If you were going to buy a liter sport bike 2019-20...

[Capo]

When it comes to sport bikes, or today's naked sports machines like the Super Duke, you have to make your decision based on the engine. There is no use comparing specs...every modern liter bike will be far more than you can handle or is needed on public roads. In fact, even on under 2 mile courses for track days, liter bikes are overkill and rarely get out of 2nd gear. (I have a Daytona 675R for such endeavors and it's perfect.)

The character of the engine...V-twin, Triple, I-4, Cross-plane I-4, V4...is so important to the experience and preferences of the rider in this class of machines, that all of the other aspects pale. If you're not a V-Twin fan, you'll hate the Duke, no matter what. If you love silky I-4's then the CB1000RR SP could be just the ticket. But you're not likely to love both. So, think about that, determine what floats your boat, test as many as possible, and buy the one that makes you all tingly inside.

 

[the Ferret]

When it comes to sport bikes, or today's naked sports machines like the Super Duke, you have to make your decision based on the engine. There is no use comparing specs...every modern liter bike will be far more than you can handle or is needed on public roads. In fact, even on under 2 mile courses for track days, liter bikes are overkill and rarely get out of 2nd gear. (I have a Daytona 675R for such endeavors and it's perfect.)

The character of the engine...V-twin, Triple, I-4, Cross-plane I-4, V4...is so important to the experience and preferences of the rider in this class of machines, that all of the other aspects pale. If you're not a V-Twin fan, you'll hate the Duke, no matter what. If you love silky I-4's then the CB1000RR SP could be just the ticket. But you're not likely to love both. So, think about that, determine what floats your boat, test as many as possible, and buy the one that makes you all tingly inside.

Those are all great points Capo.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Indeed. Over the decades I have tended to gravitate back to inlines.

 

[jedd_imp]

Living in Austin, once a yr, during MotoGP week, I get to test ride just about ANY brand new m/c offered by the big mfrs.
All the big tents in the pic below are hosting free demo rides all day long.

This yr, I test rode the 2020 BMW S1000RR for a 25 min spirited ride on the rural farm roads surrounding the COTA track.

This bike is simply beyond incredible!
Docile enough to be street ridden all day long, yet has so much performance that it's track ready right from the get-go. Very confident inspiring at triple digits. It does everything so well. The quick shift automatically rev matches, up or down - the electronics pkg has so much technology packed into it, I didn't even have a chance to dial up anything, but the throttle!

 

[Novice_imp]

When it comes to sport bikes, or today's naked sports machines like the Super Duke, you have to make your decision based on the engine. There is no use comparing specs...every modern liter bike will be far more than you can handle or is needed on public roads. In fact, even on under 2 mile courses for track days, liter bikes are overkill and rarely get out of 2nd gear. (I have a Daytona 675R for such endeavors and it's perfect.)

The character of the engine...V-twin, Triple, I-4, Cross-plane I-4, V4...is so important to the experience and preferences of the rider in this class of machines, that all of the other aspects pale. If you're not a V-Twin fan, you'll hate the Duke, no matter what. If you love silky I-4's then the CB1000RR SP could be just the ticket. But you're not likely to love both. So, think about that, determine what floats your boat, test as many as possible, and buy the one that makes you all tingly inside.

Those are all great points Capo.

Those are all great points Capo.
Yes, all great points. I think of myself as an I4 person. However, I have never owned or ridden a twin other than a Harley I rented for a day, but I've been a fan of them from afar. Ducati, TL1000, RC51, Moto Guzzi Daytona, Super Duke, etc. the sound alone is enough to make me want one. I was trying to explain to the wife (not a rider) how much of a difference the sound of the bike makes in the riding experience, but she didn't get it. That being said, I'm not sure a big shaky shaky engine is right for me coming from I4s. But it's simply my lack of experience with them that makes me not want to rule them out. How do you know you don't like them if you've never tried one?
Jedd
Thank you! I have looked at the BMW S1000RR and they are awesome. I've even played with the build your bike feature on their website. For some reason though, I'm not as confident with their engineering as I am with the Japanese bikes. Maybe I'm wrong and someone will tell me based on their experience that they are just as solid as any Japanese bike.
Speaking of engines- Does anybody know if there's a practical difference and what it is between the CBR1000RR engine and the R1 crossplane engine other than the obvious engineering difference and the sound when riding them around?

 

[Cormanus]

When it comes to sport bikes, or today's naked sports machines like the Super Duke, you have to make your decision based on the engine. There is no use comparing specs...every modern liter bike will be far more than you can handle or is needed on public roads. In fact, even on under 2 mile courses for track days, liter bikes are overkill and rarely get out of 2nd gear. (I have a Daytona 675R for such endeavors and it's perfect.)

The character of the engine...V-twin, Triple, I-4, Cross-plane I-4, V4...is so important to the experience and preferences of the rider in this class of machines, that all of the other aspects pale. If you're not a V-Twin fan, you'll hate the Duke, no matter what. If you love silky I-4's then the CB1000RR SP could be just the ticket. But you're not likely to love both. So, think about that, determine what floats your boat, test as many as possible, and buy the one that makes you all tingly inside.

Those are all great points Capo.

Those are all great points Capo.
Yes, all great points. I think of myself as an I4 person. However, I have never owned or ridden a twin other than a Harley I rented for a day, but I've been a fan of them from afar. Ducati, TL1000, RC51, Moto Guzzi Daytona, Super Duke, etc. the sound alone is enough to make me want one. I was trying to explain to the wife (not a rider) how much of a difference the sound of the bike makes in the riding experience, but she didn't get it. That being said, I'm not sure a big shaky shaky engine is right for me coming from I4s. But it's simply my lack of experience with them that makes me not want to rule them out. How do you know you don't like them if you've never tried one?
Jedd
Thank you! I have looked at the BMW S1000RR and they are awesome. I've even played with the build your bike feature on their website. For some reason though, I'm not as confident with their engineering as I am with the Japanese bikes. Maybe I'm wrong and someone will tell me based on their experience that they are just as solid as any Japanese bike.
Speaking of engines- Does anybody know if there's a practical difference and what it is between the CBR1000RR engine and the R1 crossplane engine other than the obvious engineering difference and the sound when riding them around?

That's a wise observation. How many of your shortlist will you be able to test ride?

Members of this forum who own a number of bikes are able to reconcile themselves happily to different makes and styles of bike.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

"Big shaky" does NOT describe the characteristics of a modern high-performance V-Twin. Quite the contrary! You need to ride one.

If you love the S1000RR, that's a good start. I wouldn't hesitate to consider the engineering of the bike to be at the same level, if not superior, to the other brands you've mentioned. It's quite a high-tech thoroughbred. At least you can demo the bike any day you choose at your local dealer. However, my initial opinion about overkill for the street still applies.

 

[Henrik_imp]

I totally agree with the overkill for the street. Most of these top sports bikes are close to or just above 200 hp, which is just crazy. That was also one of the things that I appreciated with the Ducati 939 SuperSport as it quotes 113 hp, something much more realistic. As I mentioned before, at the track you may find it lacking, but on the street I really doubt it.

 

[Novice_imp]

I also agree it's overkill. The fact of the matter is that the CB is perfect for the street IMHO. Even though the it's nowhere near the power levels of the bikes we're talking about here, I broke every speed limit law in the U.S. yesterday while casual riding (just to keep up with traffic) and left everyone at every stop light (That was just for fun).

But...

From Ballad Of The Frogman (I'm not a frogman just like the sentiment) "Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards."

I did go kick the tires on the Ducati! No test ride though. I have a concern about the cost of aftermarket parts for Ducati in general. For example, one youtuber with a Ducati 959 was talking about the cost of slip on mufflers being a couple thousand dollars.

 

[the Ferret]

I think my son paid about $1500 for the slip on Termigoni's for his Ducati Monster (although there are two of them)

 

[Novice_imp]

Ferret how does your son find the front suspension and brakes on his MT-10? I watched a video and that was one point of criticism, not that they were bad by any means, just that the forks were a little soft and the brakes weren’t as aggressive as the reviewer would have liked.

 

[the Ferret]

His only complaint is the seat which he says is hard as a brick after 45 mins. He is like me, rides a pretty good pace for our curvy country roads, but is not an overly aggressive rider

 

[rboe]

Moto Guzzi (e.g. Griso or the Sport which is based on the Breva) might be good choices. They are CARC bikes and no longer made. You should find some new stock Griso's though. I had a Griso for about 6 years and while there was a lot to like, it just was not a good fit for me (physically, my legs are too long) I finally gave her up.

I'm pretty much motor agnostic, a good motor is a good motor and I can appreciate a really good motor. What I really liked about the Guzzi; working on the motor (e.g. valve adjustment) was dead simple. Most work can be done at home (which is good as the dealer network sucks).

However; to did a Guzzi it usually takes a 100 mile test ride and if you dig it you run the risk of becoming a guzzista - aka One of Them, aka Cheap Bas....., aka eccentric. I'd take a Guzzi over a Duc or Harley any day. I think I'd take a Honda over a Guzzi though. Your mileage may vary.

The only liter bikes I'm really attracted to today are adventure bikes, but mainly because I don't fold that well any more and I like leg room. Which is more important than cc's.

 

[Novice_imp]

I really like the BMWs, but then I see something like this:

2020 RR Post your mechanical issues

7 Pages of discussion about mechanical issues. Granted, they may not be anything of substance, but I generally just don't see that with Japanese bikes.

Moto Guzzi (e.g. Griso or the Sport which is based on the Breva) might be good choices. They are CARC bikes and no longer made. You should find some new stock Griso's though. I had a Griso for about 6 years and while there was a lot to like, it just was not a good fit for me (physically, my legs are too long) I finally gave her up.

I'm pretty much motor agnostic, a good motor is a good motor and I can appreciate a really good motor. What I really liked about the Guzzi; working on the motor (e.g. valve adjustment) was dead simple. Most work can be done at home (which is good as the dealer network sucks).

However; to did a Guzzi it usually takes a 100 mile test ride and if you dig it you run the risk of becoming a guzzista - aka One of Them, aka Cheap Bas....., aka eccentric. I'd take a Guzzi over a Duc or Harley any day. I think I'd take a Honda over a Guzzi though. Your mileage may vary.

The only liter bikes I'm really attracted to today are adventure bikes, but mainly because I don't fold that well any more and I like leg room. Which is more important than cc's.

I love Guzzis, but due to the limited dealership support and/or parts availability that pretty much rules them out as a practical matter for me.

It's the same with Aprilia. All the reviewers that ride motorcycles for free love the V4. I agree, it's an awesome sounding and performing engine and they are priced competitively. However, the bikes are complicated, not necessarily a bad thing, but the dealer support is limited so I'm ruling them out for now. I would probably be better of with a Ducati V4, if I wanted to go that route (not really)

 

[Cormanus]

I guess you've seen this article, Novice?

 

[Novice_imp]

I have not, just been following the overall scene. Thank you for the link!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I guess you've seen this article, Novice?

Some sic collection.

 

[MM300_imp]

Since I sold my CB I haven’t really thought about another full size bike. (Just hit 2500 miles on my Z125). I have occasionally wondered if I’ll ever get another bike but have had no idea what it might be. Nothing at my regular dealer looks interesting and I know I’m not to be trusted with a liter sport bike. I stopped at a different dealer last Thursday and saw the Kawi Z900...and now I know what I’d get.

 

[Jim21680_imp]

Buying a literbike is one thing.....but I honestly don't understand how people insure them. (Really, my brain does not comprehend it).

I remember getting quotes on them, and I would easily be paying more for the insurance per month than I would for the bike payment.
I'm a responsible 39-year old rider with a perfect history in a nice residential neighborhood, and the premiums are still insane.

Maybe it's different for others who live elsewhere. But I do see plenty of 20-somethings riding around on them, and I honestly do not understand how they afford it.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Perhaps they self-insure. That's what I do.