Is the RC51 a big jump from an f4?

BaileyMoto · 04-28-2005, 02:13 AM

I have had most of my time on my f4, but also had an r6 for a short period of time.

I have been considering an RC51, mainly due to my many hwy commutes. I have never actually ridden one. I was perhaps looking to get some advice/opinions on switching 'up' from an F4/R6 to the RC51.

The HP #'s arent much higher than the r6 (2002 RC51) but the torque is obviously quite a bit higher.

Is the rc51 more/less twitchy? How forgiving is it compared to the r6?

Also, what are the ergos like? Would you consider it a more/less comfortable bike?

thanks!

Josh D · 04-28-2005, 02:36 AM

I just came off an F4i onto a 51, so I'll try to help ya out-

1- "due to my many hwy commutes" If you are thinking about going to a 51 to do commuting with, you probably couldn't have picked a worse bike. Especially if you're going through stop and go traffic in town. Mine is geared
-1/+1, and you still have to ride the clutch for a while to get it moving. The riding position is very agressive, and the gas mileage, at least compared to most motorcycles, is just absolutely terrible. Not to mention you will go through tires quicker than a 6.

2- Ergos- like I said above, it's aggressive. Seat is hard like most hondas from 01 up, clip ons are low, and the pegs seem to be pretty high.

3- comfort/twitchy- It's a lot less comfortable than the F4i, but I'm getting used to it. As far as being twitchy, I'd say it is more twitchy than the F4i, but it's kinda hard to explain really. Might be because it makes 2x the torque. As far as cornering and hugging the road, so far it seems to be great, more stable than the 600. It's heavy, but it has no problem cornering, and most of the weight seems to dissapear after you get over 20mph.

4- compared to an R6- No clue, I've never rode one, but did get hit with one and it nearly killed me. In this area, I repeat, in THIS area, I have never seen a mature rider on an R6, only squids, and for some reason, everyone around here believes they will do 190mph. For those reasons, I pretty much just hate R6's. Nothing against their riders, I just don't like the bike, and the "awesome" 'raven' model

I'm not into bling by any means, but I guess flat black doesn't do it for me either. The R6 seems to be more of a race oriented bike IMO, so the F4i or a YZF 600R would probably be a better choice.

To sum it up- RC51 = worthless as a commuter

Josh D · 04-28-2005, 02:46 AM

Forgot to add- is there a reason why you want a bigger bike? If it's because you want a little more torque and get tired of strangling the engine, then I understand. If I was in the right mood, I loved to hear that 600 scream, but sometimes, and more often than not, it got old revving it high if I wanted to go somewhere. I am like that with my truck also, V6 manual, usually shifting at about 2100rpms, taking it easy.

I am not very familiar with these bikes, so I might be making a bad recommendation, but have you checked out the Honda Superhawk, VFR, or Suzuki TLS? The Hawk and TL are twins also, and probably more comfortable than the RC.

I haven't heard anything bad about the VFR other than its just a great all around bike. I'd have to seriously check it out first, but if I were to get another bike, that would probably be it. It would be really nice to ride more than an hour without hurting.

BaileyMoto · 04-28-2005, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh D

I just came off an F4i onto a 51, so I'll try to help ya out-

1- "due to my many hwy commutes" If you are thinking about going to a 51 to do commuting with, you probably couldn't have picked a worse bike. Especially if you're going through stop and go traffic in town. Mine is geared
-1/+1, and you still have to ride the clutch for a while to get it moving. The riding position is very agressive, and the gas mileage, at least compared to most motorcycles, is just absolutely terrible. Not to mention you will go through tires quicker than a 6.

2- Ergos- like I said above, it's aggressive. Seat is hard like most hondas from 01 up, clip ons are low, and the pegs seem to be pretty high.

3- comfort/twitchy- It's a lot less comfortable than the F4i, but I'm getting used to it. As far as being twitchy, I'd say it is more twitchy than the F4i, but it's kinda hard to explain really. Might be because it makes 2x the torque. As far as cornering and hugging the road, so far it seems to be great, more stable than the 600. It's heavy, but it has no problem cornering, and most of the weight seems to dissapear after you get over 20mph.

4- compared to an R6- No clue, I've never rode one, but did get hit with one and it nearly killed me. In this area, I repeat, in THIS area, I have never seen a mature rider on an R6, only squids, and for some reason, everyone around here believes they will do 190mph. For those reasons, I pretty much just hate R6's. Nothing against their riders, I just don't like the bike, and the "awesome" 'raven' model

I'm not into bling by any means, but I guess flat black doesn't do it for me either. The R6 seems to be more of a race oriented bike IMO, so the F4i or a YZF 600R would probably be a better choice.

To sum it up- RC51 = worthless as a commuter

Thanks for the reply, those thoughts help.

I don't do much stop and go, mainly just 1 long shot on the hwy. I guess the only real way to determine it is to actually get some seat time on one. I can't afford to have 2 bikes, so I figured I would have a little bit of both worlds. The f4 has plenty of power, but lacks the hwy 'umph' when I really want it...if that makes sense.

On the mileage note...any idea what you are getting currently? That could be a factor for me.

Josh D · 04-28-2005, 03:13 AM

Yeah, it won't be so bad if it's just all highway, but I don't know how far it is, and of course, it will differ for everyone. You're right, you will just have to ride one for 20, 50, 100 miles or however far you plan on riding and see how it feels to you. Only real highway problem is that they tend to vibrate some (not bad, but you can tell coming off of a 600) and shake the mirrors a lot if not at high enough rpms. IIRC it is somewhere around about 3800-3900 or so that the vibration goes away on mine and it cleans up.

The mileage I'm not for sure yet. Like mentioned earlier, I'm geared -1/+1, with pipes and a PCIIIr, so I don't know how much of a difference that makes. I've been playing with a speedo recaibrator to get the settings right, so I haven't gotten an accurate reading yet. Just to give you an idea though, most of them get somewhere around 30mpg on a good day, and the low fuel light comes on somewhere in the area of 100 miles. Also, the manual says to use 92 oct. or higher, where the F4i only needed 87. I don't have a problem filling it up often, other than spending more $$$, because usually I'm ready to take a break anyhow, LOL.

ExtraJ · 04-28-2005, 03:27 AM

Look Up In The Sky! It's A Bird! It's A Plane!
Ok... It IS A Bird! It's Superchicken!!!!

okay.. so you want a honda v-twin with more power than your f4i... but not too much more. And you want to commute on it.

sounds like a job for the Honda VTR1000.

check this site out for some press on it.
http://www.waepoint.com/vtr-press.htm

I've picked mine up for this season and I love it so far. It's the perfect bike for me. Comfortable riding position (for a sportbike). Great power. Around 110hp and 70ft lbs of torque with the micron pipes and jet kit. Only bad thing is that it gets worse mileage than basically every other bike on the market. Basically a street RC-51.
And if you don't like the half fairing, they do make lower ones for a full racing look. I kinda like the half ones though.

Another good choice would be a suzuki SV1000s, or a yamaha fz1 if you want an I-4.

fengler · 04-28-2005, 05:34 AM

i use my tl for commuting and twisty riding, does both very well(comfy and i dragged knee with the tl) i usually get around 30-38 mpg on the tl versus the 45 i would get on my gixxer, so that kinda sux. i also only get 110 miles out of each tank. the extra torque is quite handly for commuting, i hardly ever have to change gears i can just roll on to pass cars and such. the vtr1000 superchicken is also a good bike, not quite as powerful as the tl or the rc, but you get comfort and dependability. one good thing about v-twins is their sound

TRaGiK · 04-28-2005, 07:16 AM

You also may want to consider the SV1K. Similar HP to the R6, double the torque, and not terribly uncomfy (from what I've heard). Not nearly as expensive as the RC either. There's still some 03 leftover 1k's in my area, and they're selling for around $5800 (NEW bike still).

joberly · 04-28-2005, 07:54 AM

I agree with the rest here, the SV1K, superhawk, Viffer, Tillis, are all better choices than the RC for commuting duty. But hey, there are some people who can ride the RC all day long, they may be few and far between.... but if you want the bike that bad, give it a shot!

fredcbr1100 · 04-28-2005, 09:01 AM

I've owned an RC51 and a VTR1000. The VTR is a far better street bike. I used to end up with burns on my inner thighs in traffic from the rear cylinder on the RC.
I'd also bet that your F4i is faster than the RC51. My ZX6rr is... If it were me, I'd buy another VTR or the SV.

joberly · 04-28-2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredcbr1100

I'd also bet that your F4i is faster than the RC51. My ZX6rr is... If it were me, I'd buy another VTR or the SV.

How do you figure an F4 is faster than a 51?

makerm · 04-28-2005, 09:27 AM

the rc is definitely not a commuter bike. you'll get a good ab workout keeping yourself upright while riding and the seat isn't the most comfortable
i wouldn't exactly say the rc is "twitchier". it's hard to explain the power delivery. there is a slight delay when rolling on the throttle, but when it does hit, it'll hit harder than the f4.
i average about 28 mpg. a lot of it is city driving. i have noticed that it goes through tires a lot quicker than my gsxr did.

medic001918 · 04-28-2005, 09:55 AM

I'm agreeing with everyone else, the RC51 while being a great motorcycle is not a good commuter. The bike simply wasn't built with that purpose in mind. The background to the RC51 is that of racing and it's a platform that most racers can start with. The bike does have some problems that would make it a poor commuter choice. One is the seating position. It can get uncomfortable on a long ride. I have a corbin seat on mine to make it a little better, but by no means is it perfect. Two is the poor gas mileage. The RC51 just doesn't seem to get anything great for milage. It's okay, you get used to it after a little while.
As far as twitchiness, my bike doesn't twitch on me. I put a SCOTTS damper on it before I ever rode it. A big v-twin like that is going to make a lot of torque that can help get the front end light in no time.
Coming off of a CBR600 and onto my RC51 this year, I can say the CBR was a far better commuter bike. For going out and really riding though, I couldn't be happier with the RC51 and I've loved every mile I've put on the bike. Think about your needs and intented use before buying an RC. Other people have made some great suggestions to bikes that would suit your needs as a commuter.
Good luck in your search,
Shane

freeky929 · 04-28-2005, 12:50 PM

How does the riding position of the RC51 compare with the CBR929RR? I was just curious because I was thinking of buying an RC51 as well.

chsnprodigy · 04-28-2005, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredcbr1100

I've owned an RC51 and a VTR1000. The VTR is a far better street bike. I used to end up with burns on my inner thighs in traffic from the rear cylinder on the RC.
I'd also bet that your F4i is faster than the RC51. My ZX6rr is... If it were me, I'd buy another VTR or the SV.

You were doing somthing seriously wrong if you RC51 was slower then your ZX6.