bimbeano
11737
Cars Vs Bikes ! What's your preference ?
An interesting topic, a never ending discussion, which is most fun ? A car (preferably a performance car) or a bike (a sporty one) ... ?
Last week i visited my Ducati-dealing 
friend as he promised me last year i could have a go on the 195 hp Panigale, unfortunately it started raining and freezin' so now one year later ... it was time for some action ... . He immediately told me i could have the bike last monday but since they changed the specs a bit .. no lights, race-slicks, race bodywork ... i could only use it at Spa-Francorchamps that monday .... so a NO-GO as it's been far too long since i've been on a track with a bike.
friend as he promised me last year i could have a go on the 195 hp Panigale, unfortunately it started raining and freezin' so now one year later ... it was time for some action ... . He immediately told me i could have the bike last monday but since they changed the specs a bit .. no lights, race-slicks, race bodywork ... i could only use it at Spa-Francorchamps that monday .... so a NO-GO as it's been far too long since i've been on a track with a bike.A couple of days later i got a phone call asking me to try a Hypermotard with a slight problem: " go and do a few hundreds of miles and tell me what's wrong with it .. if there's anything wrong whatsoever ... .
.So i am now at the end of day 3 with the Hypermotard and i can firmly say my preference goes 99% to the bike ... what concerns the 'fun'-part ... now the real DOWNSIDE to all this fun (there are a few) can be summed up as follow :
1. It is freakin' dangerous on two wheels, in order to have fun you need speed, this Hypermotard luckily can be stunning at relative low speeds .. i'm talking 60 to 160 kph (40-100 mph) on little roads depending on traffic or sight off course . A racer demands huge extra loads of speed to have fun, we're talking speeds up to and over 250 kph because they are simply so easy to obtain.
2. Practicality ... obviously ..
3. Social acceptance ... arriving at a customer with this loud barking flashy thing ... hmmm, really depends which client i'm going to visit .
.Most people that see this bike don't really know where to place it, what to think of it ... is that a moped with big wheels ? Oh ? It's an 1100 cc V-twin ....
Oh ? It's an 1100 cc V-twin ....
Open clutch, leave it outside in the rain for a bit and this is what you get.
You can call it a modern piece of art, on the other hand a bike can be as colorful, loud and special looking as you want it to be .. (if you don't have to visit those clients
... ).
The exhausts are bigger than my 'bum'
Quality suspension Ohlins, for some strange reason i didn't really feel at ease today (day 3) untill i found out (after 100 km) i only had 0,8 kilos of pressure left in my rear tyre where it should be 2,5 or so ... this is obviously where the suspension makes a difference i think. After adjusting this 'minor' fault
speeds came back to a normal level .
Ready for some small Flemish roads ... The wide handlebars give you plenty of control and precision on these concrete, rough and tight-bended streets. After a few days you not only fear your life
... you're also afraid of ending up in jail, overtaking cars and other motorcyclists can be done in all safety but it does look very spectacular with a 'cross'bike like this.
I can only hope, now that Audi bought the Ducati company they're not going to touch the 'soul' of the company. But when i look at what they did with Lamborghini i do think there are still some cool projects on hand
So guys ???
What will it be ?
Car or bike ?
Audi or Ducati ?
Lamborghini or ... errr .. Ducati ?? I know, i'm biased
Bim
Cars Vs Bikes ! What's your preference ?
An interesting topic, a never ending discussion, which is most fun ? A car (preferably a performance car) or a bike (a sporty one) ... ? Last week i visited my Ducati-dealing friend as he promised me last year i could have a go on the 195 hp Panigale, unf...
Depends..
Throwing a leg over a bike is as close as you can to flying, it's an unreal experience riding around that's hard to describe to non riders. However, too many crazy a$$ people in my city so I have to stick with cars. :( -MW
Didn't you have ...
... a Ducati ? Crazy people like hostile to bikes ? Over here we don't have that problem luckily, and people are carefull (most of the time) . Only when there is a lot of traffic it can be a bit claustrofobic on a bike (if you want to keep within the spee...
Does this answer your question? :)
My baby nicely washed and polished and ready for a Sunday afternoon blast! I really should getting around to putting the post I really wanted to put together, the 996 plus my small collection of time pieces ...
Sports bike + sports watches = heaven
Sounds like the perfect combination. Looking forward to that post already. Nice bike. I don't ride, but I can apreciate functional sculptured art. Andrew
It does ....
The most iconic bike in history IMO ... . I have had a lot of great times on 748/916 's ... This would finally be thé 'classic' bike to go for, iconic and still very fast ! Filip ...
you know i've always preferred bikes so in ideal world thats how i would vote
however, this is not a perfect world. i have spent many years riding big bikes 12 months of the year and driving cars 12 months of the year and during the winter would always opt for a car. despite heated grips it can be very disconcerting when you cant f...
In an ideal world ...
.. without rain and temparatures between 20 and 30 °C a bike is all one needs ... :-) Unfortunately it rains 6 to of 5 days on average in Belgium and it tends to snow in august ... . Bim
For over 10 years....
... all my commuting was on 2 wheels. When the choice is a bike or a 40+ year old car - with LHD in a RHD land, terrible heater, leaky canvas roof and ineffective wipers - weather isn't an issue (no snow here) as they are both bad. But traffic at night in...
I can understand ...
.. when the bike is light and nimble ... or equipped with top of the range suspension and tires ... . But having a bike AND a car is a true privilege .. you know i'd be happy with only 296 hp :-) ... . Bim ...
Ummm. After my Honda was stolen...
.....a lot of it was on a 180 Italjet. :-) Nothing like that Duke...but then it doesn't have a dry-clutch to rust out :-) :-) Very manoeuvreable in traffic, terrible suspension and tyres that didn't like the wet....but fun for getting through the 7km of l...
hahahaha
The 180 Italjet, i almost bought one :-) .... . Quite ideal for 7 km traffic in town ... actually the best solution ! Bim
Different; if free choice, it depends on mood. but more often than not...
other factors make the decision for me - time for putting on gear, or just run out? Glasses or contacts? too hot or too cold? wet or potential for rain? There is nothing in the car world that comes close to "flying" as DRMW puts it, in a car; a bike allow...
Agree ...
.. a lot also depends on where you live ... ten years or more ago i used to take my bike into the city-centre of Brussels ... nowadays i wouldn't risk that anymore as it's so aggressive over there. Riding to Paris however wouldn't be an issue, it looks bu...
I could live with just three numbers.
911 or GT3, that's all I would need. :) As Thomas has said, it also depends on the weather, mood, and other factors. I guess a nice sunroof on the 911, or the convertible versión could make me feel forget to ride a bike anymore. Of course a bike gives som...
In a way it is ...
... dangerous, but oh soo much fun :-) ... . A 911 GT 3 RS comes close ... or a 911 convertible with special suspension and open exhaust :-) Filip