AberdeenBikers

What bike does it for you, what is your favourite ?
Big Adventure, sports, race replica, naked, sensible all-rounder, cruiser, wee offroader, tourer, moped, retro, vintage?

What is your favourite ?
Do you have your favourite, planning to get it, or just like the thought of it?

Engine configuration: single, twin, triple, four, six, parallel, straight, V...

What do you lust over ?



The more I ride, the more I think the best bike is often the one I am riding at that moment.
There are very few bikes I have disliked riding. (I won't say which to keep this thread on a positive footing)

There are a few were odd experience, the Yamaha XV950 is the most recent odd ride I had, it was not a bad ride, just odd, especially after being accustomed to tall bikes or nippy naked bikes.

Favourite bike: For me, there is not one bike that ticks all the desired boxes, but the KTM 990 Adventure came close.
10 years ago if anyone said that I would have owned a big Adventure bike, I would have laughed.
I have now owned three of that class of bike, and my current MT09 Tracer has a similar riding position.

Lust over...basically most bikes attract my attention and get me thinking if I have a use for them.
They way many manufacturer s have developed their big Adventure bikes are in a direction that I think is wrong...mainly MORE POWER with more weight and less range...just not right, and I am not really wanting any of the current range of Adventure bikes by anyone...I am not saying that are not good bikes or I won't have one, just I am not lusting for any in that class.

At the moment I have a MT09 Tracer, not sure what it is officially classed as, but for me it is a sensible all-rounder.
I have panniers and removable frames, a couple of options for topbox...all very sensible.
It is comfortable for all day riding, it is agile for a bike that looks big, it is not slow off the mark.
With three hard boxes, 2 at 33 litre and one at 52 litres, it is very capable of carrying more that I need. The 52 litre box can hold two helmets...all very sensible.
Initially I was not too enthusiastic about the bike but did think it was a good package (at the time I was still suffering from losing my KTM), but the more read about the MT09 and ride it, the more I appreciate what a decent bike it is.

I also have a naked bike.
I was thinking about getting a big easy going naked bike, but somehow ended up with a naked race developed thing, four cylinders, more electronics that a spaceship, about 160 horses and a quick shifter...what a laugh, and surprisingly very enjoyable thru twisty back roads for having a turning circle of a barge.

Future bike plans for me...who knows ???
Sure as hell I don’t know.
Every bike is unique, has its pros and cons.
My current bikes offer different things and if I had to get rid of one, I don’t know which one would go.
I like the idea of a big single offroder for the local twisties, but I have no intention of swapping the MT or S1000 for one of those.


Evolving thoughts...
Previously I have said that I like V twins, about 100 horse power is all I need, and for this part of planet Earth big screens are essential for weather protection all year round.
Now my smallest road bike is a triple with 115 ponies, and the other is a four pot naked missile.

Biking, oh don’t you just love it

I've enjoyed every bike I've ridden, including Her Indoors' Peugeot scooter.

On the whole, I've always loved trail/enduro bikes the most.

Fast and nimble on the roads (other than dual carriageways and motorway which I avoid anyway) and with the option to go off road for further fun.

The KTM 690R was my favourite so far.

My favourite ride for the race track was my Ducati 998S. Too fast and too scary for the road though.

Out of the three bikes I've had the Street Triple R is the best, but of all the bikes I've ridden the 2015 R1 really takes some beating. Day and a half on it and had a great time, shame it was my works demo as I never got a chance to open it up that much and see what it could do. Was a very well behaved run for a change.

But even though I am only in my early 20's, the new Honda Africa Twin is really catching my fancy. The major perk, and major downside of working in a bike shop.... Is seeing all the bikes you really want to own, but just can't buy them!!

Any bike does it for me at the moment, happy to be on two wheels.

Now I've got more test rides under my belt i'm more aware of the foibles that each bike design has.

I love my Versys, very comfy, does what it I need it to do...... yes i'll go for a bigger bike (getting a job critical of course) but every time I have a shottie on something else, i'm always pleased to get back on my Versys ..... could just do with an 800 Triumph engine and throttle in it and it'd be perfect IMO

As far as new 2016 bikes are concerned, three bikes I can't wait to see in the metal are the Honda Africa Twin, Yamaha XSR900 and the Triumph Street Twin.

Unfortunatly it will be a case of admiring them from afar due to the current work climate.

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian).

Africa Twin, Yamaha XSR900

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Me too, love the look of the AT and the stripped out classic look of the XSR900

Fav bike of all I have owned is the CBR600rr. Such a good bike to ride and after 20K miles still felt tight.

Of my current steeds. The Tuono gives more smiles per mile. Both good bikes, but personal choice is for the big stupid V twin

Zathos wrote:Fav bike of all I have owned is the CBR600rr. Such a good bike to ride and after 20K miles still felt tight.

I was speaking to Ron Haslam a few years back, at the Donington Park Race School. They'd been using the CBR600 for years. Despite all the different riders with varying abilities, revving the nuts of them, they'd never had a single engine destroy itself. Testament indeed to the strength of that engine.

Still rate my Daytona 650 as my best road bike owned.

1st Daytona 675 was the most commited! (Fun)

Current 675R is as close to the perfect compromise between the two.

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Love the ZZR 1400 goes like Sh*t and comfortable for us old guys

Love my vfrs, couldn't think of anything better to upgrade to from my 750 except the 800.
the drowl, the sound minus the silencer.... like a nascar!!!
Love the look of the rsv4 but its so small it scares me, likewise the new r1,ktm rc8...anyone see a pattern...
My next potential upgrade would be to the 2004/2006 FirePlace , an everyday superbike and I do like the underseat exhaust and the front end. If possible a crossplane r1 would be ideal too
As for test rides, I've had a go of an mt09 (too narrow and wee for my liking), crossrunner/crosstourer/cb1000rr/nc750x/ and a Ducati 899 - only that was spoiled by torrential rain on almost race tyres... bum clenchingly scary