| Author | Message | ||
     Trenchtractor |
A mate of mine rides a VTR250. He's come from a dirt bike background, so he knows his way around a motorcycle, but he has asked me to help him shop for his next stead. He loves the Duc monsters, and the 620's are pretty cheap, so I went and rode one for him yesterday. I was pretty happy with the handling, barring the severe lack of ground clearance. I think it's a great bike for him and the ground clearance can be fixed. Anyhow, some funny things happened. I think Duc riders can be a little snobbish. I rode my mates VTR to the bike shop, so the dealer could value it as a trade. Easy enough. But while the other Duc riders were chatting away, they seemed dissinterested in inviting me into their conversation. I guess I just wasn't good enough since I turned up on a $6,000AUD honda 250 and not a $22,000AUD S4R. Anyhow, there were discussions about who was riding what. I think I almost heard a snigger as I said I WANTED to ride the 620... I guess I must have looked/sounded inexperienced. I had overheard someone saing they didn't like the 620 because it lacked power, everyone seemed to aggree and I though I was in for a dissapointment. Before we left, I had a feeling I was heading out on this group test ride on an under powered bike with a bunch of seasoned, experienced guys who were hard core and all on the bigger, better Duc's. I thought to myself having the Buell here would be nice. I WAS GONNA BE LEFT BEHIND!!! Oh well, I had to focus on my purpose, buying a bike for my mate. First corner, less than 100m from the shop and the bike is dragging something through the corner... TEH SIDESTAND!! It was sitting up where it should, which just isn't very high, handles nice, shame about the ground clearance... Next couple of corners and i am fed up with these know it all's who won't talk to me, they are preventing me from testing the bike. I'm not here to commute... I wanna put this thing through it's paces. I need to play. So, I take to overtaking them one by one, on the inside as we exit a corner. Not hard to do, the 620 is so smooth and predictable, and even more in their face since the bigger bikes should go great outa turns. I dunno what the dealer thought of the sparks comming off the little monster every corner, but when we got back to the shop, all of a sudden the "new" 620 was the topic of conversation. "I've never seen a 620 go that hard.." "That 620 goes heaps better than the one I bought..." "What did you guys do to make that 620 go so hard???" (to the dealer) The dealers reply is that it's the same bike, absolutely stock. The dealer was the only one who knew I own an XB12... He flashed me a grin. Now I'm glad I didn't have the XB there... | ||
| Opto |
Thats very funny, and glad to hear you're able to ride again. Bet your mate will do similar... | ||
| Ingemar |
I rented a 620 dark for 2 days once. I thought it was unpredictible while braking, very uncomfortable ergo's and can't be ridden below 5000 rpms. It was my worst experience on a bike ever. I had to do 2 emergency stops, and the bike just got soo upset. I needed every muscle in my body keeping the rear behind me. It just wanted to turn around (or felt like it). Second, I haven't had a bike wanting to stand up while braking in corners that bad and third, bumps in corners made me think the rear wanted to break out all the time. I love the looks of ducs, I love the sound with a good pipe but the monster is NOT my kinda bike. | ||
| Fullpower |
my wife has a 2004 M620, a fine little bike. it handles very nicely, has the best brakes i have found on two wheels, has an effective powerband from 5000 to 10000 rpm, will accelerate up hills in top gear, and is an all around great motorcycle. with hi mount leo vince slip ons it weighs 410 lbs full of fuel. might even be a little quicker than my XB12 off the line. for someone too short of leg to be comfortable on an XB, the little ducati would be a damn good bike. | ||
| Bomber |
proving once again that it's more the rider than the bike -- I always chuckle at folks on high dollar scoots, more money in leather and helmets and boots that i've got in my truck, and an attitude that is driven by the spec sheet or who won what race mounted on what bike . . . .. they are almost always rather poorly skilled | ||
| Reepicheep |
I was talking to a buddy just yesterday, as we were discussing his Kawasaki ZR-7 (not ZX-7, big difference) and my 9sx. Both of us *rarely* think while riding "geesh, I wish I had more top end power", and both of us almost *always* have thought on every ride "geesh, I wish I were a better rider". | ||
| Glitch |
"geesh, I wish I were a better rider". It this way of thinking that separates us from the squids. | ||
| Cataract2 |
My brother has the Kawasaki ZR-7S. Very nice bike with some good around town power. I never could figure why they stopped production on it. Oh well, least Buell knows well enough to keep the XBS line and even expand on it a little. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Probably because they knew the new naked standard was coming, what is it, the Z1000 or something? Nice standard bike, even if it is a little over the top. | ||
| Tucsonxb9s |
They replaced it with this new 750 that they were selling overseas. Not a bad looking package. Relatively inexpensive to...like $6999 or so.  |
