greyanaroth

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!

Sunny

Topic Approved and Poll Added
Naked for me all the way!

desideep

I am a Sucker for naked Bikes

TheRedPill

Naked bike anytime for me. No matter how much popular those faired bikes be, I am moved by these street bikes.
I am not that of a track guy. Might go to track once in a year just to have fun for which the nakeds are good enough.

Honda Hornet and Suzuki GSR being my favorites

CountRock

Naked .. to bad the only really good looking naked bike is the over priced MT01 and the under powered FZ16

harshaguduru

nakeds are awesome but a good faired 600 is my idea of fun!!
only exception being the VMAX that is a bike i will go at 20kmph and feel like god!!
i will probably sell my soul for it....

ken cool

I liked the passion in your voice as you raised it in your beautifully executed article bringing to fore the eternal debate of Faired or Unfaired that rages on in biker communities around the world so much so that they even tend to form separate communities at times. You have given your bit and thrown it at us and you will see recent converts, as you will notice in the replies to your article and more will certainly come.

There are however certain aspects that you have to, must overlook. The Anonymity factor. That is hogwash. You want to have a bike that screams past other motorised vehicles at 150 you waving and grinning at them on an Expressway and you want to remain Anonymous. Bollocks. Lets get that out of the equation.

You got a bad back, Clip-ons are OUT for you. You need to have as comfortable a posture as they come. I would even recommend the big bad chromed 250-Rear bikes that can run all day and even all life if need be at 150 without shedding a sweat! Good for your back. But you do not need a tourer. Since you will not tour. You will not go to track. You will do a blast of 150 for half a kilometer and you will be able to handle that much of aero-drag. I fully appreciate your urge for a NAKED!

You are sold out on the Speed. I personally (talking about the Nakeds still) would go for the Street. The Street is lighter, easier, more fun I feel, never ridden it and you are not compromising anything. I will not need the extra 40 Bhp on the Speed.

For my personal use, I will go for a semi-faired as I have earlier mentioned. But that suits my need.

Ps; Be careful with that Baleno, there are a LOT of speed guns on that road!

__________________
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BMW Motorrad Days 2011

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greyanaroth

@ken - even my heart's set on the street now. It started with the speed, but when I came across the street, it seemed more the bike for me. For all the reasons you mentioned in this one and the triumph thread!

Heh i get what you mean about the anonymous part - sort of realized it after I posted the article :-) and those massive underseats do tend to stick out, not to mention those 180 section rears!

Bad back because of bad posture - these days i've been excersizing a bit more, and stretching when i'm recording dull tracking sessions so more movements = less of a back pain. Some days it's a pain though, and when I saw those clip ons and those riding positions in person I ran like my ass was on fire!

Great to see all the replies coming in, and i'm quite surprised at the number of people so far who've all vouched for nakeds!

Sumit you needn't have even replied, just posted your pic with your gsr - would have said it all!

More peoples!!!

For people who've ridden both kinds in the big engined classes - what do you prefer? Screaming high end power or low end and midrange bite?

Oh and I learnt to do clutchless shifts on my own! Yay! Kinda freaky for the first few times though - the bike just seemed to jump after a shift!

leon_nerd

I feel the decision of deciding between Naked or Fully Faired bike should be better left for the Heart. I would always want to ride a bike that my heart wants to. I might have back problems, I might hate people's attention but I would not ride something that my heart doesn't want to. I wud rather have a day to ride something that I like instead of a whole life for something that I don't. So, instead of going towards the "logics" I think it will be better if you think from your heart. If you like Naked go for them. If you like faired then go for them.

For me it's fully faired. No compromise in that. I like GSR 600 but I will anyday go for a fully faired bike because that's what my heart beats for.

Sunny

I feel the choice and inclination depends on how one wants to be perceived as. The people who like naked bikes would probably want to be seen as rough and carefree and frank.

Ultimately, each and every choice in life boils down to one's psyche.