Off Topic » The psychology of going from supersport to sport-tourer

I thought it was just me, that riding a supersport bike (S1000RR) makes you ride on the "attack" all the time. I'll be on a long 150-mile mountain ride, and every corner just forces me to go on the offensive. Then I'll see a guy on a tour bike, or sport-tour bike, and he'll be just cruising along, enjoying the scenery, while I'm bent over with eyes blazing hitting the apexes with gusto, while in the back of my mind I'm thinking..."Wouldn't it be nice to do this ride and enjoy the scenery without feeling like I've got to push all the time?" Then I read an article about the 1250 RS, and the reviewer (who came from a sportbike background) discussed his sportbike days in the same way...attack, attack, attack. But riding the RS, he felt he could justify a mellower approach to riding.

After I read that, I was actually relieved to know it wasn't just me...there really IS a sportbike psychosis that makes you a Neanderthal (not that there's anything wrong with Neanderthals, in case any of you pronouns tend toward the pre-historic). I've been watching the upright-riding crowd for a while on my sportbike rides, and have to admit to envy.

It's why I'm looking forward to the new RS delivery next month.

Those of you with sportbike backgrounds who now live here...did you experience the same thing when on your sportbike...attack, attack, attack??

I had a CBR1100XX…which can qualify as a super sport.

Never desired to “attack, attack, attack.” It’s a mindset. Of course, the XX was excellent at many uses including track and touring. Its stock seat was more comfortable than the average supersport’s stock seat. That helps a lot.

My RS is my attack all the time motor; the RT is for less spirited riding/comfort/sight seeing.

Due to the unusually sunny and 'warm' (for winter) weather I've had the chance to take both the RS and CBR for a run on some of the local twisties I enjoy.

After a few hundred miles of getting used to the RS and the run-in of the 'wouldn't-be-my-1st-choice-Metzlers' I'm pretty sure if anyone timed me on the same road the speed and time would be exactly the same.

Beside the psychological aspect I think it's just the general rider position i.e. on supersports you're much more leaned over, when cornering due to the position of your body, narrower and lower bars you get the sense of the 'edge' even if you're well within the margin of reasonable 'sporty' riding on public roads. The nature of the bike makes you feel much more involved and since they are generally smaller you get more of the riding-on than riding-in sensation.

By comparison the RS is a bit slower on the really tight ones but connects the longer sweepers with so much stability and poise. It's quieter, larger, and... I guess has less of the 'riding on the edge' energy than the RR for example. The seating position is the perfect blend leaned over and comfortable and you feel more 'in' it due to the size and awareness of the bike around you. I'd say a fair bit of it also comes from the quieter ride both wind and engine/exhaust-wise when comparing to i4 screamers.

I enjoy riding both but when it comes to an easier ride for the scenery and relaxation the RS is much more at home - that being said with its torque and dynamics you can easily get your 'attack' fix when you need it. If anything due to the composure and still getting used to throttle-by-wire I find myself doing 20mph over what I think I'm going by the feel on the RR - so even faster but much more relaxed and my pillion still has the comfort to look around rather than hold on for dear life as you pull above 100.

A good comparison would be doing 90mph on the highway in a small city ecobox and a BMW 5series. One is just so much smoother.

I don't think it's just the riding position, I came to the RS from an XR with the shouty 1 litre RR engine detuned, I always found it shouting at me making me want to ride faster. Changed to the RS, but am definitely no slower, sometimes probably faster, but it's speed is more effortless and you can ride faster more serenely.

Zitat von Becksy im Beitrag #5

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I don't think it's just the riding position, I came to the RS from an XR with the shouty 1 litre RR engine detuned, I always found it shouting at me making me want to ride faster. Changed to the RS, but am definitely no slower, sometimes probably faster, but it's speed is more effortless and you can ride faster more serenely.

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You guys make good points. I used to have an F800GT, which had an upright seating position. It was more serene but, yeah, I'm not sure I went any slower on it. The RR riding position and the engine sound makes me "feel" as if I'm going faster, but I just recalled a day riding in a canyon thinking I was tooling along at an aggressive pace, when a guy on a GS went around me like I was sitting still.

It's all relative, I guess!

Zitat von BEARR im Beitrag #8

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You guys make good points. I used to have an F800GT, which had an upright seating position. It was more serene but, yeah, I'm not sure I went any slower on it. The RR riding position and the engine sound makes me "feel" as if I'm going faster, but I just recalled a day riding in a canyon thinking I was tooling along at an aggressive pace, when a guy on a GS went around me like I was sitting still.

It's all relative, I guess!

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Not having ridden many sports bikes in the past, but I had a Daytona 955i for a few years. Thing was seriously uncomfortable for the 90% of the time I was bimbling along feeling sore. When the opportunity came time to get on it properly it could be a lot of fun for an alarmingly short time. For that bike it only made sense to be on the attack. Sold it.

Zitat von Valks im Beitrag #9

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Zitat von BEARR im Beitrag #8

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You guys make good points. I used to have an F800GT, which had an upright seating position. It was more serene but, yeah, I'm not sure I went any slower on it. The RR riding position and the engine sound makes me "feel" as if I'm going faster, but I just recalled a day riding in a canyon thinking I was tooling along at an aggressive pace, when a guy on a GS went around me like I was sitting still.

It's all relative, I guess!

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I've seen my fair share of really 'ballsy' GS riders, while RR riders scrape pegs these boys scrape their boxy panniers (no really). GS is an SUV I have no wish for but there's no denying that it can pull some serious moves on the pavement provided the rider has the skill/balls/deathwish combination.

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