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Originally Posted by froryde
How about sharing your thoughts / experience riding the SB6, a la a ride report similar to Dave's?  |
froryde, now you're applying the pressure, dave writes great reports, i don't think i can match him but i'll give you all a quick overview of my bimota ownership experience.
I bought my bimota a couple of months ago after thinking about getting back into road bikes. I had been playing around on an ATK super motard for a year or two after stoping riding dirt bikes (it was starting to hurt to much)
The ATK was fun or a while, i could ride it relatively hard and still not be locked up for speeding as it didn't go that fast. The one thing lacking was grunt, there is nothing that can compare with the feeling of opening up a big sports bike...
I had been looking for something different, didn't want a CBRRRRRR, R1 or Gixxer, a mate of mine had a stunning Laverda JOTA, 83model with 180 crank and a very rare Laverda SFC 1000, there was just something different about gazing at a Lav, Ducati or other european bike, the more you look, the more you notice the little things, the attention to detail.
I used to own a 96 Triumph speed triple, the old shape, a lovely looking bike with a great sound. My shopping list consisted of the following, Honda VTR SP1, Speed Triple, i thought briefly about a GSXR R or OWO1, then the bimota appeared and i was hooked. The best of both worlds, italian craftsmanship with bulletproof mechanicals.
I bought the bike without test riding it
As soon as i had paid for it and started to ride off, i thought i had made a massive mistake. I sat on the seat and went to put my left foot on the pegs and only found the ground! When i realised the pegs were about 150mm further back than i expected, i thought this s going to be one of those bikes you love to look at but not ride. Man was i wrong after about 5 minutes on the bike in the city, the riding position felt stunning. I had a weekend ride with a mate who has a GSXR1000 K6 i think, we swapped bikes for a leg of the ride. The big difference i noticed was the gearbox, the old 5 speed on my SB6 felt cumbersome and slow compared to the new 6 speed, but in everything else the bimota felt better. The riding position was a revelation, the GSXR felt wrong, almost as if you were sitting up, my elbows were near my knees, it felt cramped and akward. Getting back on m bike, i immediately noticed how hard the seat was, and the vibrations through the bars, but it just felt right. One of the new engines and six speeds would be interesting in the bimota frame
I rode around for the first week, just getting a feel for the bike, then i rode it home and pulled it apart to look at what i had bought. The bike was in average condition, but the one thing i liked was that it had been ridden and enjoyed, not purchased and stored somewhere. The swing arm was black from chain lube, the previous owner was obviously into riding not showing the bike. The wheels were pulled off and sent away to be polished, all new wheel bearings and brake pads were fitted and a pair of new Bridgestones went on.
When the wheels went for polishing i also sent the mufflers, i must say i was in two minds about modifying the bike in any way, but i have come to the conclusion that this is a bike to keep, a bike to ride, a bike to enjoy. So after a week long internal discussion with myself, i rationalised some modifications are OK. The polished cans look great, the now reflect through the mesh in the seat, subtle but nice. Next i want to replace the carbon fibre mudguard and the indicators.
The bike is an absolute PITA to work on, to check water level, remove fairing
Putting oil in the thing??? Still haven't figured out that one yet! There appears to be a socket head bolt where the suzuki filler usually is, it is so close to the frame that you can hardly see it, i assume a funnel and length of hose are needed here, please confirm anyone who knows.
But even with these challenges, i love this bike, it is confidence inspiring to ride and the way it is put together is simply amazing.
The reaction from other riders is also great, when i rode the Barry Sheene memorial ride last week, i was the only Bimota in a group of approximately 1,000 bikes. Where ever we stopped other riders would come and look at it, ask questions, and ogle the billet alloy everywhere.
One side note, on sunday i was booked for speeding
When i was standing next to the officer looking at his radar readings, the bike fell off its side stand and crashed to the ground! I was not happy, luckily there was little damage, a broken screen, scratched fairing and the left indicator punched through the fairing. So once again the bike is in pieces, the fairing should be fixed in a couple of weeks. My big challenge is ro replace the stickers. A friend of mine can cut the stickers but i need eps files of the graphics, i have found a bimota one but i can't find the SB6 one, any help would be appreciated.
I hope to have the bike finished for an upcoming all Italian bike show in November, lets hope it goes back together well, if i make the show i'll post some pics.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
Steve
PS i am having problems with the choke cable. I asked the question here if it was a standard GSXR cable, i was told it was. When i tried to fit the standard Suzuki cable it wouldn't fit the switchblock. I have since been informed that the switchblock is infact a honda CBR item WTF...
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