Jag, you missed a great ride today, are you going tomorrow? I went ahead and did the whole loop this afternoon on my CBR, turned around just before Lake Nocona. Perfect weather and a great ride, stopped in for lunch at the Lazy Heart Grill in St Jo, best burger I believe I've ever eaten, no kidding, the food is that good!

Dragmeister you sound jazzed, what kind of a finance deal did they make you on that Bimmer?

* Last updated by: Kruz on 11/17/2012 @ 8:02 PM *

Cool man. Congrats show pics.
You are gonna give up the 14 aren't you...?

Oh, I won't get the bike until next fall. Gotta get my $$ right first. Plus the wife is going to want something too. Maybe a trip for 2 to Europe (she's not even back yet).

Nah at 6'5, I need a hyper in my garage. Beside I love watching people face when I tell them I'm going to hit the gym after our 400 miles trip and touring is a new found passion. It's all about the scenery... a blurred scenery that is lol

Dragmeister you sound jazzed, what kind of a finance deal did they make you on that Bimmer?

I think you could afford the HP4! All you would have to do is trade/sell one of your bike, come up with some cash.
Chris "the Latin Teacher" McNeil was at the Beemer dealer today

* Last updated by: dragking on 11/18/2012 @ 1:13 AM *

Jag, you missed a great ride today, are you going tomorrow? I went ahead and did the whole loop this afternoon on my CBR, turned around just before Lake Nocona. Perfect weather and a great ride, stopped in for lunch at the Lazy Heart Grill in St Jo, best burger I believe I've ever eaten, no kidding, the food is that good!

Kruz-I had a whole host of "unexpecteds" come down on me yesterday and now again today. Nothing to really complain about, just family stuff, but I do get selfish when things get in the way of my therapy, ughh, I mean riding:)
I will PM and call you but I may be taking this Wed off in addition to Thursday and Friday. If you are in town I'd like to do that route and try out one of the burgers. Never even noticed a burger place in St. Jo. I do have the Hero Cam charged up and ready to go. How was the Blade runnning in the cool air?

[quote] I hope I'll still love that Beemer. q30uote]

Drag---have you been able to get in a decent test ride on the S1000? I'm assuming you have but if you haven't BMW is one of the best Mfg's when it comes to test rides. I would take one out for a least 30min-hour and make sure you're gonna love it. I mean, IMO they are hard not to love, but it's also a chunk of change to not know for sure.
You will of course be riding with stock exhaust which is still very fast but not real inspiring. That Akra slip on I put on is the first slip on I've done on a bike, versus full systems, (other than a slip on for a Kawi C-14), and I hade my reservations, but I gotta tell you, it makes a big difference. VERY smooth, faster reving, breathes better and there is a nice richer exhaust note through the rpms.
The main reason I say to be sure and test ride it is that I have known former Jap liter bike owners, (mostly CBR owners) who love their new bikes, but when pushed I think they really loved their Jap inline fours better. The S1000 is easy to ride but it also has a different personality than any liter bike I've ridden. Obviously a personality I love, but different. Just like my BMW K1600. It's not a Goldwing, FJR 1300 or Connie.
Parts of those well designed and thoroughly ironed out bikes might best the big K, but on a whole I wouldn't trade the K bike for any of them, and I loved the Connie. I know the media has had a 3-4 year romance with the S1000RR, and quite deservedly without question IMO. For me it's THE supreme liter, including the Aprilia RSV4, but the Jap bikes, as you know are quite awesome. Particularly for 11-13 the Zed10R. Maybe a back to back comparison ride? Thats what I did, and I determined the S1000 was the one that really spoke to me. It is a phenominal bike.
Anyway, one other thought. Have your considered looking for a 2012 leftover, or pre-owned on Craigs list etc? Only thing new on the 13's, outside of the HP4 are colors, so deals to be had on 12's I would assume. Either way congratulations! I think you'll love it!

Kruz-I had a whole host of "unexpecteds" come down on me yesterday and now again today. Nothing to really complain about, just family stuff, but I do get selfish when things get in the way of my therapy, ughh, I mean riding:)
I will PM and call you but I may be taking this Wed off in addition to Thursday and Friday. If you are in town I'd like to do that route and try out one of the burgers. Never even noticed a burger place in St. Jo. I do have the Hero Cam charged up and ready to go. How was the Blade runnning in the cool air?

Friday is a go for me if the weather is good. CBR ran liked a raped ape, I saw 144 mph in one of those fast sweepers near Illinois Bend, was afraid to push it any harder than that as I don't know the road too well. Lazy Heart Grill is right on the square, next door to the saloon and bootmaker. The proprietors name is Jack, real friendly fellow and he loves bikers. Bring appetite, the portions are huge! I had the mushroom, bacon, swiss burger smothered in grilled onions, could barely walk when I left. The grilled Fajitas looked tempting but enough for a small army, they must grow 'em big in St Jo!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 11/18/2012 @ 9:50 AM *

I'm going to ride my 10R over to the BMW dealer and do one one of those test rides on an S1000RR, back to back rides on the same road should give me a clear picture. The topend I don't care about, I still can't use everything my 600 has on the roads I ride but more interested in the handling, brakes, ergos and suspension compliance.

This month's Cycle World tested the MV F3 against the Ducati 848 Evo and got skunked, same complaints, abysmal low speed fueling and got pasted on the track to the tune of over a second a lap. I'd have to say at this point that the F3 is a dud, been beat up bad now by both of it's main rivals and I'd be willing to bet the new 636 Ninja would paddle it as well! MV needs to go back to the drawing board or send the F3 back to finishing school!

Oh, I won't get the bike until next fall. Gotta get my $$ right first.

Drag, an awful lot can happen between now and next fall, they'll be announcing the 2014 models and the Empire may decide to go ahead and strike back....not the Roman Empire, the Japanese Empire.....lol!

I got a hunch the Japs are going going to kick BMW right square in the jewels pretty soon....or maybe I'm wrong and they're deadazz broke...we'll soon see.

I just don't see Honda taking any more crap from BMW, look at their MotoGP effort, if they have the will, they'll bring something mind blowing to market.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 11/18/2012 @ 6:58 PM *

I got a hunch the Japs are going going to kick BMW right square in the jewels pretty soon....or maybe I'm wrong and they're deadazz broke...we'll soon see.

I just don't see Honda taking any more crap from BMW, look at their MotoGP effort, if they have the will, they'll bring something mind blowing to market.

I'm not sure what the Japanese will bring to the market, other than matching technologies and power. That by the way will likely be enough for many. I know it would for me. All of the bikes, the Suzuki included, are incredible bikes. The industry was ready for something new and exciting AND European though. The BMW's masterstroke was their marketing. They did not price the bike out of the market. In fact the first 2 years, it was only about $1200 more than a Kawasaki ZX10-R. Today it's closer to $1700, all the while offering a 36 month unlimited mileage warranty vs a 1 year one. Other than the Duc's and Aprilia, they weren't any real options, and those two brands were priced at a premium and you had to really want that specific bike. I'm not saying that S1000 owners weren't passionate about owning that specific bike, because I believe they were, but if you had owned Japanese and wanted a taste of a European sport bike, this was the one for you. It didn't hurt that it slammed all four of the big competitors to the mat in a near unbelievable amount of time, while offering a very exciting, brilliant bike with a nearly undefinable dose of character .

All that said, the Japansese will without question catch up, and perhaps surpass the Germans once again, but in some ways they will not appeal to the market BMW has won.

Oh by the way Kruz, I'd pick up a new 636 if I were you. I agree the MV F3 needs to go back to the drawing board:)

@Jagman: Yes. The 12 and the 13 are identical. I would love to find a new 12 or a barely used one but you have no idea how lucky you were. For some reason, people don't want to get rid of them lol
I think I will still love it after five years. After all I love my six years old 14. I was just weighting all the ifs!

@Kruz
I got it. You love the 600 and you want something stylish with royal blood. It's easy just get an Aprilia RSV4. Enough power to hang with the big dogs in those fast sweepers plus a killer chassis. Many testers say it's a 1000 in a 600 body. I know three guys who have one and the handling I hear is mystical.

The S thou is for the power addicted. People that don't mind not putting all the power to the ground and welcome the occasional 3rd gear wheelie. I have a pretty smooth bike in my 1st generation ZX-14. I need something that is going to reduce my life expectancy lol

Have you seen the numbers from Austin Racing. More meat in the midrange and 200 hp at the top. Real expansive a 1600 dollars but saying "NO, it's inconel" when asked whether your system is titanium or steel is priceless lol

Dragmeister, no, nothing really yanking my chain right now, the F3 caught my eye but it is a severely compromised motorcycle and I don't see it getting any better without a huge amount of R and D effort by MV. The HP4 caught my interest briefly but then I did 230 miles of twisties on my CBR Saturday morning and it brought me back to reality, I have all of the firepower I need...and can use.... already with the existing machines. I'll probably wait until the Empire strikes back and see if they have something that is able to catch my fancy.

Will be interesting to see if BMW can parley some of that salesroom success into racing success in 2013. With Melandri onboard, they did manage a 3rd place effort in 2012 World Superbike right behind Sykes and Biagi. In IOM TT competition, they're not even on the radar screen yet, I think an 11th was the best they could muster this year in the Senior TT. That's going to be the ultimate test if the bike is really good, can it beat Honda on the Isle.

Will be interesting to see if BMW can parley some of that salesroom success into racing success in 2013. With Melandri onboard, they did manage a 3rd place effort in 2012 World Superbike right behind Sykes and Biagi. In IOM TT competition, they're not even on the radar screen yet, I think an 11th was the best they could muster this year in the Senior TT. That's going to be the ultimate test if the bike is really good, can it beat Honda on the Isle

Good forward progress in SBK. No question a lot of areas to shine, with the Isle being one of them. Remember, 3 years:) A few additional pics since we abandonded the MV F3 in this thread:)
New Pazzo Levers

New Cox Oil and Rad guards

New Akrapovic Slip On and Tecbike Cat Cover

* Last updated by: Jagman on 11/19/2012 @ 9:18 AM *

Good forward progress in SBK. No question a lot of areas to shine, with the Isle being one of them. Remember, 3 years:) A few additional pics since we abandonded the MV F3 in this thread:)
New Pazzo Levers

In WSBK, Jonathan Rea and his fireblade couldn't hang with the S Thou! It's a lot to ask for a Bike that's 3 years old. It came over and spanked the most successful manufacturers, and still got an upgrade every year while maintaining competitive prices. A ZX-14 MSRP in 06 was under 12k, look at the price now and it's not like they're not selling them. Same think for the ZX-10R and his fake steering damper.

I wanna give my hard earned money to a company who makes an extra effort to please is customer: rebate, financing, warranty etc. You can beat the Beemer. Hopefully, other manufacturers are listening but because kawasaki and Honda have hardcore followers, I doubt the situation will change much.

Jagman: don't forget the final touch.

Red or Blue

* Last updated by: dragking on 11/19/2012 @ 10:07 AM *

Looks like the 2012 IOM TT Superstock 1000cc race was an all Honda-Kawasaki benefit again this year.... all the way back to 15th place with only one Yamaha and one Suzuki breaking in to the top 15 rankings.

There has to be a reason these two bikes are dominating this type of road racing, even in Superstock where limited modifications are allowed...or maybe I'm just crazy.

Isle of Man 360 Superstock TT Race

1. John McGuinness (Honda) 126.657 mph
2. Michael Dunlop (Kawasaki) 126.427 mph
3. Ryan Farquhar (Kawasaki) 126.281 mph
4. Bruce Anstey (Honda) 125.593 mph
5. Guy Martin (Suzuki) 125.567 mph
6. James Hillier (Kawasaki) 125.445 mph
7. Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) 125.231 mph
8. Gary Johnson (Honda) 124.742 mph
9. Dan Stewart (Honda) 124.610 mph
10. Cameron Donald (Honda) 124.548 mph
11. Ian Hutchinson (Yamaha) 123.107 mph
12. Stefano Bonetti (Kawasaki) 122.686 mph
13. David Johnson (Kawasaki) 122.341 mph
14. Ian Mackman (Kawasaki) 122.261 mph
15. Adrian Archibald (Kawasaki) 121.930 mph

* Last updated by: Kruz on 11/19/2012 @ 1:37 PM *

Kruz you're just proving my point. Let's say there are 100 bikes in the TT. 80 of those are going to be Honda or kawasaki. You're showing us the 15 that have finished in front of the Beemer or Panigale. What about the other 50 who finished behind. The TT is an experience and balls circuit, it takes years to master. That's why, you don't see german or French winning those (the top riders are Irish or English). Just for games: Check out the riders who won it throughout the years and see how many have a last name starting with Mc lol

My main argument however, is the effort made by the manufacturer to shine in the TT. Honda used to send Tadao Baba and he used to bring the best parts and made TT Blade (stronger engine) from the factory. I may get the dates wrong because I read the story in the January issue of Performance Bikes: Honda retired in 1989 (from the TT) after Phil Mellor and Steve Henshaw lost their lives. They resumed with the Blade in 96 and managed to get Phil McCallen who won the year before by the way. Honda and Kawasaki bike are battle tested but so are the riders who win on them.

If i had your fleet, I wouldn't be looking for something else though. I would just choose my best weapon and improve the suspension etc and take it to the track.

* Last updated by: dragking on 11/19/2012 @ 4:10 PM *

And honestly since I don't see myself taking on the IOM anytime soon, I'm just going to revel in what I honestly believe is the most FUN and capable super sport bike made at this time. Like we've all said...there really are NO bad bikes these days. Pick one that trips your trigger. Which one is the most fun to ride? I know which one it is for me but that doesn't mean it's the one for everyone. I do find it hard to believe however that literally hundreds of journalists and riders all agree that the BMW S1000RR is something "special." From gem like fit and finish to mind blowing power to outstanding handling not to mention that X factor that certain inantimate objects offer us. Also for me it's always the gargage test. Do I stop and look at it each time I pass by?:) I honestly have to say, I do with the BMW, I don't with the ZX14-R. But thats just me....

lol Jagman we think alike just not on the 14 though. I told myself the day I get off of it and don't turn around as I am walking away, its time is up. I want to own the bikes that are game changers. I wish I had a 96 blade and 99 Busa. I'm sure not trying to miss the Beemer.
Jagman, you should do that bike a favor and buy a leather suit. If you're happy in the street think about how the track is going to make you feel.

* Last updated by: dragking on 11/19/2012 @ 4:23 PM *

ol Jagman we think alike just not on the 14 though. I told myself the day I get off of it and don't turn around as I am walking away, its time is up. I want to own the bikes that are game changers. I wish I had a 96 blade and 99 Busa. I'm sure not trying to miss the Beemer.
Jagman, you should do that bike a favor and buy a leather suit. If you're happy in the street think about how the track is going to make you feel.

Well Drag...I'm being a little harsh on the 14R. Seems the newest puppy always gets the most attention. I really love the 14R and still find it appealing aesthetically. You just don't want to ride them back to back on anything other than a straight road..that's for sure.
You're 100% right about the track and something I am going to do. I've been making excuses for too long. Time's up...:)
BTW who would have thought Kruz's MV thread would have been this entertaining? Thoroughly enjoying this thread!

The 14/14R tries though. After a while you could get light wheels and maybe beef up the suspensions that would bridge the gap a little. As long as you remain fit and work on skills fun can be had on all sort of bike, especially if they have a minimum of power. It's a long video in French but look at what this guy is doing with the K 1600...

K1600

This could be you after you do some track days lol

@Kruz: Where did you go? We got have the final word. Are you waiting for a better F3?

Look what Mrs Dragking brought from her trip to Europe:


Don't be fooled by the Davidoff... it's a special edition for Italy (1000 made).Now, all I need is to plan a nice route with a good eating place!

* Last updated by: dragking on 11/20/2012 @ 10:53 AM *

Well Jag...your Beemer looks like it'll get with it...I can see you passing on the 14...it is a hefty..

Another one!

Well Jag...your Beemer looks like it'll get with it...I can see you passing on the 14...it is a hefty

I love the 14R. It's funny cause it's so fast and so smooth, that it can be less invigorating to ride fast than the
BMW. That leads to not always as much fun in my case. Still I like the trio I have a will likely hang on to it for a while, but then again, I'm not one to hang on to bikes once the romance fades:) It is still an absolute brute with the Brocks pipes and PC5. The sound of those pipes alone is enough reason to keep the bike:) It doesn't get any better...but you alredy know that:)

The 14/14R tries though. After a while you could get light wheels and maybe beef up the suspensions that would bridge the gap a little. As long as you remain fit and work on skills fun can be had on all sort of bike, especially if they have a minimum of power. It's a long video in French but look at what this guy is doing with the K 1600...

You know not saying I ride it "quite" like that, put I do push it hard and have wrung it out many many times on roads like that. The most amazing thing about the big K bike is just how well it handles. It truly can be flung around in the twisties and with the insane amount of torque the inline 6 produces, shifting is optional:) The steering is so light and neutral it takes some getting used to, but essentially it's "look where you want to go" and the bike is heading there. It tips in to turns like nothing of it's size has a right to.

OK, I'm back, the cigars look awesome Dragmeister, you'll have to do something special for the missus. No, not waiting for a new F3, that was the bike I wanted but the infatuation is now over. This bike looked like it was going to be something really special, combining rare beauty with talent but it appears to be seriously flawed and MV has a certain reticence about fixing it's issues.
The Aprilia RSV4 is a nice machine but isn't really ringing my bell, KTM the same way. Panigale had my attention for a fleeting moment but it sounds like big brother to the F3 sans the fuelling issues.

Hoping to hear fresh rumours from the Land of the Rising Yen, particularly Honda. They're about ready to wake up and deliver a body blow. The problem is the current CBR1000RR is just too damn good!It's still winning shootouts and setting fast laps after six years with the same basic platform and just laughs in the face of it's TC rivals. I honestly don't know how you'd improve it, any major changes might upset the balance that everyone raves about.

OK, enough discussion, time to ride, Jag when are we going, I'm off work for the next four days?