Hello! In today’s video:
00:00 – Intro
05:52 – Best place to ride a sportsbike on the road?
10:30 – Will new MotoGP rules affect road bikes?
14:58 – Are airbags a must?
17:25 – How do you speed up a VFR800’s steering?
21:03 – Do bike problems at press launches affect its production?
24:36 – Were MVs really that rubbish?
49 Comments
No wonder why old MVs liked to have a bit of an oil leak.
They bolted the sidestand directly onto the oil sump.
Typical Italians 😂
Couldn’t agree more get up early on a Sunday we’ve done it for years meet at at 5.30 fill up with go go juice get to your destination quickly take it easy on the way home
Best place to ride a sports bike?
Spain!
Spain has 1000s of miles of almost empty well surfaced roads. Th Pyrenees and Picos are fooking amazing. I been going there almost every year for the last decade.
I live near the A272 and A32 which, once upon a time, were fantastic roads for a Sunday morning blat. No more, alas. Average speed cameras have put paid to the fun. Speed limits are coming down nationwide and my body's not getting any younger, so I've just sold my Fireblade and am waiting for the R1250GS Adventure to be delivered. Enough power that it should be fun when I make it the Continent, and at least the boring bits will be ridden in comfort.
The police are there to protect us not catch us. I think its time to take back our roads by letting our mps know that we dont want speed cameras everywhere….just infront of schools!!!! And as for people with dash cams that use them to do police work, they can disappear to where they came from.. rant over now lets get our roads back.🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍
Moto gp just need to rid the ride height and dum down the aerodynamics. Keep them 1000cc
Another enjoyable video, thank you. Comment and question if I may. Back in the 90s in my R1 powered 30s I found my favourite roads to ride up here in Scotland were just crazy busy with tourists, caravans and coaches. So, started going out at 6am and doing a loop North of Glasgow up to Oban, or Glen Coe etc and seeing bugger all traffic, cops or other bikes. Heaven. Bar the odd wandering sheep to keep you alert! 3 hours or so and back home for breakfast before the roads got busy.
Question: you have talked in riding technique videos about doing the turn in phase on a closed throttle which I find works very well now my front forks aren't too soft and ruining the geometry under the strain of my weight. Problem I have is that at normal sensible(ish) road speeds by the time I reach the turn in point on my shut throttle the engine breaking is slowing me so much I have to start accelarating again at an awkward moment. I make it work by modulating the throttle as I approach turn in so I am doing that part on a neutral throttle and start applying the gas as the bend opens. Short of approaching bends at a higher rate of speed that would often be inappropriate for the road conditions I am struggling to get it quite right. Works fine for me when I can see through the bend but that is not often the case, ie. I can take the bend faster than the road conditions allow so I cannot be at the optimum speed to utilise this technique. A long waffle that I'm not sure conveys my meaning but any thoughts…?
Another packed excellent vlog mate 👍🏽 With loads of variety , such a treat each week , thank you 🙏🏽😎👍🏽🏍
Excellent again, thanks Neevesey! 👍
Hi Michael, any info on Luxembourg for sportsbikes?, I have a older CBR600f4 that I just have zero interest in riding these days in the UK and Luxembourg isn't that far out from the ferry port…
Really Appreciate the Answer and the Historical context was great! hadn't really considered how previous rules had basically not affected road bikes.
Personally i am excited to see a change in the rules regarding aero and ride height more then the capacity change, which seems like it's more about the limitations of the Tires Michelin are producing.
I am one of the few left who really loves 1000cc superbikes and use them both for Road and Track. So i don't wanna see WSBK change, it's honestly such exciting racing right now (better than MotoGP i would argue).
However with all that said, they way Euro Emissions regs are going and the shrinking of the market for superbikes being what it is i would hope we see development of a new category rather than superbikes becoming just a small number of homologation or track only special editions that very few people can afford.
What were your thoughts on the Benelli Tornado Tre 900 when it came out?
Hello Neevesy, absolutely loving this series. I was wondering what your opinions are of the k1300r and k1300s what are they like to ride and would you reccomend either of them? Cheers for the reply
In the US, road conditions continue to degrade as funds are spent elsewhere and street riding is certainly becoming less enjoyable each year. We are not far from riding adventure or dual sport bikes on the pavement by necessity. So, I could buy one KTM 690 or a DR650 and a KLX300 for about the same money. Thoughts?
I have a made to measure Dainese track suit. There's barely room in there for me and the undersuit. Where am I supposed to put an air bag?
The trend seems to be replace great4 cylinder sport bikes with lesser two cylinder bikes that have a bigger number after them. R6>R7, GSX-R750 > GSX-8R (the R has no place, i.e. shouldn't be, in the replacement name)
I just found out yamaha are not making the R1 from 2025 allso gsxr1000 being discontinued in Europe 😢 WTF is happening what's you're View on this ….cheers
Another great episode,thanks mate!
Hi Neevesy,
Would like your thoughts on riding gear. Been riding for many decades and always wear appropriate boots jackets etc.
The trend towards the urban look with shirts, hoodies and boots which might look cool but do they really offer any real world protection compared to a proper jacket and decent boots.
Long time subscriber, looking forward to more content from you….Cheers.
Hi Neevesy! I think I can think of a few examples of evidence of your feedback affecting a bike's attributes – altho it took 2 generations to fix, the mt09 handling quirks come to mind, and the new fireblade's suuuper long gear ratios only took one update to calm down a bit. however, this got me thinking, i'm dying to know – have any manufacturers accidentally leaked information about a NEXT gen bike at the current gen's launch? since they're so ahead of the curve… surely it must have happened once over wine and cheese or something!
For context I'm a Brit living in NL. You guys don't know how lucky you are with the roads in the UK. Much better than here in NL for riding a motorbike. Secondly once you cross the tunnel don't forget the ardenne in belgium and the eifel region in germany is fantastic for bikes. A lot of Dutchies go there!
2 of the best runs I done last year were early morning to Glen Shee and another early morning to Skye, that was an all day trip right enough left at 04:20 and was home for about 19:00, 520 miles. But the Glen Shee run was a similar 4 oclock start and I never had a car infront of me for 5 and a half hours it was absolutely magic
Neevesy thanx again for another great video, and for all the content you bless us with. Been always having a struggle with deciding what bike will be next because the issue is that where I am there isn’t always the option to test drive the bike I want, and if I find it, I can’t spend enough time to decide. Any tips on how to decide when spending only roughly 1 hour with it? Thanx again for all your tips!
I had my VFR 800. 2001 with the forks through about 15 mm and a longer Wp rear shock and was happy with the way it turned. I have the front back at the factory setup now but the rear is up a bit with the longer shock. I've found the Metzler Sportec m9rr to be nice and nimble ,
Thanks for these great Q&A videos. Based on your advice I’ve booked into JW school at Anglesey. I have a skills question. At track days on my SV650 I’m having a lot of trouble trying the off throttle turning after faster straights. As I brake at the corner approach I’m being pushed forward onto bars and I can’t get it turned. Have to really concentrate to let the brake go, the front pops up and it turns nicely. But I’ve lost a lot of speed. Any advice?
Michael – do you/are you able to sell stickers like the one on the top of your lid at 4:44? Apologies if it's painted on! Might be a good way to generate an income from the channel, I can't be the only one who'd like one…
That would be a dream to see a GSXR850
Hi Neevesy. If you were in charge of running a trackday organization, and decided to split the riders into three groups based on bike performance, rather than rider experience, how would you divide the groups? I would love to hear your thoughts on the issues of closing speed, novices being possibly unpredictable or easily startled by outside passers, etc. Thank you for sharing your road testing memories and answering so many questions!
Please keep us posted on how the new KTM is going. 👍
Very informative series, thank you Neevesy! Appreciate your passion for the Tuono V4 (as I do) and previous passion for superbikes (which I still have), lol! Not sure if this has ever been asked, I do like racing helmets so much and could spend a fortune on them. Arai is my favorite, but I got several more from other brands with very unique racing liveries. Since you gave a review on your Shoei in a recent issue of MCN, let me ask you, why did you change from Arai? Always thought you are the best ambassador for that brand until I realized you are not wearing them any more. Anyway, what's your take on the top league of racing helmets? Very interested in your experience! Thank you!
Mellow English bro greetings
Another great video.
And answered my question!!🎉
Thanks for that.
And about motogp-wsbk rules , and about 800 or 850 class ; just get rid of the wings and electronics , and let them ride those bikes like they did in the past.
We all remember fiasko of 800 class from 2007, and how they became "safer" aka "slower" with 16000 rpm….
Hi Neevsey , no need to respond on video but I’d love your opinion on a early 2000s RSV Mille R ? Price for the quality and rarity of the bike just seems to good to be true especially when you compare it to the Ducati’s of the time. For around 3-4k I think it’s an absolute dream bike of mine
2008 Bandit 1250sa, Racetech Springs up front, Nitron in the rear, Michelin Road 6 GT. It’s plush and always planted ,, with very aggressive riding, solo or 2 up, even on the secondary and trishary roads, which can be rough to very rough.
The VFR800 would be a fantastic runner with a comparable setup, and a set of Sato Racing foot controls. I had a 2016 Interceptor and it was way to soft up front and lack adjustment in the rear. I did have the Sato foot controls, which took a lot of the squishy feeling away, that’s the next upgrade to the bandit.
Lastly, regarding handling, it’s a combination of tires and actual suspension components, don’t forget tires are also a piece of the suspension, and how the rider trusts those components.
Rough roads are great training opportunities for surface appraisal, body position (aggressively keeping the bike upright as much as possible), and building confidence in the bike.
distancejunkiemonkey on instagram if you want to check out both the Interceptor and the Bandit
Sunday 5am morning blast on my TuonoV4 its what i love. All famous biker roads only betwen the week.
Weekend day rides on classic bike or tourer…relaxed pace with pillion
Small capacity turbo could be a option as they make engine capacities smaller. Will still give a big power output
Hi Neevsy, love your channel and watch every video. I was speaking to an Alpinestars dealer who is a Japanese gentleman. He made an interesting comment about helmet brands. He said that in Japan, people view Arai as superior to Shoei due to the quality of materials used. He said that compared to Arai, Shoei inner pads start falling apart after several washes. He went on to say that Shoei was only more popular in Western countries and he could not understand it. I wear a Shoei GT Air 2 myself so I found it interesting. I’ve never owned an Arai due to the cost where I live, but would love to hear your thoughts. Honestly I like my old HJC more as it has a better view window, and the parts come on/off easier for cleaning. Thanks
May i ask a question?
I'm looking for my next bike( i used to ride gsxr 1000 r), and i want a hyper performance naked bike! I dont care about lap time now, I just want a naked that can that me giggling the most at the track, and run with modern liter sport bikes! So i am considering mt10 sp or ktm 1390 evo, please tell me which engine have more " giggle factor"?
big V twins or short wheelbase cp4 which will be more hooliganism wheelie machine ?
thanks for answering question, u always the best !!!
Where to use your sports bike!
Great suggestions on places on the continent to enjoy.
My san an I are taking the ferry you recommended from Ports out to Santander but then heading into Portugal and down to the Algarve for WSBK, him on a Panigale SP2 and me on a Panigale V2 (he’s ex BSB racer so knows the right people for paddock passes!).
Then back up again!
It’s going to be awesome on twisties and on the Fast motorways!
What about Luxembourg, the Eiffel region, Ardennes Forrest and……the Nurburgring!!
Re VFR on a 180/60
I can confirm the Panigale / Streefighter V2 do both take this size so they are available.
Greetings Michael — enjoy your YouTube channel and MCN reviews from California. I have a question regarding the Suzuki GSX-S1000. I don’t know if it is available in the UK anymore, but since its refresh in 21, I don’t see it much in comparison videos. With 150 hp and retuned for torque on the road, it falls short of supernaked status (although it’s not far off from the MT-10). Do you have any thoughts on this bike, where it fits, and who it is for?
I have in the last few years found the world of supermoto style bikes (ktm690/husky 701) after riding sportsbikes, nakeds, offroad and trials and all i can say is wow!
Spending some time adjusting to the different riding style what i can say is its like having a sportbike but one that works and is at its best sub 100mph, for the twisty bumpy welsh roads where i live i honestly don't think there is a better bike. The more you push them the better they start to work and to me it gives you all the thrills and feeling of being able to push the bike but at a slower speed than a sportsbike.
I would love to hear your opinion on them and your experience as i can only see the market growing given the state of the roads and heavy policing of speed everywhere now days.
And with the latest ones being useable for more distance and longer service intervals i am yet to find a downside other than a numb ass which a pair of padder cycle shorts has helped with 😂.
Love the videos and all the best for the future.
MV… fuel gauge not even optional on some models.
Hi Brilliant content. Keep it up. Love these q and a sessions.
Can I ask why do BMW and MotoGuzzi have dry clutches and almost everyone else seem to wet clutches. Surely a dry clutch will burn out if using the clutch to control low speed etc. so does it matter what type of clutch?
Cheers
Mark
North Island New Zealand. Country roads surrounded by farmland. Speed limit 100km/h. The roads are so twistie you'd be lucky to get over that at any point. Just ask my 1290 Super Duke 1290 R or Bilbo Baggins 😅
I bought an air bag that I wear over my normal jacket recently. It wasn’t expensive and there’s no way that I will ride on roads without it. I don’t wear it off road but that’s just a personal choice.
Hi, I have a question about weight.
It's seams like small bikes are getting heavier which is a shame.
I've heard you saying in the launch of the 457, that there is a requirement that small bikes will be at least 175 kg. Can you please explain more about it?
For example
The 1st gen duke 200 was 127.5 kg, the 390 was 139 kg and the 690 was 149 kg.
But in the last decade they have gained a lot of weight, the 390 is around 160 kg, the husqvarna svartpilen 701, is 175 kg.
I've thought that they have lost their mind, all of their appeal coms from the lightweight character.
But if it's the law, what is the reason 🤔?.
I love small bikes, like the grom. And dukes.
Thanks.
Abraham.
Just to add to riding beautiful roads, wether you want to ride rhe Nurburgring or not? But the whole Eifel region is a beautiful place to ride Bikes…