Condor

If you need to look at it that way I guess it's a difference between 'the will of God', and 'freewill' and which one you choose......

Yep, I just don't want to be waving my hand around yelling 'Here I am.....'

I respect your opinion Bill, and it's a good one, but..... let me play devil's advocate a bit here. I think all super bike riders are susceptible to catastrophic injury when speed is thrown into the mix. Ride a ZX-14 at realistic speeds, and they are no more dangerous, and probably a lot safer, than a Venture would be under the same circumstances. I would say that professional super bike riders are some of the most experienced and talented riders on the planet, but it seems like every year a death occurs. Here's a link to the deaths since 1980. So in my opinion any experienced street super bike rider, no matter how tallented...or not, will push the envelope, and when they do the odds of dieing are increased beyond acceptable limits. The old saying 'speed kills' couldn't be more appropriate here.

To each his own I guess. When I'm running down the highway I wish I had one more gear above 5th... Don't do burn outs... can't afford the tires. Don't need to beat anyone off the line... Don't need to prove anything. I'd rather mooch along and enjoy the scenery.

It may have something to do with tire brand and rolling radius?? I never checked mine with a GPS until after I'd mounted an Avon Venom. It might have been off with the E II???

I found this posted to another board, and found it a very interesting read, even if it is a little outdated. Especially the last few paragraphs, and how the percentages pertain to a majority of the members on this board. The over 40 statement makes one think. Something to take into consideration when looking at bike industry and where it's going in the next few years. ********************************************************** Wall Street Journal September 18, 2007 Bigger, faster, more-powerful machines are helping to make 2007 the deadliest year yet for motorcycle riders, say safety officials and a new insurance-industry study. In the past few years a horsepower battle in the cycle industry has produced bikes that have the power of a car but often weigh less than ever. Sophisticated suspension and braking systems and other electronics make them easy for inexperienced riders to handle -- up to a point. But the bikes' potential speed and violent acceleration can quickly overwhelm all but the most skilled riders. The new Ducati 1098's 160-horsepower engine makes it the Italian company's most powerful regular production model. These high-performance machines, often called "superbikes" or "supersports," accounted for less than 10% of motorcycle registrations in 2005 but accounted for more than 25% of rider fatalities, according to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analyzed in a study released last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The total number of rider deaths has more than doubled since 1997. At the current rate, some safety experts say, fatalities in 2007 could surpass the previous peak of 4,955 set in 1980. Superbike riders suffer much higher death rates than riders of other kinds of bikes. And while superbikes still aren't as popular as the larger, more laid-back cruiser-style bikes made by Harley-Davidson Motor Co., such bikes have been one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry. They represented 9% of the market in 2005, compared with 47% for cruisers. But superbike registrations jumped 83% between 2000 and 2005. In addition to more-powerful machines, an influx of inexperienced riders is also helping to drive accident rates higher. And as more middle-age consumers return to motorcycling -- often after not having ridden for 20 years or more -- more older riders are being killed in crashes. Another contributing factor: a trend toward more-liberal helmet laws. "These guys start riding again in their 50s and don't realize that they aren't the same physical specimens they were in their 20s," says David Livingston, director of the New Jersey Trauma Center at University Hospital in Newark, N.J., who has recently seen an increase in motorcycle-related injuries. "During June, July and August, about one in four patients hurt in traffic accidents have been motorcycle riders," he says. SUPERBIKES Motorcycles, much like cars, have gradually become more powerful and nimble over time. But the more-rapid run-up in engine size and performance has occurred in only the past few years, as overall sales of motorcycles have boomed. New construction techniques and the widening availability of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and titanium "have made it easier to reduce weight and increase power cost-effectively," says Ted Miller, director of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, a research group. "The stoked sport bike," he says, is a fairly new development. Bike makers across the industry are conspicuously boosting power. Italian manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding earlier this year began selling the 1098, a superbike with 160 horsepower -- a big jump from the 112 horsepower the company's racy 996 model put out 10 years ago. The bike has about as much power as a Honda Accord EX sedan. BMW AG's motorcycle unit had a reputation for building sedate bikes with less than 100 horsepower until it rolled out the 167-horsepower K1200S about three years ago. Even Harley-Davidson, long known for its slow cruising and touring models, recently released the Night Rod Special, a fast, low-slung bike with a 125-horsepower engine developed with sports-car maker Porsche AG. In the late 1970s and early 1980s -- the last time motorcycle fatalities were this high -- the hottest bikes included machines like Kawasaki Motors Corp.'s Z1000. A fearsome bike at the time, its 90-or-so horsepower and total weight approaching 600 pounds seem benign compared with the nearly 200 horsepower generated by the company's new ZX-14 or rival bike maker Suzuki Motor Corp.'s GSX-R1000. The Suzuki weighs barely 400 pounds with a full fuel tank, and can accelerate to 60 mph in about 2.5 seconds. It even comes with a switch so the rider can select low, medium or high power settings. Other bikes have adopted electronically controlled brakes, transmissions and traction control to keep the rear wheel from spinning out of control under acceleration. Many supersport bikes are actually built for racing. In popular racing events like the American Motorcyclist Association superbike series, riders use bikes that are modified versions of those available to the public at dealerships. In order to compete in the races, cycle manufacturers have to build hundreds of the bikes for sale to consumers. The process, called "homologation," is meant to guarantee that the bikes found on the track are roughly the same as those widely available to the public. The bikes sold this way are sometimes touted as "race replicas" or "homologation specials." Although a tripling of motorcycle sales over the past decade accounts for some of the rising death rate, fatal motorcycle accidents have also risen proportionally. Over the time period of the IIHS study, from 2000 to 2005, the death rate for motorcyclists rose to 7.5 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles from 7.1. In the same period, the percentage of motorcycle deaths among all highway fatalities rose to 10% from 7%. Superbike riders had a death rate of 22.5 for every 10,000 registered motorcycles. In 2005, riders 40 or older accounted for 47% of motorcycle fatalities, compared with 24% 10 years earlier. In the same period, the fatality percentage for riders younger than 30 years of age fell to 32% from 41%. Safety officials attribute this in part to a tendency of "returning" riders to overestimate their ability to handle the latest powerful bikes. "You have a lot of people saying, 'I'm in my 40s and I want to start riding motorcycles again,'" says Daniel Lonsdorf, director of the Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety. "But these aren't the same motorcycles they remember from 20 years ago." Write to Jonathan Welsh at jonathan.welsh@wsj.com2

Yeah, I was going to make that suggestion too. On 83#1 I always had marginal performance from the system. Speakers cutting in and out, no audio at all then suddenly it's on, no power, etc. Last week I swapped out the whole audio system, and while the dash was open I seperated all the connectors and amp plugs, and sprayed them with that electrical cleaner stuff GeorgeS had recommended way back when. I'd swapped other units in the past without any improvement.. Lemme tell ya, it now runs and sounds great. Amazing what clean connectors will do for the audio.

Hey, I like Eggs, what's wrong with that?? And they're best served cracked....:rotf:

Yep, mine too...... Speedo and odo...

Heard that 30 years ago. But take off and fly.... I don't think so. Panic and the first thing you hit is the brakes and the cruise will disconnect . And a car ain't got no wings.....

AND.... your top speed will be 75mph.... but you'll get there quick..

I don't think they will as the 2ndgens are a 32mm carb vs. a 34mm on the 1st.

Couldn't look at the video but did do a google search on the stuff and found this site http://www.lapolicegear.com/quikclotsport.html that carries a 'sport' pak, and the price is pretty reasonable compared to other supply houses. I'm going to put some in my kit.

EBAY.....

Dan, I'm a little confused this morning and I've already gone thru a pot of coffee.... Why would you want to put a v-max final in a 1stGen? We're already running 4000+ most of the time at freeway speeds. Put a V-Max in there and you'll be up in the hi 4's, mayvbe low 5's. Granted you're hole shots will be awesome, and you're burnouts a piece of cake, but your mpg will go to hell in a handbasket.....

Hey George, that was exciting huh?? We'da pro'bly got 80mpg if it had been at our backs.... And I don't think we ever did hit 75mph that day...but I bet that wind did... Whew!!

Ooops.... Took care of the problem...

Does your bike have a sweet spot when riding long distances? The '83 just naturally runs perfect at 75mph. Edit: And.... oh yeah... Get's between 38-42mpg Gerald.

Thought I had an extra right, but jut checked and it turned out to be a lefty.

Not too radical, they've been around for a long time.....

Diesel's the way to go. I have a Yanmar Diesel Outboard on the sailboat that burns a quart an hour at 5.5 knots. That works out to 24mpg. It get's better milage than my F250 7.3idi. I also used to own a '79 rabbit 5 speed FI gas, that I once got 100mpg coasting down from Reno to Sacramento... Normally it got 41-42mpg, and hauled a$$.. I like the idea of these engineers going back to the basics instead of selling the public a bill of goods on hybreds being the panacia of fuel consumption and green. Like the artical said the electricty has to come from somewhere...... 2¢ Ka-ching....

They are on my watch list, and to me they're worth 900 gazillion 40 seven thousand 16 80 cents.,.. But I notice they've already gone over that. They're yours.....

I'd love to hear one go by at WOT, but otherwise I'm perfectly happy with my 94hp V4 that will last a lot longer than the Aprilla. Bet my gas milage is a tad better too......

Don't worry about another member being interested in the vents Richard. Figure what they're worth to you and you either get them or don't. With 4000 members I'm sure there are a couple that are looking at them..... Good Luck...