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Old 03-26-2018, 07:36 PM   #189 (permalink)
ProDigit
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank View Post
A long time ago (before most bikes were water-cooled) I always felt the 750cc machines were the best all-around bikes. You could commute on them or outfit them with saddle bags and a passenger and go touring, plus, they went pretty good and were a lot of fun. These days a 400-500 offers *almost* the same real-world performance but if you want to carry a passenger, I don't think they would work very well.
I tend to agree.
I had a VT750, around 550LBS, and that bike felt about the same as a CB500F in acceleration. The CB is 150LBS lighter.

On the other hand, I find no issues with carrying a passenger on a bike that's 375LBs or above, if the passenger is 160LBS or below.
I never felt unsafe; in fact, the most unsafe time is when standing still at a stop light.
But the faster you go, the more the gyroscopic effect of the wheel keeps you on a straight line, regardless of what the passenger does.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr View Post
125 is definitely more at home in city, while a 250 still retains a reasonable power reserve even for a little overspeeding in highway.
I would find the reserve you speak of, too little, especially on the interstates here where cars go 80 to 100MPH.
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