Ok, I'm probably going to get the (well a) bike in the next few days.
Simple question?
Is there a better 600 than the 2008 GSXR600? (Just don't reply "Kawi" anything please
)
I really REALLY want a 08 GSXR 1k. I mean the kind of want that yearns at your very soul. I find myself staring at pictures of the Suzuki AMA team bikes. Sick right? My wife thinks I have a thing for Maladin, Hmmm.
Grtpimp76. I've followed your exploits for years around here. You are now doubt a "rider" and I take your comments to heart. I think I'm leaning more towards your way of thinking. So even though I can have my "pick of the litter" so to speak, I'm thinking smart.
I figure a high side means missing work. The only question I have is which bike is that more likely to occur. Probably the 1k. Right?
Again I really do apprecieate the boards help with this.
Chris
Whateva you decide to go with, I'm sure it'll be the right decision for you.
600's: I haven't ridden them a lot, but the impressions I got from the ones I did get to test out last year at Fontana were Yamaha R6 and the CBR600RR, aside from the one I owned way back when (GSXR600).
R6-Man! great ride, feel, handling. Oh, did I mention handling?
The geometry definitely has one of the smallest wheelbases and less raked than the other 6's. Turn in was effortless. The slightest amount of input already had me dragging knees, and almost elbows if I tried, especially through Turns 5/6 Fontana. It does feel like the "smallest, lightest" of the bunch, which is very advantageous for late braking/trail braking scenarios. My only gripe was the lack of steering damper (sportbikerentals.com did use a GPR however with the test units) for stock units. That can be scary for a bike like this b/c it had the tendency to wanna "tuck" the front when going into the corners really hot. My other gripe is....it's a SMALL BIKE. I'm 6'0, and at that time 230lbs, and getting completely under the windscreen was hard. I like to have the chin of my helmet on the gas tank when tucked. Although it takes corners at crazy speeds, it felt "nervous" at mid-corner, but subsided with acceleration out of the corners that stabilized the rear end a little more.
CBR600: in my opinion at the same track, had the total package. It was light, nimble, powerful, and had a nice predictable powerband. Not as nimble as the R6 (although it was probably even negligible as far as differences), it had quite a bit more corner stability and hard braking stability. That may also have to do with the slightly stiffer frame and swingarm angles. I also loved the way I could feel what the front end is doing under braking and cornering. I would buy the CBR just for that feature if I could. The 600 had better ergos for me, but still felt like a pretty small bike.
I do plan on getting a 600 in a couple of years b/c that would double the amount of classes I could race in at the club level. There are only so many Superstock, superbike, heavyweight, and unlimited displacement liter bike classes. But with a 600, you can enter just about anything, just short of the 250, 500, and motard classes. And you can race "up" against the 750's and liters if you so desire.
I hope this little tidbit helped too and thanx for following some of my track excursions thru the years.
BTW-an 08 Gixx1K is NOT a bad choice either...If you really wanna track something that new and pretty. check the WERA bbs boards
nullWERA homepage too. Some club racers actually go through a new bike every 1 to 2 seasons. There are some spanking good deals that are to be had.
