Author |
Message |
Rick_A
| Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 02:57 pm: |
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Holy s**t...that looks like a giant toy motorcycle. Is that a big snowmobile motor? I love the Duke. I'm temped to buy one, lower it, do some engine mods and use it for a track bike. |
Redstripe
| Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 03:32 am: |
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Rick; Once busy, perhaps it's more adviseable to buy a "slightly used" LC4. The Duke's an expensive bastard! A used LC4 can be picked up quite a bit cheaper then that, and You'll mod' it anyways? |
Rick_A
| Posted on Saturday, January 04, 2003 - 12:49 pm: |
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Used Duke II's are going for around the same price as older Pre-Thunderstorm Buells. It's far better than previous Duke versions in many respects. What I like about them is they are extremely lightweight, have a lot of premium components, are relatively inexpensive to hop up, are very durable, and to me looks like it has a ton of potential. The day I buy a vehicle new... Seems they have the same Buell resale problems...owners love 'em, but when the time comes to sell nobody wants the things. |
Redstripe
| Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 07:56 pm: |
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Too True... Yet I'll keep mine, and add some Ooooomph! Keep Your eye on the dyno-specs, I'll have the bike back in about three weeks time. Yesss! Jilles. |
Lornce
| Posted on Sunday, January 05, 2003 - 08:35 pm: |
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Redstripe n' Rick-A, Local Toronto dealer has brand new '02 LC4 Super-Motard reps for about $5.4k US. Hmmmn.... Lornce (maybe with a bike or two for sale) |
Sportyeric
| Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 03:20 am: |
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I'm gonna hold out for this one.Chrylser's superbike? |
Mikej
| Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 08:44 am: |
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But does it corner? |
Rick_A
| Posted on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 10:46 pm: |
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I did a little something with the Duke above. That's how I'd like it |
Rick_A
| Posted on Saturday, January 11, 2003 - 02:41 pm: |
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Prototype KTM Duke 950 review |
Ray_Maines
| Posted on Saturday, January 11, 2003 - 04:43 pm: |
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An interesting article about a very interesting motorcycle. Some good quotes:
Quote:The very essence of the Naked streetrod concept, as invented by Miguel Galluzzi for Cagiva when he designed the Ducati Monster a decade ago, is that the result should be a stripped out one-litre sportbike. It should be agile, muscular, quick-steering, minimalist, but substantial-feeling.
I’ve not yet ridden a XB9S to judge the way it feels but it just doesn’t look substantial. I wonder if there is any “substance” to this?
Quote:The bike weighs167kg [368lbs.] dry in prototype form. [and has 120 hp at the crank] Compare this with Ducati's claimed 101bhp/193 kg [425 lbs.] power to weight ratio for the S4 Monster, or Cagiva's 105.5 bhp/192 kg [423 lbs.] for a Raptor 1000. With KTM's design targets of 120 crank bhp and 175kg [385 lbs.] half-dry weight, apparently certain to be met by Habsburg's R&D team, there's every reason to believe the customer bikes will be just as impressive.
The Lightning’s numbers are 92 bhp and 385 lbs (175kg) dry
Quote:No other bike of any kind with this big an engine, and especially not with this much power, steers as effortlessly or handles so quickly as the KTM.
That sounds like a personal jab at Buell to me
Quote:The 17-litre [4.49 gal.] fuel tank should give acceptable range
Buell = 3.7 gal / 14 liters. If the XB gets 50mpg and the KTM gets 40 mpg the range should be about the same, but three point seven sure seems small. Too bad the KTM is so darn ugly. An origami motorcycle made of orange and black paper. |
Court
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 07:53 am: |
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>>>Too bad the KTM is so darn ugly. An origami motorcycle made of orange and black paper. Ugly enough to scratch my name from the list. Im going the Road Thing modified Honda SuperMotard route instead. |
Road_Thing
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 10:40 am: |
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Court: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! For those of you who tuned in late, it's a '94 XR600R with 17" wheels and a street-legal kit from Baja Designs. I wouldn't want to make a long trip on it, but it's muy divertido for short hops around town! r-t |
Rick_A
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 12:20 pm: |
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I thought the prototype looked better than the original show bike. It is still a bit ugly. I don't think that write-up in any way took a personal jab at Buell. It was a jab at all bikes. The KTM still uses a fairly conventional steering geometry and wheelbase. IMO the chassis is not in the XB league. I'm sure it'll be a scorcher...but after researching all the worlds supermoto's...I still like the KTM Duke II best. Anyone hear much about the Cannondale S440 super motard? It has an 11,600 RPM soft rev limiter! Incredible. I wonder about the $$price$$ |
Ray_Maines
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 01:15 pm: |
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And speaking of price... Just wait 'till the KTM hits the showroom floor. It's going to make a 10G Lightning look like a giveaway. I'm guessing $14,000, maybe more. |
Peter
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 03:27 pm: |
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>>>Too bad the KTM is so darn ugly. An origami motorcycle made of orange and black paper. Ugly enough to scratch my name from the list. You lot have no taste. It looks great! However, the RS1200 is ugly... PPiA |
Court
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 06:57 pm: |
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>>>However, the RS1200 is ugly... Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaattt? You left your taste in Oz! |
Jrh
| Posted on Sunday, January 12, 2003 - 07:23 pm: |
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Other than the styling of the tank,the radiator cover,and the fairing that prototype KTM is exactly what i want.Man,with that engine+chassis that bikes gonna be a big success.Between now and production maybe they'll tone down the excess plastics a little,still compared to the new Kaw Z or the Aprilia i could live with the looks til i figured out how to change 'em. |
Snowdave
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 01:16 pm: |
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One way to make the KTM styling better would be to take the new KTM engine and drop it in a tube frame Buell....now that would be a bike I would buy!!! |
Elvis
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 03:15 pm: |
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I'm afraid I just don't get it. I rode a "dual purpose" bike once and if felt like a marshmallow on stilts. It just plain didn't feel right, and I had to really work to get any kind of speed out of the thing. Admittedly I'm not a dirt bike guy, but I just have no interest in the KTM (or anything like it). |
Rick_A
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 04:02 pm: |
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These guys would probably disagree: The guys who race 'em claim that they handle better than any street-based steed. I like it. Looks like fun rippin' around on a bike that's down almost 200lbs from most streetbikes, with huge torque and decent horsepower. They have almost limitless cornering clearance and the more serious guys lower and stiffen the suspension some. |
Elvis
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 04:37 pm: |
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"They have almost limitless cornering clearance and the more serious guys lower and stiffen the suspension some." Well a lower, stiffer suspension on a light powerful bike would certainly be more interesting. As I said, my problem was it was up too high, and the suspension was too soft. There was limited road feedback and an inherent feeling of instability. The thing felt like it was going 100 mph when it was really only going 40. |
Bomber
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 05:59 pm: |
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Elvis . . . . .any similarity between the dual-purpose bike you road and the super motards was likely limited to the engine manufacturer . . . completely different suspensions altogether . . . . |
Tripp
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 06:08 pm: |
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how do ya post a pic? |
Road_Thing
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 06:57 pm: |
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Looks like fun to me, too. Wish I could do a crossed-up wheelie like this one! r-t |
Aesquire
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 09:11 pm: |
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back in the dark ages... I helped mod up a yamaha 465 dirt bike with headlight & turn signals. strictly not legal, (but long ago enough to talk about ) on/off road tires, and stiffer shocks/spacers in the forks. A real urban assault bike. I thought street tires overwhelmed the stock brakes, but still a real hoot. It got the owner in a lot of trouble & was sold after a year to be a cheater enduro machine. Suspensions & tires are a LOT better now. Wish I had room for another toy in the garage. (what? no dear.. just kidding) |
Xgecko
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 09:33 pm: |
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Patrick that animated smiley is hilarious...and in keeping with my present home situation for a similar reason...not having a motorcycle to pour money into; I bought my dream Bicycle frame/fork (also a Motard of sorts) a Badd Racing 24" cruiser frame to build into an Urban assault bike. |
Rick_A
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 10:26 pm: |
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Funny how the craze started here and fizzled. It's taken off just about everywhere else. |
Bads1
| Posted on Monday, January 13, 2003 - 11:28 pm: |
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One of are members at Uke's races motard on a RM250.He entered it in battletrax last year.Man he could lay that thing down in a corner.My question would be how much are the wheels for the bikes,can't be cheap. |
Road_Thing
| Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 09:06 am: |
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Bad: Buchanan's will lace rims to your hubs for around $450/wheel including shipping. r-t |
Court
| Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 09:39 am: |
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>>>>Looks like fun to me, too. Wish I could do a crossed-up wheelie like this one! I can DO one and I suspicionate that you, like me, struggle more with re-entry than the take-off |