Test ride : Honda CB1000R. 2021 model.

[Taipan]

With an Akra and tail tidy etc, its a very nice looking bike in my eyes!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

It sounds like you should try some different bars on the XSR

[weeksy]

It sounds like you should try some different bars on the XSR

It's not a terrible idea but obviously you can end up in a bit of a rabbit hole. I'm also not sure it's the front at fault in terms of plushness... i think it's the rear end that could do with being more plush.... but often as we know, plush = wallowy....

[Yorick]

It sounds like you should try some different bars on the XSR

It's not a terrible idea but obviously you can end up in a bit of a rabbit hole. I'm also not sure it's the front at fault in terms of plushness... i think it's the rear end that could do with being more plush.... but often as we know, plush = wallowy....

Not always. The suspension on mine is sublime. But still handles amazingly well.

[weeksy]

It sounds like you should try some different bars on the XSR

It's not a terrible idea but obviously you can end up in a bit of a rabbit hole. I'm also not sure it's the front at fault in terms of plushness... i think it's the rear end that could do with being more plush.... but often as we know, plush = wallowy....

Not always. The suspension on mine is sublime. But still handles amazingly well.

I still think you have 2 things there.

1. Lots of experience
2. Lots of nice roads... The UK roads now are closer to what you drove up in the Duster

You could certainly feel a little wallow on the Honda, which i was thinking i'd need to dial out slightly.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

You can get plush without wallowy, it usually costs a lot though.

The one Tiepin posted a picture of looks a lot better

[Potter]

The simple answer of course is that you probably can't make bike 1 feel like bike 2, irrespective of what bike 1 and 2 actually are, you can't make one into the other.... without it being the other

Agreed, but if you like the riding position of your XSR then you could make it feel like it was floating on air as long as you don't mind throwing money at it. But I get you, for example, the MV Brutale feels like night and day compared to the Dragster and I'm sure it's nothing more than the front being a bit lower on the Dragster.

This might be a daft suggestion but what about a big naked Ducati twin? You get the v-twin and you get the feeling it's a bit special.

[weeksy]

You can get plush without wallowy, it usually costs a lot though.

The one Tiepin posted a picture of looks a lot better

I'd expect it's not crazy money to get there. The exhaust is only £300, i expect a tail tidy would be something around £100. You're then into the realms of respectable looking. They also do one in red, but not sure if that's the CB1000R+ model in that, which is the one with the Quickshifter/blipper. But for me, the red makes it a bit nicer.
There also seems to be different header coatings, the one at Blade was as you'd expect for a demo bike, a little rough in terms of use, they get used in all conditions and not looked after like mine.

[weeksy]

The simple answer of course is that you probably can't make bike 1 feel like bike 2, irrespective of what bike 1 and 2 actually are, you can't make one into the other.... without it being the other

Agreed, but if you like the riding position of your XSR then you could make it feel like it was floating on air as long as you don't mind throwing money at it. But I get you, for example, the MV Brutale feels like night and day compared to the Dragster and I'm sure it's nothing more than the front being a bit lower on the Dragster.

This might be a daft suggestion but what about a big naked Ducati twin? You get the v-twin and you get the feeling it's a bit special.

IT's only daft because i'm not actually looking to swap... i'm not unhappy with the XSR, this all only came up because the Honda was a brilliant handling machine, the conversation could quite easily have gone the opposite way. I'm not now sitting here weighing up alternates.

[KungFooBob]

How old/worn are the tyres on the XSR?

Put some new boots on it and it'll feel like a different bike. You don't notice the handling going off it happens so gradually, until you fit new ones or ride something different.

The CB probably just had better tyres

[weeksy]

How old/worn are the tyres on the XSR?

Put some new boots on it and it'll feel like a different bike. You don't notice the handling going off it happens so gradually, until you fit new ones or ride something different.

The CB probably just had better tyres

Fairly new... it's on it's 2nd set in 2800 miles... i rekon they've got 800 on them including 3 sessions at Silverstone.

Looking at the pics, the bike i rode has Rosso IIIs fitted.

[Taipan]

Didn't you say everyone complains about the suspension on XSRs, or at least the front end? Is it not easier to just get it sorted by a proper suspension firm? If you like it that much and its just the suspension that is is cribbing it, then surely its worth throwing a few quid at?

[weeksy]

Didn't you say everyone complains about the suspension on XSRs, or at least the front end? Is it not easier to just get it sorted by a proper suspension firm? If you like it that much and its just the suspension that is is cribbing it, then surely its worth throwing a few quid at?

The forks have been resprung and new oil. (to my weight), the shock is a basic model Nitron.

[KungFooBob]

Ship the forks off to Brooks and have them install these...

https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/yamah ... ge-kit-16/

They charge about £170 to service forks, so I imagine fitting would be similar.

[Potter]

IT's only daft because i'm not actually looking to swap... i'm not unhappy with the XSR, this all only came up because the Honda was a brilliant handling machine, the conversation could quite easily have gone the opposite way. I'm not now sitting here weighing up alternates.

Yeah I've been in the same position a few times, not really serious about swapping, but something has turned my head and it's planted a seed. IME once I'm like that I either start spending money to fix what I have or it's going.

I like that Honda, you could make it look ace and you like tinkering, and I reckon you'd soon get back into the swing of an IL4.

[weeksy]

Ship the forks off to Brooks and have them install these...

https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/yamah ... ge-kit-16/

They charge about £170 to service forks, so I imagine fitting would be similar.

That's where we start getting into the crazy realms...

So that's £600 on the front end, £800 on the rear and i still may think "Honda still felt better" and i'm now an extra £1500 in.

Don't forget, we're not talking about a rubbish bike here in the XSR, it's already a cracking thing and handles great.... Just not AS great

[Mr. Dazzle]

Plus you're unlikely to get much of the £1500 back when you sell - you'd get some, but you'll retain more value in a stock bike which is more expensive IYSWIM?

[Taipan]

Plus you're unlikely to get much of the £1500 back when you sell - you'd get some, but you'll retain more value in a stock bike which is more expensive IYSWIM?

Does anyone own motorbikes to get their money back?! Most of like to modify them in one way or another, be that for speed, comfort or aesthetics, or all three.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Plus you're unlikely to get much of the £1500 back when you sell - you'd get some, but you'll retain more value in a stock bike which is more expensive IYSWIM?

Does anyone own motorbikes to get their money back?! Most of like to modify them in one way or another, be that for speed, comfort or aesthetics, or all three.

Maybe. Weeksy did mention that it would be "getting silly" on the money is all.

It'd definitely a thought for me, but then I like Hondas. Maybe there's a correlation there

[Yorick]

Plus you're unlikely to get much of the £1500 back when you sell - you'd get some, but you'll retain more value in a stock bike which is more expensive IYSWIM?

Does anyone own motorbikes to get their money back?! Most of like to modify them in one way or another, be that for speed, comfort or aesthetics, or all three.

When I buy a bike, I look at the resale value, not the price.

It was a lot to to pay 15k for the current steed, but it's still worth that now.