Any motorcyclists on this forum?

[Chr1]

Have to say that I agree. The 390 will be great to re-familiarise yourself with motorcycles, but you may find you want something with a bit more power after a while. Why not buy something like it secondhand initially, as you can sell it on, once you are acclimatised to two wheels again, if you decide you'd like a bit more power.

 

[Chr1]

Funniest bike I ever ride/own. Totally flickeable thanks to the low weight and size. Also, as being 2 cylinder, good torque from really low RPMs. Last but not least, it's not an expensive bike, around 11K EUR in Spain.
I love the around 100 HP bikes on track, as (for my expertise) I could ride it at high paces. I tried some 1000cc superbikes and they are totally out of my league, and not much faster in 90% of circuits for me. Love the Tuono V4, but the 2 x price also comes with less fun!

Regarding indicartors and and plate, peaky easy, just a couple of bolts and connectors. A 15 min job the first time, now its a less than 10 min.
I also remove the passanger footpegs (2 bolts each) and the rear seat for the cowl.

I agree. Love the new range of ~100hp sporty twins and triples. On a track most mere mortals will likely be way faster on them than a 200hp litre bike. I am almost 60 and doubt I'd have the strength (or kahoonas) to wrestle 200hp round a track these days. Your Aprilia is a very good option for anyone wanting a proper track weapon, plus awesome sportsbike for the road, all in one. You can also spend the money saved on insuring a liter bike on trackdays too. Win win.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Have to say that I agree. The 390 will be great to re-familiarise yourself with motorcycles, but you may find you want something with a bit more power after a while. Why not buy something like it secondhand initially, as you can sell it on, once you are acclimatised to two wheels again, if you decide you'd like a bit more power.

Thank you Chr1. At the age of 81, if I mentioned getting a motorbike for myself to my wife, she would not agree to it.
Really, I should dig my pedal bike out of the garage, and she if I can still ride that!

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Thank you Chr1. At the age of 81, if I mentioned getting a motorbike for myself to my wife, she would not agree to it.
Really, I should dig my pedal bike out of the garage, and she if I can still ride that!

H'mm, "see".

 

[EJ3]

I agree. Love the new range of ~100hp sporty twins and triples. On a track most mere mortals will likely be way faster on them than a 200hp litre bike. I am almost 60 and doubt I'd have the strength (or kahoonas) to wrestle 200hp round a track these days. Your Aprilia is a very good option for anyone wanting a proper track weapon, plus awesome sportsbike for the road, all in one. You can also spend the money saved on insuring a liter bike on trackdays too. Win win.

I have always liked the mid to upper mid tier bikes better (if my goal was on road handling). They either fit me better or I fit them better.
But, normally (while I have ridden them & enjoyed them): my goal has never been a track bike. That, for me, is too specialized.
I always have liked the freedom of leaving the roadway AND having my woman with me (or perhaps on her own bike).
But, either way, the 1 liter+ (even the 3/4 liter ones) bikes were rarely my weapon of choice.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Honest. After the Kawasaki Z200 of yore, 390cc's would be more than enough!

I am impressed! You must be nice trim fit European. Put 275 pounds of American fat on those small bikes and it kills the performance. I wish I was 70 pounds lighter....

 

[EJ3]

I am impressed! You must be nice trim fit European. Put 275 pounds of American fat on those small bikes and it kills the performance. I wish I was 70 pounds lighter....

Muscle weighs 1/3 more than fat.
At 5'8 & 245 lbs there is not much fat here. I am an American/European MUTT.
I find a lot of Europeans (in Austria & Germany) to be fat in comparison. Probably the cheese (I do not like many cheeses but my Austrian mother never met a cheese that she did not like) & the GREAT beer.
(Asians, on the other hand, not so much).
But my (Asian) wife had much more brittle bones until I got her into vitamin K2 & D3. (and adding some milk products to her diet)
Her bones are much more dense now. (yep, she's a bit heavier now, too [102 vs 94 lbs.]).

 

[wandulus]

I agree. Love the new range of ~100hp sporty twins and triples. On a track most mere mortals will likely be way faster on them than a 200hp litre bike. I am almost 60 and doubt I'd have the strength (or kahoonas) to wrestle 200hp round a track these days. Your Aprilia is a very good option for anyone wanting a proper track weapon, plus awesome sportsbike for the road, all in one. You can also spend the money saved on insuring a liter bike on trackdays too. Win win.

Totally agree.
I'm 43 and fit (I race in cycling at national level) but the Superbikes are too much for me.
It's a nice era for mid-weight bikes, with a lots of options and flavours. The decision over the Aprilia come from trying several options (MT09SP, Ducati Supersport, BMW F900R, Honda CB650r...), besides that it was on the short list, I could get the ex demo bike with extras, with a huge discount.

The only bike that now it's on my mind, is the Yammie XSR900GP, I think it's the most beatiful bike on the road nowadays.

 

[Chr1]

Posted this a while back. Along with your Aprilia, I'd have my two ideal track bikes, I reckon.

Actually, reckon I'd have to put lights on the Krämer, as it would be awesome in the city and on roads too...

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I am impressed! You must be nice trim fit European. Put 275 pounds of American fat on those small bikes and it kills the performance. I wish I was 70 pounds lighter....

Bless you. Trim fit no! Taking the coffee up in the morning is starting to seem daunting. All those stairs, and how come that with only two legs, we don't topple over backwards more often?

 

[wandulus]

Posted this a while back. Along with your Aprilia, I'd have my two ideal track bikes, I reckon.

Actually, reckon I'd have to put lights on the Krämer, as it would be awesome in the city and roads too...

Lovely bike.
If it cames to dreams, I would get a Britten V1000 as track toy!

 

[Chr1]

Had a poster of it on the wall as a youth. Awesome bike, but rare as hens teeth. A design classic. (You definitely wouldn't want to bin it on a track day!) Watched a great documentary about Britten and his v-twin racing at Daytona. Remember reading online about bikers in New Zealand rushing to save his bikes during an earth quake a few years ago.
Pretty much hand made the whole bike himself. Engine included.
Maverick extrordinaire!
Info here.

Edit : Seems his house featured on Grand Designs too. Link here.

 

[Sal1950]

Thank you Chr1. At the age of 81, if I mentioned getting a motorbike for myself to my wife, she would not agree to it.
Really, I should dig my pedal bike out of the garage, and she if I can still ride that!

They're running all over the resort where I live (both pedaled and w/power assit) with the training wheels on the back so you
can't fall over. Maybe she'll let you have one of them?

The only bike that now it's on my mind, is the Yammie XSR900GP,

I'll never understand the attraction of these type bikes for daily street riding ?
If you want a world class track bike, sure, and if your under 40 maybe, but to me they're just too dang uncomfortable.
I'd bet less than 5% of their owners are capable of using these tools to its capabilities ?
My Buell Cyclone and Ducati Monster offered more than enough handling & engine performance to suit any type reasonable
street activities while providing a fairly comfortable semi-upright riding position. With 100+ HP and 95flb torque it's more fun
than a barrel of moneys to ride. After dumping that huge garbage can factory exhaust and changing out a bunch of bodywork for carbon
fiber pieces, I had the dry weight right at 400lb. With the big bonus of having has classic H-D V-Twin sound.
I used to get a kick out of the looks on pedestrians faces when they would turn to see what kind of Harley was coming, only to see a sport bike. LOL

 

[Chr1]

Buell was super innovative like Britten. Damn shame they folded. Rim mounted discs, 6 pot calipers, belt drive, underslung shock etc.
The new breed of light midweight sportsbikes are made similarly. Great power to weight ratio, tyres and suspension. Removable lights and indicators for track use. Also, modern litre sports bikes are extremely expensive to insure and will actually be slower on the track and most roads, for most folks.
(Plus way more likely to land you in hospital too... Highsides, anyone?!)

 

[EJ3]

Buell was super innovative like Britten. Damn shame they folded. Rim mounted discs, 6 pot calipers, belt drive, underslung shock etc.

Buell is better than ever since no longer being tied to Harley Davidson (their dealer network is just not as big)

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[Chr1]

Doh. Looks like I am very out of touch. Thought they folded years ago. There must have been a hiccup years ago when I was still buying motorcycle magazines. Don't think that they've been on sale for years here in the UK tho.

 

[EJ3]

Doh. Looks like I am very out of touch. Thought they folded years ago. There must have been a hiccup years ago when I was still buying motorcycle magazines. Don't think that they've been on sale for years here in the UK tho.

I was of the same opinion as you: then I ran across this. As to where their dealerships are located...???

 

[CedarX]

Some fun with my newest ride (Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory) on the Valencia circuit, back in late September.

I know these are perfectly functional, but I can’t stop smiling when I see the training wheel(s) and imagine riding like this !!!

 

[wandulus]

They're running all over the resort where I live (both pedaled and w/power assit) with the training wheels on the back so you
can't fall over. Maybe she'll let you have one of them?


I'll never understand the attraction of these type bikes for daily street riding ?
If you want a world class track bike, sure, and if your under 40 maybe, but to me they're just too dang uncomfortable.
I'd bet less than 5% of their owners are capable of using these tools to its capabilities ?
My Buell Cyclone and Ducati Monster offered more than enough handling & engine performance to suit any type reasonable
street activities while providing a fairly comfortable semi-upright riding position. With 100+ HP and 95flb torque it's more fun
than a barrel of moneys to ride. After dumping that huge garbage can factory exhaust and changing out a bunch of bodywork for carbon
fiber pieces, I had the dry weight right at 400lb. With the big bonus of having has classic H-D V-Twin sound.
I used to get a kick out of the looks on pedestrians faces when they would turn to see what kind of Harley was coming, only to see a sport bike. LOL

View attachment 410217

I agree.

The XSR900GP is retro MotoGP themed, but based on naked bike:

Totally useful for everyday practices, and functional. I tried the fully naked version (XSR900) and its and excellent option. It's more confortable than a Monster 821, for example.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Had a poster of it on the wall as a youth. Awesome bike, but rare as hens teeth. A design classic. (You definitely wouldn't want to bin it on a track day!) Watched a great documentary about Britten and his v-twin racing at Daytona. Remember reading online about bikers in New Zealand rushing to save his bikes during an earth quake a few years ago.
Pretty much hand made the whole bike himself. Engine included.
Maverick extrordinaire!
Info here.

Edit : Seems his house featured on Grand Designs too. Link here.

They're running all over the resort where I live (both pedaled and w/power assit) with the training wheels on the back so you
can't fall over. Maybe she'll let you have one of them?


I'll never understand the attraction of these type bikes for daily street riding ?
If you want a world class track bike, sure, and if your under 40 maybe, but to me they're just too dang uncomfortable.
I'd bet less than 5% of their owners are capable of using these tools to its capabilities ?
My Buell Cyclone and Ducati Monster offered more than enough handling & engine performance to suit any type reasonable
street activities while providing a fairly comfortable semi-upright riding position. With 100+ HP and 95flb torque it's more fun
than a barrel of moneys to ride. After dumping that huge garbage can factory exhaust and changing out a bunch of bodywork for carbon
fiber pieces, I had the dry weight right at 400lb. With the big bonus of having has classic H-D V-Twin sound.
I used to get a kick out of the looks on pedestrians faces when they would turn to see what kind of Harley was coming, only to see a sport bike. LOL

View attachment 410217

Sal
I packed up driving a car three months ago. Had been clipping wing mirrors in tight situations over the last couple of years. Subsequently told my eyesight below driving standard. Technically I am a hazard to others by simply walking along the pavement. (Sorry, boardwalk.)