Your First Thought?

[Brian P]

If I actually tried to get my head that far down, I couldn't see 10 metres down the track in front of me. Maybe not even past the instruments. Look at the angle of the helmet and imagine where the rider's eyes would be. Besides, real race bikes won't have the key ...

I rode this bike's predecessor, which had the key in the same spot, at a track day, and this wasn't what bothered me about it. The heavy, sluggish steering that insisted on running wide at corner exits, though ...

 

[GreyGhost]

I rode this bike's predecessor, which had the key in the same spot, at a track day, and this wasn't what bothered me about it. The heavy, sluggish steering that insisted on running wide at corner exits, though ...

Is that geometry related or weight/power related? There is a lot to be said for your preference of small, light and reasonably quick bikes at the track instead of huge power, higher weight rockets.

 

[Brian P]

Geometry for sure. Certainly part of the problem is my phat arse sitting on a rental bike with stock suspension set up for a wee Italian lad, and compressing the rear suspension too much (raking out the front end in the process). But I spoke with someone who had a (now) outgoing-model Panigale V2 as a heavyweight-twins race bike at SOAR, and he had the same issue and had to change *everything* to make the bike turn. Shock, fork internals, shock linkage, Forsaken Motorsports upper and lower triple clamps (with different and to some extent adjustable geometry).

I just rode a bone stock with fiberglass bodywork BMW S1000RR, outgoing model, at a track day, and that one is a cracking good bike which works fine in stock form. Even with my phat arse sitting on it.

 

[-Maverick-]

Are we looking at the same pictures?

Some of the shots with the guy scooched back in the seat are during heavy braking. But if you're on the throttle and want to keep the front down, these pictures tell the real story:

The ignition cylinder bothers me in that position...it shouldn't be there.

First thought on these pics?

This guy is too big for this bike. Why are the Italian's making the bikes so small?

Michael Neeves mentions in this video how the RSV4 is too small for him at six feet tall. Are the Italian's basing the bike size on stereotypical shorter Italian men? I sat on a new RSV4 and felt gigantic on it. MV Agusta are the same through the whole lineup.

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