Ok well I got to test a few more bikes out on the weekend.
First I took the ZX10-R out found it much more street able then the R1. Just seemed like a far more nimble bike in the steering department and since dodging pot holes is a high priority in Sydney that was definitely in its favour.
Seat was probably a little more uncomfortable then the R1, but with the tank pulled in towards the back you could move both sides of the bike a little easier to get the weight over.
Centre of gravity was marginally higher; mirrors vibrated less and were better positioned than the R1 but were a little bit too small for my liking.
Power was lacking a tiny bit down low because the demo bike had some fancy performance exhaust put on it which removed the factory valve that produces better lower end torque, but still thought it was up there with the R1 off the mark.
Little hard to compare some aspects due to the limited klms on the R1 (20klms when I rode it, vs 1700 on the ZX) the clutch and gearbox and rear brake felt better on the ZX by far but this may be due to having more time to bed in.
Turning circle on both was pretty ordinarily and nothing to write home about but that is par for the course with this type of bike.
The R1 got quite warm around the lower legs when sat at traffic lights, Yamaha are known for running hotter. I asked the guy how much of this would go once it was run in and he said not much that’s the way they are.
I rode the R1 again after I rode the ZX to get a direct comparison on the day, I think the R1 would be more stable at ultra high speeds, but majority of my riding will be to and from work. So I left there thinking the ZX was the better bike of the two for me.
Next I rode a brand new GSX1000R guy had to take it around the block to put 2 klms on it; seemed to fit between the first two bikes in nimbleness. Rear brakes were fairly ordinary but never having been heat cycled; I really didn’t expect miracles from them but pretty much on par with the R1 that only had a few klms on it.
I found it really hard to get comfortable on the bike for some reason; it was like I had to sit right over the tank regardless if I want to or not, where as the other two gave me an option of sitting back. Maybe that could be sorted with peg position not sure.
The tank felt a bit awkward like I couldn’t wrap my legs around it and get comfortable. On the plus side the gears and the clutch felt light and well controlled straight away and the pressure on the gear lever to change gears was light and pleasing.
Turning circle was no smaller but I think the higher bar position made the turn smoother. I think the Suzuki engine was smoother revving then the other two and probably quicker to rev but a tiny bit down on power.
A quick ride with no hands to feel the balance I thought the GSX was marginal off centre somewhere, the ZX was the best balanced of the lot, felt like a push bike light and easily kept upright and the R1 was also well balanced in that department.
Another plus for the GSX was the seat height was lower making it easier to get my feet down but the peg position meant that you had to put your feet either in front or behind the pegs to put my feet down flat.
I like that it also has three different engine maps (only used the 100% one for the ride) all up it seemed like a well balanced package but I would still lean marginally towards the ZX.
I also took a KTM RU8? for a quick ride (KTM’s first attempt at a sports bike) loved the Brembo front brakes, back brakes were very ordinary and it was very nimble in the steering department, plenty of plastic to save weight including the tank.
Felt like a typical KTM, road bike meets dirt bike. Didn’t like the V Twin engine at all it was rough and seemed lacking. When I got back the guy was surprised because he said they make big power but obviously it wasn’t in the rev bracket I was riding and I took it down the freeway at Hornsby.
The guys had taken it out to the track several times so it must make big power right up top; maybe it was deceptive because I could have sworn I heard the rear tire chirp when I took off from a corner once.
Still for an extra 10k I couldn’t justify spending the money. I think it would be a great track bike but it felt a bit unrefined for a long or high speed trip on the street.
Ok so I only have the CBR left to ride, I don’t think I will bother with the Ducati or the other exotic bikes too much to service them. So once I have ridden that it comes down to who is going to do the best deal.
Mr Silvia: already allocated $2 -$2.5k for riding gear. I plan to buy the good stuff if I am going to buy a bike that approaches warp speed (strictly for track days of course
).