Another motorbike.....Ducati.... am I mad

[Gwil]

Because I'm not actually riding it. My limited free time over the recent years has been invested in Mountain Biking to get my adrenalin buzz and meet a needed exercise quota.
I love motorbikes and have since I was a kid - but the draconian war on the motorist (& the total ineptitude or dangerous attitude of "fellow motorists") has been relentlessly sucking the joy out of being on the road at all - and instead of a feeling of freedom on the bike - it was becoming an exercise in OTT clock-watching & waiting to be ambushed by some bell-end with a Hairdryer.
If I had the time & money to go ride the continent a lot, then I'd use a bike. But in Welsh drizzle and a very overzealous DPP..... its just not much fun anymore

I have to say if I lived in the busier parts of the UK, between the speed cameras and the horrendous traffic I'd no longer have a bike. Here I can ride 50 miles of perfect roads and pass a handful of cars, and my nearest traffic light is that far away!

 

[Tinbasherdan]

This followed me home today………

 

[Rannsachair]

This followed me home today………View attachment 359193

Nice bike, My wife's uncle has one for track days, watch your license......

 

[Hood]

You are getting brave

 

[GRW]

This followed me home today………View attachment 359193

I'd be a pedestrian (or a casualty) for the rest of my natural life if I allowed myself onto anything like this thing.
(I can resist anything except temptation ).
After all, what's the point in having Warp/Hyperdrive if you only ever use Impulse

 

[dobbslc]

This followed me home today………View attachment 359193

So what were you riding then?

 

[Tinbasherdan]

You are getting brave

View attachment 359194

Took me a minute! Brilliant

 

[addjunkie]

I'd be a pedestrian (or a casualty) for the rest of my natural life if I allowed myself onto anything like this thing.
(I can resist anything except temptation ).
After all, what's the point in having Warp/Hyperdrive if you only ever use Impulse

Id give it a try, but would last about 20 minutes before I was in agony!

 

[GRW]

Id give it a try, but would last about 20 minutes before I was in agony!

The position makes sense of you're "giving it the berries" in track attack mode - but totally wrong for anything else.
I lusted after a 'Blade for years - and when I finally felt I could afford one - I went and test rode one. I couldn't believe that I was underwhelmed and didn't actually enjoy it anything like as much as expected.
It was a missile and extremely competent.... but it made silly speed seem relatively unexciting (dangerous feeling at warp speed that!), & made 80-90mph feel like you could get off an walk beside it, cos it was so below what it was built and set up to do.
So, I bought a Honda X11 instead (weird naked thing with a re-tuned Blackbird engine in it). Not as capable as the Blade, but it made "pressing-on" into a highly entertaining affair, and it was ust so much more fun to ride.
Each to their own

 

[addjunkie]

The position makes sense of you're "giving it the berries" in track attack mode - but totally wrong for anything else.
I lusted after a 'Blade for years - and when I finally felt I could afford one - I went and test rode one. I couldn't believe that I was underwhelmed and didn't actually enjoy it anything like as much as expected.
It was a missile and extremely competent.... but it made silly speed seem relatively unexciting (dangerous feeling at warp speed that!), & made 80-90mph feel like you could get off an walk beside it, cos it was so below what it was built and set up to do.
So, I bought a Honda X11 instead (weird naked thing with a re-tuned Blackbird engine in it). Not as capable as the Blade, but it made "pressing-on" into a highly entertaining affair, and it was ust so much more fun to ride.
Each to their own

Tried a blade once down a runway when the cloud base was too low for skydiving and I agree with you. And your logic is why I like my xjr1300 it keeps speed sensible been naked. Bikes for me are about grinn factor, not bullet projectile speeds.

 

[Screwdriver]

The earlier Foxeye FireBlade was one of my favourite bikes ever, I've been through loads of them. Extremely comfortable, extremely capable it even made a really good commuter.

Then I got caught flat out down the M1. I believe I still have the speeding record for the West Midlands.

Ancient video. Recorded back in the 90's before GoPro was born, heck even YouTube hadn't been invented yet...

That is a 200 mph speedo.

 

[Hood]

There is a Polish lassie from Scotland who was going around the world on a fireblade, she seemed to find it ok.

https://www.youtube.com/c/RTWRoxy

 

[Bluemotion]

I used to have a Honda cb1300 with the fairing. It went fast enough but so bloody boring and predictable. After coming home from rides I’d never remember the experiences as it defeats the object of coming to life. It made me remember why I haven’t had a four pot in a fairing for such a long time as all my bikes for that last thirty years have been twins.

 

[julianthegypsy]

I sold my zx9r for the same reason. I was in agony after twenty minutes and it was just a missile. Hit the throttle and it would be at 140 before I even realized, with no sensation at all. Bought a 955i tiger on sprint wheels and front end instead. Bliss. I rode it thousands of very happy long distance miles and had a smoke every other time my mates filled their tanks because it would do 240 to a tank full. Happy days.

 

[stuvy]

Never had an issue on a blade for comfort Iv had 5 of them and love litre super bikes especially with no rider aids

 

[GRW]

Tried a blade once down a runway when the cloud base was too low for skydiving and I agree with you. And your logic is why I like my xjr1300 it keeps speed sensible been naked. Bikes for me are about grinn factor, not bullet projectile speeds.

My XJR I had a race shop (MH Racing I think) to re-spring and re-valve the soft very-underdamped stock forks that are the big girls biggest weakness and ruins the handling and braking potential.
That done,the big girl could boogie miles better than anybody thought - and was a really enjoyable bike to ride.
I did 30k on mine all over Europe, played on a drag-strip etc till a Horsey Bird in a Landy killed it (& had a good go at me too). Great bike (with better forks).

 

[Screwdriver]

I just found a pdf of an article from BIKE! magazine about me and my 'blade. I recognise some of the words and phrases but a lot of it is invention (mostly the bits that make me sound like a w@^£er).

Anyone wanna see it?

 

[Gragson]

I just found a pdf of an article from BIKE! magazine about me and my 'blade. I recognise some of the words and phrases but a lot of it is invention (mostly the bits that make me sound like a w@^£er).

Anyone wanna see it?

Yes, especially this bit - you asked for it

 

[Screwdriver]

 

[Gragson]

Good read