Finally admitting I am no longer 21 n bulletproof!

[SocialSecurity]

so how much was it in the end?


and how much would have a Z1000 been?

[Strika]

Repeat process and add water in parts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well I repeated the process but added water in parts today.

I wasn't completely bored yesterday on my boring Honda, so I went out again today with some mates to see if it could really and truly bore me.

Met up with Dangerous Dave and Drew on their 03 n 04 R1's at St Kilda and after a coffee, helping a girl with a flat battery start her car, and some bullshit, we headed for the south eastern fwy.

We cruised down the freeway and exited at F.T.G. road and went up the back way to savill and onto Warby. This is the section of the ride which usually starts the back and wrist pain, as it involves the fwy followed by 80 kph limited roads which tax sports bike riders wrists and shoulders. We arrived in Warby about 10.30am. The ride up was a lot wet over Mt Dandenong, dry over the other side and then wet again from Saville to Warby. It Stopped raining at Warby and remained that way while we talked more bullshit, chatted to some nice puppies sitting near us, sipped our Latte`s and ate our eggs benedict. It was here that Dangerous Dave started heaping praise on how good looking the Hornet was. i smelled a rat, and sure enough each compliment was finished with, "I might get one when i am 65" Bastid! So then i replied with the usual, "well let's just let the riding do the talking hey Dangerous!". This bought about much gaffawing from both the R1 pilots, followed by a tirade of "wait till we get to the spur and we leave you behind on your commuter bike buddy". The challenge was on! After saying goodbye to rhonda and her puppies, we headed for the reefton Spur.

It was dry from Warby and we took advantage of some of those lovely sweeping constant radius turns from there till the Spur. We didn't stop at the bottom of the spur as is the usual custom, but rather due to time constraints, pressed straight on. The R1 mounted boys at this stage were well and truly miles behind, but to there defence had hit some traffic in spots where they could not pass easily, so I slowed down to make sure we all hit the bottom of the spur together. I was not going to miss my first opportunity to go a Sports Bike huntin! (at this stage I still had my fingers crossed that this new jigger was going to still keep me entertained and satisfied in a manner I am accustomed to, and also at least be competitive on the road????)

We hit the bottom of the spur in a line of three in reasonably close proximity. As I was still unsure of the way this new one steered, stopped, and what the tyres were like, I took it easy for the first 20 or 30 turns. I looked in my mirrors, and both R1 pilots were still there, bugger!

So I made a minor alteration to speed to assess the result. Result was we started to drop off Drew on the 03. Obviously an old 2003 model can't keep up with the later stuff like Dangerous Dave's 04 and My 05.

So I lifted the tempo another notch to see what would happen. At this stage I had not gotten off the seat yet. It took maybe 3 Klms and then DD started to drop off the back.

Score card reads R1's =0, Dirty Commuter bike=2!

About half way up the reefton the weather turned a little nasty, and dumped a collosal amount of H2O upon us in a very short period of time. Not that I minded really as it was humid, and this cooled the air and us! But this was the first wet weather ride on the new Hornet, with new to me tyres, and not my trusty favourites I am used to.
DD and I had slowed when the rain came down and waited for Drew to catch up to make sure he was OK, and then we put our heads back down and had a play. It didn't take long once again to drop them off the back. this time I didn't slow, but rather lifted the pace again, and well and truly fcuked off on both of em! Sports Bikes =0, Dirty Commuter bike=4!

I stopped at the top of the reefton and pulled my helmet and gloves off, and kicked back with a smoke for the long wait for them to arrive......I had almost dozed off when I heard the revving R1 engines summitting the Spur I naturally took no joy in pointing out to them, repeatedly, almost ad nauseum, that the Dirty commuter bike had hosed there macho sports bikes.

We pressed on with me giggling in my helmet and feeling very comfy and slightly smug!

The run back down Lake mountain Into Marysville was a pisser, with Dangerous Dave doing desperates to try and stay with the dirty commuter bike, and at one point did a little "gardening".

We stopped at Marysville to fuel up and wait for the two R1's to arrive.

Funnily enough, DD had obviously not had enough of a pasting on the bike and started up with the fake compliments followed by the piss take about the dirty commuter bike. So next section of road was payback, and it was gunna hurt!

We hoped back on the bikes and headed for the Black spur. The road from Marysville down to the start of the spur was wet, but it had stopped raining and was clearing ahead. I attacked that set of long flowing sweepers between Marysville and the T junction, at a brisk but safe pace ........and dropped the R1's off the back again (anyone still got the score??? Ahh wots the point?)

I once again slowed as we hit the black spur and waited just to make sure all was even again! Drew dropped of within two turns, but DD was valiantly hanging on. As I took one hand off the bar mid turn to scratch my nose, I noticed him pedalling pretty hard behind, but still managing to be there at the entrance of the next turn. Horsepower is king on the road...unless you can ride.

So I decided that was it! I am gunna let him pass me, then humiliate him mid corner with a round the outside one finger pointed skywards pass, and pretend to go for his brake lever or kill switch. I waited till I could see DD was really trying super hard, tucked right down below the fairing and nailing the throttle, with his R1 making lots of revving noises!

So I waited till that fast downhill left hand sweeper at the carpark, and swept around the outside of him as described above, and then gave the velocitator a tweak from there into Healesville.

We then trekked around the back way thru Yarra Glen and then thru the X mas hills, into Warrandyte and templstowe and back down the eastern. Arrived home 2pm. Top day. killed two sports bike riders egos, and rode at my normal pace with plenty in reserve and arrived home without any back, or wrist pain.

Must do mods for me are, lower flatter bars, to cant me fwd a little more and also put my wrists at a more comfy angle. And a rear ride height adjustment as I am already running out of ground clearance on the road unless I hang way of the thing. I think it is the side stand that touches down first on the left so a few mm more rear ride height should fix it and will also benefit with slightly sharper steering.

[Gosling1]

thats just *awesome* mate ..........when do the other guys get off their L plates ????

[balanse]

A honda and 2 yamahas out on a ride?? and you can write that here without feeling all dirty and used?? Were's me farken thong.

Tip is it felt fast cause the bikes were stressing is all. It's unlikely that you were travelling at Kawasaki speeds.

BTW from 3 Kawasakis to 0 Kawasakis in 1 month?? Did you fall over in the shower?

[Strika]

Nuh! It was 5 Kawasaki's and now it's Two Kawasaki's and a H.......Ho........Hon........ Aww fcuk it, it's a Hornet! I just don't look at the badge when I am on it.

Well If Kawasaki dealers could 1. Afford to take my trade and 2.Pay me what the Honda guys did, ..............................then I would have bought another Kwaka.

If your nice to me, i might let you ride my Honda one day, just so you can appreciate how good your Kwaka is, and how hard I must have to peddle the Honda to keep up!

[Gosling1]

... and how hard I must have to peddle the Honda to keep up!

you will be raisin' a sweat to hang onto a ZX10 mate !! good report, glad you didn't get rained on, with untried tryes, new bike 'n all - could have been a recipe for disaster.......

[Strika]

Only ever 7/10ths on the rd Gosling! ie- 7/10ths of the way to shitting myself! I only ever go 10/10ths and shit myself when on the track!

[SocialSecurity]

so would you say the err... honda "9" would match or even beat the 636 for accelleration? torque must be worlds apart

[Gosling1]

good to hear.......

One day mate I will come down and do the Spur runs with you........I think it would be a very *enjoyable* and *spirited* ride......

[Strika]

so would you say the err... honda "9" would match or even beat the 636 for accelleration? torque must be worlds apart

Dunno. The difference is that I can leave the Hornet in top gear everywhere, even up Reefton, whereas, the six I had to keep above 9000rpm for really serious mumbo, and dance all over the gear lever.

The hornet pulls like a 16 year old from 2000rpm It remains pretty much the same from 4-9000rpm with no steps in power. Makes it easy to slide it, but I do miss the kwaka top end rush!

At 100-160kph, it walks all over the 636 for rideability. I can just open the throttle and it rockets forward. whereas the 636 would need to be in 4th.

[SocialSecurity]

so it tapers off after 9k? my 9 screams till 12

[Strika]

so it tapers off after 9k? my 9 screams till 12

This is basically a fuel injected 1998 fireblade 919 motor, with milder cams and mapping to produce power and torque lower in the revs. The old blade motor was a bit of a grunter anyhow, and the different cams make it even more so. I can change the cams and maping and it will have 20 more horses, but it will make it higher up like your nine does, so I am gunna leave em. I may put a pipe on it later, once I learn to ride it properly!

[SocialSecurity]

nice, didnt know they were injected


she'd look real nice with a set of renthal fat bars

[Lucas]

So how much you end up getting for your Zx6 strika
as a trade

[Strika]

A set of MX bars are being fitted on Tuesday, as with some crash knobs, mini clear indicators, and hopefully some sort of ride height adjuster if possible! Got to stop it dragging it's arse on the road!

Lucas thanks for asking but my financial dealings are now kept private. Apart from know facts like they were running out the CB9's for 11K. And I got money back!