Hey Trip, if you have a moment...

[tached1000rr]

Trip, I was just curious and if you have a moment thought it would be interesting if you would compare/contrast a run through the gap on the GS vs the CBR. For example differences in gear selection, lines taken, characteristics between both bikes, fun factor etc....

If not no biggie just something I wondered about seeing that pic of your knee down on the GS at the GAP.

[neebelung]

Ohhhh, I second that. A comparo from a seasoned pro like Trip would make for a good read.

[Trip]

Wow, sure I guess I could do that.

As far as technical aspects of the CBARRR for the gap. I typically ran 2nd - 4th. 2nd for pretty much all the more technical corners, 3rd for the speed corners and short straights, and 4th was only for the end of the long straights. I am sad to say I ran the race line in my lane more often than not. As far as riding it hard, that should be pretty easy for you to relate to, since you ride a sportbike. It's light, twitchy and fast. That brings up the emotional aspects of it for me. The CBARRR was bred for speed. It was only happy going fast. I could only ride it that way and have a good time. It was not a fun bike to ride slow. It was downright boring. I had to find other ways to entertain myself if I was riding it slow. Basically if I wasn't riding it balls to the wall up there, I was bored out of my mind. So the fun on it for me was the challenge of speed.

Tech on the GS, I run 2nd or 3rd. I usually stick to one gear because I don't like to downshift when I am riding hard. Downshifting with the GS, if you do it outside of a low RPM range, the rear wheel will lock up pretty easily. It's not bad that it's uncontrollable, pretty much like a bike with no slipper, but since I am not riding a sportbike and it's a beemer, I don't like putting undo wear on the shaft. Riding this bike is different. Braking is the biggest change for me though. The suspension isn't the same at all. The front also has a shock and a telelever setup. When you brake hard with the front, the bike doesn't dive, it squats evenly. It's weird and hard to explain, but you don't get the same dive out of it. Cornering it is really easy. It's balanced very well and sticks really well. The emotional aspect is a lot different. The bike is just plain out fun to ride. I don't have to be going as fast as I possibly can to have fun. A big part of that is the bike is comfortable. The cbarrr wasn't. I can make a slow pass to just check out things and have a blast. I don't feel the need to pass everything in site when riding it. It still has a ton of omph when I do get those urges though. I am not going to outrun a decent rider on a sportbike, but I can hold my own. Biggest part is I don't feel like I am going to kill myself just by riding the bike now because I don't ride it like a fucking moron 95% of the time like I did the CBARRR. I also tend to take a much more mellow line through the gap. Getting a knee down is tough, you pretty much have to commit everything and hang off as far as possible. I am getting better at it, but it's not the smartest idea I ever had.

[tached1000rr]

Pretty much what I was looking for, and I agree I can ride a more "standard" bike and have a ball, but on the sportbike I have to be raping it to get that same satisfaction, just too much there not to use it and then I know I'm still not even close to it's capability.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by Trip

Wow, sure I guess I could do that.

As far as technical aspects of the CBARRR for the gap. I typically ran 2nd - 4th. 2nd for pretty much all the more technical corners, 3rd for the speed corners and short straights, and 4th was only for the end of the long straights. I am sad to say I ran the race line in my lane more often than not. As far as riding it hard, that should be pretty easy for you to relate to, since you ride a sportbike. It's light, twitchy and fast. That brings up the emotional aspects of it for me. The CBARRR was bred for speed. It was only happy going fast. I could only ride it that way and have a good time. It was not a fun bike to ride slow. It was downright boring. I had to find other ways to entertain myself if I was riding it slow. Basically if I wasn't riding it balls to the wall up there, I was bored out of my mind. So the fun on it for me was the challenge of speed.

That's exactly how I felt about the RR... cept I'm nowhere near the rider Trip is...

I felt like I was abusing the bike down here... but what's funny... is the roads I found boring on the RR... or wasn't willing to go down (cause of badly broken pavement) are a fuck'n blast on the DRZ... even better... I can jump on the dirt roads and single track...

[No Worries]

Originally Posted by Trip

...Braking is the biggest change for me though. The suspension isn't the same at all. The front also has a shock and a telelever setup. When you brake hard with the front, the bike doesn't dive, it squats evenly...

I test rode a GS a couple years ago, and the first time I braked the bike squatted. I liked it so much, I was accelerating hard and then braking just so I could feel both ends of the bike dive evenly.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by No Worries

I test rode a GS a couple years ago, and the first time I braked the bike squatted. I liked it so much, I was accelerating hard and then braking just so I could feel both ends of the bike dive evenly.

Yeah, it's different. It's not bad, it just gives you a WTF moment the first time you do it.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Trip

Yeah, it's different. It's not bad, it just gives you a WTF moment the first time you do it.

how's it handle "off road" Trip?