Motorcycle Forums

Where

The mcn has'nt come to the Isle of wight. Ive looked at my local newsagents and gone in to town, but i fond nothing, any one know why!?

Threedee

Honda have been beaten for what the last 3-4 years in moto-gp, so i wouldnt be so confident that they will be able to bring out a Fireblade with an extra 20bhp next year in response.

When the Europeans get serious and bring in the big bucks and car technology - the little Japanese just cant respond - for example, look at how they have struggled big-time in F1. the only they thing have an advantage in is economics and efficient mass production due to social factors

Eh?

Merv007, the little Japanese? thats the biggest pile of tosh i've ever read, Moto-GP performance has as much direct influence on road bikes as F1 technology does on car performance. very little and generally 10 years down the line. The only european bike that compares with the current japanese offerings is the 1198R, which is TWICE the price for something that isn't really any faster (think how much faster than the ducati a £20k R1/CBR/ZX/GSXR special edition would be!) and is a steaming pile of unreliable turd on the road!. the european manufacturers don't have the 'Big Bucks', the Japanese do, producing good looking, reliable and blisteringly fast motorcycles at prices most bikers can afford. This idea that because something is mass produced it is somehow inferior is bollocks, BMW's are mass produced, as will the S1000RR! If it weren't for the Japanese leading the way we would all be riding 250KG nortons with 12bhp drowning in a puddle of oil, of standing at the side of the road with a broken down Ducati waiting for the free squirrel you get with them to pick up all the nuts that invariably fall off every time you touch it. As for this BMW, not sure on the lights... but then again BMW's tend to be quirky and it grows on you!

but

F1 does have some influence on bike design - eg the work Jenkins has done for Ducati in moto gp. and lets not forget the engine in the MV F4 dates back to a Ferrari F1 design.

the 1098R is twice the price - but that is down to economics ie a small company cant mass produce. a standard 1198 wont exactly get left behind on the road by a Blade will it?

Anyhow the Triumph 675 triple range show you can have a good value, reliable bike that dont come from Asia

and not to rub it in, but the KTM RC8R (MCN 2 weeks back) will lap a track faster than anything and it aint more expensive that the Japs in real terms when you consider the running gear that comes as standard

im not against Japanese bikes - but the biking world would by much better with more diversity - it will be bigger and stronger as a result and this BM is a step in that direction

Just read the report in the paper...'has close ties with BMW..tho not on the payroll'...and..'will be given to selected testers'...then I read MCN is giving one away in a competition...!!!!Please...I think I will wait until back to back road tests are carried by more than the MCN,before I get rid of my 08 'Blade!!