Post by daveo on Sept 17, 2013 20:47:39 GMT 1
When I was a spotty 17 year-old (1988) the blokes who had just taught me to ride were employed by the local Honda dealers to run a promotion day where they would escort riders out on the new models - CBR600, CBR1000, VFR750 and (strangely?) XBR500. I went pillion on all the four-pots before I was persuaded to try the XBR500. I was running an MBX80 at the time and I'd had a go on my mates CG125 so the XBR was a little different to say the least. I didn't get on with it at all, I think the power delivery and the extra weight was too weird for me so I went back to pillioning.
Later on in the afternoon the gaffer had run out of smokes so sent his 2nd in command out to get some. The customers were thin on the ground now and there was a CBR600 with nobody on it and #2 suggested I follow him on it. I said that there's no way I could ride that thing if I couldn't handle the XBR and he told me that yes, I could, as it was different and would be easier (or did he tell me to grow a pair?!). So off we went. Holy $hit I loved every second of it. I handled so easily and I gave it the beans and looked down to see 120 mph which in itself was a big deal for me.
Being a spotty 17 year-old there was no way I could afford one but some years ago I remembered how good it had been and bought a cheap one. It was a bit of a knacker but I loved it and fettled it up to fairly decent nick, then sold it to get 'a nice newer one' and bought an F4i, first of the injected models. Didn't like it, too fast, too easy to do massive speed (I haven't changed my approach to throttle control much since I had my MBX80!) so I flogged that for a small profit and got another jelly mould but in better nick. I love it.
Later on in the afternoon the gaffer had run out of smokes so sent his 2nd in command out to get some. The customers were thin on the ground now and there was a CBR600 with nobody on it and #2 suggested I follow him on it. I said that there's no way I could ride that thing if I couldn't handle the XBR and he told me that yes, I could, as it was different and would be easier (or did he tell me to grow a pair?!). So off we went. Holy $hit I loved every second of it. I handled so easily and I gave it the beans and looked down to see 120 mph which in itself was a big deal for me.
Being a spotty 17 year-old there was no way I could afford one but some years ago I remembered how good it had been and bought a cheap one. It was a bit of a knacker but I loved it and fettled it up to fairly decent nick, then sold it to get 'a nice newer one' and bought an F4i, first of the injected models. Didn't like it, too fast, too easy to do massive speed (I haven't changed my approach to throttle control much since I had my MBX80!) so I flogged that for a small profit and got another jelly mould but in better nick. I love it.
|http://thumbsnap.com/v/2s27egLV.jpg[/img]
|http://thumbsnap.com/v/ulMXTynX.jpg[/img]
