06-02-2020, 11:18 AM
to answer questions about other safety features besides ABS, this is the assessment of what hinders me from being my best on the road:
*braking, that's what the ABS is for
*rain performance, this is a multi-part problem. I could have some better performing tires if my wheels weren't 18". I could have traction control and rain modes on most modern motorcycles to increase my stability in the rain. I've been riding many years in rainy conditions and though i'm quite used to compensating, you never know how a bit of technology can make all the difference in an emergency. just "being a better rider" isn't all there is to it. There's no reason not to take advantages of the tools that are available to me. I can be a better rider on top of that and be that much better than somebody who does the same without the tools.
*Wind. This is another thing i've grown really used to over the years, as I've never really had a bike with any significant wind protection. it buffets me, i compensate, but all that takes a bit of my concentration and makes me more rigid at the helm. Another thing that can come into play in an emergency. I have a theory that a bit of added comfort can go a long way to keeping me loose and aware.
*Heat. again, i'm a year round commuter. so i ride in winter conditions. It doesn't get dreadfully cold in Charleston, but it certainly hits the 30s at times. the pain of frosted fingers and other parts from riding a naked bike in those conditions is something that i've always been plagued with. it saps my strength and awareness. there are times i've gotten to work in the cold and been unable to remember anything at all specific about the ride in. like i was on autopilot just zoning out to get through the cold. I think a bike with heated grips and a heated seat could go a long way combined with wind protection and some upgraded gear. a lot longer than just upgrading my gear. Taking away this huge distraction in the winter enhances my safety.
*Suspension. this is about stability in turns when on recreational rides or on steep hairpin onramps.
Aside from the safety aspects, It occurs to me that this whole escapade is going to cost me thousands of dollars, so i might as well get some other purely recreational perks out of the deal. having a second bike affords me the opportunity to get something that can do things my CB can't do. such as tour much longer distances, bring my wife 2 up comfortably (she rides her own ride, but not long distances), or just plain have a bigger gas tank and more efficiency so that i don't have to fill up every 3 days. Features like accerssory connectors and storage capabilities also fall under this "just because" category.
I have to address this: The gear indicator thing is more of an annoyance and an indignance than it is about need. it's such a simple basic piece of tech that is available on even $5000 bikes. the Versys 1000 was a $16000 bike with gobs of features and technology and it's like they just forgot to add a gear indicator. I did some looking and it seems like everybody just adds aftermarket ones, but seriously, if i pay that much for a modern motorcycle things like that just shouldn't be overlooked. It's like a common courtesy.
basically, it's not about need i just found it annoying, and i tend not to spend my money on annoying. i'm not saying it disqualifies a versys entirely, i'm just saying....points against.
*braking, that's what the ABS is for
*rain performance, this is a multi-part problem. I could have some better performing tires if my wheels weren't 18". I could have traction control and rain modes on most modern motorcycles to increase my stability in the rain. I've been riding many years in rainy conditions and though i'm quite used to compensating, you never know how a bit of technology can make all the difference in an emergency. just "being a better rider" isn't all there is to it. There's no reason not to take advantages of the tools that are available to me. I can be a better rider on top of that and be that much better than somebody who does the same without the tools.
*Wind. This is another thing i've grown really used to over the years, as I've never really had a bike with any significant wind protection. it buffets me, i compensate, but all that takes a bit of my concentration and makes me more rigid at the helm. Another thing that can come into play in an emergency. I have a theory that a bit of added comfort can go a long way to keeping me loose and aware.
*Heat. again, i'm a year round commuter. so i ride in winter conditions. It doesn't get dreadfully cold in Charleston, but it certainly hits the 30s at times. the pain of frosted fingers and other parts from riding a naked bike in those conditions is something that i've always been plagued with. it saps my strength and awareness. there are times i've gotten to work in the cold and been unable to remember anything at all specific about the ride in. like i was on autopilot just zoning out to get through the cold. I think a bike with heated grips and a heated seat could go a long way combined with wind protection and some upgraded gear. a lot longer than just upgrading my gear. Taking away this huge distraction in the winter enhances my safety.
*Suspension. this is about stability in turns when on recreational rides or on steep hairpin onramps.
Aside from the safety aspects, It occurs to me that this whole escapade is going to cost me thousands of dollars, so i might as well get some other purely recreational perks out of the deal. having a second bike affords me the opportunity to get something that can do things my CB can't do. such as tour much longer distances, bring my wife 2 up comfortably (she rides her own ride, but not long distances), or just plain have a bigger gas tank and more efficiency so that i don't have to fill up every 3 days. Features like accerssory connectors and storage capabilities also fall under this "just because" category.
(06-02-2020, 09:54 AM)VLJ_imp Wrote: The V-Strom 650 is scarcely any smaller than the 1000. It's just lighter and more manageable, and delivers its power at higher RPM. Otherwise, it's available with all the same safety tech.
As for the VFR800, no one in real life rides them at the same RPM one rides a CB1100, so there is no point in comparing their bottom-end power, at least as it pertains to a given RPM. The VFR revs much more quickly, and much more, period. As a result, you're never down in the 2-3,000 RPM range for long on a VFR, as you nearly always are on the CB. Take off from a stoplight, however, or accelerate practically anywhere, and it will smoke a CB1100. Sure, you're nearly always riding in a higher RPM range, but so what? That's how it's ridden in the real world. In fact, that's how it's designed to be ridden. Plus, yes, the top end is in a different league altogether. The CB is all about smooth, effortless, linear, leisurely acceleration. It never leaps or lunges. It never accelerates hard, not even off the very bottom. It simply steams forward, like a locomotive. The VFR is somewhat similar, in that it prioritizes linearity over peak numbers, but it always accelerates harder than the CB. It's a much lighter sport-touring bike with more HP.
Most bikes don't come with gear indicators. It's not a big deal. That's how we all rode, for most of our lives. You quickly learn your motor, to the point that you can always tell by the sound, feel, and RPM what gear you're in. Gear indicators are nice to have, but not essential. They're especially not essential for a commuter bike, with redlines never coming into play.
As for the safety factor, the only important technology your CB lacks is ABS, which, as you know, is available on certain CB models. Unless you're commuting in the rain, even ABS really isn't all that important. Again, it's better to have it, but it's not essential. Most people never engage their ABS in the entire time they own the bike, except to test it out when they first get the thing out on a straight, deserted road. There, they test it out at about thirty mph, in a controlled drill. In the real world, on dry pavement, riding normally, people rarely brake hard enough to engage it.
If you do a lot of rain riding, by all means, insist on ABS. Traction control is not important on a basic commuter bike. It's important for high-hp bikes that have the ability to overpower their rear tires with only a decent handful of throttle. A KTM Super Duke R needs traction control. A CB1100 does not. Neither do many of the bikes on your list. From among your stated options, probably only the Versys 1000 might ever need it. Maybe the V-Strom 1000, but not really.
I have to address this: The gear indicator thing is more of an annoyance and an indignance than it is about need. it's such a simple basic piece of tech that is available on even $5000 bikes. the Versys 1000 was a $16000 bike with gobs of features and technology and it's like they just forgot to add a gear indicator. I did some looking and it seems like everybody just adds aftermarket ones, but seriously, if i pay that much for a modern motorcycle things like that just shouldn't be overlooked. It's like a common courtesy.
basically, it's not about need i just found it annoying, and i tend not to spend my money on annoying. i'm not saying it disqualifies a versys entirely, i'm just saying....points against.