V-Twin Sportbikes.....RC51 vs. TL1000R

[-> Mason <-]

I just wanted to see what your thoughts were on these bikes....and why would anyone want one, it seems that if you get one of these you're just selling yourself short, the inline bikes are so much faster....and i'm thinking about upgrading pretty soon to a bigger bike and these were in my price range, along with GSXR 750, Honda CBR 900RR, Yamaha R6, and ZX7R and ZX9R....i'm not ready for an INLINE liter bike, but maybe a V-Twin bike would be not such a horsepower shock....

[o|||||||o]

My last bike was an inline, but now I have a V4, and I like it much, much better. I think it has a lot to do with the torque-factor. The V twins are torque monsters. They may not have the top end you are getting out of an inline, but they will get you up to the higher speeds VERY quickly. Ride one, I think you will be impressed.

[VTISC007]

I have ridden both the RC-51 and the TL-1000R. I almost purchased the RC-51, then ultimately I went for the R1. That I know about, the TL had problems with the frame. The frame had a tendency to crack in certain areas. The cracks are usually a result of frequent wheelies (landing). The frame design was also a result of a rear suspension that was not all that great. I think the RC-51 handles better, but the TL is much more torquier. I heard that the TL frame cracking was so common, that Slow-Zuki offered free frame replacements, but they had to do the job..........~$3000. Not to mention, I heard that the TL engine's primary function was to be a Ducatti killer.

[Aces0vr8s]

go for a nice naked bike there hot...i want one fart on my fairings

[Z_Fanatic]

twin's power is much more usable/accessible on corner exits or over all in the street, and big twins are just more handful if you can deal with the torque. they don't require much gear changing. overall, they're more practical for the streets than inline, the instant thrust is always there. downside, there is no 'extra' top-end due to lack of horsepower, as the power is more or less flat throughout the curve. and if you're not good at downshifting, the engine braking is not smooth, has tons of it and will lock up the rear if not careful. and even with less horsepower than 4 cylinders, they will lift up the front wheel in very low rpms. they have great stability but less flickable due to their weight, with exception of SVs which are lightweights.

[93Civicgurl]

The RC51 is a better bike than the TL's much more reliable considering the frame issue with the TL.

As mentioned they are very torquey bikes and have a lot of get up and go.

[Aces0vr8s]

Originally Posted by 93Civicgurl

The RC51 is a better bike than the TL's much more reliable considering the frame issue with the TL.

As mentioned they are very torquey bikes and have a lot of get up and go.

you cant just say ones better then the other...they both have high sides and low its a matter of personal preference not a fact that one is supperior that would be like me saying dogs are better then cats

[Jimmiz71]

^But Dogs are better than cats

Upon leaving the Honda Dealer last week my friend and I were having this exact conversation.
Personally I have ridden The TL1000R and the 04' R1, I have never known anyone with a RC51 or driven one.. My friends TL is very heavy compared to the R1, about 55lbs more...it doesn't seem like much but you really feel like the TL isn't well balanced (with the majority of its weight up front).. The R1 was smoother.. faster and out handled the TL..

I will have to ask my friend about any frame problems with the TL.. He has blown out his fork seals twice (pulling wheelies)

-Jimmy

[Z_Fanatic]

if you're comparing TLR VS 2004 R1, it's kinda like comparing apples and oranges... not to mention the years of difference in between. If it came down to it, I'd probably pick the RC51 too or the VTR1000, but most likely, I'm not purchasing another twin. Still got the SV.

[Green_Streak]

Originally Posted by o|||||||o

My last bike was an inline, but now I have a V4, and I like it much, much better. I think it has a lot to do with the torque-factor. The V twins are torque monsters. They may not have the top end you are getting out of an inline, but they will get you up to the higher speeds VERY quickly. Ride one, I think you will be impressed.

Just out of curosity have you had any experience with the RC-51? I've got a 98 VFR, my pervious bike was a an inline(96 ZX-9R), between the two the difference is amazing, the ZX-9 had very nice pull below 7000, once you hit 7k though it was just a whole nother world of gone through it's 12.5k red(if it was cool-cold out the hit of power at 7k under WOT would actually bring the front wheel up and carry it about a foot off the ground through 1st, and that's with all of my 270 lb frame as foward on the bike as i could get). With my VFR it's got great torque anywhere from about 3000rpm up and is a very smooth engine, I absolute love the bike and comming from the ZX-9 it's also a very docile bike(for any soon to be rider reading this don't take this as me saying it's a good beginner bike as it is most certainly not). My father has an RC-51 that I've had occasion to ride and if you think the VFR has torque everywhere the RC is in a completely different world, I've come out of corners and rolled on the throttle and never felt the need to downshift, the engine just goes to work and off you go, mind you this is comming out a good 2 gears higher than I could have been, I'm talking pulling more than adaquately at part throttle in 3rd and 4th gears in the low 4xxx rpm. The RC is a superb machine and I can't praise it enough.

Also Z, I'm not sure what your experience with these bikes or where your comming from saying the RC is less flickable than the inlines and I'll be the first to admit I have no experience with R1's/GSXR1k's, but if the RC is noticabally less flickable I really don't know what to say. I found the RC amazing flickable. It did anything I asked of it and has limits far enough above my own that I have no desire to even attempt to explore them even on a track. It was amazingly flickable, as opposed to my VFR when going into a corner the bike just invites you to lay it over and hang your rear over the side, and transitions were never a problem. Who knows, maybe my riding ability is so pathetic I don't even realize it's a pig. If that's the case and hell even if it isn't, I'll just keep working on improving my skills.

[NaKeDZX]

I don't think saying the RC is a better bike than the TL is so far out there. It is a better overall sportbike. How many world championships does any TL motored bike have? Whether it meets your day to day needs is another matter entirely.

[sv650s]

Originally Posted by -> Mason <-

i'm not ready for an INLINE liter bike

don't you already ride one?

anyways i would get the rc51, apparently it's the best handling bike on earth and one of the fastest v-rwin bikes

[DealsGap]

Twins are every bit as capable as the 4's, just in different ways. Ducati has been proving this since their inception (lets not forget the dominance of the 916). Unfortunately, small Italian companies are really the only ones actively campaigning a twin, so you don't get the frequent streetbike releases and updates that you would get from a giant Japanese corporation. This means that their street bikes fall behind the developmental curve that the company is currently at after the bike has been out for a substantial amount of time. The TL and RC51, however, are not comparable to modern superbikes.

Originally Posted by sv650s

apparently it's the best handling bike on earth and one of the fastest v-rwin bikes

Someone has lied to you.

[-> Mason <-]

i know this is my thread but damn...it's old...lol...

[sv650s]

World and AMA Superbike crowns. Multiple Daytona 200 wins. If these rewards from the pinnacle of motorcycle racing don´t say enough about the RC51´s peerless performance pedigree, its broadband power and torque plus scalpel-sharp cornering make it the most powerful, best-handing V-twin sportbike on earth.

i got this from bikez.com
Those lying bastards!