Reason for wanting to upgrade to a larger cc motorcycle?
Friday, February 26th, 2010 at
7:15 am
What are the reasons for wanting to upgrade to a larger cc motorcycle?
Smaller bikes are cheaper, better mpg, and better insurance. Is it wanting more power? Or what. The smallest bikes are still faster than most cars on the road.
Yea, 200? You own the Y2K bike, Magz? An ‘unlocked’ (via T.R.E or what have you) Hayabusa or ZX-14 with the mods that are going to push it past its ‘unlocked’ 190-195 roof.
Most common answers are power, but more specifically torque. I’m the same way. I’ll be ‘upgrading’ next year and the things I notice most easily on my father or other people’s bikes when I ride them is the torque. The ease of getting up to speed. I like that on a sport bike. (And sport bikes, 600s/650s and below especially aren’t known for that.)
That said, if your bike is simply only a means of travel and it needs to be a bike, not a scooter, there’s no reason to go above a Ninja or Hyosung 250.
More cc is more power. Then you hav to think what do you want to do with the power. High end speed , low end torque? The more you want the more money you need to fix if it breaks. All in all if you are not competitive or traveling pulling a trailer, be happy with the mileage and just enjoy. I myself pushes the envelope and ride with big bikes.But just lost mine to a bitch that sold it on me. SAFETY, LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS ALWAYS THEY DO NOT SEE YOU. I lost my brother also to a motorcycle accident
I went from a 200cc Yamaha TW200 to a 1200cc HD Sportster, and it is really nice to have the power level much higher I think. I would NOT want any more power however, I’d say the power is about 90% of my driving ability, where 100% and past you start getting wrecks from too much power, such as through wheelies or lifting the front wheel in turns. My HD has only done this a few times when my abilities with it were much lower, just starting out. I was lucky not to ever have wrecked it. I can see where if you were into Japanese bikes like my friend, you could have higher skill levels and *maybe* justify why he got a Hayabusa. You couldn’t pay me $100 to take that thing for a test drive around town… no way.
As for fuel mpg, after you’re doing better than 50mpg, who cares if a week of driving to work costs me $5 or if it costs me $6? Maybe if you are cruising state-to-state you could run up some significant fuel cost differences, but I think the more power is worth it, when it comes to being able to speed up from on-ramps, speed up to get away from traffic congestion on the highways, etc.
Better insurance? I just paid $86 for a year of Progressive with my 1200cc HD Sportster, for a 23 year old male with a clean driving record.
Cheaper is definitely something, that’s why I started with the TW200 for 1/18th the price of my HD. But I only liked it 1/18th as much too, and it was less than 1/18th as reliable when it came to starting, especially on cold days.
The main reason would be comfort in a long-distance or touring situation. Having more power (and top speed) means the bike will feel more relaxed at the speeds you actually ride. Of course, more power equals more fun, and motorcycles are above all a form of recreation. You are entitled to have as much fun as you can afford.
I have a 100cc bike, and that’s enough for me, my boyfriend wants the biggest, fastest bike he can get, I think people want the power.
I’m not bothered about power to be honest, my little Yamaha RX-S does 80 with me on him, and that’s enough to get me from a to b.
I had the EL250, which is basically the ninja engine in a cruiser frame.It was a fantastic little bike for my regular commute, and occasional longer rides. When I was transferred to a different work site, I found that I needed something that wasn’t revving so hard when in traffic at highway speeds. The BMW is a fantastic bike, and I love it, but I think I would still be riding the EL if I hadn’t been transferred. The other problem with lower cc engines is they don’t handle high mileage as well as the big bikes.
speed!
I can rock triple digits in 2nd gear, and 200 before I’m done…the acceleration is off the charts…
it’s nice to know that if some cager wants to mess with me, I can leave them well, well behind me…
Besides the obvious answer–MORE POWER–bigger bikes also have:
Bigger tires that stick better in routine and emergency riding
Better shocks to handle bigger bumps with greater comfort and safety
Better brakes that stop faster
Bigger frames that allow room for luggage (like a warm jacket or a rain suit)
Bigger seats that are more comfortable and allow you to carry a passenger safely, and if you are carrying a passenger, you need (wait for it)
MORE POWER.
Hope this helps.