Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I know we have the motorcycle guides here -- and they are very good -- but I am wondering if anyone knows of a motorcycle specs source that lists :

style
weight
HP
torque

In a format that makes it easy to compare many bikes at once -- like in a table?

After I take my MSF course, I'm probably going to want to pour over a resource like that.

Greg . wrote:I know we have the motorcycle guides here -- and they are very good -- but I am wondering if anyone knows of a motorcycle specs source that lists :

style
weight
HP
torque

In a format that makes it easy to compare many bikes at once -- like in a table?

After I take my MSF course, I'm probably going to want to pour over a resource like that.

Too chilly for most companies to compare their motorcycles like that. Best to look up camparison articles.

Actually, after you take the MSF course you'll have a better idea of what you want. Then try sitting on all the motorcycles you can. One will strike you as a long lost lover and it will be the one you want. It sounds silly but it has worked that way for me. Because it doesn't matter how much you try to pick out a bike on stats. If it doesn't feel comfortable to you than it will just irritate you to no end and that won't help you in leaning the basics that are so important. If it was any different, they would make only one kind of bike and everyone would just deal with it because on paper, it was the best.

Ryethil wrote:Actually, after you take the MSF course you'll have a better idea of what you want. Then try sitting on all the motorcycles you can. One will strike you as a long lost lover and it will be the one you want.

Well, that's kind of why I'd like to see a table. I'm thinking the same thing, and if the MSF course can narrow down the style/power for me, then the chart would help me make the best use of my time when I go out looking at bikes. Know what I'm saying? e.g. I won't waste my time sitting on a GSX-R1000 that I'm not going to buy.

Well, there are quite a few that you can rule out straight away, like gixxers & 'busa's--but it won't hurt to sit on them. If you fall in love with one, you'll have something to aim for . . . later. Generally, most people seem to favor cruisers under 1000cc, standards & sport-type bikes at 250-500cc. So, stick to those engine sizes, and then start sitting on bikes. Ask the salesperson to show you some in each category, so you'll have an idea of the positioning for each. If he/she starts drooling when you sit on something that you know is too big for you, and starts saying things about "respect it's power & you'll be fine" or "you don't want to grow out of your bike right away," make a mental note not to buy from this person, but sit on all the bikes anyway. In this economy, it's not like your wasting his/her time--they are dying of boredom!

Everything I read pointed me toward the Suzuki 50ci (800cc) Boulevards, but when I sat on them, the tank was too friggin' big and the handlebars were waaayy on the other side of it. Fit my husband just fine. After the MSF, the Rebel seemed small and uncomfortable, but for my girlfriend, it felt like home to her. She went out and bought one.

As for weight, the distribution matters as much, and you can't tell that until you've sat on it. My Versys is only 450 lbs, but very top heavy, and handles a lot differently than our 550 lb V Star with its low center of gravity.

Enjoy the hunt!

what sorta style catches your eye? this will change over time but it probably won't change from taking the BRC. if you share what catches your eye now we might be able to throw a few bikes your way. and if you would like to go bike shopping i'll see if i can take a few trips with you. and i very much agree with going to a dealer and sitting on every bike that catches your eye. even those that don't. there will probably be something that just feels right.


talking about how tastes will change... i started off liking cruisers and wondered how anyone could like something as ugly as a sports bike. then one day i saw BMW's cruiser. again, not a sports bike but it got me noticing beemers. then i noticed others ones. then one day i saw an FZ6 and now i have an fz6. i don't think i'll ever own a true sports bike because of the seating position. but the fz6 has an r6-ish engine, sporty lines but is mostly naked and sits upright. i even have highway pegs on the engine guard.

dean owens wrote:what sorta style catches your eye? this will change over time but it probably won't change from taking the BRC. if you share what catches your eye now we might be able to throw a few bikes your way. and if you would like to go bike shopping i'll see if i can take a few trips with you. and i very much agree with going to a dealer and sitting on every bike that catches your eye. even those that don't. there will probably be something that just feels right.

There is a great advantage here that you can use to your advantage. A lot of us have direct contact with the dealers and/or have intimate
knowledge of various motorcycles. However, there may be bit of prejudice too as personal experience has taught us as to how things "really are". The FZ6 in my thinking. But as a group we can give you a great overall view of what you're asking. Think about it...

dean owens wrote:talking about how tastes will change... i started off liking cruisers and wondered how anyone could like something as ugly as a sports bike. then one day i saw BMW's cruiser. again, not a sports bike but it got me noticing beemers. then i noticed others ones. then one day i saw an FZ6 and now i have an fz6. i don't think i'll ever own a true sports bike because of the seating position. but the fz6 has an r6-ish engine, sporty lines but is mostly naked and sits upright. i even have highway pegs on the engine guard.

Highway pegs on a FZ6, blasphemy!

IMHO, I'm a Paramedic, soon to be an ER nurse. I "pick up" a large number of motorcycle accidents. The FZ6 is not a true crotch rocket but a lot of inexperienced people get caught because the FZ6 reacts quickly and sometimes in unexpected ways that can catch a inexperienced rider without warning. However, in the hands of a more experienced person, the FZ6 can react in a more positive way and in the right hands, the FZ6 is a kitten. Though a quick one.

I don't care how many charts you read, study or pour over, the only way you'll know if a bike fits you is to sit on it, (and or ride it if possible.) Many a new rider has had his/her heart set on a specific bike then found only out after riding it, that it wasn't the bike for them. It's better to sit on and ride as many bikes as possible before making a purchase to make sure that you'll be happy with your new ride.

Good luck with your shopping, have fun and make sure we get pictures when there's a new bike in your stable...

Doug

The reason I'd like to see some tables is that I have sat on a number of different types of bikes and I am the most comfortable on the "Standards" and "Sport " bikes. That doesn't mean I won't consider anything else, but yeah, I'd have to try it out and see if I like the feel. So, knowing this, I'd like to know the HP / torque numbers so I know which ones to stay away from. I'm thinking that a mid-size vee twin engine would suit me, and that I need to stay away from the in-line 4s until I have more experience.

Thank you very much for the offer, dean !!! I appreciate that, and we'll see how things pan out.

Ryethil wrote:

dean owens wrote:....i even have highway pegs on the engine guard.

Highway pegs on a FZ6, blasphemy!

i know. i often wonder what people are thinking when they pass me. no matter if it's a cruiser or a sportbike... i'd love to know what they're thinking. but in the end it doesn't matter. the bike isn't theirs. it's mine. and it's exactly what i want.

Ryethil wrote:

dean owens wrote:IMHO, I'm a Paramedic, soon to be an ER nurse. I "pick up" a large number of motorcycle accidents. The FZ6 is not a true crotch rocket but a lot of inexperienced people get caught because the FZ6 reacts quickly and sometimes in unexpected ways that can catch a inexperienced rider without warning. However, in the hands of a more experienced person, the FZ6 can react in a more positive way and in the right hands, the FZ6 is a kitten. Though a quick one.

i wish more people knew how potentially dangerous this bike can be. i spend a lot of time on the fz6 forum. many riders over there spout off that it's a great beginners bike. sadly there seem to only be a few of us that are vocal in sharing that we don't think it's a beginners bike. interestingly enough, i can't tell you how many times i've read about someone "laying it down" over there. i think it's because there are so many new guys who get one and just aren't ready for it. you can lock up the back wheel quickly... it has pretty sensitive front breaks... and you can break most speed limit laws in second gear. i'm very happy i didn't have this as a first bike. after 3 years of riding it can still be a little too much for me at times. i know i would have wrecked it if i would have gotten it for my first bike.