Great comments about chicken strips. As an ex Australian Superbike racer from the 90’s all of my road bikes have chicken strips. It’s simply a common miss-belief peps have that is just handed down, without peps having a true understanding (a bit like getting your knee down) another thing I don’t do on the streets. With the right technique you can go around bikes that are at full lean when you’re not. Also, I’m the same with the rear brake as it was something that I’d only use in the wet (even during racing), where now I tend to use it almost everywhere. 👍😎🇦🇺
One thing about chicken strips I've found in 30 years of riding fast bikes road and track (rear tyres). There are some quick road riders WITH chicken strips, but I've never found any slow riders WITHOUT chicken strips :)
When I was a young lad living in London, my dad taught me to cycle behind his bicycle through the bustling, traffic-filled streets. I’ll never forget his advice, he told me: think of everyone driving as an idiot, i.e. they don’t know how to drive, they haven’t seen you, they don’t care etc. and you’ll be safer. Ever since, I just assume every care is going to do the dumbest, least-expected thing. This kept me safe throughout my cycling career, and into my biking career ever since; I’m likely only still here ‘cause of dad.
Neevsey is such an oracle of riding experience, and such a sensible and modest style of presenting. I love his MCN reviews as they are always so spot on and on point without any entertainment nonsense for the sake of hearing his own voice . He is a motorcycling god . Thank you for these videos 👍
I try to trail brake a little bit everywhere I go, even on blind corners. If something unexpected comes up and I need to change my line or add more brake, the bike is already as planted as possible and I'm maximizing my points of grip. The "more blind" the corner is the slower I go but I still try to trail brake.
Thank you Sir Michael Neeves. Please keep these coming. You are an encyclopedia, for those who remember what an encyclopedia was. I guess Wikipedia for the rest.
When I am going out on a ride I start to get into the 'right' state of mind as I start to put on my gear. By the time I get on the bike I am prepared for the ride ahead and prepared to be at 100% concentration. Great video, always informative and good fun. Thanks.
If you’re that worried about chicken strips, just do what I do to scrub new tyres, go to a car park, find a quiet spot and do multiple slow tight circles with the bike lent right over, you can achieve this by leaning your body in the opposite direction to the bike lean!
Really enjoyed this one. Fat haggis question and your answer especially. I sold up mine - fed up with paying road tax for then all- but as you said , I regret not having one of them in particular. (998 Ducati) Sentimental attachment is a valid thing for bikes - helped my mate tinker with his 848 Ducati recently and it brought back memories of that attachment. Hey ho - at least I was lucky enough to have owned some crackers. Keep posting these chats. Great content. Thanks
Hey Fat Haggis! I always struggle getting rid of bikes and cars but when room becomes an issue (as it invariably does) then something has to give. A friend of mine has great outlook on this and helped me out by saying “don’t forget you are only selling the bike NOT the memories” That said we all have a favourite that will stay forever. Good luck. Gibbo
Thanks Michael for reading out my question 👌 Funny you mention the R1 as it comes up quite a lot with other channels. So that's one to consider. All the questions on this video i can relate too very well. For me the sc28(round eye) Blade is the one which has the most memories. Also id say that age of bike was the most comfortable for pillions. I never get attached, probably get accused of chasing rainbows or goldie locks syndrome. But the xk5 20th anniversary gixxer has a special place in my heart.been lucky to own 2.one i swapped for a zzr1400 and the second got destroyed last summer from somebody else's poor decision making. Which im still recovering from. Thanks again for sharing your stories, views and wisdom.👍
Back break has saved me so often when I've been just a little too excited to get back on the throttle, in the middle of a sweeper, and then have that sweeper get tighter. Just squeeze a bit and have the line become tighter and more controlled. Amazing for throttle actuation. Even better when combined with just feathering the clutch to apply a torque limiter of sorts. Amazing
TRUTH- "Ride like everyone on the road is trying to kill you, because they are." Wise words from my motorcycle training course teacher, and something I always tell new or aspiring riders when they ask for best advice. Love the videos and wise advice Neevsy!
I sold my IT back in 93 and spent the next 30 years regretting it. Now lucky enough to have found and restored an IT 200. Would buy more but I’m limited to this and my daily. I also have a small garage and a nosey wife😂
Another great video 👍 The mid to late 90s were fantastic, bikes became very capable, the roads weren't as busy ...although every other person seemed to have a cbr600 or fireblade 😀
What a brilliantly delivered video, full of very good advice…I am returning to riding after 42 years of not…very similar accident to yours, mine was a drunk driver, I was 19..almost ended me, but you know, could I, should I have looked further up that road, did I anticipate, was in in a good place in my head back on November 14th 1981, Sandhurst to Yately road…who knows…I now have a Honda NC750DCT, love it, I do trail brake….I live in Jersey now, very very busy roads and all are motoring would be assassins as far as I’m concerned…defensive riding as Barry Sheene once said, I do that and look way ahead and so important…do those life savers….great advice you give, thanks very much..cheers
Track days the only way to go regarding getting rid of chicken strips safely,too many variables on road,tyres not up to temp,pot holes,diesel spills,gravel ect,list goes on,love your vids neevesy,top of the pops👌
Thank you Neevesy, this has been educational for me. I had previously assumed that trail braking was rear brake only to reduce weight transfer as achieved by left foot braking in a car. I’m an old guy (58) but quite new to motorcycles and very grateful for you sharing your knowledge 👍
I learned on dirt as a kid, so using the back brake was a normal part of my riding. You slide the rear and it's fun. Also on dirt you need both wheels to be braking for maximum stopping. The way the rear brake, only mildly pressed, helps to corner is quite impressive. It's a bit like you've turned the bars a bit more, but you haven't, but the bike is turning a bit more. Only slightly, but it helps and it's noticable.
Cheers for the reply. I enjoyed your response and I wasn't aware of the gentler mapping on the bigger bikes. On the chicken strip part, I didn't have them until I went to a 180/60 rear on the Daytona. Now I have little ones but that gives me great confidence knowing I have more tyre to use and I'm not near any limits yet.
Re chicken strips: apart from the line one takes, yes, body position has a lot to do with lean angle. I used to push the bike under me, ie keep my body upright, until I did a california superbike school course, where they told me to lean with the bike. Nowadays I have about a quarter inch c.s. on the left hand side, and a tad more on the right. I ride a street triple, and the wide bars limit lean on right handers: at apexes, the right mirror ends up on the wrong side of the road with a lean angle of around 30 degrees, when apexing close to the centre line.
Moving side to side approaching side roads, junctions etc can help as enough of distraction to a waiting driver to notice your cloaking device has switched off. Ducati Diavel with shad set is my perfect super tourer and it will definitely have a go if you think you hard enough even with chicken strips 😎
Loved the dream ride, now semi-retired I get to spend 4 months of the year near Nerja, Spanish coast. Just bimbling around on my Himalayan, its perfect, go anywhere, enjoying the places it gets to and the view on the way. Have done enough interesting biking stuff over the years, the Police stuff allowed me to do legally some cool stuff and get paid. But that slow bike in perfect weather is the best.
Hi Neevesy, hearing the stories on this series is quite nostalgic for me. My first Superbike was a GSXR1000 K3 in March '03, which was bought after reading the MCN group test review! My current bike is the latest and final version of that bike the L9 R... not including the Phantom which was technically just colour difference. I've invested quite a chunk of money with a few choice modifications including a full Arrow system with remap, suspension setup for my 96kg frame, ABS delete with billet M/C, bitubo steering damper etc. but find myself wanting a more upright seating position to alleviate my lower back. Not wanting to spend another 18K out for possibly a Tuono, have you seen or ridden many super bikes with a Fatbar handlebar installed instead of the clipons for which you can share feedback on for me? There was a version of the GSXR1000R called the ViRus II made by Suzuki Switzerland but information on it is very limited, but I have found a company that can supply a top yoke conversion which could potentially save me buying a new bike! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Neevesy. Thank you for your awesome content. A suggestion for the guy that was looking for a confortable sporty bike to bring his girl along... It's not the fastest and probably a bit older than what he's looking for but I've had a Suzuki RF900 from 97 and I believe that it would match his query. Enough power to have fun... Looked quite sporty (for the 90s) Really comfortable and a bulletproof engine... To top it off they're not too expensive to get your hands on so it could be worth having a look at it 😅
I experienced with you, first hand the way you need to ride on the road for magazine photos. Totally exaggerated and slow as you like. Thanks for the experience! 👍🏼🍻
Absolutely love watching these videos Neevesy! Thanks! On a platform where there are soooo many opinions and pointers from “experts” the cream always rises to the top…. And you are right up there mate! ❤
I ride my bike round corners like I drive an hgv round a corner…only as fast as I can stop in the distance I can see. I’ve sort of only got one speed on the corners I go round, doesn’t matter what bike I’m on. Which is how I know my body position is wrong on one of the bikes I’ve got which the last video made me realise Thank you again mate and well done for another great video
Hi Michael, great channel, great questions from everyone. Would just like to thank you for one of your MCN reviews of super(hyper)nakeds you did a few years back. Reviewing many of the best nakeds on the market, 2 years in a row the Aprilia Tuono 1100 factory won the group tests. To which, I bought a 2020 factory, with EC2 suspension and it is absolutely, without doubt a beautiful, crazy, sexy machine, that makes me smile every time I open my garage and take it for a ride. So thanks again. Always watch you vids, great work.
As usual good content with clear and precise responses. I particularly loved your response to the first question which to me is your typical “macho” road rider that thinks he (or she!) knows more about riding than actually is the case. Well done!
riding defensively is the whole of road riding - reading traffic, recognizing dangerous/unpredictable environments/situations. there's really nowhere on a public road you can enjoy a bike to its fullest, get rid of chicken strips. once you start recognising where you're rolling the dice and you ride often it doesn't make any sense. i'm thinking of getting something small just so i can enjoy the average corner on the commute more
Michael is correct on Defensive Riding. For example despite making eye contact with a driver coming the other way, she still pulled into my lane to pass a parked vehicle despite it obviously being my priority. Don't trust what you don't control. Human stupidity has no limits.
My favourite bike of the nineties is the NR750. Only ever seen one in the flesh, at the Birmingham bike show. It wasn't on the Honda stand, but on a small trade stand in one of the side halls. I spent about forty minutes just staring at it.
Great stuff as always, I really appreciate your tips and advice in the MCN and videos etc. So for have got the disposable ear plugs you recommend (the green ones) which are so good and just having some Angel GT2 touring rubber put on my GSXR1000R for its summer French trip 👍🏻👍🏻☀️☀️
Really interesting vid & thanks for answering my question. Favourite 90's bike is probably the RGV250 as I used to own a 1994 & it took my breath away when I first hit that powervalve. It was my first quick bike, didn't cost too much & looked gorgeous in the black & dark pink. Also never had any issues with chicken strips on that for sure as it would telepathically just fall in to the corners.
Thanks for making these videos, great stuff😊 This isn’t really about chicken strips, but more about body position. Todays track riders hang of their bikes much more than before, scrubbing both knees and elbows. Isn’t that to be able to get on the throttle earlier? The more upright the bike is,the more throttle you can apply?
I enjoy your all work. I find it amusing that people assume that we didn't have the various riding techniques years ago. Admittedly, some track riding techniques have been introduced fairly recently, Doctor's Dangle comes to mind. Having been a DR in London in the early 80s, you quickly learnt the various techniques for quickly getting around the traffic, poor road surfaces and suicidal pedestrians (see MAD DOGS - Dispatch Riders) while keeping the cross-ply rubber down and no rider aids what-so-ever. So when people start discussing these "new techniques" like trail braking, the only thing that's new is someone has given a modern name to an age old technique. I smile inwardly when someone says the back brake is useless or they don't use it except at a slow stop as, like you, I use it a lot for a multitude of purposes like balancing the bike and not just slowing down. Do you feel that, in the UK, all the fun is being taken out of riding and driving on the public roads? Constantly having to watch the speedo rather than the road seems, to me, a retrograde safety step. Now, is it just a case of getting from A to B in the most mundane way possible?
Great video really fascinating 👏 Road 5s by Michelin I ride a Kawasaki sx 1000 2017, I ride sensible mostly though Wales, dual carriage ways as little as possible A and B roads when out on the weekend ,but can hit road legal speeds, the last set I done 9000 miles, and this set is up to 3000+ miles, absolutely brilliant tyres, don't bounce any more so don't wish go down the road I'm 66 so try and ride sensible 😀
Interesting descriptions on CS. On the road, if you have some CS doesn't that mean you have "something left" for increasing your lean in an emergency to avoid something or an unexpected decreasing radius corner? These things happen on the road and not the track.
As usual a very thought provoking video Neevesy, always good, and some interesting thoughts on Chicken strips 😀 like you say a lot depends, also on tyre profile, etc, etc, re your accident at 24 and your thoughts on today, that my friend is just experience, one piece of advice my father imparted when I started riding at 17 back in the late 70's was.... treat everyone else on the road as though they are trying to kill you, that at the age I am now, did and has served me well.. over the years, Although I've luckily never had a really bad I:e bone breaking accident, like yours sounds like it was, I've been off a few times, especially when I first started, just pushing the limits sometimes a little too far.. but then how do you know how far you can push, if you never find those limits, was my reasoning, back then... but the one that I remember the most and was the most unexpected, after years of riding, was in 2002 when I put my Fireblade in a ditch at relatively slow speed probably about 35-40mph, on a down hill off camber left hander... and was unconscious for a few moments that made me sit up and think, quite literally... took me about 8 months to get my mojo back after that one on left handers, but these days well last year tbh, I've stopped riding for various reasons after about 50 years in the seat, miss it a little at times, but due to current circumstances, it is what it is sadly... and I miss those days when a bunch of us would ride down to the The South of France and hoon about for a week, or so on some of the best roads, mainly because of the Fast Bikes crew, and the PB video's doing that,... great times I really miss sometimes, but great memories. Interesting that comment about selling bikes you love for what ever reason... mainly in my case either because I've had to for financial reasons or I've seen something else I want more than what I have, but the ones I regret the most are not in any order, but 97 CBR900RRV Fireblade, Honda VTR SP1, my first GSXR1000K5, GSXR750Y and back in the 80's a Honda CBX-6
Tyre profile is a big one. My MT-09 came on Bridgestone’s excellent S22. They have a fairly flat profile and you will get close the edge without even riding the bike all that hard. I’ve recently replaced them with a set of Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE. The Metzelers are much steeper and I’m significantly further from the edge.
Interesting take on the photo shoot riding style, I did a track day shoot for Japanese performance in my old evo 5. We had to follow a camera car , in first gear at 5mph. The photographer then made the shots look fast with editing
Yes, riding my remapped unrestricted gsxs 1000 compared to the oem map, i totally get it re softer and lower power mapping in lower gears. However i do think it can help to teach throttle and brake application to an extent? Something we had to do more in the 80s and 90s especially. New riders maybe dont develop that instinct so much these days because of rider aids?
Two questions: Are there any motorcycles that you didn’t like the look of at first that began to appeal to you later? What is the perfect amount of horsepower for the street? Both of my answers to these questions came in the form of my current 2009 Speed Triple. Used to not like the bug eye headlights but now love them. Also, that triple puts out just the right amount of HP/Torque for street and occasional track use.
R.E. various comments about Chicken Strips in this and previous vids........ Such as......that you don't need to lean over to the max to go fast....I get that! That keeping the bike more upright in corners is a safer way to ride than with big lean.....I get that! That having CS's doesn't prove you are a slow rider......I get that too! Comments that it's the people who have chicken strips who tend to get the most hung-up over the subject. I can see that. Therefore, I can understand and agree with the vast majority of opinons from both camps on the subject. But something that I haven't seen anybody mention about CS's so far is........FUN. I personally don't have CS's, as I REALLY ENJOY getting the bike leant as far over on it's ear'ole as I possibly can every now and again. I get a bigger thrill out of that than doing insane intergalatic warp factor speeds. I know it's not the safest or quickest way to take a corner, but getting big lean angle is Fun with a capital F, at least to me. So.......does my lack of strips mean I'm a faster or better rider than those who have big chickies? No, not at all......we all get our motahsicklin' kicks in different ways. Lets face it though, on the whole motorcycling is largely a dangerous pursuit, but it's those various elements of danger and risk which make riding a bike such an exciting and thrilling thing to do. If those danger elements were largely reduced or even taken away completely, then I'm sure it wouldn't be so appealing to many many riders. Thanks for the brill vids Neevsey, abso LOVE this channel.
Michael, I used to phone the MCN grand Prix hotline. Listening to Mat Oxleys report was the only way to find out who won the 500cc race if you didn't want to wait until Wednesdays MCN!!🤣
I'm approaching the end of my motorcycle journey that began in the early sixties...Bonnies, Beezers, Dommies and Tritons...During that time I've seen huge improvements in Frame geometry technology, tires and engines..l currently run Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 tires on my 2014 Street Triple 675 R... they are more than adequate for road riding on Spains excellent roads ..(15mm chicken strip).. As for staying alert..... l was T-boned in 1979..now, l treat all Cagers as possible assassins ...''Sorry Mate l didn't see You''...being their usual excuse.. Inattentional blindness...is a real phenomena... those not aware of the condition, check it out...explains much about ..Sorry Mate l didn't see You.!!... Great content and advice as usual Micheal ... Motociclistas, el Ultimo de los Espiritus Libres
I have no chicken strips on my Triumph Tiger 660 with paniers after a years riding. I still have chicken strips on my Triumph Daytona and ride it twice as much, 150% faster, and on much more twisty roads, etc. It would take putting it on a track or counter leaning (forcing the bike down vs the body) like the road goofs do to get them off.
I'm about to ride my first ever track day at Laguna Seca here on the Monterey Bay Ca., USA. on my new 2023 MT-09-SP. I see a lot of media test riders talking about turning off their ABS completely while on track because when it kicks in, it really throws them off balance. The MT-09 doesn't allow for dis-engagement with the controls; but only allows turning it down to its lowest intervention setting which is where I have it while practicing in the twisties. It only comes in when I go so hard on the front brake, while in a straight line, that I'm expecting to do a stoppie before I finally feel the ABS kick in. Should I worry about trying to pull the ABS fuse? Would you? I'll likely be riding harder than I ever have and I don't want any scary surprises if I'm braking hard just as I'm about to lean in. Please share your thoughts on ABS on a track day.
Hi Michael, really enjoy your videos, keep 'coming. My question. I am about to test ride 3 bikes for taking my partner and I on some big European tours from Corfu where we live. 1. BMW R1250RT. The ultimate 2 up tourer but perhaps a bit big physically for Corfiot roads? 2. Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer. The patriotic choice but I'm a bit concerned by the reports of annoying vibrations at motorway cruising speeds. 3. Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S. The least powerful of the trio for 2 up but the one pulling at my heartstrings. Have you any comments as you've ridden them all? Thanks.
With regards to avoiding collisions with other road users, one piece of advice I heard was to be careful of anything with a larger ratio of total weight to brain weight than you. This tends to be good advice, especially if you ad an adjustment factor for brain weight for anyone on a phone: Multiply their brain weight by zero.
I am an intermediate level trackway rider on a 675, my right hand corners are really coming along now, good body position and knee always planted, my lefts are awful, I feel unnatural and don't get my knee down and just feel tense, is this normal? Is there a cure?! Love the vids keep them coming 😊
Best bike of the 90's? Has to be the humble CBR600F. I've been lucky to own some exotica over the years but the one bike that proved to me that for the road you only need 100bhp, decent comfort, handling and range was my 92 CBR600F in its shell suit black, purple & pink colour scheme. 54000 social miles in 18mths, not one issue, it stopped me buying more expensive bikes that weren't real world better. Now I want something similar but there just isn't the almost perfect sports bike, almost perfect touring bike, almost perfect commuter, almost perfect track bike, almost perfect pub bike package with just enough bhp and £ to it. I guess the market is more about categories for sales than true allrounders like the CBR600F was. What say you Neevesy?
I think the answers to the first and second questions are linked. In my youth I had no discernable chicken strips as I went round corners not worrying enough about what might be just out of sight. Now I am always mindful of hidden dangers and leave a bit more of a safety margin. Funnily enough I never heard this phrase back in the 90s. Although I have to admit to checking out others tyre wear pattern at bike stops. Shame on me.😬
Hi Michael, loving the vids. I have a GSX-S1000 GT as my main bike and I'm looking for a fun Sunday blast style bike. Doesn't need to be mega powerful, just mega fun! What would you recommend?
Question about helmets for you. I have shifted from race reps to a Speed Twin 1200 (for all the well know reasons) and it’s clear my RX-7V isn’t ideal for this style of riding (noisy, quite a lot of drag, etc) so wondered what the best type of helmet would be for me to get next? Retro (Rapide), Road (Quantic) or even an ADV (Tour X4 -without the peak?) - I have an Arai head as you can guess! When you buy a helmet you can’t try it out on a ride first, so any thoughts you have would be great. (we’ve spoken a few times when I’ve been racing my MZ with Bemsee 👍)
Hi Neevsey, are there any Harley Davidson's you enjoy riding? I live in Japan and have an XR1200 which I've seen you review back in the day! It handles very well and is a raw, crude biking experience! I've always been a sports bike fan but in a similar way to your wanting to ride a scooter on a sunny day, a Harley can be a nice experience just for the sake of riding.
Hi Michael, from across the pond I thank you for all the great content! I've become a bit of a track-day addict here in the States and run a 2022 BMW S1000RR (with the DDC). I love the bike, and other than exhaust, body work, rear sets, levers, engine tune, track tires, etc. have left it stock. As a fellow BMW rider, I'm interested in your opinion as to what is the best track-focused upgrade over OEM?
Great answers - Yoda for bikers, can't knock any of those answers. Question - I'm on a Blackbird, 3 years off, and come back to the old girl in the garage. She's still overkill for the road, and looking for something fun enough to track day, faired enough to commute (60mls) and chuck some panniers on, more usable and license safe and can do ULEZ. The newer VFR doesn't excite for me, Duc Supersport is a bit lovely but "belts" and I like more cylinders (had V twins). I'm struggling to find the bike, maybe Triumph Sprint ST or older VFR, what else is there?
Hi Neevesy Just a small tyre question Would it be safe to use say a pirelli rosso corsa 4 front tyre and a normal rosso 4 on the rear? So a softer sticky front tyre and harder rear tyre for a bit more longevity I ride a street fighter v4 and like spirited riding and go and ride in Spain for better quiet roads Hope I get the chance to hear your view Many thanks Ben
well, I don't make it a life goal to get rid of the strips however, I do feel a degree of satisfaction when I see them getting thinner and thinner :)) However they can be misleading. I ride a lot of hilly/mountainy roads with tight hairpins, decent inclines and off cambers. Take a couple of those ones at 20-30 kph and the strips will be almost gone. Does it mean I went faster if my strips go down from 1cm to 2-3 mms on the same roads, in the same weather conditions, with the same body position and so on? I guess ... or maybe I just leaned the bike more because whatever reason and I didn't realize.
Love these chats. I’ve finally ridden my recently purchased SportClassic - it’s great fun and handles really nicely. It feels tiny compared to my other bike and the riding position reminds me of the old 400s - right over the front end. Glad I got this, although I might need to visit the chiropractor soon… the SP2 is far more comfortable. 😂 Thanks for the encouragement to get one. 👍 What are your thoughts on the push toward electrification of vehicles, including bikes? Personally, I don’t see the logic in pushing electric versus alternative fuels that can leverage existing engines and technology and have a fuel distribution network already available when you consider the environmental cost of producing the vehicles, generating the electricity, etc.
You could just go back to horse and cart? Electric is maximum torque, always. No gears, no waiting for revs to rise, no trying to get into the powerband because you're already in it, always. Fuel delivery network - you think driving to a petrol station is more convenient than just plugging it in at home, work, etc? You think it's better to have 1000s of petrol tankers driving on our roads than just using the electricity grid? Milk floats were electric nearly 100 years ago. And they could deliver milk all day on a Saturday on a single charge, from 6am to 4pm. It's been an utter disgrace the delay in switching to electric. Won't it be nice to have genuine fresh air even in cities with 10s of millions of people?
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now I had an electric car and it was a pain in the backside for long journeys. It always makes me laugh when people say you can just plug these things in at home. Not quite so convenient in an apartment block. There’s also the significantly higher environmental impact of making these vehicles. Those ships that transport stuff for electric vehicles and the machines used to extract materials for batteries are far worse than the lorries transporting fuel (and they can also be powered by synthetic fuels, whereas they cannot be powered by electricity).
If the guy really cares about his pillion (I'm sure he does), maybe the gsx-s1000 gt would be the ticket. Suzuki seems to have a knack for ergos that are comfy but put you somewhat over the front wheel, and 150hp should at least keep the pillion entertained...what a world.
If you were to own a classic bike what would it be? Like your comment about riding a scooter somewhere hot - doing Vietnam in January on similar (after spending almost a lifetime on full sized bikes). (Really regret not meeting you at the Bird In Hand pub near Lotus Cars in Norfolk - Dave Blundel was meeting you there.)
I'll take more notice of what neevsey says, rather than the keyboard moto gp experts. With or without strips de poulet.
The best motorcycle channel available in my opinion, always an education. Thanks Neevesy ❤
the best reviewer and presenter of rider information out there !
Great comments about chicken strips. As an ex Australian Superbike racer from the 90’s all of my road bikes have chicken strips. It’s simply a common miss-belief peps have that is just handed down, without peps having a true understanding (a bit like getting your knee down) another thing I don’t do on the streets. With the right technique you can go around bikes that are at full lean when you’re not. Also, I’m the same with the rear brake as it was something that I’d only use in the wet (even during racing), where now I tend to use it almost everywhere. 👍😎🇦🇺
Brilliant explanation of chicken strips. You made Adrian look a right tool😂👍
One thing about chicken strips I've found in 30 years of riding fast bikes road and track (rear tyres). There are some quick road riders WITH chicken strips, but I've never found any slow riders WITHOUT chicken strips :)
Absolute Gent. Honest direct and polite. Well spoken, eloquent. Thanks 🙏
When I was a young lad living in London, my dad taught me to cycle behind his bicycle through the bustling, traffic-filled streets. I’ll never forget his advice, he told me: think of everyone driving as an idiot, i.e. they don’t know how to drive, they haven’t seen you, they don’t care etc. and you’ll be safer. Ever since, I just assume every care is going to do the dumbest, least-expected thing. This kept me safe throughout my cycling career, and into my biking career ever since; I’m likely only still here ‘cause of dad.
Neevsey is such an oracle of riding experience, and such a sensible and modest style of presenting. I love his MCN reviews as they are always so spot on and on point without any entertainment nonsense for the sake of hearing his own voice . He is a motorcycling god . Thank you for these videos 👍
I try to trail brake a little bit everywhere I go, even on blind corners. If something unexpected comes up and I need to change my line or add more brake, the bike is already as planted as possible and I'm maximizing my points of grip. The "more blind" the corner is the slower I go but I still try to trail brake.
Gareth Holden's got a real thinker for us. I like this question, even if it's more to do with time travel than bikes. Great, weird question.
Thank you Sir Michael Neeves. Please keep these coming. You are an encyclopedia, for those who remember what an encyclopedia was. I guess Wikipedia for the rest.
When I am going out on a ride I start to get into the 'right' state of mind as I start to put on my gear. By the time I get on the bike I am prepared for the ride ahead and prepared to be at 100% concentration.
Great video, always informative and good fun. Thanks.
Thank you immensly for your shared wisdom. Teachers and coaches like you are a rare gem in the world filled with self proclaimed influencers.
Most important 90's bike for me would be the Yamaha R1 99' in red and white. This thing was ahead of its time IMO.
If you’re that worried about chicken strips, just do what I do to scrub new tyres, go to a car park, find a quiet spot and do multiple slow tight circles with the bike lent right over, you can achieve this by leaning your body in the opposite direction to the bike lean!
Really enjoyed this one. Fat haggis question and your answer especially. I sold up mine - fed up with paying road tax for then all- but as you said , I regret not having one of them in particular. (998 Ducati)
Sentimental attachment is a valid thing for bikes - helped my mate tinker with his 848 Ducati recently and it brought back memories of that attachment. Hey ho - at least I was lucky enough to have owned some crackers. Keep posting these chats. Great content. Thanks
Hey Fat Haggis!
I always struggle getting rid of bikes and cars but when room becomes an issue (as it invariably does) then something has to give.
A friend of mine has great outlook on this and helped me out by saying “don’t forget you are only selling the bike NOT the memories”
That said we all have a favourite that will stay forever.
Good luck.
Gibbo
Thanks Michael for reading out my question 👌
Funny you mention the R1 as it comes up quite a lot with other channels.
So that's one to consider.
All the questions on this video i can relate too very well.
For me the sc28(round eye) Blade is the one which has the most memories.
Also id say that age of bike was the most comfortable for pillions.
I never get attached, probably get accused of chasing rainbows or goldie locks syndrome.
But the xk5 20th anniversary gixxer has a special place in my heart.been lucky to own 2.one i swapped for a zzr1400 and the second got destroyed last summer from somebody else's poor decision making.
Which im still recovering from.
Thanks again for sharing your stories, views and wisdom.👍
Back break has saved me so often when I've been just a little too excited to get back on the throttle, in the middle of a sweeper, and then have that sweeper get tighter. Just squeeze a bit and have the line become tighter and more controlled. Amazing for throttle actuation. Even better when combined with just feathering the clutch to apply a torque limiter of sorts. Amazing
The best advice is often delivered quietly & with a wry smile. Thanks as always, MN.
TRUTH- "Ride like everyone on the road is trying to kill you, because they are." Wise words from my motorcycle training course teacher, and something I always tell new or aspiring riders when they ask for best advice. Love the videos and wise advice Neevsy!
I sold my IT back in 93 and spent the next 30 years regretting it. Now lucky enough to have found and restored an IT 200. Would buy more but I’m limited to this and my daily. I also have a small garage and a nosey wife😂
Yep 1994-2000 was for me the golden era of modern sports motorcycling...great bikes great times!
Another great video 👍 The mid to late 90s were fantastic, bikes became very capable, the roads weren't as busy ...although every other person seemed to have a cbr600 or fireblade 😀
What a brilliantly delivered video, full of very good advice…I am returning to riding after 42 years of not…very similar accident to yours, mine was a drunk driver, I was 19..almost ended me, but you know, could I, should I have looked further up that road, did I anticipate, was in in a good place in my head back on November 14th 1981, Sandhurst to Yately road…who knows…I now have a Honda NC750DCT, love it, I do trail brake….I live in Jersey now, very very busy roads and all are motoring would be assassins as far as I’m concerned…defensive riding as Barry Sheene once said, I do that and look way ahead and so important…do those life savers….great advice you give, thanks very much..cheers
Track days the only way to go regarding getting rid of chicken strips safely,too many variables on road,tyres not up to temp,pot holes,diesel spills,gravel ect,list goes on,love your vids neevesy,top of the pops👌
Thank you Neevesy, this has been educational for me. I had previously assumed that trail braking was rear brake only to reduce weight transfer as achieved by left foot braking in a car. I’m an old guy (58) but quite new to motorcycles and very grateful for you sharing your knowledge 👍
I learned on dirt as a kid, so using the back brake was a normal part of my riding. You slide the rear and it's fun. Also on dirt you need both wheels to be braking for maximum stopping.
The way the rear brake, only mildly pressed, helps to corner is quite impressive. It's a bit like you've turned the bars a bit more, but you haven't, but the bike is turning a bit more. Only slightly, but it helps and it's noticable.
Cheers for the reply. I enjoyed your response and I wasn't aware of the gentler mapping on the bigger bikes. On the chicken strip part, I didn't have them until I went to a 180/60 rear on the Daytona. Now I have little ones but that gives me great confidence knowing I have more tyre to use and I'm not near any limits yet.
Re chicken strips: apart from the line one takes, yes, body position has a lot to do with lean angle. I used to push the bike under me, ie keep my body upright, until I did a california superbike school course, where they told me to lean with the bike. Nowadays I have about a quarter inch c.s. on the left hand side, and a tad more on the right. I ride a street triple, and the wide bars limit lean on right handers: at apexes, the right mirror ends up on the wrong side of the road with a lean angle of around 30 degrees, when apexing close to the centre line.
Moving side to side approaching side roads, junctions etc can help as enough of distraction to a waiting driver to notice your cloaking device has switched off.
Ducati Diavel with shad set is my perfect super tourer and it will definitely have a go if you think you hard enough even with chicken strips 😎
Loved the dream ride, now semi-retired I get to spend 4 months of the year near Nerja, Spanish coast. Just bimbling around on my Himalayan, its perfect, go anywhere, enjoying the places it gets to and the view on the way. Have done enough interesting biking stuff over the years, the Police stuff allowed me to do legally some cool stuff and get paid. But that slow bike in perfect weather is the best.
With regard to the pillion question I'd also add the 2004 Z1000.👍
I have an older friend with 2 orange and green lol
Hi Neevesy, hearing the stories on this series is quite nostalgic for me. My first Superbike was a GSXR1000 K3 in March '03, which was bought after reading the MCN group test review! My current bike is the latest and final version of that bike the L9 R... not including the Phantom which was technically just colour difference. I've invested quite a chunk of money with a few choice modifications including a full Arrow system with remap, suspension setup for my 96kg frame, ABS delete with billet M/C, bitubo steering damper etc. but find myself wanting a more upright seating position to alleviate my lower back. Not wanting to spend another 18K out for possibly a Tuono, have you seen or ridden many super bikes with a Fatbar handlebar installed instead of the clipons for which you can share feedback on for me? There was a version of the GSXR1000R called the ViRus II made by Suzuki Switzerland but information on it is very limited, but I have found a company that can supply a top yoke conversion which could potentially save me buying a new bike! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Yet another fantastic video with very interesting Q&A. Thanks, Neevesy! We'll see you on the next one...🤘👍
So look forward to these videos….keep them coming please 👍
Great advice and honesty 👍
Great content. As for chicken strips, I love them especially with kfc gravy. Keep them coming Michael. 👍
Hi Neevesy. Thank you for your awesome content.
A suggestion for the guy that was looking for a confortable sporty bike to bring his girl along...
It's not the fastest and probably a bit older than what he's looking for but I've had a Suzuki RF900 from 97 and I believe that it would match his query.
Enough power to have fun... Looked quite sporty (for the 90s)
Really comfortable and a bulletproof engine...
To top it off they're not too expensive to get your hands on so it could be worth having a look at it 😅
Always look forward to this vlog , keep em coming 👏
I experienced with you, first hand the way you need to ride on the road for magazine photos. Totally exaggerated and slow as you like. Thanks for the experience! 👍🏼🍻
Absolutely love watching these videos Neevesy! Thanks!
On a platform where there are soooo many opinions and pointers from “experts” the cream always rises to the top…. And you are right up there mate! ❤
Excellent as always. Thanks so much! Blackbird of course.
I ride my bike round corners like I drive an hgv round a corner…only as fast as I can stop in the distance I can see. I’ve sort of only got one speed on the corners I go round, doesn’t matter what bike I’m on. Which is how I know my body position is wrong on one of the bikes I’ve got which the last video made me realise Thank you again mate and well done for another great video
Another great Vid - great to hear a real point of view from someone with a world of REAL experience without the BS . Keep it up neevesy
Hi Michael, great channel, great questions from everyone.
Would just like to thank you for one of your MCN reviews of super(hyper)nakeds you did a few years back.
Reviewing many of the best nakeds on the market, 2 years in a row the Aprilia Tuono 1100 factory won the group tests.
To which, I bought a 2020 factory, with EC2 suspension and it is absolutely, without doubt a beautiful, crazy, sexy machine, that makes me smile every time I open my garage and take it for a ride.
So thanks again.
Always watch you vids, great work.
As usual good content with clear and precise responses. I particularly loved your response to the first question which to me is your typical “macho” road rider that thinks he (or she!) knows more about riding than actually is the case. Well done!
riding defensively is the whole of road riding - reading traffic, recognizing dangerous/unpredictable environments/situations. there's really nowhere on a public road you can enjoy a bike to its fullest, get rid of chicken strips. once you start recognising where you're rolling the dice and you ride often it doesn't make any sense. i'm thinking of getting something small just so i can enjoy the average corner on the commute more
such an informative video - thank you !!
Michael is correct on Defensive Riding. For example despite making eye contact with a driver coming the other way, she still pulled into my lane to pass a parked vehicle despite it obviously being my priority. Don't trust what you don't control. Human stupidity has no limits.
Another great vid! Cheers Neevesy always look forward to them 👍
My favourite bike of the nineties is the NR750. Only ever seen one in the flesh, at the Birmingham bike show. It wasn't on the Honda stand, but on a small trade stand in one of the side halls. I spent about forty minutes just staring at it.
Great stuff as always, I really appreciate your tips and advice in the MCN and videos etc. So for have got the disposable ear plugs you recommend (the green ones) which are so good and just having some Angel GT2 touring rubber put on my GSXR1000R for its summer French trip 👍🏻👍🏻☀️☀️
Really interesting vid & thanks for answering my question. Favourite 90's bike is probably the RGV250 as I used to own a 1994 & it took my breath away when I first hit that powervalve. It was my first quick bike, didn't cost too much & looked gorgeous in the black & dark pink. Also never had any issues with chicken strips on that for sure as it would telepathically just fall in to the corners.
Thanks for making these videos, great stuff😊 This isn’t really about chicken strips, but more about body position. Todays track riders hang of their bikes much more than before, scrubbing both knees and elbows. Isn’t that to be able to get on the throttle earlier? The more upright the bike is,the more throttle you can apply?
I enjoy your all work. I find it amusing that people assume that we didn't have the various riding techniques years ago. Admittedly, some track riding techniques have been introduced fairly recently, Doctor's Dangle comes to mind. Having been a DR in London in the early 80s, you quickly learnt the various techniques for quickly getting around the traffic, poor road surfaces and suicidal pedestrians (see MAD DOGS - Dispatch Riders) while keeping the cross-ply rubber down and no rider aids what-so-ever. So when people start discussing these "new techniques" like trail braking, the only thing that's new is someone has given a modern name to an age old technique. I smile inwardly when someone says the back brake is useless or they don't use it except at a slow stop as, like you, I use it a lot for a multitude of purposes like balancing the bike and not just slowing down.
Do you feel that, in the UK, all the fun is being taken out of riding and driving on the public roads? Constantly having to watch the speedo rather than the road seems, to me, a retrograde safety step. Now, is it just a case of getting from A to B in the most mundane way possible?
Great video really fascinating 👏
Road 5s by Michelin I ride a Kawasaki sx 1000 2017, I ride sensible mostly though Wales, dual carriage ways as little as possible A and B roads when out on the weekend ,but can hit road legal speeds, the last set I done 9000 miles, and this set is up to 3000+ miles, absolutely brilliant tyres, don't bounce any more so don't wish go down the road I'm 66 so try and ride sensible 😀
Best informative motorcycle professional by far, love your videos keep them coming!
Great info as always Neevesy, but you really need to move those pictures so that we can see them! 😂
Thanks for this! 👏
Interesting descriptions on CS. On the road, if you have some CS doesn't that mean you have "something left" for increasing your lean in an emergency to avoid something or an unexpected decreasing radius corner? These things happen on the road and not the track.
As usual a very thought provoking video Neevesy, always good, and some interesting thoughts on Chicken strips 😀 like you say a lot depends, also on tyre profile, etc, etc, re your accident at 24 and your thoughts on today, that my friend is just experience, one piece of advice my father imparted when I started riding at 17 back in the late 70's was.... treat everyone else on the road as though they are trying to kill you, that at the age I am now, did and has served me well.. over the years,
Although I've luckily never had a really bad I:e bone breaking accident, like yours sounds like it was, I've been off a few times, especially when I first started, just pushing the limits sometimes a little too far.. but then how do you know how far you can push, if you never find those limits, was my reasoning, back then... but the one that I remember the most and was the most unexpected, after years of riding, was in 2002 when I put my Fireblade in a ditch at relatively slow speed probably about 35-40mph, on a down hill off camber left hander... and was unconscious for a few moments that made me sit up and think, quite literally... took me about 8 months to get my mojo back after that one on left handers, but these days well last year tbh, I've stopped riding for various reasons after about 50 years in the seat, miss it a little at times, but due to current circumstances, it is what it is sadly... and I miss those days when a bunch of us would ride down to the The South of France and hoon about for a week, or so on some of the best roads, mainly because of the Fast Bikes crew, and the PB video's doing that,... great times I really miss sometimes, but great memories.
Interesting that comment about selling bikes you love for what ever reason... mainly in my case either because I've had to for financial reasons or I've seen something else I want more than what I have, but the ones I regret the most are not in any order, but 97 CBR900RRV Fireblade, Honda VTR SP1, my first GSXR1000K5, GSXR750Y and back in the 80's a Honda CBX-6
Tyre profile is a big one.
My MT-09 came on Bridgestone’s excellent S22.
They have a fairly flat profile and you will get close the edge without even riding the bike all that hard.
I’ve recently replaced them with a set of Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE.
The Metzelers are much steeper and I’m significantly further from the edge.
Top vids these Neevesy, now could you pop to Werrington and sort my Mt09 sp's suspension out, does my head in!
Thank you for putting this together.
Thanks again mate.
Interesting take on the photo shoot riding style, I did a track day shoot for Japanese performance in my old evo 5. We had to follow a camera car , in first gear at 5mph. The photographer then made the shots look fast with editing
Yes, riding my remapped unrestricted gsxs 1000 compared to the oem map, i totally get it re softer and lower power mapping in lower gears. However i do think it can help to teach throttle and brake application to an extent? Something we had to do more in the 80s and 90s especially. New riders maybe dont develop that instinct so much these days because of rider aids?
Two questions: Are there any motorcycles that you didn’t like the look of at first that began to appeal to you later? What is the perfect amount of horsepower for the street? Both of my answers to these questions came in the form of my current 2009 Speed Triple. Used to not like the bug eye headlights but now love them. Also, that triple puts out just the right amount of HP/Torque for street and occasional track use.
you had a Tmax! nice! I miss mine.
R.E. various comments about Chicken Strips in this and previous vids........
Such as......that you don't need to lean over to the max to go fast....I get that!
That keeping the bike more upright in corners is a safer way to ride than with big lean.....I get that!
That having CS's doesn't prove you are a slow rider......I get that too!
Comments that it's the people who have chicken strips who tend to get the most hung-up over the subject. I can see that.
Therefore, I can understand and agree with the vast majority of opinons from both camps on the subject. But something that I haven't seen anybody mention about CS's so far is........FUN.
I personally don't have CS's, as I REALLY ENJOY getting the bike leant as far over on it's ear'ole as I possibly can every now and again. I get a bigger thrill out of that than doing insane intergalatic warp factor speeds. I know it's not the safest or quickest way to take a corner, but getting big lean angle is Fun with a capital F, at least to me.
So.......does my lack of strips mean I'm a faster or better rider than those who have big chickies? No, not at all......we all get our motahsicklin' kicks in different ways.
Lets face it though, on the whole motorcycling is largely a dangerous pursuit, but it's those various elements of danger and risk which make riding a bike such an exciting and thrilling thing to do. If those danger elements were largely reduced or even taken away completely, then I'm sure it wouldn't be so appealing to many many riders.
Thanks for the brill vids Neevsey, abso LOVE this channel.
True. Everyone gets to pick their own risks🎉
Awesome bud cheers 👍🏻
Michael, I used to phone the MCN grand Prix hotline. Listening to Mat Oxleys report was the only way to find out who won the 500cc race if you didn't want to wait until Wednesdays MCN!!🤣
I'm approaching the end of my motorcycle journey that began in the early sixties...Bonnies, Beezers, Dommies and Tritons...During that time I've seen huge improvements in Frame geometry technology, tires and engines..l currently run Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 tires on my 2014 Street Triple 675 R... they are more than adequate for road riding on Spains excellent roads ..(15mm chicken strip).. As for staying alert..... l was T-boned in 1979..now, l treat all Cagers as possible assassins ...''Sorry Mate l didn't see You''...being their usual excuse.. Inattentional blindness...is a real phenomena... those not aware of the condition, check it out...explains much about ..Sorry Mate l didn't see You.!!... Great content and advice as usual Micheal ... Motociclistas, el Ultimo de los Espiritus Libres
Great channel Michael 👍🏼
As a lambretta owner im in the same boat...riding one in Italy would be a dream....PS Street triple R owner also..😂
I’ve got lamy gp 200 with ts1 conversion and st r/s both great in there own way
@@christopherfranks6335 me too..plus a Spanish winter and a RB cut-down
I have no chicken strips on my Triumph Tiger 660 with paniers after a years riding. I still have chicken strips on my Triumph Daytona and ride it twice as much, 150% faster, and on much more twisty roads, etc. It would take putting it on a track or counter leaning (forcing the bike down vs the body) like the road goofs do to get them off.
I'm about to ride my first ever track day at Laguna Seca here on the Monterey Bay Ca., USA. on my new 2023 MT-09-SP. I see a lot of media test riders talking about turning off their ABS completely while on track because when it kicks in, it really throws them off balance. The MT-09 doesn't allow for dis-engagement with the controls; but only allows turning it down to its lowest intervention setting which is where I have it while practicing in the twisties. It only comes in when I go so hard on the front brake, while in a straight line, that I'm expecting to do a stoppie before I finally feel the ABS kick in. Should I worry about trying to pull the ABS fuse? Would you? I'll likely be riding harder than I ever have and I don't want any scary surprises if I'm braking hard just as I'm about to lean in. Please share your thoughts on ABS on a track day.
What did you do and what happened?
Great watch-question. understand ,Corning at lower gear help to corner tighter but why is that ?
Thanks Mark
Hi Michael, really enjoy your videos, keep 'coming.
My question. I am about to test ride 3 bikes for taking my partner and I on some big European tours from Corfu where we live.
1. BMW R1250RT. The ultimate 2 up tourer but perhaps a bit big physically for Corfiot roads?
2. Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer. The patriotic choice but I'm a bit concerned by the reports of annoying vibrations at motorway cruising speeds.
3. Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S. The least powerful of the trio for 2 up but the one pulling at my heartstrings.
Have you any comments as you've ridden them all? Thanks.
With regards to avoiding collisions with other road users, one piece of advice I heard was to be careful of anything with a larger ratio of total weight to brain weight than you.
This tends to be good advice, especially if you ad an adjustment factor for brain weight for anyone on a phone: Multiply their brain weight by zero.
I am an intermediate level trackway rider on a 675, my right hand corners are really coming along now, good body position and knee always planted, my lefts are awful, I feel unnatural and don't get my knee down and just feel tense, is this normal? Is there a cure?! Love the vids keep them coming 😊
Leaving your safety to others….very informing. Good stuff. 👍🤪🏳️🌈
Best bike of the 90's? Has to be the humble CBR600F. I've been lucky to own some exotica over the years but the one bike that proved to me that for the road you only need 100bhp, decent comfort, handling and range was my 92 CBR600F in its shell suit black, purple & pink colour scheme. 54000 social miles in 18mths, not one issue, it stopped me buying more expensive bikes that weren't real world better. Now I want something similar but there just isn't the almost perfect sports bike, almost perfect touring bike, almost perfect commuter, almost perfect track bike, almost perfect pub bike package with just enough bhp and £ to it. I guess the market is more about categories for sales than true allrounders like the CBR600F was. What say you Neevesy?
I think the answers to the first and second questions are linked. In my youth I had no discernable chicken strips as I went round corners not worrying enough about what might be just out of sight. Now I am always mindful of hidden dangers and leave a bit more of a safety margin. Funnily enough I never heard this phrase back in the 90s. Although I have to admit to checking out others tyre wear pattern at bike stops. Shame on me.😬
Thanks as always Neevsey. Question - Has your job affected the person you are and if so, how?
Hi Michael, loving the vids. I have a GSX-S1000 GT as my main bike and I'm looking for a fun Sunday blast style bike. Doesn't need to be mega powerful, just mega fun! What would you recommend?
GSX-8S
Just class 😁😎
Question about helmets for you. I have shifted from race reps to a Speed Twin 1200 (for all the well know reasons) and it’s clear my RX-7V isn’t ideal for this style of riding (noisy, quite a lot of drag, etc) so wondered what the best type of helmet would be for me to get next? Retro (Rapide), Road (Quantic) or even an ADV (Tour X4 -without the peak?) - I have an Arai head as you can guess! When you buy a helmet you can’t try it out on a ride first, so any thoughts you have would be great. (we’ve spoken a few times when I’ve been racing my MZ with Bemsee 👍)
Hi Neevsey, are there any Harley Davidson's you enjoy riding? I live in Japan and have an XR1200 which I've seen you review back in the day! It handles very well and is a raw, crude biking experience! I've always been a sports bike fan but in a similar way to your wanting to ride a scooter on a sunny day, a Harley can be a nice experience just for the sake of riding.
Hi Michael, from across the pond I thank you for all the great content! I've become a bit of a track-day addict here in the States and run a 2022 BMW S1000RR (with the DDC). I love the bike, and other than exhaust, body work, rear sets, levers, engine tune, track tires, etc. have left it stock. As a fellow BMW rider, I'm interested in your opinion as to what is the best track-focused upgrade over OEM?
One of the fastest guys I ride with always has “chicken strips”. It’s just a different riding style, he’s fast as hell.
Fast as hell on the road ? Very different to fast as hell on track- very few racers - even club level - have chicken strips
Great answers - Yoda for bikers, can't knock any of those answers. Question - I'm on a Blackbird, 3 years off, and come back to the old girl in the garage. She's still overkill for the road, and looking for something fun enough to track day, faired enough to commute (60mls) and chuck some panniers on, more usable and license safe and can do ULEZ. The newer VFR doesn't excite for me, Duc Supersport is a bit lovely but "belts" and I like more cylinders (had V twins). I'm struggling to find the bike, maybe Triumph Sprint ST or older VFR, what else is there?
Amazing ❤
Hi Neevesy
Just a small tyre question
Would it be safe to use say a pirelli rosso corsa 4 front tyre and a normal rosso 4 on the rear?
So a softer sticky front tyre and harder rear tyre for a bit more longevity
I ride a street fighter v4 and like spirited riding and go and ride in Spain for better quiet roads
Hope I get the chance to hear your view
Many thanks
Ben
well, I don't make it a life goal to get rid of the strips however, I do feel a degree of satisfaction when I see them getting thinner and thinner :)) However they can be misleading. I ride a lot of hilly/mountainy roads with tight hairpins, decent inclines and off cambers. Take a couple of those ones at 20-30 kph and the strips will be almost gone. Does it mean I went faster if my strips go down from 1cm to 2-3 mms on the same roads, in the same weather conditions, with the same body position and so on? I guess ... or maybe I just leaned the bike more because whatever reason and I didn't realize.
Oh and that bike I had…the insane Yamaha RD250LC…..utterly bonkers….
Love these chats. I’ve finally ridden my recently purchased SportClassic - it’s great fun and handles really nicely. It feels tiny compared to my other bike and the riding position reminds me of the old 400s - right over the front end. Glad I got this, although I might need to visit the chiropractor soon… the SP2 is far more comfortable. 😂 Thanks for the encouragement to get one. 👍 What are your thoughts on the push toward electrification of vehicles, including bikes? Personally, I don’t see the logic in pushing electric versus alternative fuels that can leverage existing engines and technology and have a fuel distribution network already available when you consider the environmental cost of producing the vehicles, generating the electricity, etc.
You could just go back to horse and cart?
Electric is maximum torque, always. No gears, no waiting for revs to rise, no trying to get into the powerband because you're already in it, always.
Fuel delivery network - you think driving to a petrol station is more convenient than just plugging it in at home, work, etc?
You think it's better to have 1000s of petrol tankers driving on our roads than just using the electricity grid?
Milk floats were electric nearly 100 years ago. And they could deliver milk all day on a Saturday on a single charge, from 6am to 4pm. It's been an utter disgrace the delay in switching to electric.
Won't it be nice to have genuine fresh air even in cities with 10s of millions of people?
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now I had an electric car and it was a pain in the backside for long journeys. It always makes me laugh when people say you can just plug these things in at home. Not quite so convenient in an apartment block. There’s also the significantly higher environmental impact of making these vehicles. Those ships that transport stuff for electric vehicles and the machines used to extract materials for batteries are far worse than the lorries transporting fuel (and they can also be powered by synthetic fuels, whereas they cannot be powered by electricity).
I'd love to see these released as podcasts. Is there any chance of that happening?
Maybe one day...
If the guy really cares about his pillion (I'm sure he does), maybe the gsx-s1000 gt would be the ticket. Suzuki seems to have a knack for ergos that are comfy but put you somewhat over the front wheel, and 150hp should at least keep the pillion entertained...what a world.
If you were to own a classic bike what would it be?
Like your comment about riding a scooter somewhere hot - doing Vietnam in January on similar (after spending almost a lifetime on full sized bikes).
(Really regret not meeting you at the Bird In Hand pub near Lotus Cars in Norfolk - Dave Blundel was meeting you there.)
trail braking, do you ever lockup rear wheel and crash?