What’s up guys? Even though we are in the middle of our rainy season here, the staff at IPM braved the elements today and performed a shoot out for you guys. Luckily, the sun decided to join us today.
So, we pit the Ducati 848 against the Triumph Daytona 675. Being that it was freezing cold, we were only testing cornering, top speed, and torque. Sorry, the ground was partially wet so we decided against testing the brakes. Enjoy!
That’s it for now. We’ll have to wait until the Spring to give you a more comprehensive analysis between the two bikes. But, you all know I’d take the 675 over the 848 any day! Screw exotica! Stay tuned guys!
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Hey guys! GooDy coming to you live all the way from the UK for the first ride on the KTM RC8 in Amsterdam. So Alex and I flew over to test ride the KTM RC8 on the twisty roads in the UK. And that’s the most I saw of Alex. He spent the entire trip in his hotel room. I guess that lady friend he met at the pub kept him busy and out of comission for the few days we were there. I think her name was Mary Jane…? Boo-ya!
That’s okay, I had a blast on the test ride by myself. The RC8 is a really rough and strong sportbike. I am fully confident that it is able enough to catch up to and eat Japanese 750cc bikes, but I doubt it could hang with the Japanese liter bikes. In many ways, it has almost the same feel as riding a Ducati 1098. You get the air of European sophistication, but lack the sheer power of the Japanese Big Four.
The gauge offers too many functions. I didn’t really have time to play with it so much but at a quick glance, it has a lap timer, the most popular function on superbikes right now. And also according to the techies and the pamplet, the instruments are connected to the engine management and electrical system.
In twisties, the KTM RC8 is not as nimble as the 848. The motor felt a bit sluggish. Don’t get me wrong, this is by no means a deal breaker. I am just trying to find fault in a very well designed bike. With the hype this thing has been given, it’s really difficult to not find fault. The riding position was also a bit half cool. What do I mean? Well, it’s not like riding a Ducati or a comfortable Japanese bike. It’s just… different.
Anyways, I had a difficult time pushing the RC8 on the twisty roads in the UK. Us Yankees are not used to the roads being “backwards.” I was pretty nervous. Everytime I was in the left turn lane, I had to deal with blind turns. And then for right turns, I had to stay in the middle. I wasn’t able to fully concentrate on testing the bike to its potential. (more…)
Hey! What’s up everyone? Today I got a chance to test the all new 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250r. Just for kicks, I pit it against Dan’s staff bike, the 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250r. Overall, everything is much improved from the old one. Power, handling, brakes and looks have been bumped up a notch on Kawasaki’s entry level bike. Take a look at my video for some action shots and my opinions.
So, in summation, the new 2008 Ninja 250 does the following for me:
Who is the bike for: Newbie riders.
Who I would advise against: Also newbie riders. The 08 version is more difficult to ride. It is not as comfortable as the previous generation’s. It looks a whole lot better, but I’s stick with the older version if you are just learning how to ride.
Sum: Still the best bang for your buck if you are new and have the money to spare. But come on, please don’t expect much, it’s just bike for new riders.
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The B-King as smooth a ride as it was, seemed to be more of a disappointment. The disappointment seemed to be more in the styling rather than the performance. With a Hayabusa engine, this bike by no means is slow, however, it seemed a little strange looking from a third person view. Yes, the bike itself was comfortable and is well designed for long distance rides, but perhaps my style leans more into super sport rather than sport touring.
The first things I noticed about the B-King were the huge dual undertail pipes flaring out of the bike, and the fat rear tire. The pipes and fat tire will definitely make for some interesting aftermarket options. This is supposed to the the standard version “Hayabusa.” Suzuki claimed it to be “the ultimate in naked bikes.”
