Why do Indians in general ignore nakeds? They're generally as powerful as their faired cousins, in most road situations, considerably more so (case in point rossiter's famous MT-01 first impression), look absolutely devastating (a VERY subjective opinion - i love them "i'm gonna rape you and not leave a trace" kinda looks) , and are bloody comfy, well handling bikes on the road. Unless you're looking at going at speeds of 200 km/h at sustained speeds, or freaking out on a track, or just plain showing off (which 98% of the people on these forums HOPEFULLY don't do) what in fvck's name is one to do with a faired bike? Sure it makes the heart race, and one doesn't quite use the best of their common sense when veering towards one bike over others. Hells bells - riding a bike in itself is possibly the most unevolutionary step - you're gonna fall, possibly die, or get killed in most situations. But we do it. We can't really justify it. Hell we don't give a friggin crap. It's what makes us free - and freedom has it's price. Usually a pretty heavy one. But I digress - why NOT a naked? Why a faired bike?
I'm not an idiot - I'd LOVE to own one and prep up my back to be able to ride a stark raving mad gixxer on a race track all day. Or do it on the roads and get away with not killing myself, other people, and not getting put behind bars! But... I'd much rather enjoy myself on a POWERFUL naked, do the same things I'd do on an SBK on the roads (except for going beyond 150 km/h on a road - I prize my neck and i'd much rather not have it ripped apart by them benevolent winds), and pretty much rape most things on the road with ANY wheels on them, till the point we reach 150 and i give a mighty wave and a mightier smile and swerve to search for other roads. Comfortably, anonymously, and without having to foot chyropractor bills!
To keep a long story short - am I making any sense? Am I the only one? Am I an idiot? (heck i'd vote for that one straight away if I were you! But wait I already said i'm not...or maybe I am... uh...
) Or am I just plain jaded?
OR
Has the speed triple done to me what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans? (excuse the extremely lame analogy - it's 2:36am, I've just rediscovered that I can in fact, still play my guitar, and i've been troubled by way too many dreams about sexy nakeds! Uh I obviously meant the two wheeled kind
)
I'd love for everyone to share some thoughts about the crux of what I meant this topic to be - Nakeds or faired bikes - what really is the right choice?
Mods please PLEASE excuse if such a topic already exists or if there's an ongoing discussion about ken's article. In case there is, please feel free to move this post there. But the major focal point of my proposed discussion is "Nakeds Or Faired?"
Post me hearties! Post!