FkNAmerican
30th April 2008, 16:04
So, as some of you know, I've been considering moving on up to a liter bike lately. On a whim I decided to call up an old friend I havnt seen in awhile who rides an R6-S. Ever since he bought his R6S he has wanted the more hard core YZF-R6. Now I wasnt in a huge hurry to sell my R-6 so I just threw a number at him expecting him to turn it down as too high. Instead, he jumped on it and said he's gonna sell his bike for whatever and get together the money ASAP. Apparently, I've already done everything he would have done to the R-6 for him so its the perfect bike for him. Great.
So now Im faced with the rather sudden prospect of not having the R-6 in about 2-3 weeks. My big question: What do I replace it with??
1. GSXR-1000: I rode a K-7 Gixer thou' not too long ago and came away VERY impressed with it overall. I traded bikes witha friend who had one for the Tuesday sports bike ride out and was able to immediately get comfortable on it. First impressions were solid. From a riders perspective the GSXR-1000 is a VERY strong street bike. What I dont like about it are the bland cheapish look of them and the fact that everybody and thier mother has one. Also Suzuki is rumored to be preparing a counterstrike against the '08 Honda CBR1000 with a new 2009 GSXR-1000. Its hard for me to believe they can squeeze much more power out so Im thinking Suzuki needs to drop weight and maybe offer a more advanced traction control then on the ZX-10. Thats where the next "big step" in sports bikes has to be in my opinion. Power is getting harder to increase so its gotta come by way of reducing/centralizing weight and TRACTION CONTROL. If so then Im willing to wait for the '09 to come out and see whats what. The last thing I like about getting one now though: Dealer has made me an offer on any '07 color I want for $9,600 out the door.
2. Yamaha R-1: I LOVE the look of this bike. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best looking liter bikes out there.....including Ducati's and MV's. I've got some friends with riding experience on GSXR's and R-1's and they all prefer the GSXR as a riders bike though. Also there is the issue of the ECU's needed to be shipped off and reflashed/replaced to fix the flat spot in the power band....which by some accounts STILL isnt fixed after the new chip comes back. Also I've heard complaints about the underseat exhausts roasting you on a hot day. This is an issue as it can easily get over 100 degrees where I live. Also Yamaha is due to update the R-1 again for '09 so Im considering waiting to see if they make significant improvements. I'd like to see better fueling and reduced weight! Dealer has made me an offer on any '07 color I want for $9,500 out the door though.
3. Kawasaki Zx-10 (the new '08 model): This bike is seriously interesting me at the moment. I sat on one and it feels very light and compact for a liter bike. The seat is wide and hard like my R-6 so at least Im already used to that. Its heavier then a stock GSXR but it feels lighter...I presume b/c of a lower center of gravity. I'm also liking the new looks of the bike and the fact that its got the most powerfull 1000cc stock engine yet. Plus its said to have a razor sharp chasis and class leading brakes. The problem: Kawasaki are being bastards about the price. Every dealer I go to is pretty firm: $11,500 for the bike...some even want close to 12 grand....I could have an '07 GSXR-1000 with a full sytem and power commander making 170hp at the wheels for that money.....and thats not something I want to be thinking every time I open the garage and look at my bike.
4. '07 CBR 1000RR: I like the look of this bike. Thats about it. I would consider it if offered a great deal but otherwise......no thanks. To make it worse, Im seeing '07 CBR 1000's going for more then '08 GSXR-1000's which is scary to me considering the Gixer is such a superior machine.
5. GSXR-750: I've been pondering a Gixer 750 for a LONG LONG LONG time. I love everything about this bike on paper. You get more power and torque then a 600 for almost no cost in weight. Its what a 600 would be if you pumped $6,000 in engine work into it........plus my local dealer has two '07's left he's offered to me for $8,800 out the door. To top it off the 750 responds very well to a power commander and a full system/tuning. Those mods make it the perfect motorcycle from a power/weight/chasis perspective. Whats holding me back?? The fear that I'll buy one and immediately regret not getting a 1,000. Also it suffers the same problem of all Gixers: Bland cheap looks and the "everybody gots one" factor.
6. Lastly, Im considering going without a motorcycle this summer (absolute torture) and saving up for the Aprilia RSV-4 thats due out end of this year. I've always wanted a V-4 and from the look of the race bike this thing is going to be amazing. Oh and did I mention the sound?? Heard a clip of the bike from the Milan show. Jesus. Down side is the price. Im expecting something in the area of $20,000.......but if its as good as Im thinking it will be......then Im willing to spend on it b/c its a special bike I'd plan to keep for years and enjoy.
So now Im faced with the rather sudden prospect of not having the R-6 in about 2-3 weeks. My big question: What do I replace it with??
1. GSXR-1000: I rode a K-7 Gixer thou' not too long ago and came away VERY impressed with it overall. I traded bikes witha friend who had one for the Tuesday sports bike ride out and was able to immediately get comfortable on it. First impressions were solid. From a riders perspective the GSXR-1000 is a VERY strong street bike. What I dont like about it are the bland cheapish look of them and the fact that everybody and thier mother has one. Also Suzuki is rumored to be preparing a counterstrike against the '08 Honda CBR1000 with a new 2009 GSXR-1000. Its hard for me to believe they can squeeze much more power out so Im thinking Suzuki needs to drop weight and maybe offer a more advanced traction control then on the ZX-10. Thats where the next "big step" in sports bikes has to be in my opinion. Power is getting harder to increase so its gotta come by way of reducing/centralizing weight and TRACTION CONTROL. If so then Im willing to wait for the '09 to come out and see whats what. The last thing I like about getting one now though: Dealer has made me an offer on any '07 color I want for $9,600 out the door.
2. Yamaha R-1: I LOVE the look of this bike. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best looking liter bikes out there.....including Ducati's and MV's. I've got some friends with riding experience on GSXR's and R-1's and they all prefer the GSXR as a riders bike though. Also there is the issue of the ECU's needed to be shipped off and reflashed/replaced to fix the flat spot in the power band....which by some accounts STILL isnt fixed after the new chip comes back. Also I've heard complaints about the underseat exhausts roasting you on a hot day. This is an issue as it can easily get over 100 degrees where I live. Also Yamaha is due to update the R-1 again for '09 so Im considering waiting to see if they make significant improvements. I'd like to see better fueling and reduced weight! Dealer has made me an offer on any '07 color I want for $9,500 out the door though.
3. Kawasaki Zx-10 (the new '08 model): This bike is seriously interesting me at the moment. I sat on one and it feels very light and compact for a liter bike. The seat is wide and hard like my R-6 so at least Im already used to that. Its heavier then a stock GSXR but it feels lighter...I presume b/c of a lower center of gravity. I'm also liking the new looks of the bike and the fact that its got the most powerfull 1000cc stock engine yet. Plus its said to have a razor sharp chasis and class leading brakes. The problem: Kawasaki are being bastards about the price. Every dealer I go to is pretty firm: $11,500 for the bike...some even want close to 12 grand....I could have an '07 GSXR-1000 with a full sytem and power commander making 170hp at the wheels for that money.....and thats not something I want to be thinking every time I open the garage and look at my bike.
4. '07 CBR 1000RR: I like the look of this bike. Thats about it. I would consider it if offered a great deal but otherwise......no thanks. To make it worse, Im seeing '07 CBR 1000's going for more then '08 GSXR-1000's which is scary to me considering the Gixer is such a superior machine.
5. GSXR-750: I've been pondering a Gixer 750 for a LONG LONG LONG time. I love everything about this bike on paper. You get more power and torque then a 600 for almost no cost in weight. Its what a 600 would be if you pumped $6,000 in engine work into it........plus my local dealer has two '07's left he's offered to me for $8,800 out the door. To top it off the 750 responds very well to a power commander and a full system/tuning. Those mods make it the perfect motorcycle from a power/weight/chasis perspective. Whats holding me back?? The fear that I'll buy one and immediately regret not getting a 1,000. Also it suffers the same problem of all Gixers: Bland cheap looks and the "everybody gots one" factor.
6. Lastly, Im considering going without a motorcycle this summer (absolute torture) and saving up for the Aprilia RSV-4 thats due out end of this year. I've always wanted a V-4 and from the look of the race bike this thing is going to be amazing. Oh and did I mention the sound?? Heard a clip of the bike from the Milan show. Jesus. Down side is the price. Im expecting something in the area of $20,000.......but if its as good as Im thinking it will be......then Im willing to spend on it b/c its a special bike I'd plan to keep for years and enjoy.