2011 Naked Middleweights Shootout

[Administrator]

Original Article:
2011 Naked Middleweights Shootout

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[Duken4evr]

Nice article guys. Perhaps nakeds will finally start selling in N. America due to the escalating cost of front line sportbikes (both for insurance and for the machine itself) and the increased competence of this class of bike.

Being an FZ1 owner, I am of course interested in how the FZ8 fared. I am surprised it still has the "R1 sag" in the powerband around 5K rpm like it's big brother as it has smaller throttle bodies and longer headers to build torque. I bet like it's big brother, some exhaust therapy and a power commander will make that sag go away and replace it with a straight line. I thought the thing would break 100hp in stock form too, that is a bit disappointing as well. No doubt it is creamy smoothie though, big brother sure is.

Someday I do want to own a sporting Triumph Triple though. They do appear to be the best of all worlds - engine character and rpm capability. I want more displacement than 675cc though.

Wake up America. Buy these bikes, buy Z1000s and Ninja 1000s too. There is beauty in a do it all highly competent broadband bike

[jmdonald]

Great analysis with points well taken.I have been tempted by these new middle weight standards and good reviews help put things in the proper perspective.

[sliphorn]

Great article, guys. Go Triumph!

[Dr_Sprocket]

On paper, the BMW seems to be ideal. Plenty of power, down low, for everyday use. However, paper doesn't get me excited. Triumph is the gal I want to go to bed with. Grrrr, baby!!

[Kevin_Duke]

Glad to see appreciation for the article, gang! Now all we need is for a few thousand people to buy these interesting and competent machines! Go do your part!

[mscuddy]

Nice shootout, but since when were 800cc motorcycles "middleweights?"

Here I go dating myself again, but in my mind here's how it lays out:

0-125cc Tiddler class

125-250cc Middle weights

250cc-500cc Upper middle weights

500cc on up Heavyweights.

1200cc and up Super Heavyweights

I remember in high school being billy bad-a$$ because I had a 360, known back then as an "open class" machine. My how things have changed...it was also the biggest cc wise bike at achool, if you didn't count Nick Bolas and his Norton 750. But he was allways ditching class with some cutie on the back of his Norton holding on for dear life. Lucky bastard.

But that's didn't keep him from being smoked down the backside of Griffith Park by lesser dual-sport machines, my 360 included. Keith Code too.

[Duken4evr]

I was at my kid's volleyball game yesterday - she is 13. The High School age girls playing V-Ball were 6 feet tall and some of them had to be going 185 pounds or more. As a human being who weighs just under 190, I feel I have gone from a light heavyweight to a middleweight - LOL

Bikes are bigger these days. I rode an SV650 awhile back, it felt tiny. Back in the day, the SV would have been a ferocious beast with 70 hp. When I was a kid, I rode a neighbor's TM400 Cyclone. It felt big and it warped my brain with it's raw and abrupt horsepower. Looking at them now, they look like an old 125cc bike with a big two stroke in it. Wait, that is pretty much what they were back then. A buddy of mine has a Kawi H2 750. Again, ferocious bike back in the day. Now when I ride it, the thing feels like a wobbly old crock with very uneven and not particularly abundant power.

My. How jaded we have become! To paraphrase Bill Gates - I do have to say though, 150 some odd hp in a motorcycle should be enough for anybody!

[Buzglyd]

Originally Posted by Duken4evr

I was at my kid's volleyball game yesterday - she is 13. The High School age girls playing V-Ball were 6 feet tall and some of them had to be going 185 pounds or more. As a human being who weighs just under 190, I feel I have gone from a light heavyweight to a middleweight - LOL

Bikes are bigger these days. I rode an SV650 awhile back, it felt tiny. Back in the day, the SV would have been a ferocious beast with 70 hp. When I was a kid, I rode a neighbor's TM400 Cyclone. It felt big and it warped my brain with it's raw and abrupt horsepower. Looking at them now, they look like an old 125cc bike with a big two stroke in it. Wait, that is pretty much what they were back then. A buddy of mine has a Kawi H2 750. Again, ferocious bike back in the day. Now when I ride it, the thing feels like a wobbly old crock with very uneven and not particularly abundant power.

My. How jaded we have become! To paraphrase Bill Gates - I do have to say though, 150 some odd hp in a motorcycle should be enough for anybody!

My dad always mention riding his cousin Danny's Triumph 500. He remarks how hard it pulled when he twisted the throttle. This was in the 60s of course. It probably had a whopping 30 hp.

When I try to explain to him the acceleration of my K1300GT I finally just say, "nevermind."

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by Buzglyd

My dad always mention riding his cousin Danny's Triumph 500. He remarks how hard it pulled when he twisted the throttle. This was in the 60s of course. It probably had a whopping 30 hp.

When I try to explain to him the acceleration of my K1300GT I finally just say, "nevermind."

Does it go a hundred miles an hour? IMPOSSIBLE! A human cannot even breathe riding on a machine going that fast!