Minor Winter Project - installing suspension worth 1/3 of the bike

[Triple]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Yeah, definitely weird that they put the best suspension on the "adventure touring" version of the bike, rather than the sportbike (Ninja 650R).

Price. The target market for the ER-6N and 650R are newbies and/or riders who want a sportbike or streetfighter look minus the cutting-edge performance. The Versys is an adventure-touring bike, something for which people are willing to pay a premium. Riders willing to pay for better suspension on sportier models will usually just buy a ZX-6/10R.

The ER-6N is the only decent-looking naked / standard on the market right now as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not even that crazy about it. It's a dying (mutating) class. What was so wrong with round headlights..?

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Triple

Price. The target market for the ER-6N and 650R are newbies and/or riders who want a sportbike or streetfighter look minus the cutting-edge performance. The Versys is an adventure-touring bike, something for which people are willing to pay a premium. Riders willing to pay for better suspension on sportier models will usually just buy a ZX-6/10R.

There's a market for smaller bikes with passable suspension though. For some odd reason the ER and Ninja 650 don't even share the same forks! If they did, then economy of scale would give the option of cartridge forks on those bikes, at a reasonable cost.

The ER-6N is the only decent-looking naked / standard on the market right now as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not even that crazy about it. It's a dying (mutating) class. What was so wrong with round headlights..?

I agree, on both counts, though I also don't mind square headlights on bikes of this style. As to a "dying class", Kawasaki Canada has dropped the ER for 2011.

[Triple]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

There's a market for smaller bikes with passable suspension though.

In the states, that's called a 600cc supersport.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Triple

In the states, that's called a 600cc supersport.

Yeah, but not everyone wants a supersport. The ergos suck, if you're getting on in years. Back in the something like a G00f4/4i was a very comfortable bike. Even the older ZX-6R made for a good commuter. These days the ergos are simply too aggressive, as every manufacturer tries to out-Ducati Ducati.

Something that I would refer to as a "GT Standard" would be a great bike, for most people. sort of the 2-wheel version of a BMW touring car; good, but not earth shattering performance, in a comfortable package. I don't need horsepower. In my experience most people don't know what to do with it, anyway, and it just gets you in trouble on the street. What I want is reasonable mid-range and good suspension.

[Triple]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Yeah, but not everyone wants a supersport.

No, not all buyers want a supersport, just most buyers. That's why the standards you and I enjoy have mostly disappeared. Give me something that looks like a ZR-7 with a modern powerplant and acceptable suspension over a Z1000 any day of the week. I'm in the overwhelming minority, however, so it will never happen. Sales statistics dictate that if you want performance, you want a supersport, and that if you want a standard, you like Transformers.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Triple

No, not all buyers want a supersport, just most buyers. That's why the standards you and I enjoy have mostly disappeared. Give me something that looks like a ZR-7 with a modern powerplant and acceptable suspension over a Z1000 any day of the week. I'm in the overwhelming minority, however, so it will never happen. Sales statistics dictate that if you want performance, you want a supersport, and that if you want a standard, you like Transformers.

IMHO we need a return to the UJM; a basic bike, that you modify to suit your specific needs.