Sr4 on the road
Discussion
Yep and not much room as a two seater either.
nick997 said:
This one has been asked a few times and the general opinion always seems to be they are a PIA on the road, too stiff and too keen to follow contours of the road. And you'll never get to use the performance. On a track though, that's another question....
Cheers
Nick
Cheers
Nick
DaveK-S1 said:
Seeing the SR4 in the for sale section, that is road registered, what are they like on the road ?
i appreciate that you would have to raise the ride height, I'm not bothered about boot space or fuel tank range as it will simply be used for trips to work or to a track day.
Dave
Me thinks my fellow Radicallers are being overly negative; if you can live with (and can afford) occassionally driving it to work not too far on the odd nice dry day and take it to the odd trackday (note not drive it to them unless you've got a van full of kit in tow), then I think you could have an absolute ball in a road registered Radical SR4; use 50% of it's performance and there is very very little on the road which would have any hope of seeing which way you went. i appreciate that you would have to raise the ride height, I'm not bothered about boot space or fuel tank range as it will simply be used for trips to work or to a track day.
Dave
Upsides? : 1) Driving around in an astonishing performing and looking car; people would barely notice a 'common as muck' Ferrari / Porker etc! 2) Being tight for two, because as I subscribe to the theory that a road car with two seats is way better than one with four, five or even seven (you unlucky devils), you only being able to squeeze in a slim blonde as a passenger must be even better news. 3) You'll be copping out of the supermarket run.
Downsides?: 1) Not minding being stared at (doesn't seem to worry people driving round in left of centre stuff like Caterfields, Ariels etc. 2) I worry that given the utterly appalling and shameful state of the roads in this country that you have to set it up so soft for road use that it'd be way off colour for those trackdays. 3) Less so than a lot those born again pot-bellied Superbikers, you'll still look a bit of a twot trying to get in and out at Sainsburys. Good, hence upside 3)
If I lived somewhere less rainy, more open minded (meaning less big brother 'easy-targetting' i.e. picking on people who are basically law abiding) and with decently maintained roads, I'd almost certainly go for one. Errrrm that reminds me.....!
If you can regard an RR SR4 in the same way as most 'dry-weather superbikers' can and do i.e. fast and furious and mostly solo and you fancy it, go for it Dave - you only live once. Good on yer.
Have a look on evo.co.uk for a review of SR3 and Westfield XTR2 as road cars, might also be posted in Radical's website with a similar review of the SR4 on road. The conclusion in the former was that they are too "nervous" to use on B roads or anything with a slight camber or pothole. If you live somewhere where the roads are generally well kept then it might be an option.
Good luck
Nick
Good luck
Nick
nick997 said:
Have a look on evo.co.uk for a review of SR3 and Westfield XTR2 as road cars, might also be posted in Radical's website with a similar review of the SR4 on road. The conclusion in the former was that they are too "nervous" to use on B roads or anything with a slight camber or pothole. If you live somewhere where the roads are generally well kept then it might be an option.
Good luck
Nick
Here's a start >Good luck
Nick
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2047...
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/2047...
LAP TIMES
1 Radical SR3 1300 (Note Apparently Standard Hayabusa!) 1.17.10
2 Caterham R500 Evo 1:19.00
3= Ariel Atom 1:19.60
3= Caterham CSR 260 1:19.60
5 Dax Rush MC 1:19.70
6 Porsche Carrera GT 1:20.20
7 McLaren F1 1:21.20 (Yep, over 4 seconds quicker than an umpteen hundred grand 'Macca')
8 Ferrari Enzo 1:21.30 (Much as above)
9 Litchfield Type-25 1:22.25
10 Lotus Exige S 1:22.40
How much longer can anyone wonder why we like Radicals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Dave, if you are on the fence about this one then I will tell you that I have had a SR4 on the road for 4 years and it is fantastic. The point made about following cambers is a little harsh as I have no problems with this, but when I drove an sr3 on the road it was a real handful, probably due to its wider track and tyres. I have also driven the xtr2 and I thought it was a diluted version of the sr4 and has an odd seat position (very upright). Performance wise if you are happy to gamble with your licence then you can make use of most of the performance as 145mph comes up in a very short space, it is in the corners where you do not want to rely on the down-force to keep you planted, because if you over do it you will end up in a farmers field. However you will be amazed at how playful the car can be. You only live once as previously said and that's why I chose to buy mine and have never regretted it.
I would consider selling mine for the right price, however it is not advertised but can give you more details if you are interested. It has never been on a track, so is in fantastic condition with less than a thousand miles. The yellow one does look a good deal, if it is ready for the road without any work, thought I would mention this so you did not think I was just trying to sell you mine.
I would consider selling mine for the right price, however it is not advertised but can give you more details if you are interested. It has never been on a track, so is in fantastic condition with less than a thousand miles. The yellow one does look a good deal, if it is ready for the road without any work, thought I would mention this so you did not think I was just trying to sell you mine.
wavesport7 said:
Hi Dave, if you are on the fence about this one then I will tell you that I have had a SR4 on the road for 4 years and it is fantastic. The point made about following cambers is a little harsh as I have no problems with this, but when I drove an sr3 on the road it was a real handful, probably due to its wider track and tyres. I have also driven the xtr2 and I thought it was a diluted version of the sr4 and has an odd seat position (very upright). Performance wise if you are happy to gamble with your licence then you can make use of most of the performance as 145mph comes up in a very short space, it is in the corners where you do not want to rely on the down-force to keep you planted, because if you over do it you will end up in a farmers field. However you will be amazed at how playful the car can be. You only live once as previously said and that's why I chose to buy mine and have never regretted it.
I would consider selling mine for the right price, however it is not advertised but can give you more details if you are interested. It has never been on a track, so is in fantastic condition with less than a thousand miles. The yellow one does look a good deal, if it is ready for the road without any work, thought I would mention this so you did not think I was just trying to sell you mine.
Brilliant........told you so based on gut feelings (track-use knowledge projected on to how it might be on the road), but of far more value, here's someone who has actually done it and obviously thoroughly enjoyed it. Wavesport YHM (shortly!)I would consider selling mine for the right price, however it is not advertised but can give you more details if you are interested. It has never been on a track, so is in fantastic condition with less than a thousand miles. The yellow one does look a good deal, if it is ready for the road without any work, thought I would mention this so you did not think I was just trying to sell you mine.
Dave, I did forget to mention that my experience of an sr4 on the road is not just the sub 1000 miles of my current car, this is actually my second road going sr4 so I have covered several thousand miles. I should also mention that neither car has ever broken down. You can see my old car on Youtube (although the engine was changed to a Kawasaki from a Busa for some reason) just type in sr4 on the road, it was driven by Guy Hodgkins after I had owned it.
Could someone tell me what YHM means as used by Splitpin in his last post. Sorry I will admit I am a bit of a forum beginner, even with 68 posts.
Could someone tell me what YHM means as used by Splitpin in his last post. Sorry I will admit I am a bit of a forum beginner, even with 68 posts.
Edited by wavesport7 on Friday 28th November 10:22
no, no, no! A=acronym! 
Helpful as ever
On topic, it's a very personal thing about what makes a good involving road car (for different types of journeys). I loved the idea of a road-legal rad, but I didn't get one and I'm quite glad about it (I suspect I wouldn't find it rewarding unless going balls out). I've had quite a few caterhams and I much prefer 140bhp to 230bhp, prefer H-pattern to sequential. That's what test drives are for!!
Bert
Helpful as ever
On topic, it's a very personal thing about what makes a good involving road car (for different types of journeys). I loved the idea of a road-legal rad, but I didn't get one and I'm quite glad about it (I suspect I wouldn't find it rewarding unless going balls out). I've had quite a few caterhams and I much prefer 140bhp to 230bhp, prefer H-pattern to sequential. That's what test drives are for!!
Bert
I think you have to ask yourself why you would want a Radical to use on the road. To put this in context, I have the SR3 that set the time in the EVO listing below.
After I'd had it for the first year it was decision time whether to put it on a SORN and insure for storage and transit only. There wasn't a whole lot of difference in insurance so it was marginal but I eventually decided to tax and insure it for another year. That was mainly because I wanted to be able to have a means to check it would run ok after whatever work had just been done without risking loss of time on track, e.g. engine upgraded to 1500 and dry sumped - bring up to temperature, check temps, pressures, leaks etc.
You will of course need another spare set of wheels with road legal tyres alongside the slicks and wets normally used on track.
So, what appeals for driving on the road?
I can understand the pose element cos the attention it receives, particularly from the mobile camera brigade, is quite amazing but doesn't particularly do it for me.
I've found that unless it is on a very smooth road it is far too twitchy to be enjoyable. Certain bumpy stretches make you nervous enough not to want to take a hand off the wheel even to change gear until you've passed the bumps.
Where can you find a quiet enough bit of road to be able to use the cars performance and abilities? A lot of what sets the car apart from others comes from downforce but you have to be moving to get into that zone. Generally speaking you can't get anywhere near the cars abilities on the road under most circumstances.
Then again, each to his own. I bought mine to use on the track but I also keep it road legal so I have the best of both worlds. I've found that by choice though, I hardly ever go out in it on the road for pleasure because it doesn't get near the track expeience. So back to the top I suppose, what do you want to use it for?
After I'd had it for the first year it was decision time whether to put it on a SORN and insure for storage and transit only. There wasn't a whole lot of difference in insurance so it was marginal but I eventually decided to tax and insure it for another year. That was mainly because I wanted to be able to have a means to check it would run ok after whatever work had just been done without risking loss of time on track, e.g. engine upgraded to 1500 and dry sumped - bring up to temperature, check temps, pressures, leaks etc.
You will of course need another spare set of wheels with road legal tyres alongside the slicks and wets normally used on track.
So, what appeals for driving on the road?
I can understand the pose element cos the attention it receives, particularly from the mobile camera brigade, is quite amazing but doesn't particularly do it for me.
I've found that unless it is on a very smooth road it is far too twitchy to be enjoyable. Certain bumpy stretches make you nervous enough not to want to take a hand off the wheel even to change gear until you've passed the bumps.
Where can you find a quiet enough bit of road to be able to use the cars performance and abilities? A lot of what sets the car apart from others comes from downforce but you have to be moving to get into that zone. Generally speaking you can't get anywhere near the cars abilities on the road under most circumstances.
Then again, each to his own. I bought mine to use on the track but I also keep it road legal so I have the best of both worlds. I've found that by choice though, I hardly ever go out in it on the road for pleasure because it doesn't get near the track expeience. So back to the top I suppose, what do you want to use it for?
BertBert said:
no, no, no! A=acronym!
Helpful as ever
You are of course correct TWO (The Wise One) and I stand suitably admonished.Helpful as ever
TGN (The Good News) is that most, if not all of us on the Radical Forum can at least write and spell at least half decent English, unlike quite a few of the other Forums.
Trackdays is often a particularly choice one. OMG (Oh My God) where is all that taxpayers' money going that is being spent on EEE (Education, Education, Education) ?
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