wow now that's community
...I'd say if you're used to riding sport bikes and you're thinking about getting back into the game the 02' RSV is a great bike. Its a bit bigger and taller than the jap stuff which makes it a bit more comfortable to ride for anyone over 6 feet. What I really like about it is the solid handling and especially the motor. I've riden just about everything in the modern sport bike world and dollar for dollar nothing getting you more bang for your buck than the 01-03 mille. I just rode the new zx10r last week and that thing is absolutely bat-**** power wise. If any of you get the chance to ride one, just go WOT in first and watch the front end just barely come up (wheelie control) as you reach 105mph in FIRST gear! Crazist sensation of acceleration I've ever had on a bike. period.
However, regardless after about 20 minutes of riding I was already bored. Yes its stupid fast, yes it handles like a 600 and yes it's green, but none of that **** matters if I have to rev it to 7500 rpm to feel anything and sound like a **** doing so on public roads. I also just can't warm up to the sound of an inline 4, it just doesn't to do for me....unless it's a MV w/radial valves, or the new R1 with the crossplane crankshaft that sounds ******* baslistic with cans fitted.
Plus, like most jap bikes they're like school in summer time: NO CLASS. If I'm going to ride something that's probably going to kill me on public streets, I want something that has real world power for the street (a v-twin), proper ergonomics for the street (nice and tall, you sit INSIDE the bike not on top of it), and something not a lot of people are riding (Aprilia's in general, espeically in the US). That's just my .02...hope it helps.
