dhairya

I plead guilty for this one myself since I also own a Superbike.

However, I am wondering why we are all so obsessed with Superbikes rather than looking at other more versatile bikes of higher capacities?

Specially in India where there is a serious lack of tracks. Superbikes are great but I need these things to really enjoy a superbike:

Track
Open roads with lots of twisties
Good road surface on those twisties.

I have done lots of highways miles but then those were not the funnest moments. Somehow just pure straight line speeds do not do it for me. Maybe I am a slow rider

India does have lots of twisties in the mountains but how may actually go there. I know a few of them did - Vivek and Ken's trip and I am sure there are many more. However, I think there are way more people out there with 600 CC's and litre bikes who never went anywhere except the Noida Expressway and Jaipur highway. I think its a total waste of the investment unless you have told yourself that its only a show piece

I hope I am wrong but I know am not.

I think dual sport bikes are ideal for large capacity bikes.

PS: I know about the trip. Appreciation for that on the way! This is not the thread for that.

Aryan

Topic Approved.

A real nice and logical topic, this. I believe it has also got something do with the media. Television, movies, et al has really upped the ante when it comes to owning a big bike. Many do not know anything else (any other big and perhaps better bikes) exists other than the so called "Dhoom" bikes!

Perhaps, it has also got something to with "bragging", "showing-off" and all that! I would never personally know, but given a chance, heck, I would personally love to own a 1000cc superbike as compared to any other type of machine (hyper-tourer, street bike, etc.) but it would surely be not out of curiousity. Whenever I plan to get a big bike, I plan to take it to places. That's guaranteed!

Another important pointer which decides in favor of these Superbikes is manufacturer(s) deciding to sell these, here. As of now, only YAMAHA offers its litre class bike (the R1) and the MT-01 here, although they sure have better bikes (for India), like the Fazer et al.

Anyways, I would agree to the title of this thread when you say that we are, perhaps, obsessed with Superbikes.

__________________
...in search of that perfect world - My Travel Blog :)

nitrosatya

I am very much interested in taking my bike to the twisties when time permits!

Ghats of Mutha near Pune is such place.And many more SBKable highways do exist..
Now when i reach a stage when my P220 seems too slow for my skills, i will definitely buy a bigger bike! And moreover a sportsbike!

Honda FireBlade her i come!

But this is a very good topic!
cheers!

46 the Greatest ever

Hmmm...though I have never been to foreign land, but i feel people there would be almost equally obsessed with superbikes as we are. However, things are very differnt in India and the primary reasons that i can think of for a sportbike's popularity are::

- They definitely stand out in the crowd with its comparatively bigger size, full fairings, fat tyres and yes, build quality!
- The sound
- They are insanely fast!!!

Now...let me be very clear here that its not that other types of motorcycles like cruisers, naked streetfighters won't stand out in the crowd, but the reality here is that people in India are more aware of the sportbikes (thanks to Dhoom!). And as for the sound, the scream of an inline is hard to resist BUT the big-good v-twins sound equally good on the other end!!! And the speed, well what to say about it...they ARE insanely fast! But let's get real here, without tracks, nobody in the world would ever get to use their full power ever!!! same for the 600s supersports!

I am not trying to be deliberately different here, but yes, given a choice I would definitely go for MT01 than the R1.

Old Fox

Rightly said Dhairya. Anyone who has ridden a sbk is 'guilty'. The damn things just get into your system and refuse to vacate.

Yes, we need those 3 things and that precisely is what is missing. You have twisties up in the hills, at times with good traction, but the traffic sense of other road users becomes a major hindrance to fun on them. You can't really ride them faster hare than the ZMA's and Pulsars without compromising those safety margins. The big ones hate mid-course corrections and that might be needed any moment if the pace is upped.

Having recently ridden downhill on bad surfaced roads (on the way back from Narkanda), the One was the worst pain of my riding life there. Hard suspension, forward weight bias, supersensitive throttle and the engine heat at low speeds make such a ride more of a struggle than actual fun.

A non-sport 600 or a dual sport would actually be great. I wouldn't lay my money on a supersports for going places in this country (but then we all have a right to self-contradict, don't we?)

The 'bragging' or more factually, the 'I'll show you' part is so very easy to get into on these bikes. You feel invincible and 'oh! so superior' controlling so much power on the road. Even a ride at 60 kph on these bikes gives something to write home about. And then the aura of owning such purpose-fit, technically state-of-the-art aesthetics will invariably make one cross over to obsession.

__________________
I don't let my motorcycles interfere with my motorcycling...

Join xBhp On

viveksh

I am no one to comment on behalf of the entire community. But I would like to share my experience here-

Superbikes are easier to maintain,buy and sell here because of popularity. You will find it easier to find R1s headlight assembly,framesliders here compared to GS's tires.
If you want to resell, you will not get good deals on any practicle bikes.

That means if you want to ride a true motorcycle you need to buy one of the popular models so that it is easier to maintain.

But I would not call it a wastage. Even if it is ,scene is not similar across India also. I know many people in Bangalore and Chennai who do regular track days.They buy superbikes only for tracks.

People with superbikes in North India will be able to utilize them in a couple of years after F1 track is ready here.

harshaguduru

why do people buy superbikes when a a good naked 600 can do the job and when no roads exist???

same reason as to why people buy an SUV like the scorpio when a honda city will suffice..4x4 not needed on highways..
the answer is something in us pulls us towards them..
it is a uegr nay, a craving to be one with te machine..maybe snobbish but the same ppl who own sbks dont bring them out at daytime to showoff..
it is not iIF we CAN use them..but just that WE CAN when the time comes..

haxor

dhoom has played an important role in popularising SBKs in india and bcause of that people call hayabusa ---dhoom bike anyways SBK's are not meant for indian roads and weather ...and yeah they are hell lotta popular ...they give you a different identity in a crowd of pulsar and splendors and yeah they are and can easily sold because of their popularity and yeah it can be damaged by our beloved bloody people who dont anything and will try to kiss you bike with their bloody a**es and some peolple will scratch your bike and some people may even steal your bike and yeah the traffic condition is worse in the whole world ..no one cares to follow the traffic rules..and when i see this then my bllod starts boiling and thats why i hit some people with my cycle at high speeds or spit at them or give them slangs and run away mostly women ..and rather than that i cannot do nothing ...i wish these thing were inscribed in our religious books ..it would have been better..
HOW CAN YOU ride a 600cc bike on a road where people and vehicles are coming from 8-9 directions?

and yeah we're obsessed with sbk's because they symbolise:
power,money,speed,style,passion for biking,makes you an icon[sort of ]

__________________
Speak Less,Speak Wise!

Streetfighter

Wow, what a role model for all of us
Are you on drugs?

__________________
StreetFighter

Streetfighter

The only way to enjoy bidirectional twisties in India is if you've got a death wish. At best, if you miss your line you are heading into oncoming traffic. At worst, if the idiot decides to overtake on a blind curve he is heading into you.

__________________
StreetFighter