Horsepower!

I've been commuting on the new bike for a couple of weeks now, and gone on a weekday ride up to Kernville for lunch one morning. It's been quite an eye-opener. I'm still quite impressed with the handling, acceleration and braking of the new bike. It's unreal how sticky the tires are.

I like that it's quiet, and small as the fairing is, how much of the wind it blocks when you lie down on the tank. On the old bike I was totally exposed and would find myself chilled through at temperatures that aren't currently bothering me much.

Yesterday I left a stop sign and decided to let it wail through first gear at full throttle, and found myself doing a loooong (150-ish ft) low wheelie from 40-70 mph. It didn't last long time-wise (perhaps 1/2 second), but distance-wise, it was a long time to have no steering input. A little scary, but harmless fun, as I was still outside of town in betweeen alfalfa fields.

7.5 seconds to 125 mph. Unreal - at least for me... the motorbike testers were less than impressed with the 2005 Honda CBR1000. Look Here

After riding a co-worker's R6 Yamaha, I have to agree that the weight is a factor in cornering. That R6 is like flinging a bicycle into a curve - no effort. Still, I dig the power (145 HP) and the looks of the Repsol color scheme. Maybe it's a pretender compared to a similar Ducati or Suzuki, but it's certainly potent enough for me!