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Originally Posted by ebonho I did not say that. Please re-read the exchange |
No you did not say that, I did. I never said that it was you who said it doc. I merely deduced it from the logic of top speed and how 160 vs 200 kph justifies a 1.5 lac premium. The 650 costs around 6 lac and easily does 200 kph. Why spend more on anything else then?
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Originally Posted by ebonho It started with my questioning the contention that the Street and Bonnie engines were "similar" performance-wise.
They are obviously not. Not even close. |
Lets spend some time here doc. Are top speed numbers all that separate the 2 engines? I agree with Nasir that on paper, both the engines are quite evenly matched.
- Both engines have a 8000 ish RPM redline. Neither is what you would call "high revving"
- Both engines make their torque lower in the rev range. Also, the torque curves also are relatively flat
- Both mills propel the bikes to 100 kph around the 5 second mark. In fact, IIRC the street is actually quicker by around half a second
In light of the above, not sure why anyone would be more than slightly taken aback. As a layman and a novice, I am not.
What am I missing doc? Care to elaborate on the differences between the 2 engines? I ll list what I can to get you warmed up:
- Parallel vs V twin
- CC is different
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Originally Posted by ebonho Again, you seem to have missed the part of the exchange where I clearly mentioned that JUST on straight-line performance alone, a premium of 1.5 lacs was peanuts. |
Where in this beautiful country doc do I find that gorgeous straight where I can realize that 1.5 lac premium? Forget the bunny's hop to the double ton (Does she really do a double ton though? Doubt it), where do I ride the street to its very screaming limit?
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Originally Posted by ebonho When you take into consideration all (and more than) what you have mentioned, the premium looks even smaller in comparison. Because from what we have read (and heard) the Bunnie does move and stop better than the Street, has higher component and fit and finish levels than the Street, and is physically a bigger and more substantial bike than the Street. |
Totally agreed. Fit / finish and especially braking is supposed to be 100 times better on the Bonnie. Harley should be smacked on its fat bottom for this; and replacing Michelins with those MRFs
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Originally Posted by ebonho Nasir likes speed. That much is obvious from his posts. If he was only looking for all of the above, he would not have gone to the lengths he has to modify his Bullet. It would have been perfect for the above needs the way it came to him from the factory. But that was not the case. Why would Nasir not like a faster bike - IF it could do everything at least as well as the slower one, if not better (cros country, comfort, etc.)? |
Sure he likes speed. Why else would he buy the 390?
Bullet modification I actually understand. As an owner of a 350, I can vouch for how friggin sluggish the bull is. I want some more juice out of it. It does not do everything as it is supposed to. Such as : do a 90 - 100 kph on the highway without feeling like its about to implode. Not sure if it does this from the factory. At least mine doesnt. And while we are on the topic of making the bull better, better stopping power please
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Originally Posted by ebonho I agree with Avi when he says that when someone has a budget level of 5-6 lacs in mind (as for the Street) stretching 1-1.5 lacs more is a different ballgame altogether. Especially if on EMIs with no pre-payment liabilities (as offered by many banks). |
Makes sense, unless you are already stretched to the max for the 5 odd lacs for the street. Cheapest Harley, but not exactly "cheap". And the interest rate on those EMIs for a 2 wheeler loan will make your eyes water
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Originally Posted by ebonho Again please re-read the exchange - 1.5 lacs being "chump change" are not my words, they are yours. What I very specifically said was that 1.5 lacs was "peanuts" |
You say peanuts, I say chump change. Whats the expression ...... Potato Pot-aato?
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Originally Posted by ebonho Any biker here (especially the old school ones who have grown up with the less fancy machinery that were the only ones available to us in the past here) who has tried his hand at seriously modifying his bike to go faster than stock would know how difficult and expensive it is. |
I am definitely not an old school biker. I like my vehicles stock (Yawnnnn.... I know). You are a senior member here and a much much seasoned rider than I am. And I am not much of a tinkerer / handy man either. Not one bit. I am actually a bit of a tart when it comes to getting my hands dirty. Blame it on my laziness or the fact that manual labor is rather cheap in this great nation of ours. I would have someone else do my dirty work
And the bikes of yesteryear needed all the help they could get (save for the widow maker aka Belagaam Ghoda aka RD 350) to go faster.
With today's bikes capable of 150+ kmph from the factory with warranty and service support, aren't those days behind us? Where does this stop? 160 kph is not enough for a touring bike? You can modify the ZX14 R too if you wanted. But again, is it really necessary?
Whether or not Nasir likes speed, he is not taking this bike to the track or the drag strip any time soon. I am 100% sure. The street is not a bad option for him if I have understood his intended usage correctly
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Originally Posted by ebonho That is the perspective one necessarily needs to understand what I was trying to convey. Not saying you do not qualify. Just pointing out where I was coming from. |
Thanks doc. I have a lot of respect for you and you have helped me out on more than one occasion. I look forward to riding with you some day on either the beautiful ghats your side of town or take on the twisties up north in the Himalayas. I just do not agree with what you have penned down here. Top speed does not automatically make a bike better or "worth a little extra". I lay a lot more emphasis on intended usage.
Not that it would interest you but I have pretty much decided on my next bike and the one with which I probably will be continuing the remainder of my sport riding days (unless Honda decides to bring in the CBR 600 F at an irresistible sticker price) .
Its the Street Triple. So naked, so wonderful and more than enough performance to keep the blood pumping in my veins. At the same time, I will be able to ride it to the office, take my wife on the occasional tour or just a short weekend ride in relative comfort and still take on the twisty bits with utmost confidence. I think its priced quite sensibly too. To me, if there ever was a "do it all" bike - this is
it.
And here's the kicker. Am I silly for considering this bug eyed brute? Why not spend just 25,000 more and get a whole extra cylinder, more top speed et al with the Kwacker Z 800? Or lets take a step back and understand why anyone would buy a Bonnie and not spend extra 1.5 ish lac and go for the triple? It easily breaches the 225 kmph barrier and therefore totally worth the money, no?
I think with these extrapolations, something like a BMW S 1000 or the GS 1200 would not be too far away and
very affordable
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Originally Posted by john doe So do it for the country!! :-) |
LMAO! Do it Nasir. Bharat mata ki JAI!!!!!