04-21-2014, 09:36 AM
The torque curve looks a lot more like my old Honda Sabre 1100 V-Twin than an older inline 4... in other words, a lot more torque immediately down low rather than a line that closely follows the HP line...
Having said that, your Bandit is about 100 lbs lighter has more HP and roughly the same torque (if the charts I looked up were accurate) so it would outpull the CB. But in real life, the quarter mile times are not that different, and as you said so well...
"The bandit in some ways has too much power... can't be rung out without getting into the triple digits..." This is the specific reason I will never go back to a full fledged sport bike. Even in my 50's, the temptation is simply too strong.
One of the reasons that the 250 and 300 CBR and Ninjas are selling as fast as they can, or the 125 Grom, or name any other smaller displacement phenomenon, is that all reviewers seem to love being able to wring them out without worrying about getting in over their heads.
Don't get me wrong, the CB has more than enough pull to get you into trouble, but it won't get you into trouble nearly as fast as the Bandit. Further, as others have pointed out, due to the ergos and the overall vibe of the machine, you don't feel like you have to ride it fast to enjoy it.
I honestly feel like some of the early reviews were done by riders used to the latest ZX-10 or whatever with comments along the lines of "... not exactly arm-stretching acceleration but..." etc. Having ridden many big V-twins and dual sports for the past few decades, I can tell you that the CB definitely DOES stretch my arms. Just enough.
I second the notion for a test ride. Try it and you will like it. I bought mine without ever swinging a leg over one based solely on the reviews in magazines and on the posts in this forum. It has not disappointed me in any aspect.
Having said that, your Bandit is about 100 lbs lighter has more HP and roughly the same torque (if the charts I looked up were accurate) so it would outpull the CB. But in real life, the quarter mile times are not that different, and as you said so well...
"The bandit in some ways has too much power... can't be rung out without getting into the triple digits..." This is the specific reason I will never go back to a full fledged sport bike. Even in my 50's, the temptation is simply too strong.
One of the reasons that the 250 and 300 CBR and Ninjas are selling as fast as they can, or the 125 Grom, or name any other smaller displacement phenomenon, is that all reviewers seem to love being able to wring them out without worrying about getting in over their heads.
Don't get me wrong, the CB has more than enough pull to get you into trouble, but it won't get you into trouble nearly as fast as the Bandit. Further, as others have pointed out, due to the ergos and the overall vibe of the machine, you don't feel like you have to ride it fast to enjoy it.
I honestly feel like some of the early reviews were done by riders used to the latest ZX-10 or whatever with comments along the lines of "... not exactly arm-stretching acceleration but..." etc. Having ridden many big V-twins and dual sports for the past few decades, I can tell you that the CB definitely DOES stretch my arms. Just enough.
I second the notion for a test ride. Try it and you will like it. I bought mine without ever swinging a leg over one based solely on the reviews in magazines and on the posts in this forum. It has not disappointed me in any aspect.