Probably gonna make some enemies, but...

[Phenix_Rider]

Originally Posted by FT BSTRD

If you are a flat out, top speed kind of person, the motard won't scratch that itch. If you are a twisty freak, the motard is all good. You are willing to plod along getting your nuts vibed into numb oblivion in order to carve the corners.

No thanks. The only reason I'd have a 'tard is to run on a go-kart track. Just not a livable street bike to me. Though, one might be interesting on the rougher farm roads around here.

[FT BSTRD]

Originally Posted by tlstreak

I disagree with that. I dont live that far away from you, so its all curves. Yammerhaw too. Only place ive rode a tard is in the mountains, basically it took less than half the skill to push the tard than a sportbike. There are people that only ride tards. Which is fine, take them off the tard and put them ona sport bike and they are no where near the level they think they are against others that have rode prior to the tards becoming popular.

Oh, I agree completely. That was my point, though. In the really tight twisties, motard are easier to get around the bend. I'm no racer, but I can hold my own. I can't tell you how many times I've had a motard pass me on the outside of a turn and squirt away riding Deal's. Part of it is that I suck, but the vast majority is that motards are just easier to get around the corners.

My bike's no slouch in the turns, but a bike with less than half the horsepower and half the weight is better suited for the turns. Your trade off is that the straights SUCK. I can hit the turn perfectly, holding the perfect line, at the maximum of tire grip, bike lean, and suspension tolerance and still not out corner a motard. The motard rider isn't even breathing hard.

Put a motard only rider on a bike that is less nimble than theirs, and the skills we have had to develop to get our bikes around the turn aren't as polished because they haven't had to work as hard to get their rig from point A to point B around the turn.



What I REALLY want is this:









I think this is where the motard fad is going.

I can't wait to get a chance to ride the RC4:




All the flickability of a motard without having to rebuild the top end every 2500 miles.

[HRCNICK11]

Real fun on Kart tracks. I have a crf150r and a DRZ400sm and goto Kart tracks all the time its way cheaper than full sized tracks and just as fun. Also the tards have studed ice tires on them right now.

Oh and show me a sportbike that you can crash several times in a day(My friend Teddy is a clown) and not even need a single spare part. No really my CRF150R hit the ground 3 times in one day and was fine every time. Never even scratched the bodywork, just the sliders. Never broke a lever nothing.

The most fun you'll ever have at deals gap is riding a tard through the dragon. Its the only time I have ever gotten to the end of the road and turned around and rode it again with out a break. I must say the first time I put the bike in forth gear on the dragon felt strange though. Its just not right after riding the road in 2nd gear for years and years.

A tard on a curvy dirt road around lakes and in the mountains is a blast. We even found some 2 track bear trails near the dragon that were fun as hell.

[JARVIS518]

never rode one but i love the way they look
i want one so bad
but i will keep the sport bike for riding 2 up and for long highway rides

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by Yamerhaw

they just seem a bit slow and weakly

It must suck to have a small pee-pee. Condolences.

Originally Posted by t-rock

You are convincing me of their coolness. Now if I weren't so fuckin short.

I am 5' 8" and have ridden several tards. No problems.

I also ride my high-seat-height R6 with no problems as well.

You just have to get used to it.

Originally Posted by PhiSig1071

The seat is narrow, thankfully I'm tall so I can slide back to the rear of the seat which is more comfy. They do suck on the highway, no way around it, thankfully mine has a pretty big motor so it'll cruise comfortably at 80 no problem. Try that on the DRZ and it'll feel like it's going to explode. Plus the tank on my bike is tiny, I only get about 60-70 miles before I flip it to reserve.

Honestly, it is actually a fantastic commuter bike, as long as your commute isn't a lot of highway. It's light, nimble, easy to ride and fun, I used to have a 45 minute commute to get to school, and I loved taking the 'tard, and it was about half highway.

Agreed for the most part... but my buddy's DRZ is great on the highway. It'll top out at 110. You can ride it at 75 all day long with no problems at all. For short highway jaunts it's fine. It has a 39mm flatside carb and yosh exhaust.

Obviously I wouldn't want to ride any tard all day on the highway though. That's why you take alternate routes of side roads

[neebelung]

Originally Posted by FT BSTRD

If you are a twisty freak, the motard is all good.

....if we had twisties in FL, I might become more of a Tard fan.

[SteveP]

As most have said I wouldn't want one as a daily driver. But if I had the extra cash around for one it would be fun.

[BobTheBiker]

I"d LOVE a tard for a second bike just to play hooligan on. I'd have to have the DRZ though, no doubt, the 400SM is just the shit for me. i'm sure I could work a way around the fuel tank issue and find a larger tank, the seat height is just a minor adjustment, and I"m good. just gimme gimme gimme.

[pickle.of.doom]

I heart my motard.

Yeah, my DRZ does about 110 indicated top speed, 80 on the freeway is no problem, but after 20 miles your ass hurts. Its not made for highway cruising, thats why I have the Superhawk too.

[PhiSig1071]

I'm fairly accomplished on either bike, GSXR or Motard. I also love pushing other bikes hard through the twisties, I have scraped pegs two-up on a Concours and ground the ends off of the pegs on a meanstreak.

I love the MonoGP bikes, but to me they lose a lot of the advantages of a 'tard, you lose the long-travel suspension, ground clearance, and especially important the leverage of the wide bars. They're a great alternative to a 125 or 250 two-stroke road racer, and they might be the best "starter" sportbike in existence, but to me they're not an alternative to a tard. They have no advantages over a tard and on a tight twisty technical track a tard would win, more cornering clearance and more leverage in the bars means better handling.

Oh and BTW, the RC4 has the same basic motor as the SMC, so neither bike needs a rebuild that often.