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**Om1234** · 10-10-2018, 11:11 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Originally posted by bigron View Post

@ om1234 - When you say there are no roads are you speaking from experience or hearsay? I have personally covered close to 1,00,000 kms on various super bikes over the past 2 decades. All over India using interstate. On almost all occasions, the roads were up to it. There were definitely stretches here and there that were not suitable but then they were far and limited during our tours. The roadways has greatly improved in the past decade in this country.
Also, just because one uses a super bike it does not mean that one will go WOT every time he is out for a ride. At 80- 120 kmph a super bike is far safer than any 100/200 cc commuter. Better control, better brakes better everything.
Coming to your second part of showing off. Its true because its an inherent outcome of a system where kids with no riding experience can take their daddies to any dealer with bags of money and ride out on a death machine and crash all over the place.No questions asked.

they are very difficult to manuever,
i personally believe if a person hits a pothole and loses his balance doing 120+ speeds
in case of superbike the result would be worse.

Rest brother ,everyone has different perceptions and thought process.
I respect what you think and others think on this topic.

**akshay** · 10-11-2018, 10:08 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

I once met a bunch of SBK riders sipping chai at the foothills of Lavasa and asked them if they were riding up to the top, when they replied saying they weren't as they didn't want to wear out the tyres. A decent pair of tyres cost anywhere between 50 to 80 k and last around 5000 km. Now, unless you are super loaded and can afford this continual replacement cost a SBK seriously limits the potential to enjoy long rides.

Secondly, try sitting on one of these bikes for a half hour straight. Unless you are really fit, young, light in weight and have a strong back this can be a serious way to induce spondylitis. On the stretch from Pune to Lonavala I have seen many a times, SBK riders who stop for a small break twice during a half hour ride. I remember the time when I saw these two chaps pull up at RKs in Lonavala on a spanking new H2 and Paningale and when they cracked their lids open, they were grimacing in pain.

With great power comes great responsibility and here I feel it depends on the individual rider and his temperament especially when riding a SBK on the road. Whilst it is true that many have lost lives riding these bikes, I also have friends who ride these bikes sensibly. There are also friends who were previous owners of SBKs and have now settled for something less demanding.

In my opinion, it is far much more fun wringing the throttle of a smaller capacity bike (I don't mean the 150 cc types) than pussyfooting on a SBK.

**Jitendra47499** · 10-16-2018, 09:09 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Originally posted by bigron View Post

@jitendra - I have absolutely no idea what you just wrote or trying to convey. Your general analogies, comparisons and what was that no food example in the end that you made. It looked (?) like a synopsis on economics ,banking with a hint of melodrama.
I majored in Criminal Jurisprudence so maybe you could break it down for readers like us who take time to comprehend.

Here it goes-

I was only commenting on 2008 recession,a well planned usa activity.
Example- some thousand years ago a king (dominant) ruled and what he said everyone followed-diplomacy.
Thinking and diplomacy changed.now powerful rules, though says democracy but it is not actually. UN doesnt rule. Some groups of countires rule, called developed. Any country has nukes, and usa says i put sacntions on you.none retaliates. Ban iran exports, none challenges. What i mean, 2008 was a self created recession. To put the world to halt and give them a signal- halt, i am the one who controls. 2008 made many americans jobless but the government gave them money-SSC.
Companies were bailed and nationalized-none lost anything. Sorry, admin not a place to discuss politics.
Sorry, i am too not much educated. That is the difference.
I havent seen much people here educated (never been to schools). On the contrary i am master's degree holder. But they are learned and i am not. Shame!

Oh yeah, with food i meant- there have been some days in my life that i had no money and nothing to feed my stomach. And when people ask me here about camaro, you know it...

**bigron** · 10-17-2018, 10:14 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Clearly my mordant sense of humor failed to put the point across. Well , dispensing any ambiguity now , lets stick to bikes and bike related talk on this thread.
There is a separate thread for you to indulge in your animated disquisition where you might(?) find takers.

**riot** · 10-28-2018, 06:12 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Originally posted by bigron View Post

@ om1234 - When you say there are no roads are you speaking from experience or hearsay? I have personally covered close to 1,00,000 kms on various super bikes over the past 2 decades. All over India using interstate. On almost all occasions, the roads were up to it. There were definitely stretches here and there that were not suitable but then they were far and limited during our tours. The roadways has greatly improved in the past decade in this country.
Also, just because one uses a super bike it does not mean that one will go WOT every time he is out for a ride. At 80- 120 kmph a super bike is far safer than any 100/200 cc commuter. Better control, better brakes better everything.
Coming to your second part of showing off. Its true because its an inherent outcome of a system where kids with no riding experience can take their daddies to any dealer with bags of money and ride out on a death machine and crash all over the place.No questions asked.

Thumbs up for everything you said brother.

I always wonder why everyone thinks that just because one has a superbike, they must ride fast. I am happy riding my Sbk at 80kmph too.

Originally posted by Om1234 View Post

they are very difficult to manuever,
i personally believe if a person hits a pothole and loses his balance doing 120+ speeds
in case of superbike the result would be worse.

Rest brother ,everyone has different perceptions and thought process.
I respect what you think and others think on this topic.

It seems like you have never even ridden a superbike. In my experience, they are super easy to maneuver and much easier to ride than a regular Pulsar as long as the rider keeps his wrist in check.

losing balance on superbike or splendor at 120+ speeds will result in the same thing. Its just that the chances of losing control are way way wayyyy less on a superbike.

Overall, they are great machines for those who can afford them and ride them responsibly.

**SwapnilJoshi** · 10-30-2018, 05:29 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Hi ,
I bought myself a Kawasaki Z900 an year ago with the same question in mind , why do people buy super bikes when they don't ride them . My primary goal was to use the bike as an everyday commuter and a weekend tourer . ( I know there are better bikes purposely meant for this but i was looking for an inline four with naked stance and budget constraints

)

Its been an year today and the bike has only managed to cover about 5000 odd km , most of which have been in the city Even though the bike is a dream to ride around in the city with its super relaxed engine and oomphs of torque ( can pull cleanly from 40km/hr in 5th gear ) but once you get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic it starts heating and that is not a pleasant feeling for you and your engine . Also keep in mind that many super bikes have a hard clutch which is a pain to use in stop and go traffic ( My Z900 has a slipper and assist so clutch pulls are very light )
Also i follow ATGATT so it limits the amount of places i can take the bike to . ( You don't want to meet your friends in race leather every evening

Trust me !)
Road condition and civic sense is a big issue , keeping in mind the catalytic converter scrapes over almost every speed breaker or pothole . The rest of the times is a challenge trying to stay in the speed limit ( my city has a speed limit of 30km/hr for bikes , imagine ! ) and at the same time tying not to loose your calm with the amazing road sense of drivers.
Clean fuel is another issue , Kawasaki recommends 95+ RON which is a dream figure for me . Getting clean speed/premium fuel is also a challenge, so in short i have very few fill-up stations to refuel from.
Parking the bike is a challenge ( a candy lime green kawasaki attracts too much attention

) . Once you do find safe parking space , you will find people clicking pictures with the bike or sitting on the bike which does leave scratches in the paint and even tipped my bike over once . ( Availability of parts is a challenge )
Personal Reasons - Apart from this tight work schedule and staying out of the city for months at a time is another reason for low odometer readings . ( You really need a good flow of money to keep these machines in top shape )
Apart from this , owning multiple machines is also another reason for low odometer reading . Also weather plays a big factor when you plan to ride / commute .
A lot of people buy such bikes just for the sake of owning them , these bikes tend to have low odometer readings . Others feel that clocking more kms will depreciate the value of the machine . Here i would also add another category of people who own super bikes but don't have the skill set required for the same , these bikes end up seeing more garages than tarmac.

Hope I was able to answer your question

.

**revoconner** · 10-31-2018, 02:19 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

I must be the crazy guy around here because I did this, just watch around 6 minute mark. Absolute hooligan machine this one, traffic, mud, rocks, potholes, highways, waterlogged streets upto my knees? No problem, just twist the throttle and the L-twin takes care of the rest.
The bike tipped over once, and I hit the gear shifter on something and it was bent. Picked up a rock and hit it twice, back to its place!

Helmet cam footage of my latest trip to sikkim on a Ducati Supersport, amd I wouldnt have had any other bike for the purpose. Also pirelli diablo rosso 3 are amazing.

**leech** · 10-31-2018, 02:39 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

You're not crazy, dear sir. You're one of the few who can afford the time and the [emoji383] to ride the big bikes properly.

**bigron** · 11-01-2018, 09:17 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

@ revoconner - To that video I have to say, you are not re inventing the wheel. I know hoards of fellow bikers ( I include myself) that have taken their R1s, Fat Gixxerss , Fat Ninjas and a few other metal monstrosities up the mountains and other places where the roads were non existent and one would only think of taking a simple Bullet or a KTM. It was done because we wanted to see if it could be done. Was it fun, in parts yes. Did the bikes made it up there, yes. Were there better options for the job at hand, absolutely. Will we do it again on sports bikes, Nope.
I can relate to your enthusiasm. But if you say that there is no other bike that can do this better, you are wrong. Get hold of an adventure tourer, forget the fancy ones like the Enduro or thr GS, even a basic 800 cc Tiger and than see these roads disappear. Hell, get hold of a ktm 390. You would be astounded with what it can achieve on these roads.
Nevertheless, enjoy!!

**revoconner** · 11-01-2018, 11:54 AM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Originally posted by bigron View Post

@ revoconner - To that video I have to say, you are not re inventing the wheel. I know hoards of fellow bikers ( I include myself) that have taken their R1s, Fat Gixxerss , Fat Ninjas and a few other metal monstrosities up the mountains and other places where the roads were non existent and one would only think of taking a simple Bullet or a KTM. It was done because we wanted to see if it could be done. Was it fun, in parts yes. Did the bikes made it up there, yes. Were there better options for the job at hand, absolutely. Will we do it again on sports bikes, Nope.
I can relate to your enthusiasm. But if you say that there is no other bike that can do this better, you are wrong. Get hold of an adventure tourer, forget the fancy ones like the Enduro or thr GS, even a basic 800 cc Tiger and than see these roads disappear. Hell, get hold of a ktm 390. You would be astounded with what it can achieve on these roads.
Nevertheless, enjoy!!

It wasn't done because I wanted to see if it could be done. I mean its a motorcycle of course it'll move forward on throttle. Its not a sports bike, its lighter than a ninja and has less committed riding position but its sporty enough for corners that are paved. For me thats the perfect bike if you keep the average trip in mind because bad roads are like 5% of the entire trip. And yeah the tiger 800 is a sweet machine, will probably book one this saturday.

**ady2k** · 11-01-2018, 06:38 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

Originally posted by SwapnilJoshi View Post

Hi ,
I bought myself a Kawasaki Z900 an year ago with the same question in mind , why do people buy super bikes when they don't ride them . My primary goal was to use the bike as an everyday commuter and a weekend tourer .
Hope I was able to answer your question

.

Wow, that's a different perspective. I got a z900. 10K Kms in 11 Months. I used it for touring. Just left it in showroom for 3rd service with a hole in the wallet.
As its 3rd service, I had to change the following

Tyres - front & rear - 22K approx (Cheap deal from Amazon)
Brake Pads - Front 2 pair and Rear 1 (Total - 18K Approx)
Coolant - Rs. 4K
Engine Oil - 6K
Brake Fluids - 1K
Engine Flush - Rs.400

then the labour cost - I guess its around 10K approx.

Its around 50K for this 3rd service. And I have already done 2 services that costs 6K each without any spares.
So total - Rs. 62K for the first 1 year.

And then I need to pay insurance of around Rs.22K per year.

I would say, approx 60 to 80K Per year, and then comes the Petrol costs.
As I have covered 10k till now, I have paid around Rs. 63k (14Kmpl)

I would say its a fairly expensive to maintain.
But a couple of friends own a RE Classic 350 & Thunderbird 500.

Checked with them, Classic 350 annual cost is Rs. 20k approx (Service + Spares + Insurance)
Thunderbird annual cost is Rs. 26k approx (Service + Spares + Insurance)

Considering these costs, I find the maintenance costs logical.

**cbr954rr** · 02-28-2019, 03:58 PM

Re: Why are superbikes ridden so less?

I think most of the points have been covered here over the numerous pages. I'd like to believe that I've been there and done that. I've even toured on a sport bike across countries spending an average of 8 hrs on the bike each day. However, over the years I have begun to segregate my usage based on the purpose of the machine. I ride my sport bikes on the tracks or for a spirited ride through the mountains. I use my adventure bike for touring, and some trails, etc. That's where the bikes belong and that is where you get to enjoy the purpose of that bike and its technical abilities and appreciate the bike for the same. The tires on my sport bikes tend to be changed because the edges wear out faster than the centre.

During one of my visits to India, a friend handed me his bike and insisted that I take it for a spin even though I politely refused numerous times. Eventually, in order to not offend him, i took the bike out, stood in crawling traffic and took the first exit to return to his residence because this just isnt enjoyable. Of course, I had to tell him that the bike was really nice

.

I'm extremely happy to ride around in my trusted CBZ with more comfort and peace of mind than a superbike in India. Infact, I dont think I would ever want to own one in India.

Hope this adds another perspective.

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