Has the Naked bike killed the Super Sport? | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Has the Naked bike killed the Super Sport?

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Brian P said:
Pavement riding in Australia, from Sydney to Melbourne via country roads. Too high, too soft, too vague, inadequate cornering clearance despite being so high because of the comically soft suspension. Our group were all sport riders and all on various adventure bikes because that's all the rental agency had. We all had the same complaints. The question came up, "if this was a car, what would it be" and the consensus was that it's a Ford Explorer. It's not good at anything.
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I could see that coming from sport bikes. Even in sport my bike can wallow a bit in the corners. They are a compromise after all.
All though I think if you were to test out a Multistrada, Tiger, or S1000xr from the slightly higher end you may have had different opinion of the segment.
the F800GS is just kinda the baby brother of the 1200gs trying to hit a mid weight and a price point. Maybe?
 
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Yes, it is smoke and mirrors. Graham Jarvis and Chris Burch are capable of doing things on a 1290 that the average rider couldn't do on a 250 dirt bike. But imagine what shape the frame of 1290 is in after launching it into the sky all afternoon. Ewan and Charlie found out the hard way that a BMW GS is not an suv.
 
Clutt-225 said:
I could see that coming from sport bikes. Even in sport my bike can wallow a bit in the corners. They are a compromise after all.
All though I think if you were to test out a Multistrada, Tiger, or S1000xr from the slightly higher end you may have had different opinion of the segment.
the F800GS is just kinda the baby brother of the 1200gs trying to hit a mid weight and a price point. Maybe?
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Other riders in the same group with the 1200GS had the same complaints except those were heavy, in addition. My laptop background is me on a rental S1000RR at Phillip Island knee puck on the ground. Same trip. That made it all worthwhile.
 
Wingboy said:
Yes, it is smoke and mirrors. Graham Jarvis and Chris Burch are capable of doing things on a 1290 that the average rider couldn't do on a 250 dirt bike. But imagine what shape the frame of 1290 is in after launching it into the sky all afternoon. Ewan and Charlie found out the hard way that a BMW GS is not an suv.
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I disagree it’s a compromise not smoke and mirrors.
I would not trail ride my Harley or a sport bike.
I would not ride my Harley around twisties as fast as the KTM
I would not travel 800km rides on a dirt bike
Just because your in dirt doesn’t mean you need to be airborne.

Ideally you would stuff your garage with the best bike for each job.
But what if you wanted to ride up into northern Ontario hitting some twisties, maybe a trail you happen to come across, camp overnight then motor back home on the hwy.
 
Brian P said:
Other riders in the same group with the 1200GS had the same complaints except those were heavy, in addition. My laptop background is me on a rental S1000RR at Phillip Island knee puck on the ground. Same trip. That made it all worthwhile.
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And that sums it up right there.
The level of sport you require will leave no room for compromise.
Where as I do not require knee pucks on any bike. My chicken strip game is stronger than Popeye’s
 
If I could I would lesson the compromise.
KTM 790R with TKC 80 tires and soft luggage
Ducati Multistrada 1260S with touring package and sport touring rubber
 
Brian P said:
Pavement riding in Australia, from Sydney to Melbourne via country roads. Too high, too soft, too vague, inadequate cornering clearance despite being so high because of the comically soft suspension. Our group were all sport riders and all on various adventure bikes because that's all the rental agency had. We all had the same complaints. The question came up, "if this was a car, what would it be" and the consensus was that it's a Ford Explorer. It's not good at anything.
Click to expand...
Tuscany or Australia?
 
Not sure what you mean. The experience with the adventure bike was in Australia. I've previously done a similar trip in Tuscany and in that case, the rental bike was a F800R, the naked bike. Same engine. I didn't mind the F800R (Tuscany). I didn't like the F800GS (Australia).
 
Clutt-225 said:
I disagree it’s a compromise not smoke and mirrors.
I would not trail ride my Harley or a sport bike.
I would not ride my Harley around twisties as fast as the KTM
I would not travel 800km rides on a dirt bike
Just because your in dirt doesn’t mean you need to be airborne.

Ideally you would stuff your garage with the best bike for each job.
But what if you wanted to ride up into northern Ontario hitting some twisties, maybe a trail you happen to come across, camp overnight then motor back home on the hwy.
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I’m in for that ride!
 
Brian P said:
Not sure what you mean. The experience with the adventure bike was in Australia. I've previously done a similar trip in Tuscany and in that case, the rental bike was a F800R, the naked bike. Same engine. I didn't mind the F800R (Tuscany). I didn't like the F800GS (Australia).
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Ah got ya now, sorry covid brain
 
Clutt-225 said:
I disagree it’s a compromise not smoke and mirrors.
I would not trail ride my Harley or a sport bike.
I would not ride my Harley around twisties as fast as the KTM
I would not travel 800km rides on a dirt bike
Just because your in dirt doesn’t mean you need to be airborne.

Ideally you would stuff your garage with the best bike for each job.
But what if you wanted to ride up into northern Ontario hitting some twisties, maybe a trail you happen to come across, camp overnight then motor back home on the hwy.
Click to expand...

I agree

getting off the pavement doesn't have to mean aggressive riding
and with a 700 lb ADV/250 lb rider it can end badly

rOkzw6r.jpg
 
Know what the trouble is with the big adventure bikes if you go down a muddy trail with it?

If you tip over while out in the boonies on that muddy trail ... good luck. Too heavy.

For a bike that's going to be ridden on trails in remote areas ... weighing 200 pounds is a much more attractive feature than having 200 horsepower.

If for whatever reason that sort of riding attracts me in the future, the only ones I'd consider are the little ones - the Kawi Versys 300 or the KTM 390 Adventure or something like that. And then fix the suspension ...

edit: J-F's simulpost illustrates what I was writing ...
 
Anyone that rides a lot knows a service friendly bike is a big plus. Wheelies jumps and dirt on a 500 lb adv bike will mean servicing the head bearings and rear linkage a regular affair. No thanks.
 
Brian P said:
Know what the trouble is with the big adventure bikes if you go down a muddy trail with it?

If you tip over while out in the boonies on that muddy trail ... good luck. Too heavy.

For a bike that's going to be ridden on trails in remote areas ... weighing 200 pounds is a much more attractive feature than having 200 horsepower.

If for whatever reason that sort of riding attracts me in the future, the only ones I'd consider are the little ones - the Kawi Versys 300 or the KTM 390 Adventure or something like that. And then fix the suspension ...

edit: J-F's simulpost illustrates what I was writing ...
Click to expand...
Agreed
I think it’s like an suv when it comes to most of these, people want the capability and to be able to say I can go anywhere on this thing but most people don’t even ride in the rain on them, and just to be clear I said “most people”
 
J_F said:
I agree

getting off the pavement doesn't have to mean aggressive riding
and with a 700 lb ADV/250 lb rider it can end badly

rOkzw6r.jpg
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That took me a second... looks expensive
 
The naked bikes certainly didn’t help the super sports out but for me a lot of it is the super sport stuff has gotten a little stale.

Go buy a 600ss today and it’s not all that different then the ones I was riding 10 years ago. There really isn’t anything to motivate me to buy one. I would of loved to see Yamaha make a SS with the 900 triple, that would be a very interesting bike. The new Aprilia RS660 looks cool. Full on super sport but with a more street friendly engine. It’s different anyways so somewhat interesting.

I also don’t need a 200hp bike in my life so I’m kind of out on the newer litre bikes.

On the topic of adventure bikes. That’s a segment I haven’t tried out yet but I would like to see either a Tenere 700, Africa Twin or KTM 1090 in my garage in the next couple years. I would fully intend to beat the wheels of it off-road.
 
On the topic of adventure bikes. That’s a segment I haven’t tried out yet but I would like to see either a Tenere 700, Africa Twin or KTM 1090 in my garage in the next couple years. I would fully intend to beat the wheels of it off-road.

I thought that right up until you realize that your wrestling a 500+ pound bike that’s trying to kill you. Unless your truly awesome on a dirt bike.
They are just to fast and heavy. If you make it out of second gear your flying and even on a rail trail the atv whoops will cause you to bottom out at 80kph.
Maybe you could go faster and skip across like a dirt bike but not this guy.
And my god is it heavy when you drop it. Trust me it’s so heavy and I was alone and it was raining. Both times ?
 
blackcamaro said:
The naked bikes certainly didn’t help the super sports out but for me a lot of it is the super sport stuff has gotten a little stale.

Go buy a 600ss today and it’s not all that different then the ones I was riding 10 years ago. There really isn’t anything to motivate me to buy one. I would of loved to see Yamaha make a SS with the 900 triple, that would be a very interesting bike. The new Aprilia RS660 looks cool. Full on super sport but with a more street friendly engine. It’s different anyways so somewhat interesting.

I also don’t need a 200hp bike in my life so I’m kind of out on the newer litre bikes.

On the topic of adventure bikes. That’s a segment I haven’t tried out yet but I would like to see either a Tenere 700, Africa Twin or KTM 1090 in my garage in the next couple years. I would fully intend to beat the wheels of it off-road.
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I agree, as much as my multi is close to perfect for me I would love my third bike to be a smaller dual sport and probably used so when I drop it I can laugh it off.
 
Not a dropper, and the painted luggage that’s in the garage wouldn’t help
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