For many...Old school is the only school, I appreciate the new bikes..but have Zero interest in buying one. And if I did...the bikes Id buy would be top shelf at 25k -30k plus. Hell at the local dealer a brand new GSXR1000 is 20k. That takes "all the fun" out if it for me...especially when taken into consideration American wages in reality have not increased since 1999..
The new bikes look all the same as well.
Nostalgia and memories...keep us happy, young at heart and ..it's the most powerful emotion outside of love,
and frankly memories and love are wound around each other, inseparable!
As far as wheelies go , a stock RZ will wheelie in 1st or 2nd ..that's my very 1st recollection of these bikes as I rode out of the dealer & down the street. 10 minutes later ...you guessed it my 1st ticket! (Doing a wheelie, exibition of speed violation) the 1st of many thanks you
In my case I could land a hop when shifting into 3rd with a shimmed clutch spring stack,and always with the 15 tooth counter it would float the front..never tried to stand up them up from 3rd,? never thought about trying?
The Banshee will go vertical & flip in 1st 2nd or 3rd with simply a twist of the wrist.
I'm assuming this is "Martin" MK here doing his thing!
https://youtu.be/m8jbL0MIzz4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As many of you, I could do this easily, but not quite as good.
Martin's RZ as set up, I'm willing to bet can hang with many, many a new machine on his tracks, likely beating many new bikes that cost 4-5 x more.
In it's day, The RZ was all that, it beat down all kinds of bike in acceleration.it is what it is a small bore 347cc twin...it just happened to kick ass in the 1st few gears or in a canyon.
I think TRex has said his lil RZ strikes fear into many a squid on larger bikes on his twisty mtn highways.
Read the motorcycle classics review of Jamie James Custom RZ, with 120 front and a 170 rear...the author of the article stated that the R1 Superbike couldn't exactly lose the lil breathed on RZ..that's good enough for me.
I see both sides if " rise colored spectacle" stories...but its all good., Yes sometimes stories can get way exaggerated like beating modern 15000 rpm 600s , or 200 mph stories on Busas...etc..but it's all good.
I once said my RZ beat Kawasaki 500 & 750 triples..some "old timers"
Cried foul said I was FOS...but just go back and read any road test and average 1/4 mile times and it's all there in black n white. Same factual stories apply to well set up TZ250s, RS250 Hondas..they would easily reel in and wipe the floor with a standard production racer GSXR 1100...good times indeed.