I was a 15-16 yr old kid (aaaaaages ago) when I had a motorcycle mechanic neighbour. He rode everything on 2 wheels he could get his hands on. One day I saw him get a bike in. Strange bike. Bright yellow. No lights etc. So I went over. It was a 2-stroke 500cc EU-championship bike. He'd been asked to do a complete overhaul. Some time later, I heard him starting the engine, so I hurried out. Just in time to see (and HEAR) it start. He was going to take it out for a test ride (Netherlands 1970's, you still could do that). I could hear him go for miles, even while he was still very easy on the bike. Suddenly I heard the bike scream for a few seconds and then it was quiet. After some minutes I heard it again. It was at very low rpm. When I saw him, he was easing the bike back. What's wrong, I asked. He said nothing. Took his helmet of, put the bike on the stand and then said: that bike is a death trap. I'm never getting on again! Later He told me he had opened the throttle when he was sure everything worked as it should (especially the brakes) and got the scare of his life when the bike reached it's powerband. It had almost thrown him off. The owner had picked up the bike and later called in to thank him for the great job. He was very pleased with how the bike performed 😁 My neighbour had told him he was afraid he'd done something wrong and the bike was impossible to ride 🤣 Just to show how difficult those old 2-strokes were to manage. I'll never forget the sound of that bike.
The bloke who made that comment definitely doesnt have an S1K is just talking nonsense for attention. Definitely the guy on every comment section talking about how he went 230mph on his mates hayabusa cause it had an "ECU Flash" 😂😂 guy has no clue about bikes or he wouldnt be calling neeves "some old guy"
@@ashofficial790 Your find him making comments in the last 44 teeth RC8C Portimao video with my replies. I think he might have a S1K but never does track riding. The only track riding he does is playing Ride 4 - he posts the videos on his channel!lol
@@Aviopicso true! im young and fit, but a 20 min race in my 250cc class absolutely destroys me. but then again they do take place in hot and sweaty malaysia :')
Well responded Neevsey. Anyone with a clue can probably deduce, on the balance of probabilities, the real reason that old mate rides home from his track days with no physical effects. ‘All show no go’ comes to mind.
Thank you for being such an exemplary ambassador to our passion in general, Micheal. And also in this case, not just the young, but all of us can and should take an example of how to deal with nonsense remarks and rude behavior. Top mate!
The s1k bro is the guy I catch up to and overtake in every corner with my 400, then he feels fast down the back straight. Straight line hero with no skills, ignore the trolls. Great work.
Was going to chime in on the angry young man's comments but I think that troll has had enough feeding. Anyone with a modicum of understanding about motorcycle riding and racing can see through him. Another fine video. Thanks for taking the time to make these.
My boss bought the Factory Moto Guzzi TT senior 2nd place bike from 1978 . Sports motorcycles sold him a job lot for around 8 grand and it was in the lot of 15 bikes and had a value of 3500. It was a works engine , and when I looked inside the crankcases it was astonishing. Everything was polished , Everything, to a mirror finish . The restrictive welded on silencers were cut off with a hacksaw , my job as the apprentice at 15 , and the bike , with it's bored out 54 mm delorto carburetors returned to its booming glory. On a quiet Edinburgh night you could hear this beast from miles away as he blasted it round the surrounding county roads at 2am . Music. Sadly the shop salesman was a drug dealer and it "disappeared" when things went tits up and customs and excise raided the place. Some say it's still out there ...
One of the best races I ever had was a WERA race on my TZ250 against a friend on his Yamaha 1000 in the early 90's. He won, but only by about a bike length or two. He is also a two-time national champion, so he wasn't slow no matter what he was riding.
At 53 years old, been riding pretty much all my life, I thought I knew a thing or two about bikes. But the vastness of your knowledge baffles me.... not bad for an old man POPS
I’d really like to see a graph showing lap times for a WSBK, MotoGP and Stock1000 on the same track and see where they overlap. The fastest SBK racer in Canada is racing both a very well developed M1000 and a GSXR750 limited to 125 hp and lap times are within 3%. Generally tighter tracks but it’s still an interesting comparison.
Two points: Thank you for picking out the question regarding how far back in time do you have to go, to find a crossover between professional racing bikes v modern superbikes so that performance is comparable. I did ask the same question a fair time ago but the guy who asked it this time put it better than me. Fascinating to think just how far back you have to go, mid to late 80’s to achieve similar times! I own a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro (I’m an old git with a knackered knee through bikes) so choices are limited, they are comfortable but the seat slides you into the tank with all that entails, the latest iteration on the ‘24 models have a flatter redesigned seat, but suspect that wind turbulence (just as you say) is always going to be present on an ADV bike. Thanks again Neevesy, I think your vids are brilliant 👍
Makes me laugh how my generation survived without the internet and all the on bike aids. From all the established manufacturers, I’m sure most of the bikes come with decent quality tires and suspension bits. My advice is seat time and establish what can be adjusted and needs to be upgraded. Do some track days and learn as much as possible. New subscriber 👍
On the distrust issue, this occurs whenever there is a symbiotic relationship between a manufacturer and a reviewer/media outlet. It’s alluded to when Neevesy mentioned the positive reviews of the MT09, a bike that had some interesting handling traits that also received a lot of praise from some. Ryan at Fort9 has mentioned it, having panned a bike suddenly review samples or launch invites dry up. You see it all the time when a new model comes out and suddenly some reviewers are able to mention some of the previous models foibles. If your business model relies on receiving review samples, or advertising revenue from manufacturers or distributors, you’d do well to not unduly upset the provider of said review samples. It’s not unique to bikes.
'You see it all the time when a new model comes out and suddenly some of the reviewers are able to mention some of the previous models foibles'. Ain't that the truth! Up until the new model review, the old one was pretty much perfect, and itself a good improvement on the one before - natch. Excellent comment.
Yep always makes me Chuckle with the Annual Tyre Tests that the previous years offerings have suddenly developed all sorts of never before mentioned issues.
Just found another good comparison of old vs new.....Wayne Gardner LagunaSeca pole 1989 Honda 500, 1.27.120. Xavi Fores pole 2023 AMA Supersport Panigale 955 V2, fastest race lap, 127.117. And as discussed, the 500 would be a hell of a lot harder to wrangle. I wouldn't wanna try😅 I believe the circuit is the same as 1989.
You have to remember when having this discussion that the GP500 bikes had little bittie skinny tires compared to even modern road sport bike of today...give them modern tires and Whoa pony.
Thanks for answering my cheeky comment. Big fan of your work, which is beyond reproach. In fact I’ve used your Honda vs Suzuki video on mcn to help me purchase my new 8S. You were spot on with your review. What a great bike. Thanks again for these videos. Take care.
I would love to see you do a whole series on your Gixxer; pre-ride checks, rider setup, basic maintenance, changing the simpler stuff like levers, chain, etc. Probably mostly because I just bought a 2011 GSX-R 750!
Was going to say. Tyre tech and build has come a long way since the 80s. Perhaps power to weight is a closer comparison for outright velocity, but also as Neevsy mentioned.. GP kit is often designed for ultimate performance and lightness.. whereas road machinery needs to have more durability. Lap times of 80's GP bikes would be lower with modern rubber.
Another piece of great batting for the sensible man. I also love your inclusion of a T Max in your dream garage. Me too, my kids love my Superduke but are horrified that I would love a big fat twist and go with a top box. LOL, one day theres one with my name on it
Awesome video! I must say that was one of the funniest videos I have seen from you. Well done. You responded perfectly " get into racing or endurance" Perfect! I love this channel and I am looking forward to the next GSXR video! Best! ps Love the t-shirt.
Whenever you talk about the Ron Haslam race school it makes me feel gutted that it closed. It was where I learnt to hang off a bike properly and get my knee down for the first time. Great memories and great days out at the school. I keep hearing that adventure bikes are amazing allrounders, but the one thing that has always put me off them is constant references to the wind noise from their screens. How loud are they? Something that ear plugs easily defeat or something that makes you want to rip the screen off. Also, out of all the adventure bikes you’ve tested, which ones have had the quietest screen?
Its so personal. I don’t get much noise from most screens but I’m well tall (6’5”) and my head is almost always in clear air. Shorter people I know seem to either have huge screens (sometimes with spoilers) or very small screens.
Your comments on aftermarket suspension v the OEM stuff is dead right. On my 07 Blade I sent the forks and rear shock to K-Tech. Came back like a magic carpet, didn't nod on braking, transformed the bike. OEM suspension isn't very good, that's true.
I have an 07 blade and I’m currently having uprated internals put into it with heavier springs and a few other bits. Should be a lot better to ride hopefully. Mostly road with a bit of track so didn’t go for the race forks. Hope you’re enjoying it 👍🏻
I bet the guy who commented about 1000cc superbikes being easy to ride has no idea how much someone like Neevsy can push a bike, hand how physically hard it is. I consider myself pretty fit and strong, but it takes me about 2 days to recover after a fast group trackday on my blade 😂The empty can rattles the loudest!
Two days recovery from a few hours hard riding? That's pretty extreme. Perhaps he works in a physically demanding job daily.. Yes riding a bike hard is demanding but lifting and shifting stuff all day long 5 days a week is much more knackering than pushing a bike hard for a couple of hours. It is possible for an everyday Joe to be more conditioned than a GP rider but they are prob not built to win GPs. Just another perspective. But yeah.. it sounds like his opinion of himself is very high. I personally rode a heck of a lot in my life with luggage strapped to my sports bike and a heavy rucksack on.. obviously that's not gunning it flat out around a track, but still often riding hard.. that was genuinely tiring doing everything with a heavier misbalanced bike and an extra 20 kg hanging on the torso, as well as the restricted mobility of the kit.. every time i rode without luggage it felt easy breezy.. GP riders don't particularly want to be super strong and heavy.. they want to be lean and capable.. every gram counts when tenths of a second matter.
To be fair.. if you ride your bike to the track, you really don't want to bin it so, yeah they are probably holding back somewhat, and also they are unlikely to have tyres that are only for the track on. So reserve a little judgement and give credit to someone on a shoestring that still wants to give it a go 😉
@@jimstartup2729 While I understand your sentiment, if you're worried about being able to ride it home, you're probably gonna end up making a bad decision trying to keep from crashing it, like standing it up and riding off into the unknown of the trackside landscape. Good way to end up getting hurt real bad. The old saying of "don't bring anything to the track you can't afford to crash and just walk away from" exists for a reason.
@@lawsonfan5797 hmmm generally speaking I want to ride track to enjoy plenty of run off and nobody coming the other way. I ride for myself, not to compete. A lot of people simply don't have dedicated track bike and a trailer or van to ferry it around. They likely can't afford to go to tracks often. For many people track days are just an opportunity for some relatively safe fun, not to lay down impressive lap times.
Another gem of a vlog mate, never gonna please everyone are we in life 🤣👍🏽, As they say keep calm and carry on. Always great watching , take it easy look forward to future content 👍🏽😎
Tiger Sport 660 was just launched when I get rode it! Loved its silly smooth gearbox and a few other things but could not bear the shedding vortices alternating off alternating sides of the screen, worse when the screen was high! Ended up buying the CBR650R which was way smoother airflow and a lot less noisy and irritating at speed! Did add a taller tinted Honda screen. Wouldn’t touch a tall rounder after that. Have moved on now to a Panigale V2 again with a higher tinted genuine Ducati screen. Airflow and noise similarly not a problem even at Autobahn well over 1000mph speeds. As always great content and that is for this video!
Love your videos Neevesy! About that group test... Those ARE NOT sport bikes... The middleweight sport bikes still on sale are the zx6r and the cbr 600rr! Keep up the good work 😉
Hey POPS, Huge fab of the channel and your opinions! You(for motorbikes) and Chris Harris(for cars) are my favourite journos. Question 1) favorite car you've ever driven fast? Question 2) I was wondering if would you ever consider doing a nurburgring lap instruction video on a bike? Or just a nurburgring vlog? And what experience do you have on the ring/thoughts on bikes on the green hell? Fastest lap you've done? Is it too dangerous etc... Many thanks! Seumas
Thanks Neevesy, Sad to see you, or anyone, having questions/statements posed towards them with such pointless acidity. I know if I was under 80kg, and looking for the best bang for buck missile, the GSX750 would be a hot pick.
I always enjoy your opinion and I know many don't understand what you are talking about strictly because of lack of time in the barrel.. You have a very deep understanding that comes from riding alot. It can't be learned from reading or riding 1 bike well, it comes from having an open mind.. Appreciate you Pops lol
Hey Michael, great show, as usual, and your insights about bikes and a little tip here and there how to ride a little better are invaluable, not just for me, newbs and olds alike, but tips like yours were few and far between when l first started riding. Re standing the bike up, back when Schwantz, Gardner, Mick etc were on the 2 strokes, some interviews they did they would say as soon as they were clear of the apex and could see the exit, they'd stand it up and open the taps and go. To get it on the highest part of the tyre quicker to help with top speed. Kind Regards.
the gentleman answers all questions, even the rude and unnecessary ones. another confirmation that this is the best motorcycle channel on YT. I was definitely surprised by the times that were mentioned at the beginning of the video, regarding the comparison of motogp/road sport motorcycle. it's nice to hear that the BMW GS (gey-s) is not in the first place in your ideal garage, because it has become boring to listen to the praises. of course it's a top motorcycle, I'm not underestimating that fact, but only as a road bike, because 270 kg in the mud? such a motorcycle can only be maneuvered by a professional, not to mention the astronomical price of that motorcycle, who really needs it? what is your opinion about "the best motorcycle in the world"? Tnx for all contents
Alice In Chains!! Awesome. EDIT: Just now saw how you handled the comment from that edgelord. Whilst I commend you for wanting to bring a counter point to your opinions, I feel obliged, on behalf of the whole interwebz, to remind you to not feed the trolls!! 😅 the way that fella voiced his opinion was way out of line and such comments don't deserve your attention, IMO.
But sometimes the best way to highlight the idiocy of an opinion is to just give it a little more airtime? Like a fart in a car eh? Just wind the window down and let it out 😆
Great stuff as always! I have a question: we're going to do a trip to Misano with WSB this year (did the same last year to Imola where we spoke briefly). In one of your touring video's you talk about sat navs being a curse. What are you're tips and tricks on navigating with a map? Keep up the good work, cheers.
Great content and very informative Neevesy. Can you please arrange for the medication that Infantry98 is on to be forwarded to me. 😂 My superhuman powers are a bit depleted!
Re: the modern SB top speed...I believe the manufacturers have a gentleman's agreement that they will be electronically/or mechanically limited to 186 mph. I own a 2018 Porsche GT2 RS (certified by Porsche to 216 MPH) and on the only roadway in my area that will "safely" allow such a speed run, an S1000RR had been playing tag with me, but when i had a couple miles of straightaway I went from around 175 MPH up to 211ish and the scooter was just a dot in my rearview mirror.
I can't think of any possible argument blaming boomers/gen x for declining motorcycle sales. Our motto was never "stay safe", which I hear repeated constantly in modern society. Stay free is what why should be saying.
Thank you for the wonderful content, Mr. Neevesy. I've watched every single episode since you started. I'm pleased that you complimented the 899 Panigale a while back; it's a bike I love and has stayed with me the longest, though I can only ride it occasionally due to our hot climate. To continue riding comfortably, I purchased a second-generation MT-09 and flashed the ECU to smooth things out. During your Q&A, you discussed suspension, but I'm unsure about the order of upgrades. Should I focus on the rear shock or the front forks first? For context, I weigh 140 American pounds ;-) (63.5 kg) soaking wet and want to experience the bike at its best. One more thing: when manufacturers ask for your weight, do you include the weight of your gear as well? So just add 20 pounds?
to the wtf pops guy....well, id say your not riding it hard enough.....the other thing is the mental aspect - that is very draining....while ive never been on a track a few years back i went out with a bunch of guys that id never met before (only knew one of them - he knew the rest of them) i was on my old 2009 [no electronics RSV4 Factory) they were all on state of the art brand new racers so i was at a disadvantage straight away (but i do have good suspension TTXMk2 on the rear NiX30 internals on the front) and setup for me. I was out for 4 hours with them and the sheer mental ability you need to process information as well as being physically knackered when i got home, had a shower and sat down it was like someone had prepped me for surgery - i was out til the next day...totally agree with Neevsy - a very calm, collected and respectful response sir....
Performance of the race bike comes mainly from light weight and slick tires, with everything else contributing but nowhere near as much. Back in the day the Moto GP 500s were barely quicker than the 250ccs despite having double the HP, just because the latter were light and therefore faster around corners. This also showcases there's a sort of power threshold with bikes that if you exceed you get diminishing returns, for example the 125ccs that were lighter still were significantly slower as they only had a quarter of the power of the 500ccs but once you got to 100HP of the 250ccs then lighter weight became as important as more power from there on.
There's a video on YT of Ron Haslam in the 1986 Transatlantic challenge on a VFR750 'straight out of the showroom' (pretty sure they did SOMETHING to it). He did pretty well.
Did make me laugh to see TheInfantry98 comment. He was commenting on the last 44 teeth video about riding 1000cc bikes. This guy has never ridden on track - the closest he gets to riding on track is the ride 4 videos which he posts on his channel. The tire short video on his channel tells you just how "fast" this guy really is!
Did the Ron Haslam race school back in 2007 I think it was. Thoroughly enjoyed it and did about 2 min lap time, first time ever on a track at Donnington. Can’t fathom how racers do less than 1:30. Wow
race engines are so specialised they are only designed to last a couple of races while consumer engines are designed to last & be durable, heavier, less free revving etc.
Makes me feel a bit better. I did a 1 52 on the Ron Haslam track day about 10 year ago. So not too shabby. But still pathetic when you look at the times those dudes are laping.
I know first hand a bike you tested that was not great and handled quite ( understatement) poorly and was built for a guy who planned to do a limited run of them. You were polite about the bike in the MCN but didn't rave on about it just because they wanted you to and having Steve Parish there trying to promote the bike hard. You were factual and honest about it but did avoid being overly critical of it. Not in a sneaky way to make it seem better than it really was but just gave a review of how the bike was built and the simple facts about it and its links to Barry Sheene. (Yep the Sheene Icon bike). It never had any real testing or set up apart from an afternoon shakedown at Brunters and even then when you turned up had the owner make changes to it without telling anyone so the bike understeered like it had magnets attached to the armco... But you did an honest and good job on that bike.
A question like this appeared last year, Using a track that is almost identical to 50 years ago, When Ago was either on the MV or Yamaha, His fastest lap is now beaten by Moto 3 bikes, Using Mugelo as the track,
If you're struggling on any bike, just ride something else that suits you, don't force yourself to ride a 1000cc just coz of peer pressure. I went 600,900 and back to 600 just coz I prefer that size of bike ,I now ride a 1000 coz they are smaller than they used to be. But look how gorgeous that ZX4RR is? Mind check your oil level regularly,inline 4's still burn it up.
Thank you so much for all the content you make, its brilliant ! I noticed that usually you wear Alpinestars gear , is it a sponsorship to MCN? And actually do motorcycle test riders get sponsorships or special gifts/discounts lets say from motorcycle gear companys? I do fancy that Alice in Chains t-shirt also ! Cheers!
Hi Mr Neeves, forgive me if you've already answered this question and I've missed it, but its regarding downshifting. My taste in bikes is the era in which I entered the motorcycling world, the noughties, when superbikes were king (with no/next to no rider aids) and life was good. Modern iterations of those machines, and pretty much all bikes, feature all the tech, fancy TFT screens, electronic suspension, quickshifters, and to get to the point, auto-blippers. Is it necessary to blip the throttle to downshift when slowing/approaching a corner while on the brakes, or not? Mixed opinions online! Love the content, when I get chance to watch it!! Thanks in advance.
Stock bike suspension adjustment is limited by the manufacturers risk appetite in other words they won't let you change it to the point of being dangerous. After market parts are different because the suspension manufacturers expect them to be fitted by their agents correctly. Race teams have built the skills and experience to setup suspension safely. Getting your stock suspension setup by a specialist who knows what is real is your best bet as there's no substitute for real skills and experience. No, that's not my job..
I was a 15-16 yr old kid (aaaaaages ago) when I had a motorcycle mechanic neighbour. He rode everything on 2 wheels he could get his hands on. One day I saw him get a bike in. Strange bike. Bright yellow. No lights etc. So I went over. It was a 2-stroke 500cc EU-championship bike. He'd been asked to do a complete overhaul. Some time later, I heard him starting the engine, so I hurried out. Just in time to see (and HEAR) it start. He was going to take it out for a test ride (Netherlands 1970's, you still could do that). I could hear him go for miles, even while he was still very easy on the bike. Suddenly I heard the bike scream for a few seconds and then it was quiet. After some minutes I heard it again. It was at very low rpm. When I saw him, he was easing the bike back. What's wrong, I asked. He said nothing. Took his helmet of, put the bike on the stand and then said: that bike is a death trap. I'm never getting on again! Later He told me he had opened the throttle when he was sure everything worked as it should (especially the brakes) and got the scare of his life when the bike reached it's powerband. It had almost thrown him off. The owner had picked up the bike and later called in to thank him for the great job. He was very pleased with how the bike performed 😁 My neighbour had told him he was afraid he'd done something wrong and the bike was impossible to ride 🤣
Just to show how difficult those old 2-strokes were to manage. I'll never forget the sound of that bike.
Loved the calm and collected way you dealt with the ‘wtf/pops’ guy. You’re a true gentleman👏😊
The bloke who made that comment definitely doesnt have an S1K is just talking nonsense for attention. Definitely the guy on every comment section talking about how he went 230mph on his mates hayabusa cause it had an "ECU Flash" 😂😂 guy has no clue about bikes or he wouldnt be calling neeves "some old guy"
@@ashofficial790 Your find him making comments in the last 44 teeth RC8C Portimao video with my replies. I think he might have a S1K but never does track riding. The only track riding he does is playing Ride 4 - he posts the videos on his channel!lol
@@dwhxyz thanks! Just went and told him exactly what i think of him 🤣 nothing but a pathetic little boy talking nonsense. Needs to learn some respect.
If racing doesn't wear you out in any class you're just not going fast enough. It's as simple as that.
@@Aviopicso true! im young and fit, but a 20 min race in my 250cc class absolutely destroys me. but then again they do take place in hot and sweaty malaysia :')
Well responded Neevsey. Anyone with a clue can probably deduce, on the balance of probabilities, the real reason that old mate rides home from his track days with no physical effects. ‘All show no go’ comes to mind.
Love your mature response to that kid. Too many of them arrogant and ignorant screen-lickers on TH-cam.
Love the AIC shirt!Good taste in music Bud🤘
Next week: Nirvana
A hometown band for me - one of the Seattle “grunge” bands👍
Brilliant response and we all know who would be quicker around a track and it ain’t him🤔
Thank you for being such an exemplary ambassador to our passion in general, Micheal.
And also in this case, not just the young, but all of us can and should take an example of how to deal with nonsense remarks and rude behavior. Top mate!
Alice in Chains? Mate, you've just gone up in my estimations.. its now official, Neevesy rocks.... 👍
Have you heard Plush doing Down a Hole. Take listen The 4 girls are in a studio, it's brilliant.
The s1k bro is the guy I catch up to and overtake in every corner with my 400, then he feels fast down the back straight. Straight line hero with no skills, ignore the trolls. Great work.
Yeah probably. The reason he isn’t tired from riding his S1Krr is because he is in the slow group most likely😉
Was going to chime in on the angry young man's comments but I think that troll has had enough feeding. Anyone with a modicum of understanding about motorcycle riding and racing can see through him.
Another fine video. Thanks for taking the time to make these.
My boss bought the Factory Moto Guzzi TT senior 2nd place bike from 1978 .
Sports motorcycles sold him a job lot for around 8 grand and it was in the lot of 15 bikes and had a value of 3500.
It was a works engine , and when I looked inside the crankcases it was astonishing.
Everything was polished , Everything, to a mirror finish . The restrictive welded on silencers were cut off with a hacksaw , my job as the apprentice at 15 , and the bike , with it's bored out 54 mm delorto carburetors returned to its booming glory. On a quiet Edinburgh night you could hear this beast from miles away as he blasted it round the surrounding county roads at 2am . Music.
Sadly the shop salesman was a drug dealer and it "disappeared" when things went tits up and customs and excise raided the place.
Some say it's still out there ...
One of the best races I ever had was a WERA race on my TZ250 against a friend on his Yamaha 1000 in the early 90's. He won, but only by about a bike length or two. He is also a two-time national champion, so he wasn't slow no matter what he was riding.
At 53 years old, been riding pretty much all my life, I thought I knew a thing or two about bikes. But the vastness of your knowledge baffles me.... not bad for an old man POPS
Love Neevesy, such a gentleman. I would NOT have taken the higher road lol
I bought the f1rst literbike with GP wings, 2018 Aprilia RSV4 RF LE. Still super happy.
Far more than I can ride.
I like that.
#BeARacer or not. Your choice...
I’d really like to see a graph showing lap times for a WSBK, MotoGP and Stock1000 on the same track and see where they overlap.
The fastest SBK racer in Canada is racing both a very well developed M1000 and a GSXR750 limited to 125 hp and lap times are within 3%. Generally tighter tracks but it’s still an interesting comparison.
Two points: Thank you for picking out the question regarding how far back in time do you have to go, to find a crossover between professional racing bikes v modern superbikes so that performance is comparable. I did ask the same question a fair time ago but the guy who asked it this time put it better than me. Fascinating to think just how far back you have to go, mid to late 80’s to achieve similar times!
I own a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro (I’m an old git with a knackered knee through bikes) so choices are limited, they are comfortable but the seat slides you into the tank with all that entails, the latest iteration on the ‘24 models have a flatter redesigned seat, but suspect that wind turbulence (just as you say) is always going to be present on an ADV bike.
Thanks again Neevesy, I think your vids are brilliant 👍
Makes me laugh how my generation survived without the internet and all the on bike aids.
From all the established manufacturers, I’m sure most of the bikes come with decent quality tires and suspension bits.
My advice is seat time and establish what can be adjusted and needs to be upgraded.
Do some track days and learn as much as possible.
New subscriber
👍
Always fantastic commentary and insight…unlike the rude comment you read out…some people. Nearly 20k subs…well done and thank you👍
Lovely shirt young man.
Motorcycles and great music, what else do we really need? ;)
Naked women and beer!
@@Gambo916 Top comment!
On the distrust issue, this occurs whenever there is a symbiotic relationship between a manufacturer and a reviewer/media outlet. It’s alluded to when Neevesy mentioned the positive reviews of the MT09, a bike that had some interesting handling traits that also received a lot of praise from some. Ryan at Fort9 has mentioned it, having panned a bike suddenly review samples or launch invites dry up. You see it all the time when a new model comes out and suddenly some reviewers are able to mention some of the previous models foibles. If your business model relies on receiving review samples, or advertising revenue from manufacturers or distributors, you’d do well to not unduly upset the provider of said review samples. It’s not unique to bikes.
'You see it all the time when a new model comes out and suddenly some of the reviewers are able to mention some of the previous models foibles'. Ain't that the truth! Up until the new model review, the old one was pretty much perfect, and itself a good improvement on the one before - natch.
Excellent comment.
Yep always makes me Chuckle with the Annual Tyre Tests that the previous years offerings have suddenly developed all sorts of never before mentioned issues.
Im suprised u dont have 2million followers, ur a legend.
Just found another good comparison of old vs new.....Wayne Gardner LagunaSeca pole 1989 Honda 500, 1.27.120.
Xavi Fores pole 2023 AMA Supersport Panigale 955 V2, fastest race lap, 127.117.
And as discussed, the 500 would be a hell of a lot harder to wrangle. I wouldn't wanna try😅
I believe the circuit is the same as 1989.
Just to comment on the 750 conversation, my 929 fireblade is all the bike I would ever need. Great video fella.
You have to remember when having this discussion that the GP500 bikes had little bittie skinny tires compared to even modern road sport bike of today...give them modern tires and Whoa pony.
Thanks for answering my cheeky comment. Big fan of your work, which is beyond reproach. In fact I’ve used your Honda vs Suzuki video on mcn to help me purchase my new 8S. You were spot on with your review. What a great bike. Thanks again for these videos. Take care.
I would love to see you do a whole series on your Gixxer; pre-ride checks, rider setup, basic maintenance, changing the simpler stuff like levers, chain, etc. Probably mostly because I just bought a 2011 GSX-R 750!
Great explanation of standing the bike up. It feels right but I still wasn’t sure if counter-steering was really what I should be doing.
It's worth considering that modern sports touring tyres are probably better than 80's race tyres.
Yet a modern bike requires modern tires to equal it… so push that number back to 70s maybe 80???
Was going to say. Tyre tech and build has come a long way since the 80s. Perhaps power to weight is a closer comparison for outright velocity, but also as Neevsy mentioned.. GP kit is often designed for ultimate performance and lightness.. whereas road machinery needs to have more durability.
Lap times of 80's GP bikes would be lower with modern rubber.
Another piece of great batting for the sensible man. I also love your inclusion of a T Max in your dream garage. Me too, my kids love my Superduke but are horrified that I would love a big fat twist and go with a top box. LOL, one day theres one with my name on it
Awesome video! I must say that was one of the funniest videos I have seen from you. Well done. You responded perfectly " get into racing or endurance" Perfect! I love this channel and I am looking forward to the next GSXR video! Best! ps Love the t-shirt.
Very cool T-shirt. AIC are such a good band
Mint these mate 😁🙌
Great answers and content
Keep them coming mate 😎😎😎😎😎
I thank you!
Whenever you talk about the Ron Haslam race school it makes me feel gutted that it closed. It was where I learnt to hang off a bike properly and get my knee down for the first time. Great memories and great days out at the school.
I keep hearing that adventure bikes are amazing allrounders, but the one thing that has always put me off them is constant references to the wind noise from their screens. How loud are they? Something that ear plugs easily defeat or something that makes you want to rip the screen off. Also, out of all the adventure bikes you’ve tested, which ones have had the quietest screen?
Its so personal. I don’t get much noise from most screens but I’m well tall (6’5”) and my head is almost always in clear air. Shorter people I know seem to either have huge screens (sometimes with spoilers) or very small screens.
FYI Leon Haslam still hosts MSV Track Days at Donington Park. Not the RHRS, but something..
Really nice and a great question about the crossover between modern superbikes and GP bikes very interesting to have those answers.👍.
Your comments on aftermarket suspension v the OEM stuff is dead right.
On my 07 Blade I sent the forks and rear shock to K-Tech.
Came back like a magic carpet, didn't nod on braking, transformed the bike.
OEM suspension isn't very good, that's true.
I have an 07 blade and I’m currently having uprated internals put into it with heavier springs and a few other bits. Should be a lot better to ride hopefully. Mostly road with a bit of track so didn’t go for the race forks. Hope you’re enjoying it 👍🏻
I bet the guy who commented about 1000cc superbikes being easy to ride has no idea how much someone like Neevsy can push a bike, hand how physically hard it is.
I consider myself pretty fit and strong, but it takes me about 2 days to recover after a fast group trackday on my blade 😂The empty can rattles the loudest!
Two days recovery from a few hours hard riding? That's pretty extreme. Perhaps he works in a physically demanding job daily..
Yes riding a bike hard is demanding but lifting and shifting stuff all day long 5 days a week is much more knackering than pushing a bike hard for a couple of hours. It is possible for an everyday Joe to be more conditioned than a GP rider but they are prob not built to win GPs. Just another perspective.
But yeah.. it sounds like his opinion of himself is very high.
I personally rode a heck of a lot in my life with luggage strapped to my sports bike and a heavy rucksack on.. obviously that's not gunning it flat out around a track, but still often riding hard.. that was genuinely tiring doing everything with a heavier misbalanced bike and an extra 20 kg hanging on the torso, as well as the restricted mobility of the kit.. every time i rode without luggage it felt easy breezy..
GP riders don't particularly want to be super strong and heavy.. they want to be lean and capable.. every gram counts when tenths of a second matter.
A lot of gold in this one if you pay attention THANKS NEEVESY for all this free wisdom and knowledge!!
The guys who ride their bikes home from a track day usually looked like they were riding home on the track.
8-10 seconds off a lap ain't real taxing.
To be fair.. if you ride your bike to the track, you really don't want to bin it so, yeah they are probably holding back somewhat, and also they are unlikely to have tyres that are only for the track on. So reserve a little judgement and give credit to someone on a shoestring that still wants to give it a go 😉
@@jimstartup2729 While I understand your sentiment, if you're worried about being able to ride it home, you're probably gonna end up making a bad decision trying to keep from crashing it, like standing it up and riding off into the unknown of the trackside landscape. Good way to end up getting hurt real bad. The old saying of "don't bring anything to the track you can't afford to crash and just walk away from" exists for a reason.
@@lawsonfan5797 hmmm generally speaking I want to ride track to enjoy plenty of run off and nobody coming the other way. I ride for myself, not to compete. A lot of people simply don't have dedicated track bike and a trailer or van to ferry it around. They likely can't afford to go to tracks often. For many people track days are just an opportunity for some relatively safe fun, not to lay down impressive lap times.
@@jimstartup2729everything you said is spot on 👍
Cheers Neevesy, great Bob Fleming and Frank Carson impressions. Only joking, good show.
Another gem of a vlog mate, never gonna please everyone are we in life 🤣👍🏽, As they say keep calm and carry on. Always great watching , take it easy look forward to future content 👍🏽😎
Great as always Michael. Very informative and interesting. Best thing about Mondays….
Tiger Sport 660 was just launched when I get rode it!
Loved its silly smooth gearbox and a few other things but could not bear the shedding vortices alternating off alternating sides of the screen, worse when the screen was high!
Ended up buying the CBR650R which was way smoother airflow and a lot less noisy and irritating at speed! Did add a taller tinted Honda screen.
Wouldn’t touch a tall rounder after that.
Have moved on now to a Panigale V2 again with a higher tinted genuine Ducati screen. Airflow and noise similarly not a problem even at Autobahn well over 1000mph speeds.
As always great content and that is for this video!
Love your videos Neevesy! About that group test... Those ARE NOT sport bikes... The middleweight sport bikes still on sale are the zx6r and the cbr 600rr! Keep up the good work 😉
Good on you Neevesy, I've thought a lot about this old race vs new sportsbike question over the years.
Hey POPS,
Huge fab of the channel and your opinions! You(for motorbikes) and Chris Harris(for cars) are my favourite journos.
Question 1) favorite car you've ever driven fast?
Question 2) I was wondering if would you ever consider doing a nurburgring lap instruction video on a bike? Or just a nurburgring vlog? And what experience do you have on the ring/thoughts on bikes on the green hell? Fastest lap you've done? Is it too dangerous etc...
Many thanks!
Seumas
No shortage of Nordschliefe Bridge to Gantry bike on-boards, here on YT... GSX-R 600 lightweight lap..
Thanks Neevesy, Sad to see you, or anyone, having questions/statements posed towards them with such pointless acidity. I know if I was under 80kg, and looking for the best bang for buck missile, the GSX750 would be a hot pick.
I always enjoy your opinion and I know many don't understand what you are talking about strictly because of lack of time in the barrel.. You have a very deep understanding that comes from riding alot. It can't be learned from reading or riding 1 bike well, it comes from having an open mind.. Appreciate you Pops lol
Hey Michael, great show, as usual, and your insights about bikes and a little tip here and there how to ride a little better are invaluable, not just for me, newbs and olds alike, but tips like yours were few and far between when l first started riding.
Re standing the bike up, back when Schwantz, Gardner, Mick etc were on the 2 strokes, some interviews they did they would say as soon as they were clear of the apex and could see the exit, they'd stand it up and open the taps and go. To get it on the highest part of the tyre quicker to help with top speed.
Kind Regards.
the gentleman answers all questions, even the rude and unnecessary ones. another confirmation that this is the best motorcycle channel on YT.
I was definitely surprised by the times that were mentioned at the beginning of the video, regarding the comparison of motogp/road sport motorcycle.
it's nice to hear that the BMW GS (gey-s) is not in the first place in your ideal garage, because it has become boring to listen to the praises. of course it's a top motorcycle, I'm not underestimating that fact, but only as a road bike, because 270 kg in the mud? such a motorcycle can only be maneuvered by a professional, not to mention the astronomical price of that motorcycle, who really needs it? what is your opinion about "the best motorcycle in the world"?
Tnx for all contents
Sylvain Guintoli (WSB Champ) did 1:37 on his GSX-R 1000. Here on YT...
Neevesy absolut class act gent 👌🏻👏🏻
Your a lucky bugger nevvesy’ love all your content mate avid reader since 90’s absolutely mega mate ❤😊
Love you Neeves ❤ You are so awesome and a true gentleman
Alice In Chains!! Awesome.
EDIT: Just now saw how you handled the comment from that edgelord. Whilst I commend you for wanting to bring a counter point to your opinions, I feel obliged, on behalf of the whole interwebz, to remind you to not feed the trolls!! 😅 the way that fella voiced his opinion was way out of line and such comments don't deserve your attention, IMO.
But sometimes the best way to highlight the idiocy of an opinion is to just give it a little more airtime? Like a fart in a car eh? Just wind the window down and let it out 😆
Another enjoyable video. Thanks Pops!
In 1998 I saw Simon Crafar win the Donnington gp running 1:32’s … fast forward 10 years to 2008 and Marco Simoncello ran a 1:32 on a 250 GP bike ..
Great video as usual. Thanks for doing these, very interesting and informative.
I miss heard mortals , and thought you said ‘more tools like us ‘ 😂
Cool I have always wondered about modern bike to old GP bikes
Great stuff as always! I have a question: we're going to do a trip to Misano with WSB this year (did the same last year to Imola where we spoke briefly). In one of your touring video's you talk about sat navs being a curse. What are you're tips and tricks on navigating with a map? Keep up the good work, cheers.
That first question… I recall MCN doing a piece on it 20ish years ago vs late 70s / early 80s RG500 race bike.
Dirt is one of the greatest albums
TheInfantry98 - What an absolute bellend. £10 says he doesn't even own a bike.
Good question and great answer . Only thinking what year the Cross over would be myself
Thanks for doing this one - very interesting stuff. :>) ps I guess the category would be "super sports" like the IOM TT ? :>)
Great content and very informative Neevesy. Can you please arrange for the medication that Infantry98 is on to be forwarded to me. 😂 My superhuman powers are a bit depleted!
Re: the modern SB top speed...I believe the manufacturers have a gentleman's agreement that they will be electronically/or mechanically limited to 186 mph. I own a 2018 Porsche GT2 RS (certified by Porsche to 216 MPH) and on the only roadway in my area that will "safely" allow such a speed run, an S1000RR had been playing tag with me, but when i had a couple miles of straightaway I went from around 175 MPH up to 211ish and the scooter was just a dot in my rearview mirror.
Alice in Chains were an awesome band, love the t-shirt.
I can't think of any possible argument blaming boomers/gen x for declining motorcycle sales. Our motto was never "stay safe", which I hear repeated constantly in modern society. Stay free is what why should be saying.
What a chilled out informative gentleman mr neeves is......👌
The last MotoGP race at Donington Park was 2009, and pole was Rossi at 1:28.116
Thank you for the wonderful content, Mr. Neevesy. I've watched every single episode since you started. I'm pleased that you complimented the 899 Panigale a while back; it's a bike I love and has stayed with me the longest, though I can only ride it occasionally due to our hot climate. To continue riding comfortably, I purchased a second-generation MT-09 and flashed the ECU to smooth things out.
During your Q&A, you discussed suspension, but I'm unsure about the order of upgrades. Should I focus on the rear shock or the front forks first? For context, I weigh 140 American pounds ;-) (63.5 kg) soaking wet and want to experience the bike at its best.
One more thing: when manufacturers ask for your weight, do you include the weight of your gear as well? So just add 20 pounds?
to the wtf pops guy....well, id say your not riding it hard enough.....the other thing is the mental aspect - that is very draining....while ive never been on a track a few years back i went out with a bunch of guys that id never met before (only knew one of them - he knew the rest of them) i was on my old 2009 [no electronics RSV4 Factory) they were all on state of the art brand new racers so i was at a disadvantage straight away (but i do have good suspension TTXMk2 on the rear NiX30 internals on the front) and setup for me. I was out for 4 hours with them and the sheer mental ability you need to process information as well as being physically knackered when i got home, had a shower and sat down it was like someone had prepped me for surgery - i was out til the next day...totally agree with Neevsy - a very calm, collected and respectful response sir....
Cheers Mate, new to the channel. Enjoying your tech talks and I hear everything your saying I'm 58 Ol'school lol.
Performance of the race bike comes mainly from light weight and slick tires, with everything else contributing but nowhere near as much.
Back in the day the Moto GP 500s were barely quicker than the 250ccs despite having double the HP, just because the latter were light and therefore faster around corners.
This also showcases there's a sort of power threshold with bikes that if you exceed you get diminishing returns, for example the 125ccs that were lighter still were significantly slower as they only had a quarter of the power of the 500ccs but once you got to 100HP of the 250ccs then lighter weight became as important as more power from there on.
There's a video on YT of Ron Haslam in the 1986 Transatlantic challenge on a VFR750 'straight out of the showroom' (pretty sure they did SOMETHING to it).
He did pretty well.
What is your opinion on this called, influences, that keep turning up on, press lunches? ..lol
No Freaking way ! 😆
Especially with Schwantz, Rainey, Lawson, Doohan on them at their prime 👍
Did make me laugh to see TheInfantry98 comment. He was commenting on the last 44 teeth video about riding 1000cc bikes. This guy has never ridden on track - the closest he gets to riding on track is the ride 4 videos which he posts on his channel. The tire short video on his channel tells you just how "fast" this guy really is!
He doesn't even own a s1k 🤣. Checked out his channel, he rides a crashed zx6r and judging by his 'chickenstrips' shirt he does so quite slowly🤷🏼♂️
I Remember Ron Haslam Put a
Standard VRF RoadBike on The
Podium in The wet ..the Bike Still had the Road Tax Disc on !
Did the Ron Haslam race school back in 2007 I think it was. Thoroughly enjoyed it and did about 2 min lap time, first time ever on a track at Donnington. Can’t fathom how racers do less than 1:30. Wow
Also Donington in 1988 had totally slippery surface
At around 3:50..the question..I was thinking you’d have to go back to maybe the ‘70’s
Love your work/vids but that "Alice and chains" shirt just did it for me as my favourite youtuber! Respect!!
race engines are so specialised they are only designed to last a couple of races while consumer engines are designed to last & be durable, heavier, less free revving etc.
classy mate, keep up the outstanding work
Makes me feel a bit better. I did a 1 52 on the Ron Haslam track day about 10 year ago.
So not too shabby.
But still pathetic when you look at the times those dudes are laping.
I know first hand a bike you tested that was not great and handled quite ( understatement) poorly and was built for a guy who planned to do a limited run of them. You were polite about the bike in the MCN but didn't rave on about it just because they wanted you to and having Steve Parish there trying to promote the bike hard. You were factual and honest about it but did avoid being overly critical of it. Not in a sneaky way to make it seem better than it really was but just gave a review of how the bike was built and the simple facts about it and its links to Barry Sheene. (Yep the Sheene Icon bike). It never had any real testing or set up apart from an afternoon shakedown at Brunters and even then when you turned up had the owner make changes to it without telling anyone so the bike understeered like it had magnets attached to the armco... But you did an honest and good job on that bike.
I'm glad my adv bike has a screen just to block bugs tbh, but yep it is definitely noisy.
I would be curious which is your dream Tuono. V2? V4? Which model year?
First thing I change on my ADV is the screen, because they are noisy, but easily fixable.
A question like this appeared last year,
Using a track that is almost identical to 50 years ago,
When Ago was either on the MV or Yamaha,
His fastest lap is now beaten by Moto 3 bikes,
Using Mugelo as the track,
Great information 😁
Great Q&A !
If you're struggling on any bike, just ride something else that suits you, don't force yourself to ride a 1000cc just coz of peer pressure. I went 600,900 and back to 600 just coz I prefer that size of bike ,I now ride a 1000 coz they are smaller than they used to be. But look how gorgeous that ZX4RR is? Mind check your oil level regularly,inline 4's still burn it up.
There's just something about them older MV Agustas...!
Thank you so much for all the content you make, its brilliant ! I noticed that usually you wear Alpinestars gear , is it a sponsorship to MCN? And actually do motorcycle test riders get sponsorships or special gifts/discounts lets say from motorcycle gear companys? I do fancy that Alice in Chains t-shirt also ! Cheers!
Hi Mr Neeves, forgive me if you've already answered this question and I've missed it, but its regarding downshifting. My taste in bikes is the era in which I entered the motorcycling world, the noughties, when superbikes were king (with no/next to no rider aids) and life was good. Modern iterations of those machines, and pretty much all bikes, feature all the tech, fancy TFT screens, electronic suspension, quickshifters, and to get to the point, auto-blippers. Is it necessary to blip the throttle to downshift when slowing/approaching a corner while on the brakes, or not? Mixed opinions online!
Love the content, when I get chance to watch it!!
Thanks in advance.
Don't forget the trusty slipper clutch, or variable engine break settings, too..
I want like a '92 Ninja ZX7R just to have that look.
hehe, since the EFI and decent tires, I was always more tired riding 600s than 1000s. The only exception was the RC8 :)
So no actual riding? Very exciting video bud.
Stock bike suspension adjustment is limited by the manufacturers risk appetite in other words they won't let you change it to the point of being dangerous. After market parts are different because the suspension manufacturers expect them to be fitted by their agents correctly. Race teams have built the skills and experience to setup suspension safely. Getting your stock suspension setup by a specialist who knows what is real is your best bet as there's no substitute for real skills and experience. No, that's not my job..