First lengthy ride on new bike (about 20 or 30kms, from previous owners place to Annette’s parents place.)
So, the RF is 900cc, and my previous few bikes have all been 750cc. Doesn’t seem that much different, right? Except that the old bikes were all circa mid 80’s, and the RF is a 1996 bike.
Over a decades worth of engine tech upgrades = Holy Shitballs.
It’s an absurdly torquey bike, and the torque curve is pretty much flat. If you want to go faster, you just roll the throttle and it goes faster. Any gear. Any speed. The speedo goes up to 190, to which I thought, “That’s plenty fast enough for me.” .. except upon closer inspection, it’s 190 _MILES_ per hour. That’s like .. 300KPH or so. INSANE. While I’m sure it’s an optimistic upper limit on the speedo, I will never EVER get anywhere NEAR that. The engine redline starts at 12000rpm. It’s going to take a while before I get used to revving up around there, as anything over 4000rpm or so feels like I’m working the engine. I’m not. It’s bored. So very bored.
I, the rider, am not bored.
June 10, 2009 at 11:16 am
I dunno… I don’t think thats pretty fast 😛
*ducks*
Sounds like it’s making you very VERY happy. WHOO HOO!!! ^_^/
I expect to see a youtube vid, of you and kai_loi on your bikes saying “ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM.”
June 10, 2009 at 12:16 pm
This will require post-production effects work, given that we’re in different countries. But it COULD be done.
June 10, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Lol…I found myself wondering how you’d find it after your previous bikes, but I had confidence in your Bike-fu.
I must admit to a long time lust for the RF900 (specifically a deep crimson/blood red monster at what was Eric Wood Suzuki) since the mid 90’s. Although lusting after a bike that to me resembles the Kelpie of legend isn’t exactly conducive to a long life
June 10, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I also had a deep lust for it, dating back to the mid-90s! This one is black, with dark green offsets. I’ll know more when I get it properly cleaned and detailed, and can figure out what to do with the paint.
June 11, 2009 at 1:26 am
haha I know exactly what you mean.. I was driving mine around in 3rd gear at 60 km/h, 3000rpm.. then I met another rider of the same bike. He said “Oh, new blackbird eh? Gotten it out of second gear yet?” and I said “I drive it in 3rd around town” to which he replied “Why doesn’t it stall?”
Apparently 5000rpm+ is usual cruising rpm. At 60 my bike hits 5000rpm in 1st gear.
*sigh*
It’s going to take some getting used to.