The main reason I like this bike is because of it's engine. However, I can't handle the riding position. It sits way too much like a crotch rocket, which is to say it has my torso leaning way too far forward. I like a more upright riding position, like you'd find with a naked/standard. It would be nice if Honda used this masterpiece of an engine in other models...

 

Yes, the Varedo although it isn't exactly the same.

 

Yes they used the same engine in the Varadero (with some changes). Wasn't sold in the US. You can raise the riding position with a little effort. Yes I agree I can't imagine the new parallel twin in the Africa Twin is better in any way (besides maybe emissions?). It's larger displacement-wise and has 25 years newer technology yet still makes less power...

 

I can't stand those adventure bikes, or whatever they're calling them these days, they're just too damn fugly...I'll deal with the VTR...I was hoping maybe they made something that was more like a standard...

 

If you want something out of the box and bang for your buck a first gen FZ1 is probably the best bike I've ever owned. And though I've actually never ridden either I can't imagine an SV1000N (if you want upright bars/no fairing) or a 1200/1250 Bandit is going to disappoint either.

 

FZ1? Never heard of that. What is it?

 

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=fz1

 

A soul-less inline 4. Comfortable to sit on though.

 

Sorry couldn't help myself haha...

Why The Original Yamaha FZ1 Was So Damn Good | Cycle World

 

I absolutely loved my '01. Felt big though and sat pretty high (and I'm 5'11" and couldn't put my feet flat) but great power, brakes, comfort (mine had the lower GTYR bars along with a bunch of other stuff), etc. Wish I had kept it but the guy I sold it to absolutely rode the wheels off it. It looked pretty tired last time I saw it and he apologized for not taking care of it like I had but it was cool he rode it back and forth to California from Florida so many times to see his daughter. Had almost 50k miles (I sold it to him with only @3k miles on it and you could eat off it) of mostly 140mph cannonballing across the country last time I saw it a bunch of years ago so Yamaha did something right. Different animal from a Superhawk but night and day difference in power out on the highway for sure. I always loved my Superhawks but when you get off a Hayabusa, a ZX-12 or the FZ1 (and none were stock either) the Superhawk feels pretty gutless out on the highway. There's always been one in my garage though. I guess that's the "soul" Jason was talking about. I guess like any other tool it depends on what you're using it for.

 

Not interested in an i-4...

 

Everything is relative. My Gold Wing feels gutless after riding a VTR. I've been through the super bike gauntlet over the years, Kaw 900 Z1, CBX, V-65 Magna, V-Max, Triumph Rocket III, etc, but I've never gone the route of the newer crotch rockets. They've never appealed to me. I know the inlines are faster, but I don't care. I don't need to be first on track day, nor do I need to be able to blast off into space at triple digit speeds. I like the VTR because of its power delivery from idle to redline. No inline 4, or any number of cylinders for that matter, delivers the power the way the VTR does, at least none of the bikes I've ridden do anyway (except for the TR3, but it was also an 800 lb bike)...

 

I get it I've had at least one Superhawk in my garage for 23 years... And I LOVE older bikes but besides the Rocket 3 (a musclebike) those other bikes aren't superbikes they're dinosaurs. I'm 20+ years behind the times myself as the modded ZX12 and Hayabusa I used to own were my yardsticks for how something "delivers the power." You just breath on the gas and instantly put yourself wherever you want on the highway. Doesn't mean you have to ride like that all the time but it's comforting to know it's there and I always loved how effortless they were to cover some miles on (and still would be). 1000cc inlines have been delivering power like a Superhawk since the late 80's/early 90's. Yeah they don't feel or sound the same of course, which was half the reason i bought a brand new '98 and have never been without one since.

But again if you're aiming for an upright Superhawk you can pretty easily put some dirtbike bars on it. The options have been covered lots of times on here. If you can find an SV1000N or a DL1000 I can't imagine not liking those too. Aprilia also makes the Tuono, which was also a twin up until 2010. And of course if your pockets are deeper you have some more options from BMW and KTM, plus the newer V4 Tuono and crossplane FZ/MT-10.

 

All of the bikes I mentioned were either the fastest, or some of the fastest bikes on the planet when I had them. At the time, they absolutely were considered superbikes. In those days there was no such thing a Busas or ZX-12s...the problem I'm having with handlebars is trying to find out which ones to go with that don't require modding or removing the fairings...

 

Ok I understand at the time they were but you're not buying a bike 40 years ago you're buying one today, and if the newest inline 4 you've ridden is a KZ900 (they stopped making them in 1976) maybe your yardstick of what an inline 4 feels like could use an adjustment is all I'm saying... Not trying to bust ***** just don't want you to shun other perfectly good options. Right out of the box even something 25 years old like a 1200 Bandit gives you the exact riding position you're looking for and makes just as much torque and horsepower as a Superhawk. It's also much easier to modify for more power (a slip on alone is worth over 10hp with similar torque gains) if you want it. The sky is basically the limit, it's a GSXR1100 engine. Yes is get it doesn't sound the same or ride the same. This is all a bit off topic.

If you have to have a Superhawk they make kits with the upper triple for dirtbike bars. You can also just drill the stocker and add them yourself. I did it once for ***** and giggles. The bike is a riot. But I didn't have fairings on the bike at the time. Others have. You'll need to search a bit for what they did regarding the fairings. The info is on here. You can also check out Convertibars, which while expensive do allow adjustments in pretty much every direction to allow both the position you want and also a pretty good bet that you'll still be able to clear the fairings and tank. That was my solution to running stock fairings with an RC51 front end on one of mine. Obviously custom length brake and clutch lines will be needed. Whatever you do please don't cup up good stock fairings lol. Either save them or sell them (they're getting impossible to find) and modify some Sharkskinz or something.

My guess at the closest thing you're looking for out of the box would be a DL1000, also called a VStrom. With slip ons and a tune Dale Walker gets 95hp and 68ft lbs so I don't think you'll be disappointed with the power vs a Superhawk. I've never heard anyone complain about a TL1000 engine. It's similar to the Varadero which again was never sold in this country. They also built a newer version in 2014. If you're not as concerned with top end power they also make a 650 version, based on the SV650. I've also owned an SV650 and was blown away how much fun and how peppy it was around town. Way more powerful than I thought it would be and with a full M4 exhaust it sounded incredible of course.

 

Didn't Suzuki also make a B-King that is similar to the Bandit, but based on a retuned Busa engine? I'm sure the more recent inline 4s are nothing like the old Kaw 900s, I just prefer the sound and feel of the VTR's vtwin....

 

Yeah lol I've never ridden one. Come to think of it I don't know if I've ever even seen one in person. Seems like complete overkill (as was my Hayabusa). If you're going to have that much power I prefer clip ons and fairings but that's just me. I was always trying to lean further down on my FZ1 out on the highway and that was with lowered risers. Sorry I live in South Florida -lots of flat highways. You have to go looking for twisties and I get excited by on and off ramps lol.

 

Sounds like when I used to ride in ND...all two weeks of summer!

 

On & off ramps, two weeks of summer, you guys are getting me all hot and bothered.