What bikes are just a lot of fun

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

There's a lot of fun to be had with some big brutal hairy arsed Kaw (he says, kicking himself for letting that GPz11 get away on the auction 30 minutes ago...)

Yeah, I've got an 1170 one of those in the garage, definitely fun in a straight line, the corners can be interesting.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Reading this thread, I think you first need to know what you find fun.

I was mainly asking what bikes everyone else found fun, not necessarily suggestions for a bike that I might find fun.

In my case it seems I like a bike that accelerates like a greyhound with mustard on it's balls.

[ZRX61]

That is a shame!

That thing was a frigging unicorn, but it was a bit rich for my blood. Sold for $9,000. With auction fee's, sales tax & transport it would have been $11,100. I could have bought it at that price, but just couldn't justify it.

Last year I turned down 2 GPz750's & 2 GPz11's *projects* for $1200, delivered to my door, but lacked the room. There was enough there to put both 11's & one of the 750's back on the road.
The stuff is out there, I bought 3 GPz750 projects for $300 several years ago... & one of them was a turbo. Someone offered me far too much money about a year or so later & away they went.

[ZRX61]

I also think the W800 is a fine looking thing too...

Check out the Kaw 250 Estrella. They've been making them since '92.

[Couchy]

I've been reading a fair bit about these this morning...




The fun word comes up a lot and they look good value. I was looking at classic bikes a while back and the constant maintenance put me off. I can do it, I'm just not sure that I want to.

Get the ‘sporty’ one and go overtake shit riders on fast bikes

[ZRX61]

Get the ‘sporty’ one and go overtake shit riders on fast bikes

I have a ZRX11 for that, but with 50% more HP than stock it's not just the shit riders on fast bikes that get passed. Thank fuck I upgraded the brakes too because it arrives at corners a bit faster than I prefer.

[The Spin Doctor]

Kawasaki AR80. Ten horsepower, feck all weight, first production bike with a rising rate rear end (I believe), one of the first with sintered pads in the front disc. Pulled wheelies off the throttle in first and second, pulled stoppies at red lights, and hit an indicated 65 mph. Absolute hoot to ride... wish I still had it, actually.

[A_morti]

Grom.
Entirely useless for touring, ridiculous looking once anyone sat on it, slower than many 125 twist and go's, but funner than a barrel of monkeys.

[FrannyStephLux]

I completely agree with you! Bikes like the SV650 that you can ride flat out are incredibly enjoyable because they let you fully engage with the ride without constantly worrying about speed limits or losing control. The SV650's balance of power and agility makes it a fantastic choice for both new riders and experienced enthusiasts. While high-performance bikes like the early 4XV R1 are thrilling, they often come with the risk of pushing limits too far. It's wise to choose a bike that aligns with your riding style and keeps the fun factor high without compromising safety.

[millemille]

I had a Trumpet 955i (T595) that I used to do trackdays on.
Overweight and ponderous (bike and rider!) but loved riding it.

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When I was racing my 748 in the Roadstock series the guy who was clearing up all the trophies was on a yellow 955i. He was a demon on the brakes. coming from way back and passing handfuls of us on each corner.

I could never work out whether it was intentional or whether he just couldn't stop the huge thing!

[v8-powered]

I was a a tough thing to turn, that's for sure - I had decent suspension on mine and it did handle OK but a little slow to turn. Brakes were pretty good to be fair.
You could feel the weight of it when on the brakes especially, among the group I used to TD with it was affectionally known as 'Pig Iron'

[weeksy]

I don't understand the love for the 690 either, the XT660 is a more fun bike, I only had a brief go on the 690 but I couldn't see the attraction some people rave about, I get the concept of a light and nippy big single, but found it sterile.

I still can't fathom why no-one makes an XT660X these days or similar, the 660x was as you say really really good. But with the added advantage of Japanese quality and reliability. Sure it was heavier than a true SM and the forks on an SM were cooler, but it held it's own for me on SM rideouts and even had the advantage that if you did lose out on a bendy bit slightly, it had more top end than a SM and was happy at 120+ mph to allow you to get the ground back you'd lost. They were slightly disappointing as stock, but with a power commander and an exhaust they were brilliant.

Deffo a bike i'd own again if that ever comes about.

[mangocrazy]

The 390 Duke is bananas it's tiny, and flickable AF - and having such a small engine, I can rag the shit out of it without finding myself accidentally tanking into a corner far too fast in those moments of enthusiasm over talent - it's difficult (not impossible ofc), to overdo it, while at the same time being a shit-ton of fun.

I reckon if I'd had it as my first bike back in the day I'd have become a better rider sharpish.

My lad had a 390 as his first bike, I had a few rides on it and I found it probably the most boring bike I've ever ridden - and I've had a 250 Superdream.

It's got a sewing machine for an engine and has zero soul, zero quirks or anything about it that could even be a little bit interesting.
So it's probably a good learner or commuter, but not much of a fun bike - unless you're in a one make race series or something, but then it's about competition and not the bike.
I don't understand the love for the 690 either, the XT660 is a more fun bike, I only had a brief go on the 690 but I couldn't see the attraction some people rave about, I get the concept of a light and nippy big single, but found it sterile.

Just goes to show that one person's meat is another person's poisson, n'est ce pas?

I'd say that my Duke 690 R is the most 'fun' bike I own, and that includes a 350LC, a Ducati 888 SP3 and an Aprilia Falco. It certainly has the KTM hooligan DNA in full measure, but you get your fun at sub-licence losing speeds. To me it's the very essence of 'fun'.

[dern]

I had one and I still say it was the best value for money bike I've ever owned, I customised it with all the best aftermarket bits and just enjoyed it.

What modifications did you make, other than the exhaust?

[Yorick]

My GSXR1000 with 200 gee gees is awesome fun, but it's not for everyone.

But me Gasgas 300 is awesome and can be enjoyed by riders of all abilities.
I ride the Gasgas more than the GSXR

[Horse]

A lot of fun for me is something that engages me, makes me work for it, like an old bike where you have to manually balance the air/fuel ratio with a lever on the handlebar, another lever does the ignition timing that you have to manually adjust depending on how you're riding, then you have the throttle/clutch/etc as well - it's taking all your senses to manage, whilst also enjoying the ride and feeling the bike mechanical parts doing their thing.

Bit of a contrast with today's EFI, ABS, TCS, engine and suspension 'modes', quick shifters ...


I lost contact with a guy who'd said I could use one of his bikes for the Pioneer Run

[mangocrazy]

Just goes to show that one person's meat is another person's poisson, n'est ce pas?

I'd say that my Duke 690 R is the most 'fun' bike I own, and that includes a 350LC, a Ducati 888 SP3 and an Aprilia Falco. It certainly has the KTM hooligan DNA in full measure, but you get your fun at sub-licence losing speeds. To me it's the very essence of 'fun'.

Yeah it depends on a lot of things, it's not so much what I do on a bike, as to how it makes me feel.

So your 888 would make me feel gooey eyed before I'd even started it up, whereas I'd rather set fire to your 690 than have it for free.
In fact, it's pissed me off even talking about both bikes in the same sentence, the 888 is a true icon of motorcycling and the 690....well....it just isn't is it.

No offence like, neither of us designed them or built them, we just buy what we want

Don't get me wrong, the 888 is an amazing motorcycle, even 30+ years after it was made, and I've had some of the purest and most memorable experiences of my motorcycling life aboard it, but it doesn't really fit into the class of 'fun' that this thread is about.

The Duke 690 does.

The 888 SP3 is an icon, no doubt about it, and I doubt anyone would describe the Duke as an icon.

But the Duke is an absolute barrel of laughs, is non-threatening and plasters a big grin across my face every time I ride it. That's 'fun' in my book.

[Whysub]

I commuted 120 miles a day for 20 years, 110 of those miles were along dual carriageways and motorway. With only two roundabouts to negotiate.

No bike is "fun" doing that, and Ive ridden it on bikes from 125cc twist'n go scooters through to 1300cc superbikes.

I can have fun on the roads where I live now, from off road tracks to well surfaced roads across and around the mountains. Even my scooter is fun on those.

[Rockburner]

I commuted 120 miles a day for 20 years, 110 of those miles were along dual carriageways and motorway. With only two roundabouts to negotiate.

No bike is "fun" doing that, and Ive ridden it on bikes from 125cc twist'n go scooters through to 1300cc superbikes.

I can have fun on the roads where I live now, from off road tracks to well surfaced roads across and around the mountains. Even my scooter is fun on those.

This did remind me that some bikes can be fun for different reasons than others.

I had an R1200RT loaner bike for a few days and while commuting into and out of central London on it reduced the fun-factor considerably, playing heavy rock music from the fairing mounted speakers at full volume made up for it.

[Dickyboy]

Reminded myself how much fun my Morini scrambler is yesterday only the nagging worry about getting spares when there is only 15 bikes in the country & manufacturers now owned by Chinese making entirely different bikes blunts the fun factor.