So........ Next bike?

I love my CBR500R. It corners well, its sporty without being aggressive, its fun on the twisties, It will cruise all day at 70 and its comfortable. I have a barbeque rack on it and I just bought a pannier rack, I've only had it for 8 months so I'm not finished wringing the joy out of it yet, but ....... There is a point when I get away from the twisties or out of the city and onto the boring highway and up to about 85mm when I don't want to be working quite that hard. I'd like the same bike just a little more power please. 70BHP?

I'm not sue I want to go to the CBR600RR. An aggressive 4 in line where you need to rev hard to get anywhere. The VFR is a wonderful engine but the bike is just ....fat. Ideally Honda San would take the parallel twin and make it a bit bigger or stick another cylinder on the side and make the same bike as a triple (mostly the same parts).

What should my new bike be?

New ninja 650? That’s touching the 70bhp mark from a twin I believe, not too aggressive riding position.

CBR650R id say is the obvious upgrade choice, roughly 90bhp and similar looks and riding position to your current bike, is a revvy in-line 4 though

Have you test ridden any of these Honda's yet?

That would be my next move in your situation.

Cbr600r is not as "peaky" as the magazine testers make out.

Vfr has always been a brilliant all-rounder. Agreed it's physically larger/heavier than what you're used too, but it's also a much more capable bike. Nimble in the Twisties, comfy on long distances - even 2-up, capable of going the far side of 150 if that's your thing.

Cbr650r is the spiritual successor to the brilliant cbr600f (fs). Not ridden one, but seen some of the cbr650 cup series a year or 2 ago - very stable and predictable as track bikes- no obvious vices.

Does your next bike have to be a Honda?

So you want a sports bike but are not keen on a 600cc inline 4 and like the VFR but it’s too tourer ish and heavy?.

You clearly want an Aprilia RSV4 .

Some in line 4's have a good deal of mid-range too, especially the old school carb'd ones, I don't know about the new injected ones.

The power delivery is different anyways, and the feel, and the sound is glorious with a good quality exhaust.

Low end power is next to 0 with inline 4's, under 3000 rpm there are no guts and the engine feels strained.

Some in line 4's have a good deal of mid-range too, especially the old school carb'd ones, I don't know about the new injected ones.

The power delivery is different anyways, and the feel, and the sound is glorious with a good quality exhaust.

Low end power is next to 0 with inline 4's, under 3000 rpm there are no guts and the engine feels strained.

Not strictly true. With a red line at 9500 my il4 has plenty of torque an power available below 3000 rpm.

But it is a 1250 sports tourer.

Fireblade

Triumph Street Triple 675

Does everything, light, nimble, easy to ride and sounds brilliant. Probably the best all round bike I've ever ridden and not too expensive to buy and 100BHP

Triumph Street Triple 675

Does everything, light, nimble, easy to ride and sounds brilliant. Probably the best all round bike I've ever ridden and not too expensive to buy and 100BHP

This is great advice

Triumph Street Triple 675

Does everything, light, nimble, easy to ride and sounds brilliant. Probably the best all round bike I've ever ridden and not too expensive to buy and 100BHP

 

This is great advice

One of the guys rode this bike to Germany with us last year.. so its very capable and not purely a 'street' bike as its name suggests. You can tour on it too.

Some in line 4's have a good deal of mid-range too, especially the old school carb'd ones, I don't know about the new injected ones.

The power delivery is different anyways, and the feel, and the sound is glorious with a good quality exhaust.

Low end power is next to 0 with inline 4's, under 3000 rpm there are no guts and the engine feels strained.

I’ve never found power lacking on any inline 4s I’ve owned to be honest, they do need more revs than a twin in general though.

I'd go zx6r but get the 636 its soooooo much fun and not lacking in power at all also you really don't need to use much revs to get it going really rather rapidly......just keep clicking up the box

up to about 85mm when I don't want to be working quite that hard.

Are you pedalling it?

Are you pedalling it?