Motorcycle Forums

Of course they are

A Superbike is fast and agile but not realy comfy, certainly not if you travel with your wife. Superbikes are too much track bikes, as most of us aren't Valentino Rossi or Leon Haslam. A Hyperbike like my Blackbird is not about the highest topspeed but about traveling effortless at high speeds for miles and miles. I hope the VFR1200 will be available soon in Brazil.

ABSOLUTELY !!!

I am a " mature " male and life-long rider that can afford to indulge myself. However, I cannot and will not justify the kind of money required to buy a very fast car - not just any fast car, mind you - a VERY fast car, in the realm of Lambo, Ferrari and the like. That these machines exist is great and long may they live. However, that I can easily go out and buy the sort of performance they offer ( and better ) for very little money is not just great - its frigging amazingly wonderful! That I get wet if it rains and traction and vulnerability can be an issue and all the " go " doesn't pull birds like a supercar does is irrelevant. I am a motorcyclist after all ... Surely we are now in another " golden age " of motorcycling and let's enjoy it to the fullest while we can - before fossil fuels run-out and our big, fast hyper-bikes get legislated out of existence?

To all those posters with negative views on the societal place or even justification of " hyper-bikes ", I suspect you speak from envy, ignorance or a singular bad or passed-on experience. These things are not to be taken or treated lightly and nor are they to be flouted & flaunted in such a way that the overwhelmingly ignorant and biased anti-motorcycle public and police have even more ammunition that we are ALL speed-crazed lunatics with a death wish. On the contrary, " stealth " is the go for these bikes and to enjoy them - go quietly and " under the readar " until you are in an isolated, lonely and safer place to give them the berries and get the full fat benefit of their thrilling performance.

Like modern Britain, Australia & NZ are rigorously policed and have some of the most ridiculous speed limits and draconian penalties in the World. " Speed " and the message that goes with it is tantamount to serious criminality. Speed per se seldom kills anyone but " inappropraite " speed ( wrong place, time and circumstance ) kills heaps. But it is still possible to go out and enjoy with some planning and caution in areas where one is vulnerable. The Northern Territory had NO open road speed limits at all - then the Nanny State and the legislative " experts " stepped in and declared a 130 KPH ( 80 mph ) limit. Since then, NT road deaths have risen quite dramatically. We all know why - so let's not waste space on it. Hells bells, I am quick to honestly confess that I can't ride any of my big, fast bikes anywhere near their potential or their maximum - on the road or a track day. Not mixing up my ambition and ability is why I am older & ugly but still here. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy them enormously.  As they say in the Aviation business - " there are OLD pilots and there are BOLD pilots - but there are NO old, bold pilots " ... So, if you haven't ever experienced one of these things - try them before you knock them. When you twist the throttle exiting a corner, any corner - you'd better have somewhere to go and know where it is - because you are going to arrive there very bloody tout de suite. It's an absolute gas. Cheers

AMAZING PERFORMANCE

.............right up until u end up in prison,i`ve just sold my blade,i live in derbyshire the odds of not getting caught doing well over the ton are getting smaller and smaller.i`m sick of looking in my mirrors all the time and now looking up in the sky for that fukin blue and yellow derbyshire helicopter that prowls round at weekends.......i`ve sold my fix so i can`t be tempted it`s a sorry situation but my job depends on my licence. as for fast cars i don`t think i`ve actually ever seen one going fast.........anybody who`s left who likes gunning it good luck and i hope u don`t get caught

Hyperbikes

 Of course they are relevant,

They dont have to be ridden in a hyper fashion do they.

I'm biased....

I'll say that at the start , but yes they are still relevent . I suspect the Aprilia and BMW are harder to ride than a Busa or ZZR  ( I' ve had both an early Busa and now a ZZR14 ) and unless the sports bikes have really good traction control they're much more likely to buck or slide you into a hospital bed ( or worse ) than either a Busa or ZZR. Its often been said if you can ,own one for a summer and its still true . They can carry a pillion for a start , which I doubt is only a "short lift to the shop " experience in practical terms on a Blade , BMW , Aprilia or R1. We often see female " victims " perched procariously on the back of sports bikes , doubled up in some contorted position, please don't tell me this is a pleasant experience . You can tour on them and as for fuel and endangering the planet , as copco states, well they are'nt really any worse than any other bike , any petrol engine can be accussed of wasting the planets resources . Sure , if you rode a hyperbike flat out for any length of time it would drink a tank at a rate of 18 miles to the gallon and 70/80 miles to the tank , but how often do you think that actually happens ?  Sometimes there's no substitute for cubes and two up in higher gear flexibility comes as standard on these bikes . Also sometimes the buzz of opening her up on straight and putting the world into reverse just can't be topped !