Sleeper Bikes

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I concur a VFR800 is not a sleeper bike. It's wicked in the twists. Looks faster than it is. My kids FZ8 would eat it for lunch.

Takes 120-160 HP in an innocent looking light frame, upright seating to be a real sleeper.

My CFB1000 - a Fireblade motor in a CBF600 frame almost qualifies but at 100 hp doesn't quite meet current outputs tho the torque is lovely.

I agree an FJ-09 qualifies. So does the BMW XR

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160 HP, traction control, 500 lb ..innocent look.

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Just your every day commuter :D

I did a total double take after seeing one at the Forks and looking it up. Could not beleive the numbers for such a small adventure seating bike.
 
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The late 90's bandit 1200's are quite the sleeper. My friend has one with high lift cams, 4-1 Yoshi pipe and K&N filters. A lot of the younger guys have no idea what it's capable off, off the line most sportbikes struggle to keep up because of how much torque it has. Obviously past 100mph or so it'll get spanked. When I rode it, it would lift the front wheel in 3rd if I wasn't careful.

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Low rider said:
There's a Triumph Triple that make a boat load of power.
Or that Honda 6 cylinder bike. The Rune?
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My supervisor offered to sell me his 6 cylinder CBX1100X. But at 600+ lbs and only around 100 hp (from what I found Googling the specs) I lost interest. Google also told me it needs lots of suspension and brake upgrades.

dieselxx said:
Rs 250 aprilia?
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A lot of people think my RS125 is larger than it is (I get asked all the time if it's a litre bike) and the 250 is larger and looks faster (IMO) so that doesn't seem like a sleeper to me. I'd still love to own one if I had the money for a second bike, with unique insurance, and even more 2 stroke rebuilds (which are getting expensive and tiring for me, especially since the 125 has been in the shop literally the entire season). Saw a blue plated 300cc 2 stroke Husky on Kijiji the other day that caught my attention, too.
 
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The idea of a sleeper is to use the ignorance and prejudice of the opponent against them. The average rider is a bit more knowledgeable about motorcycles than the average car driver is about cars. It's a bit harder to hide wide rear tires and performance exhausts too. I'd guess a Hyosung 650 GT with a TLR mill or a neatly turbocharged Ninja 250 would do the trick. Any scooter would definitely fly under the radar. Those Chinese dualsports would be perfect cover.

Anything bike based on a modern 800-1000cc (or more) engine would not be a sleeper. You don't necessarily have to win races, just embarass people who deserve it.
 
unL33T said:
My supervisor offered to sell me his 6 cylinder CBX1100X. But at 600+ lbs and only around 100 hp (from what I found Googling the specs) I lost interest. Google also told me it needs lots of suspension and brake upgrades.

A lot of people think my RS125 is larger than it is (I get asked all the time if it's a litre bike) and the 250 is larger and looks faster (IMO) so that doesn't seem like a sleeper to me. I'd still love to own one if I had the money for a second bike, with unique insurance, and even more 2 stroke rebuilds (which are getting expensive and tiring for me, especially since the 125 has been in the shop literally the entire season). Saw a blue plated 300cc 2 stroke Husky on Kijiji the other day that caught my attention, too.
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Buy his CBX and sell it to me. Please
 
The rider is the biggest factor and how much he/she wants to push the safety/ HTA envelope.

I know someone on an BMW rt that can run circles around almost anyone on a super sport up a twisty and technical road.

In his hands, the big silver RT is a sleeper until you ride with him or notice the rash on the lower fairings of the bike.
 
STARSHIP said:
The rider is the biggest factor and how much he/she wants to push the safety/ HTA envelope.

I know someone on an BMW rt that can run circles around almost anyone on a super sport up a twisty and technical road.

In his hands, the big silver RT is a sleeper until you ride with him or notice the rash on the lower fairings of the bike.
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Very true. My last run on Southwood, I'm clipping along doing my thing and a guy in his late 50's on an St1100 takes me on the inside through a 20km/h marked "s" bend. I chased him for a bit but quickly realized he had skills I didn't, backed off and saw him up the road later waiting for his friends to catch up.
Old guy, 3/4 helmet complete with a clear bubble face shield, well used early 90's st1100 and he easily handed it to me lol.

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DucatiDan said:
Which bikes would you consider "sleeper bikes"? Like a wolf in sheep's clothing? A friend and I were having a discussion about this the other day and some of the bikes that came up were the Yamaha V-Max and the Suzuki M109r. What are some bikes out there that don't garner a second glance from non-riders but can pull your arms out of their sockets or carve up other bikes in the twisties? Interested to see what comes up on here.
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Any old chopper or rat bobber with an inline 4 or V-4 engine. A saavy builder will mill the heads on an old AC CB900 to jack the compression and port the heads, then have a nasty cam custom cut and rip some chump a new one. Even nastier dude will lower compression and bottlefeed it for prize money. It's gotta have flat brown/grey/black paint, rusty frame, corroded side covers, oil+mud+dust all over it. There's a few rolling around, beware.
 
Some people are suggesting little bikes like a 250 as a sleeper.
Maybe, if it has a 800cc Suzuki DR Big engine stuffed into it. Bored and stroked with lumpy cams and a huge carb.
 
unL33T said:
My supervisor offered to sell me his 6 cylinder CBX1100X. But at 600+ lbs and only around 100 hp (from what I found Googling the specs) I lost interest. Google also told me it needs lots of suspension and brake upgrades.

A lot of people think my RS125 is larger than it is (I get asked all the time if it's a litre bike) and the 250 is larger and looks faster (IMO) so that doesn't seem like a sleeper to me. I'd still love to own one if I had the money for a second bike, with unique insurance, and even more 2 stroke rebuilds (which are getting expensive and tiring for me, especially since the 125 has been in the shop literally the entire season). Saw a blue plated 300cc 2 stroke Husky on Kijiji the other day that caught my attention, too.
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I get the same thing on the RS,"It's only a 250'? And I agree a bike that has the word "racing'(rs250) plastered across the fairing is not posing as a sleeper. I surprise alot of bigger bikes between 7 and 12,000rpm. That's too bad about your luck with the 125 and rebilds. I'm going 6 years now and 12,000 kms. and not a single problem. What oil are you using? I'm on Motul 710. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os6hrBbyGxI
 
Old guy, 3/4 helmet complete with a clear bubble face shield, well used early 90's st1100 and he easily handed it to me lol.
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Yikes...that thing is a bit of pig with the geometry and iffy brakes but the weight is low and massive torque. Cops loved them better than the ST1300 that replaced them.
My 93 wanted to understeer in corners - never owned it long enough to figure how to take a corner at speed.

Mind you - just watch Yellow Wolf on the Dragon.
[video=youtube;0nrMQ3QwyPo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo[/video]
 
2stroker said:
I get the same thing on the RS,"It's only a 250'? And I agree a bike that has the word "racing'(rs250) plastered across the fairing is not posing as a sleeper. I surprise alot of bigger bikes between 7 and 12,000rpm. That's too bad about your luck with the 125 and rebilds. I'm going 6 years now and 12,000 kms. and not a single problem. What oil are you using? I'm on Motul 710. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os6hrBbyGxI
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I kind of go between Motul and Redline. Used to use Amsoil a lot when Canadian Tire carried it.

Apparently my most recent problem was caused by a clogged carb making it run lean.

I wanted to import the 250 before I got the 125 but I believe you told me you had a hard time getting insurance so I gave up on it. Probably would last longer as it would be under far less stress on the highway.
 
Get a Harley Sportster, put a Buell motor in it (nearly doubling the power), put some AMF Harley emblems on the tank. Keep the exhaust stock Harley more or less. Upgrade the suspension.

Straight line it will be a sleeper, the really big boys will spank it assuming they took it serious and got on the throttle early enough. Being a sleeper they likely didn't... In the corners it is what it is....
 
Put a really good rider on a starter bike, instant sleeper bike in the corners.
 
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