The last week I've been thinking and discussing Fireblades and K6's.
I've even posted comparison threads here as you may have seen.
After some emailing to Brian Bernard, the question for me quickly chopped from CBR vs GSXR 1000 to GSXR 600 vs GSXR 1000.
Brian convincing me that at 95Kg, I should go for the 1000.
I've spent the last three days discussing the new K6 with Wellington Motorcycles, and today I testrode the K5 to get a taste.
Bare in mind, I'm an ex-K3 SV1000S (V-Twin)owner!!! So each to their own, this is my experience, by no means anybody elses.
Pulling out of WMCC I noticed the revs not as forgiving, I had to hold it up there with a slight twist. The initial pulling away crisp and smooth. No grunting sound as I have been so used to.
Pulling up at the lights in the city, Initially thinking, this feels like a sportsbike, feels like it'll go well!!!
I just cruised my way through the city and then up onto the motorway. I gave it a goodtwist heading up the onramp by the ferry terminal - very quick acceleration! I heard the engine rev picking up and changed gears as you do, accelerated into third, fourth, fifth, sixth.
In sixth gear at 120 on the motorway, I was looking for seventh - Not there!
A twin rider like myself not used to the gearing feel, and looking down at the rev counter, I was only at around 4000. It just sounded like it was revving high. Obviously Not! Up the gorge I went and I thought, a wee bit more stick.......Just for the thrill.
Slowed down for the Johnsonville offramp thinking this nice 50-60kph is a good entry speed into the offramp - Holy crap, I'm still over 100!
I looked around and it did not look like 100, My mind boggled, I could swear I was 50-60 max! (Mental note taken!)
Cruised through Johnsonville, the odd wave to the fellow motorcyclists and back out towards Tawa on the motorway.
It was at this stage that I realised, I haven't even given this bike anything yet! Maybe 6000 rpm at the most.
I rode down the Tawa offramp and turned right back towards the onramp,
As I reached the top of the onramp at a slow 40kph, I looked back up the motorway, road clear! Dropped it into first and rolled on the throttle..........
Great acceleration! and then Holy Mollies....... This thing just started squeezing out more acceleration, in a short couple of seconds, the front wheel was weightless and I'd become briefly confused as my vision and brain had lost coordination. I instantly buttoned off the throttle! What a Farkin rush!!! how the hell can this machine be Legal? My heart is pounding and my hands are shaking, and not just slightly either! I knew this bike had acceleration, but this was nothing I could have imagined! It was far too quick with acceleration so fast, it left no room for error.
Now I was becoming thirsty for more and feeling a desire to taste more!
The ride between Tawa and Wellington started to become a little too quick, I was beginning to really enjoy it.
Cars are not in the picture anymore - No matter what type they are - from here on in, everything gets blown away and left in the dust! (My apologies to those cars that endured my brief moments of madness/test riding).
A late model SS Holden even tried having a go, but he fell behind about 400metres in about 20 seconds.
Back on the motorway, I scanned for the bling bling confiscators. Seeing none, I thought - Yeehah! Oh the feeling of K5 acceleration!!! I dropped into fourth and nailed it again. After pinning it for about 3-4 seconds I looked down and saw a 2 digit on the speedo. OMG - Already???? Quickly dropping back to the heavy wallet fining region. An SV taking about three times as long to achieve those speeds.
Back into town and up Featherston street - Having the feel of 1st gear takeoffs now, I enjoyed a series of accelerations out of the lights.
It's very hard though not to give a short burst that pushes you well past 70kph. Good fun!!!
Coming back to WMCC, my heart was still pounding and my hands still shaking pretty bad. I can't displace from my mind, that my spotless licence is so vulnerably temporary when I'm on this bike.
I felt like I couldn't help myself and I have a true recipe for disaster.
Also, I have never ever had to keep looking and checking behind me so frequently for revenue collectors, even in the City!
Upon dismounting the bike, I just stared at my hands shaking and waited a few minutes for my heart to slow back to a more normal rhytym. I was initially - Speechless. I totally love this bike but I'll kill myself on it! I'll also miss the relaxed cruising feel of the SV and the SV felt somewhat more spacious. I had a relax and allowed myself 3 hours to calm down and think rationally before making any decisions!
I struck a deal with hamish at WMCC and now, I'm waiting for a nice new K6 to land in the next week.
The decision was incredibly hard though! "The SV or the GSXR?" The slow and stable ride vs the unknown!
In the end, I have decided - I will respect this bike for the lethality that it has and I am taking on a huge challenge in learning to ride this bike to survive it. I love a challenge and this one I will look forward to.
I've had no drops, no tickets etc in the past, and I've decided, I'll ride this machine easily and slowly gain my feel for it. Thank the lord for run in periods too. I can't stress enough how important self discipline will be over the next year!
I have no regrets that I didn't even testride the CBR Thousand, for this Suzuki bike is just insanely sick! How could you ever want more? For anybody who ever testrides one, trust me - At minimum, you'll be shaking just as I did!
And the best news of the day, My best mate (ex 04 GSX250 owner) that I rode in with, was looking at a second hand private sale ZXR750 with 50,000K on the clock today.
He took my advice and brought the GSXR600 Anniversary Edition straight off the shop floor! He lives 10 doors from my house too! Therefore, Lots of after work rides for us.
So next time you Wellington folk see a GSXR K6 and 600 Annivesary cruising the highways or the towns! Thats us! And we're farking loving life for all it's worth!
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Originally Posted by skidMark
next time I'm down that way . I may even get to try one of those K thing's one day no Shop up here let's me ride any Demo bikes 
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SENSEI PERFORMANCE TUNING 
gotta love the cool zorst [it grew on me.....help i want a four cylinder]
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