Why the VMX17, Hayabusa And Similar Bikes Should Be Off The Streets
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When I was editor of several national monthly motorcycle print magazines I had a great working relationship with the nice people at Yamaha. They're a class act. However, the VMX17 is a motorcycle that should not have been placed on the market at this time, whether in quantities of 2,500, 25 or 250,000. A similar observation can be made for:
- Buell 1125R
- Ducati 1098
- Honda CBR1000RR
- Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
- Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
- Kawasaki Z1000
- Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RK
- Suzuki GSX-R1000
- Yamaha FJR1300A
- Yamaha YZF-R1
- Yamaha FZ1
...and many others. No, just because I'm an (ex)-Harley rider I'm not sparing cruisers from condemnation at all. In light of the current socio-economic and ecological situation in North America, I believe that any motorcycle which is set up to carry two passengers without a sidecar or trailer has no real valid reason to exceed 500cc.
The very essence of these one litre plus plus plus motorcycles flies in the face of the predominant sensibility of these times which is green and conserving. We have trampled on this Earth far too long and far too hard, and although I am not trying to compare the ecological impact of a VMX17 or Hayabusa to stripmining or clearcutting or even a Hummer H1, these bikes an embodiment of a long-gone age of excessive consumption and egotistical thrill-seeking which encourages, aids and abets endangering innocent families driving to school, to dinner, or to Grandma's.
On another Hub I shared my experience of witnessing a large displacement sports bike smash into a Fiat Uno on a European highway at nearly full-out speed. The bike ended up fully within the passenger compartment of the car. Not only did the rider die immediately, but an entire family was instantly snuffed out. If that rider had been aboard a 250 single he might have smashed into the same Fiat and he might have died as well, but I can pretty well assure you that the injuries to the automobile passengers would not have been anywhere near as grievious. Yes, I know... The same argument can apply to a V10 Viper or a Ferrari Enzo. However, the price of those cars is outside the reach of most young, immature banzai motorists... but any 16 year old kid with a burger-flipping job can scrape up enough down payment and credit to buy a 1 litre+ superbike which can propel them along a public highway at 170 mph or more.
These neophyte speed-infatuated riders act just as stupidly as promising National Hockey League star Luc Bourdon who a couple of months ago slammed the Suzuki GSX-R1000 he had purchased just days previously into a transport truck. The RCMP stated that Bourdon's inexperience with motorcycles was a factor in the crash. He had ridden his father's motorcycle for a couple of days and figured that it was enough training to take on a superbike that can attain 192 mph on a public road. Yes, his death was a tragedy, but it was one that could have been mitigated by proper riding education and some common sense. Since many riders do not avail themselves of either factor, then they can damn well ride Honda 125 Varaderos as far as I'm concerned. They can still kill themselves on these bikes, but at least they stand a far smaller chance of killing innocent motorists: Like me!
I was a young hotshot rider once and I can certainly understand that there is something hardwired in the youthful brain that seeks speed, thrills and kicks at any cost, including endangering your own body. If you are one of those people, then I heartily encourage you to do what I did: Become a motorcycle racer! You can get your jollies on a proper race track, experience the exhilaration of riding the wheels off your bike, and at the same time not taking the chance of splattering a mom taking her kids out for pizza.
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Check out Hal's latest Hubs:
http://hubpages.com/profile/Hal+Licino
Also don't miss Hal's many other Motorcycling Hubs!
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- Why the VMX17, Hayabusa And Similar Bikes Should Be Off The Streets
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Hey, you're an ol' timer just like me! Congratulations to both of us for surviving to our ages after a lifetime of motorcycling! Thanks for your comments!
Umm, yeah, but as long as it brings profit, those bikes will be on the streets. The only way I can think about is government taxing the crap out of such bikes, several times more than their current price. This will not eliminate them altogether, but will significatly reduce the number of idiots riding them.
The Reagan Administration sided with Harley and slapped a huge tax on any imported motorcycles of 750 cc and larger. The Japanese retaliated by flooding the market with 700 cc sleeved down versions and soon the tax went away. There will always be the gray market and other ways of getting around taxes and duties. I wish it were different though, as that would be a great way of controlling this. Thanks!
Hal Licino I like the hub. A rider cand die on a 500cc bike just as quick as a 1000cc motorcycle. The new Kawasaki Ninja 250R will travel at 110mph! I believe that its not the bikes that should be restricted but the people riding the bikes. Everyday I see 18 year old kids that want to get a sportbike because its the cool thing to do and their parents are right there cosigning for a brand new GSXR750 before the kid has even taken the riding course. Until you take a spill on a bike or get into an accident with a car its hard to appreciate the pain and discomfort a motorcycle accident can cause. Limiting riders to smaller cc bikes. In Japan a rider has to ride for 10 years before he or she can have a 1000cc and guess what they have less deaths. The big cc bikes is not the problem. Its just like having a high performance car exept there is more risk. I feel that if we start tring to controll the people buying those bikes instead of trying to control the bikes them selves we would see better results.
Hal, I think your arguments are valid, but I question how much good the discussions, commentaries, and blogs are in really curbing the problem. As you aptly pointed out, the perennial wisdom of the elderly will likely have little or no effect on the hot-blooded, thrill seeking youngsters. Most of us seem to be stuck in our conditioning, and vulnerable to our often impetuous nature. I must be the exception to the motorcycle enthusiast’s life cycle. I had no interest in motorcycling until reaching a ripe old age. Between age 16 and 55, I had absolutely no interest in motorcycling. Perhaps the fear factor exceeded the pleasure attraction. Or perhaps it was just simply lack of interest for the thrill. Back in those early days, riding a motorcycle seemed commensurate with a pedestrian crossing an eight-lane expressway.
The big-six will never stop building the performance bikes so long as the market demand is there. The laws will unlikely change significantly to improve the situation. The immature and impulsive buyers will continue to purchase bikes, accompanied by the usual proportionate amount of speed-junkies who will ignore their better judgement and abuse the over-powered capacity of the performance bikes. So do you really think that exposing this problem on forums and in the media will really stem the problem to any significant degree? Or merely serve as a cathartic experience for the person expressing the unfortunate, if not possibly unsolvable situation? Although I suspect the process is slow, maybe anything is possible if we through enough stuff at it. After all, the Berlin Wall came down. I think a person’s consciousness is raised sufficiently to address such issues only when the person is truly ready to hear it. Else the mind remains closed. I don’t know that there is a quick and effect way to the raise the consciousness of the public to even the most blatantly of distressful situations in our environment — until catastrophe hits.
Incidently, I noticed on the top of your webpage that "Infinite Marketplace" is running an ad for a sale on Hayabusa bikes. Does this not compromise your efforts at dissuading Hayabusa buyers? Might this open you to reader criticism that you might be sleeping with the enemy?
Good luck,
An Advocate.
One Opinion, thank you for your valid "one opinion". There is no way that I can stop global warming, the market collapse, or the election of total incompetents to high office by myself either, but since I believe that Cogito, Ergo Hub, I can make a tiny difference in persuading someone somewhere that my viewpoint is to be taken into consideration. If that person is the parent of a teenager who is about to go blow his Burger King earnings on a superbike, and that parent steps in to prevent that purchase, then there could be one life saved and if that were to be the case, it would be the greatest single accomplishment of my long life. Like all Hubbers, I have absolutely no control over what AdSense ads are served up by Google on my Hubs. Google scans the text for keywords and offers up whatever it best sees fit. It's kind of like a benevolent dictatorship, except that it isn't that benevolent! :)
Hal, Point made. I guess it would be hard to sit on the sidelines of a raging forest fire armed only with a squirt-gun, and hope to sleep that night without at least emptying your 4-ounce magazine. I applaud you for your efforts and motives.
Thanks, One Opinion. Much appreciated! :)
Hi Hal,I got an idea, how about graduated licensing for motorcycles. Here in Connecticut we have graduated drivers licenses which restrict what a driver can do by age and length of time holding a license. (ie restricting new drivers to daytime driving and limiting the number of passengers) So why not restrict the size of the bike by age or years of experience. Say, in the first two years of holding a motorcycle license a rider is limited to less than 500cc, the next two years limited to less than 750cc, the next two years limited to less than 1000cc, and after riding for more than six years a rider can finally get on that more than a liter bike?What do you think?
Mark we have that system in Australia, but you should see the horsepower you can get out of half a litre these days. We start at 250cc,
Yes, there are many countries that do have that system. Personally I believe that the best starter bike is the 125 cc class. One up it's still fast enough to keep up with freeway traffic and it is certainly easy to handle and learn on!
I have been riding sportbikes for over 23 years, I see your reason for concern but don't see why I should suffer for the action of other people. Attack the problem not the bikes. Speeders an young an inexperienced riders. Laws an penaltiesin my state have gone through the roof and its working. speeders going 50 miles an over the speed limit get 1000, 2500, an the 3rd offense 5K plus a felony charge an 10 yr revoke on your privledge. That goes for trucks an cars also, believe it or not itdoesn't hurt anyless getting hit by a car or truck moving at 100 mph than it does a bike, and just about any car out there in the street right now will hit 120 mph including the 4 cyclinders. The is speeders are the problem not sportbikers and you have a good chance of increasing penalties cause states love revenue.
There is no doubt that younger and inexperienced riders astride 180+ hp motorcycles are an enormous problem, and I wholeheartedly support huge fines and license suspensions for speed freaks, but the bottom line has to be: why does anyone on a public highway shared by moms and kids etc. need a motorcycle (or car for that matter) that can hit 200 mph?
What else should we ban, guns, sports cars kitchen knives, baseball bats, rat killer, cars and pickups. Over 30,000 people die in traffic crashes in the US. Leading cause of death for teenagers. No license for them until they are 20.
People are going to abuse everything, live with it!
Extremely high powered sportscars, definitely. However, keep in mind that any kid out of school who can get financing for a couple of hundred bucks a month can get a superpowered motorcycle. In order to get the equivalent speed in a car would require many times that amount, and would therefore be unreachable.
I see your point about people being excessive and irresponsible while driving. It is those PEOPLE that should be loosing their PRIVILAGE of driving. Banning certain motorcycles will not stop the same irresponsible people from using some other vehicle to be stupid in. People hurt/kill people, not machines. I have never seen another vehicle drive itself down the road and kill someone.
Writer for a bike mag or not, you need to do more research. I'm sorry, but you are sorely misinformed.
...and even if I could (and I can on my Hayabusa) tote a sidecar, I wouldn't. They are dangerous due to the change in a bike's change in geometry.
Will my Hayabusa reach speeds close to 200mph? Yes. That does not mean you have to twist the throttle as far as it will turn. Speed limits are posted, and laws are to obeyed no matter what you are riding or driving.
The Hayabusa is not a threat to the environment as you have stated either. When ridden on the high-way, the GSXR 1300 is capable of 50mpg or more. Compared to the Dodge Truck I drive, that is a substantial improvement on emissions (that is another topic for another day though).
If you want to see a dangerous, motorcycle with a terrible emissions output, I suggest you look into your favorite motorcycle, the Harley Davidson.
Harley's are still sold with carburated engines. This does not effectively distribute the fuel administered into the cylinders. This leads to wasted fuel and garbage being spewed into the air. These bikes have poor braking systems and are outdated in every way compared to the sport bikes you are against.
I could go on and on, but...
There is of course no doubt that the stupidity and inexperience of a novice or immature rider can cause them to have a fatal crash on a moped, but that's not the point. You are all being disingenuous on defending suicidecycles such as the Hayabusa on their emissions or mileage. (BTW, all motorcycles, including Harleys, have to meet the same emissions requirements.) The basic question all of you velocity-ecstatic numbskulls who try to make up for their shortcomings by placing a power between their legs that nature failed to do, need to answer is this: How can you justify operating a two wheeled vehicle on the same streets as the innocent general public that can almost QUADRUPLE freeway speed limits.
Since you can't answer that, then I have the answer for you: Tear up your driver's licenses, impound and crush your superduperbikes, and force you to become socially responsible.
Grow up!
Hal
Why so angry?
Why call a magnificent piece of technology a suicidecycle; too old and can't handle it any more?
You are way too serious about life, at the end we all have to die anyway. Lighten up.
Over here in the good old USA, every pickup truck sports a V8, so do most of our cars and it's hard to find anything with four wheels which has less than six cylinders. We don't ride 500cc street bikes and four cylinder cars; you want to know why? Because life is short and we want to enjoy it as much as we can.
If you want to sit around, obeying every rule induced by mankind, waiting patiently for the end of the road, too scared to have a little rush, don't spoil it for those of us who smile every day.
About nature and the power between your legs, man, get some and live and let live.
Not angry at all. Simply trying to make the point that 200 hp motorcycles belong on the track not public highways. Although "we all have to die anyway" that does not give you the right to kill ME while I'm on my way to the office. And yes, I have personally witnessed more than enough ultrabike riding bozos out to get "a little rush" who have killed and maimed innocent families. Live and let live? Who is going to give life back to the countless moms and dads and kids who ended up splattered thanks to murdercycles? If you want to experience the thrill of 200 mph I have no problem with that. Do it on a track... as the image at the top of the Hub states: NOT ON MY STREET!
One more time:
Let's continue this at:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Ban-Hayabusa--CBR--ZX--YZF
Comments here are closed.
Error alert, Hal. The Suzuki GSX-R 1000 is electronically limited at the factory to a top speed of 300 km/h or 186 mph. Not 192 mph.
1) Which year?
2) What the hell difference does it make at 186 mph? That's supposed to be a safe speed as compared to 192?
Sheesh...
Could't agree more Hal. A 500 CC. bike is more than eneught even for long rides with luggage (at least for a single rider).
100% agreed! Half litres are even good enough for two up touring at the speed limit.
Good Hub even though I disagree with you. There are many vehicles we ride in or one that exceed high speeds. I have been riding and racing motorcycles for 40 years. I am not going to ban a bike that travels at high speeds because some rider can not respect the power of the motorcycle he/she is riding. I have long thought that the states here need to do what other nations have done with the "graduated license". I tell all that want to ride to take a riders course and not to go over board with ther first motorcycle. I believe that statiscally most accidents on a motorcycle occur at 35 mph and with this in mind think the effort shoud be spent on rider education instead of banning superbikes.
Racing does belong on the track not the streets but there is a human element involved because the motorcycle can't go without a rider.
Ok, so if riders should respect the power of their motorcycles, why do they need one that quadruples any legal limit? That is ALWAYS the question and the one that HAS NOT been answered by anyone yet! :)
Come on Hal I have seen the list of motorcycles you have owned and many can easily go over 100 mph. I'll put it out there that no one needs a bike that goes that fast. When you start talking/writing about banning certain types of motorcycles I would have to say there is no way I will go for that. Pushing for manufacturers to curb back the hp and speed is not a problem for me. For me, my main concern is get the irresponsible riders off the road. I have absolutly no problem telling someone that they are in way over their head with the motorcycle they are riding or consider buying. Nothing worse than a new, young, male rider thinking his first motorcycle should be Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RK.
Dude, I've admitted that I've averaged 133 mph across Kansas and that included pee and gas brakes. That's why I am a REFORMED street speeder and with MATURITY has come the realization that it belongs only on the track. Any manufacturer who crams 200+ horses into a two wheeled street machine deserves to have their bikes seized at the port. :) But I do agree that irresponsible riders can kill themselves and others on a 125. :(
I'm torn by your hub. I grew up riding dirt bikes. I got my first cruiser when I was 30. A 750 Shadow. Took me about 5 minutes to figure out I should have gone bigger (quicker). I then bought a 750 Vulcan from a friend that was much quicker than the Shadow. My third, and present, bike is an FZ1. Holy cow! I've thought many times, "This is so much fun it should be illegal." I've also thought, "If I was 25 instead of 44, I would probably kill myself on this thing."
I wouldn't want them to be illegal, but I don't think crotch rockets in general are a good idea for young or inexperienced riders.
I can't think of a good solution that doesn't involve more stinking government intervention.
I would be curious what the stats are on fatalities on liter bikes: how many riders were killed vs. passengers in cars or other vehicles. I would think that those killed in cars by motorcyclists would be very low.
The bottom line is "You can't cure stupid." And as we all know, most of us did really stupid things on bikes when we were young.
There's sure nothing like twisting the throttle on the FZ though. And the power has actually gotten me out of a few jams when a crash was imminent with a stupid driver that didn't see me. On a lesser bike, I would have not faired nearly so well. Good food for thought though.
BTW, on your ugly bike lists, have you ever seen one of those Victory Visions on the road?
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, I've actually ridden a Vision and they are a great bike if you don't have to look at it. The latest models with the skulls in the paintjob are even worse. I have to call up my old bud Arlen Ness and ask him if he had anything to do with those. They are too ugly for words.
I guess age gets some people bitter. Provably the only woman that will write a comment in this section but I can tell you that there is more to a Busa than top speed. Acceleration is what got me addicted to bikes and not top speed. The fastest I gone in a vehicle was in my grandfather's Cadillac CTX and HE was driving. We were going over 100+ and when I brought it up he slowed down and told me that it didn't feel that he was going that fast. I guess they should not make luxury cars that go fast either.
I do get what you are trying to get but I live in California, and there are kids here driving those "super expensive" sports cars that you claim kids can not get a hold of. In addition if they want to speed, they just take the 4 cylinders tin cans and turn them into rockets. And yes they are flipping burgers to pay for all this. Oh and one more thing. THEY ARE ILLEGAL! And ANY car at 100 will do more damage that any bike at 150. So not selling 1+ liter bikes won't stop idiots from been idiots. It just stops people that want to have fun.
Oh about the ecological impact. Oh please! You got to be kidding!!! A Busa gives 32+MPG driven like a maniac (ie worst mileage). How many cars have a 32+MPG for street driving? Also if tomorrow everyone that drove a car dove a Busa for work (assuming they would know how) polution would drop significanly while if people who own 500cc> bikes drove a Prius polution would go UP!!! So what the $%$@ you talking about ecological impact? You see motorcycles decreases congestion, cars increase traffic congestion.
Also, as a Harley fan that means that over 90% of the Harleys should be bammed. How many Harleys are 500c or less?
I do agree with Stan Fletcher:
+ For the intelligent driver more power can mean safer bike.
+ You can't lobby stupid out.
+ Just because you can think something should be illegal it is not mean it should be.
Stuff has good uses for the mature minded people and it is dangerous with stupid people. Just look at the damage teenagers do to themselves in YouTube. If we bammed everything they made dangerous it would be illegal to own ANYTHING and even then...
I have no problem with anyone doing anything that they want. If they break the law they go to jail. That's what laws are for. Period.
Hi Hal! I rode a neighbours "road" Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RK a few months back. Seriously modified.
He races, and likes his fast bikes but this was ridiculous on the road!
He bought it new, and immediately ripped about 40 kilos off the weight, replacing many components with Kevlar. He then spent over $7k on the motor to get over 200 hp at the back tyre.
I found some open road, and was gob smacked at how bloody fast it was! This thing will stand up and beg at over 100mph!
I came back white as a sheet!
Hi mate! Ya, don't ever get me wrong, the Busa is one helluva piece of engineering. Especially with the mods your friend made, it's a two wheeled rocketship which deserves all the respect and credit possible ON THE RACETRACK. I've ridden 200hp bikes ON THE RACETRACK and certainly can appreciate their magnificent qualities. HOWEVER... IMHO there is absolutely no way that something THAT FAST should be running around on the same streets as soccer moms in minivans full of kids. No way.
The fact of the matter is that these liter bike riders are only hurting themselves 99.99999% of the time.
I think the government protects us from ourselves enough, don't you? They are all ready taxing the hell out of cigarettes and now talking about levying more tax on anything with so much sugar in it (fat people tax).
By all means put more dohickies on these bikes to limit the top speed. I'm sure anything they do to limit them, someone will come along and find a way to undo it. I own a buell 1125cr that's capable of 155mph, but it will never see speeds that fast. It's a great bike, handles great, amazing acceleration and I'm glad I live in a world where I can buy such an amazing machine. Your world sounds dull.
I think we should limit the size of cars/trucks/suv's. These giant SUV's available are capable of killing lots more people than any motocycle and I'm talking about the soccer mom traveling at 70mph that looses control of her Envoy.
Your statistics are as flawed as the rest of your argument. Go play ON THE TRACK, not the street. Or go to jail. That's it. Live with it.
Cell Phones should be banned when driving, they kill far more people
Some of us track riders can not afford two motorcycles, so what would you like us to do? I have owned a 250, a 600, and a 1000 and I am only 21 years old. Yes I have sped before. There is a time and a place for everything. You need to understand the problem is not the bikes, but the people. Grow up.
There is no doubt that liter bikes and bikes such as the new VMAX can speed, but like it has already been mentioned pretty much anything on the road these days can reach high speeds on long enough stetches of road. Seriously though, powerless Honda Civics can reach 200km/hr easily enough on the right road and look how many young people have those...
I hate the fact that people are seriously pushing to have such bikes banned? We live in a free country and the moment the government starts controlling what we are allowed to drive then we have lost our freedom! As long as a manufacturer meets the requirements set out for safety and emissions they should be able to make anything they want! I myself have taken my bike and car to the strip which uses their power in a perfectly legal fashion. If I get a new VMAX which I would absolutely LOVE to do I would definitely take that bad boy to track for some fun!
As long as these manufacturers continue to perform R&D into making more "green" and more fuel efficient rides (which they are) then I think it's only fair to keep a small portion of their lineup for "fun bikes" (which a 50cc scooter is NOT). It's a free world and consumer choice should continue to reflect that.
Oh and what you said earlier about the U.S. government introducing a tax on 750cc and greater bikes back in the 80's, you do realize that was a government attempt to help keep Harley afloat right? Harley were getting absolutely murdered in the 70's by japanese bike sales and it wasn't hard to see why... Not everyone wanted a loud, overpriced, poor quality, horribly inefficient oil-leaking cruiser..
Great hub and great answers. Thanks Hal.
I just gotta comment, coming from a country called Singapore where riders can only start riding when they're 18. Our licence is a tiered one, with the first restricted to under 200cc for a year. Following which, you will have to take lessons and be tested all over again, the second class of licence will allow the rider to ride up to 400cc. Finally after another year, riders are allowed to take the last licence, which remove all capacity restrictions.
I'm glad to say that after three long years and three bikes I have completed all those tiers of licences. I currently use my Yamaha R6 for my daily commute to school and for the track. I rarely drive because I much prefer riding. None of this are really relevant however, what I wish to share is my experiences riding on this roads, an overwhelming majority of motorcycles involved in accidents are actually those bikes under 200cc. To be honest, I don't remember a single occasion where a motorcycle above 500cc was involved in a serious accident. Not surprisingly, those
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stevenschenck 3 years ago
Great hub
I have been riding for 40 years and just sold my last bike. During that time I have owned many go fast bikes, or made some stock bikes stupid fast.
The problem is not the fast bikes, any bike with a stupid rider is just death and pain waiting to happen.
My last four bikes have had ANTI LOCK BRAKES - why is this not standard on every bike sold? - it works great - and saved my life more than once.
Coming out of LA one early morn last month at about 90 in the fast lane on a BMW LT, a front quarter panel flew off the car I was passing. Slick road, heavy traffic, no room to move and I hit the brakes full on, went nicely around the object and kept going. (after flipping off the cars driver)
The worst thing that happened was waking up my wife who was sleeping soundly on the seat behind me. Any non-antilock would have had to dump or ride over it.
Now that I am old, fat and retired my bike has no motor and I am trying to get into shape, but the truth is that I was safer on my motorcycle with full helmet in the middle of the lane than a foam thing on my head and cars blasting around me inches away.